Hindustani Lyrics | Page 3

Turk family of Samarkand: wrote in
Persian as well as in Urdu, and held the position of Poet Laureate at the
Court of Bahadur Shah (r. 1837-1857) the last Mogul Emperor.
HALI: a modern poet: pupil of Ghalib: recently dead: greatly admired,
chiefly by the Muslims, for his poems calling for Muslim and Indian

renascence. He received from the British Government the title of
Shams-ul-ulema.
HASAN: Mir Shulam Hasan, born at Delhi: passed his youth in
Faizabad and then came to Lucknow to join the literary circle there:
was as handsome in person as in mind, and his verse is still popular.
HATIM: one of the early poets: born about 1700, he lived till near the
end of the century: a soldier by profession, but in his old age renounced
the world and became a darwesh: his cell was near the gate of the
Imperial Palace, and many persons resorted to him for counsel.
INSHA: born in Murshedabad, lived in Lucknow about the end of the
18th century: enjoyed the favour of Prince Suleiman Shikoh: wrote
verse in Turkish, Arabic, Persian, but was most famous for his Urdu
poems, which are elegant in style and conception.
JURAT: of Delhi, celebrated for his skill in music, astronomy and
poetry: became blind when still young: was pensioned by the Nawab
Muhabbat Khan and afterwards by Suleiman Shikoh: author of an
enormous volume of Urdu poetry composed of ghazals and of
love-poems in the modern taste. Wrote satires on the rain, the cold,
smallpox, etc. Versed in Hindu as well as Muslim poetry.
MAZHAR: of Delhi: family originally from Bokhara: learned in
jurisprudence as well as poetry: many favourite poets were his pupils:
was a Sunni, made profession of spiritual poverty, and was even
reputed to be able to work miracles: was killed by a fanatic because he
disagreed with the Shiah mourning for the death of Hussein: died in
1780, aged nearly a hundred years.
MIR DARD: author of a famous Urdu diwan: skilled in the sacred
music as sung at the assemblies of the Sufis: lived the life of a sage, the
Padishah often coming to him for counsel, though he himself never
sought the Emperor's Court.
MIR SOZ: of Bokhari ancestry, had to leave his country in time of peril
in the dress of a fakir: came to Lucknow, where he became tutor to the

Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula.
MIR TAQI: born at Agra, in his later days lived at Lucknow, under the
protection of the Nawab of Oudh: wrote many kinds of verse, but
excelled in the ghazal and the masnawi, and was the author of a
biography of poets: wrote his own autobiography in Persian, and also
Persian poetry.
MOMIN: of Delhi: author of six long masnawis: skilled in medicine,
astronomy and astrology, and deeply read in poetry: at first lived a gay
and reckless life, in his old age gave himself to prayer and fasting, and
acquired great contemporary fame: his work is considered to be the
most delicate flower of Urdu expression.
MUSHAFI: belonged to a distinguished family of Amroha: lived at
first at Lucknow, then went to Delhi: there he held famous literary
reunions, at which gathered many poets of whom he was the inspirer
and teacher.
MUZTAR: born and educated at Lucknow: his ancestors occupied an
honourable rank at Delhi: was a pupil of Mushafi.
NASIKH: of Calcutta: belonged to the latter half of the 19th century:
Deputy Magistrate and Member of the Legislative Council of Bengal.
SAUDA: born at Delhi about 1720: a soldier by profession: much
esteemed in his lifetime, and was a favourite at Court: excelled in all
kinds of poetry, chiefly the ghazal, the qasidah, and satire.
TABAN: of Delhi: as famous for his beauty as for his poetic talent:
pupil of Hatim, and was a friend of Mazhar and Sauda: was descended
from the Prophet on both father's and mother's side.
WALI: of the Deccan, the first to write an Urdu Diwan: is considered
the Father of Urdu poetry: born at Aurungabad, wrote in the latter half
of the 17th century. He held a just balance between Sunnis and Shiahs,
and did not flatter any Ruler in his verses. He knew the literature and
art of Europe and wrote many mystical and spiritual poems.

YAKRANG: one of the officers of the Emperor Muhammad Shah (r.
1719-48): lived in dignity and honour at Delhi.
ZAHIR: a well-known modern poet, lived at Rampur at the Court of
Nawab Kalbe Ali Khan, afterwards at the Court of the Nawab of Tonk,
and finally at Hyderabad, in the literary circle of the Nizam, by whom
he was much appreciated and rewarded.
ZAUQ: a celebrated poet at the Court of Bahadur Shah (r. 1837-57):
was his teacher in the arts of verse: compiler of an anthology Of poems:
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