Amir Khusrau

Why in News?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the 25^th edition of Jahan-e-Khusrau, the annual music festival that commemorates the Sufi poet-musician Amir Khusrau at Delhi’s Sunder Nursery.

• Amir Khusrau, a renowned poet, singer, and musician, is celebrated for his Sufi Kalams.
• Born on - December 27, 1253, in Patiyali in the present-day Etah district of Uttar Pradesh.
• Parents - Khusrau’s father came to India from Central Asia in the early 13^th century, as the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan ravaged Islamic Transoxiana (ancient region of central Asia).

Transoxiana corresponding to the parts of Kazakhstan,Turkmenistan , Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.

• Khusrau became a professional poet at age 20, and served as one until his death.
• He started out in the service of princes and nobles, before becoming a permanent fixture in the court of the Delhi Sultan.
• Works - He is the first Muslim poet to incorporate Hindi words into his poetry.
• Khusrau made lasting contributions to Indian classical music and qawwali.
• He is also credited for developing Hindavi, a precursor to modern Hindi and Urdu.
• The poet often referred to himself as an “Indian Turk”.
• Khusrau served at least 5 Sultans
  1. Muizuddin Qaiqabad,
  2. Jalaluddin Khalji,
  3. Alauddin Khalji,
  4. Qutbuddin Mubarak Shah, and
  5. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq and many other powerful patrons over 5 decades.
• He also contributed to the Persian-Hindi lexicon with his Khalikbari dictionary.
• Disciple of - The Chishti Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya.
• Titles - He was affectionately called ‘Hind ka Tota’ (The Parrot of India) for his fluency in multiple languages, including Hindi, Hindawi, and Persian.
• Amir Khusrau is also known as the ‘father of Hindi Khari Boli’.
• He is seen as a father figure for North India’s syncretic Ganga-Jamuni culture.
• Sultan Jalaluddin Khalji bestowed upon Khusrau the title of ‘Amir’.
• The medieval historian Ziauddin Barani wrote in Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi that Jalaluddin held Khusrau “in great esteem”, and Khusrau “served as keeper of the Qur’an” in his court.
• Khusrau’s ghazals and qawwalis are today sung in both sacred and secular contexts, at Sufi dargahs and Bollywood musicals.
• His most popular compositions include Chhaap Tilak, Zehal-e-Maskeen, and Sakal Ban Phool Rahi Sarson.
• Died in - 1325, and his tomb is located next to the tomb of his spiritual guru in the Nizamuddin Dargah in Delhi.

References

1. The Indian Express | Khusrau
2. News 18 | Jahaan-e-Khusrau