Azad Bilgrami
Encyclopedia
Azad Bilgrami is one of the most significant scholar of Arabic, Persian
and Urdu
languages in 18th century India
. He is the first Indian poet of Arabic whose poetic compilation is available. The King of Yemen had had acknowledged his poetic genius and accorded him the title of Hassan Al-Hind.
and gained reputation for possessing command over all topics of literature and learning. He was instructed in language, by Mir Abdul Jalil of Selsibil; in prosody and polite literature by Mir Saiad Muhammad; in the Koran by Shaikh Muhammad Hayat; and in all excellences by Shaikh 'Abdul Wabhat Tantawi. According to the Masalati Shuara, he studied eloquence with Muhammad Aslam Salim and Shaikh Saad Ullah Gulshan of Ahmedabad.
As a youth he left Bilgram and stayed for two years in Delhi
. He visited Lahore
and Multan
and made acquaintance with scholars of these cities, and lived for five years in the province of Sind
. He then traveled to the cities of Mecca
and Medina
, where he devoted himself to religious studies particularly specializing in Sihah-i-Sittah
i.e. six books of traditions of Muhammad Ismail Bukhari
, Muslim Nishapuri
, Ibn Majah, Abu Daud, Abu Isa Tirmizi
and Abu Abdul Rehman Nisai.
and other nobles of the Nizam
’s state were his devotees but he avoided worldly favours and preferred life of piety and poverty. Azad was a poet and a biographer of poets. He was the friend of Shah Nawaz Khan
, and when the latter was murdered, he collected his friend's manuscripts (Ma'asir al-umara
) which were scattered in all directions, and published them.
Azad compiled his two diwans of poetry in Arabic and Persian
. But among the works of lasting value were the dictionaries of poets."
Azad's skill as a poet, especially as a panegyrist of the Prophet Muhammad
, has long been recognized.
His one critically edited Arabic work, the Subhat al-marjan (The coral rosary), is approvingly cited for its praise of India, which describes India as the first domicile of Adam
and for Azad's knowledge of Indian languages and culture, and for his literary-critical and poetic sensibilities.
The Miratu-l Khayal or " Mirror of fancy" by Shir Khan Lodi, mentions that " the author of the Khazanahi A'amirah calls himself 'Azad, Husaini, Wasiti, and Balgrami," and says that in H. 1176 'Azad composed the Tazkirah at the request of his relation Muhammad Auladi Muhammad. Ibrahim Khalil gives the life of ' Azad in his Suhuf, and states that " up to the present time, which is the 7th year of Shah 'Alam, he is still occupied in the composition of Persian and Arabic poetry. His works are numerous, and among others, he has arranged three Tazkirahs of poets,-the first called Yadi Bayza; the; second Servi Azad; and the third Khazanahi Aamirah."
In the Khulasat ul 'Afkar, it is mentioned that “Azad was a distinguished poet settled at Aurangabad, where he was much honoured, and associated on friendly terms with the sons of 'Asaf Jah. He wrote a Persian diwan, and a book of Arabic elegies and mesnawis. His Tazkirahs are considered noble proofs of his proficiency in everything connected with prosody, versification, and composition, both in Persian and Arabic."
and Arabic are of great value and have been relied upon by scholars and historians ever since they appeared, though Azad's Persian works have received more scholarly attention than his Arabic ones. He was celebrated all over India, Arabia, and Egypt for his learning and literary productions.
Azad is largely unknown outside India
, to the scholars of modern Arabic. This is due in large part to the fact that Arabist scholarship pays little attention to Arabic literature produced after 1517 and before 1798, and to literature produced outside the Arab heartland.
He lies buried near the Dargah
of Sufi saint Amir Hasan Dihlawi Sijzi (d.1336) at Khuldabad
near Aurangabad India
.
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
languages in 18th century India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He is the first Indian poet of Arabic whose poetic compilation is available. The King of Yemen had had acknowledged his poetic genius and accorded him the title of Hassan Al-Hind.
Early life
His original name was Mir Ghulam Ali Husaini Wasiti. (1116-1200/1704-1786) however he is best known as Ghulam 'Ali Azad Bilgrami. He was born in Bilgram, a small town of scholars in AwadhAwadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
and gained reputation for possessing command over all topics of literature and learning. He was instructed in language, by Mir Abdul Jalil of Selsibil; in prosody and polite literature by Mir Saiad Muhammad; in the Koran by Shaikh Muhammad Hayat; and in all excellences by Shaikh 'Abdul Wabhat Tantawi. According to the Masalati Shuara, he studied eloquence with Muhammad Aslam Salim and Shaikh Saad Ullah Gulshan of Ahmedabad.
As a youth he left Bilgram and stayed for two years in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. He visited Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
and Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
and made acquaintance with scholars of these cities, and lived for five years in the province of Sind
History of Sindh
Sindh is one of the provinces of Pakistan. Sindh was home to one of the world's oldest civilizations, the Indus Valley civilization.-Paleolithic and Mesolithic era:...
. He then traveled to the cities of Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
, where he devoted himself to religious studies particularly specializing in Sihah-i-Sittah
Six major Hadith collections
The six major Hadith collections are collections of hadith by Islamic scholars who, approximately 200 years after Muhammad's death and by their own initiative, collected "hadith" attributed to Muhammad...
i.e. six books of traditions of Muhammad Ismail Bukhari
Muhammad al-Bukhari
Muhammad Ibn Ismail Ibn Ibrahim Ibn al-Mughirah Ibn Bardizbah al-Bukhari , popularly known as Bukhari or Imam Bukhari, , was a Sunni Islamic scholar of Persia...
, Muslim Nishapuri
Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
Abul Husayn Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj ibn Muslim ibn Warat al-Qushayri al-Nisaburi was the author of the second authentic sahih collection of hadith in Sunni Islam, Sahih Muslim.-Biography:...
, Ibn Majah, Abu Daud, Abu Isa Tirmizi
Al-Tirmidhi
Tirmidhī , also transliterated as Tirmizi, full name Abū ‛Īsá Muḥammad ibn ‛Īsá ibn Sawrah ibn Mūsá ibn al Ḍaḥḥāk al-Sulamī al-Sulamī al-Tirmidhī Tirmidhī , also transliterated as Tirmizi, full name Abū ‛Īsá Muḥammad ibn ‛Īsá ibn Sawrah ibn Mūsá ibn al Ḍaḥḥāk al-Sulamī al-Sulamī al-Tirmidhī...
and Abu Abdul Rehman Nisai.
Life in Aurangabad
He returned from Hijaz to India and lived in the city of Aurangabad, Deccan till his death. Nasir JangNasir Jang Mir Ahmad
Nasir Jang Mir Ahmad Humayum Jung Nizam ud Daula s/o Mir Qamaruddin Khan Siddiqi Nizam I by his wife Saidunisa Begum was the Nizam, or ruler, of the Hyderabad State from 1748 to 1750.-Official name:...
and other nobles of the Nizam
Nizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
’s state were his devotees but he avoided worldly favours and preferred life of piety and poverty. Azad was a poet and a biographer of poets. He was the friend of Shah Nawaz Khan
Shams ud Daula Shah Nawaz Khan
The father son duo of Shah Nawaz Khan and Abdul Hai Khan composed the Ma-'asiru-l Umra, a biographical dictionary of the illustrious men who flourished in Hindostan and the Dakhan from the time of Akbar to H. 1155. He was given the title of Shams ud Daula by Asaf Jah.They resided in the city of...
, and when the latter was murdered, he collected his friend's manuscripts (Ma'asir al-umara
Ma'asir al-umara
Ma'asir al-Umara, written by Nawab Shams ud Daula Shah Nawaz Khan and his son Abdul Hai Khan, at Aurangabad, is a Persian biography of notables in the Mughal Empire during the time period approximately 1556-1780. Variants of the title include Ma'athir al-Umara, Maasir al-Umara, and Maathir ul-Umara...
) which were scattered in all directions, and published them.
Azad compiled his two diwans of poetry in Arabic and Persian
Persian literature
Persian literature spans two-and-a-half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. Its sources have been within historical Persia including present-day Iran as well as regions of Central Asia where the Persian language has historically been the national language...
. But among the works of lasting value were the dictionaries of poets."
Works
- 1 Yad-i-Baiza – Biographies of 532 poets.
- 2 Ma asir ul-Kiram Tarikh-i-Bilgram, which delt with 80 sufis and 70 learned men of the author’s home town.
- 3 Sarw-i-Azad gave sketches of 143 poets born in India.
- 4 Khizanah-i-Amirah - notices of 135 poets famous for obtaining rich rewards from potrons. It also contained details of events to which Azad was eye witnesses.
- 5 Rauzat ul Auliya on lives of saints buried in KhuldabadKhuldabadKhuldabad Urdu: خلد آباد is a city and a Taluka of Aurangabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Initially it was known as Rauza meaning garden of paradise...
. - 6 Ghizlan ul Hind a book on Indian womanhood as reflected in Persian literature.
- 7 Anis ul Muhaqqiqin - on Indian saints.
Azad's skill as a poet, especially as a panegyrist of the Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, has long been recognized.
His one critically edited Arabic work, the Subhat al-marjan (The coral rosary), is approvingly cited for its praise of India, which describes India as the first domicile of Adam
Adam
Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...
and for Azad's knowledge of Indian languages and culture, and for his literary-critical and poetic sensibilities.
The Miratu-l Khayal or " Mirror of fancy" by Shir Khan Lodi, mentions that " the author of the Khazanahi A'amirah calls himself 'Azad, Husaini, Wasiti, and Balgrami," and says that in H. 1176 'Azad composed the Tazkirah at the request of his relation Muhammad Auladi Muhammad. Ibrahim Khalil gives the life of ' Azad in his Suhuf, and states that " up to the present time, which is the 7th year of Shah 'Alam, he is still occupied in the composition of Persian and Arabic poetry. His works are numerous, and among others, he has arranged three Tazkirahs of poets,-the first called Yadi Bayza; the; second Servi Azad; and the third Khazanahi Aamirah."
In the Khulasat ul 'Afkar, it is mentioned that “Azad was a distinguished poet settled at Aurangabad, where he was much honoured, and associated on friendly terms with the sons of 'Asaf Jah. He wrote a Persian diwan, and a book of Arabic elegies and mesnawis. His Tazkirahs are considered noble proofs of his proficiency in everything connected with prosody, versification, and composition, both in Persian and Arabic."
Recognition
His works in PersianPersian literature
Persian literature spans two-and-a-half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. Its sources have been within historical Persia including present-day Iran as well as regions of Central Asia where the Persian language has historically been the national language...
and Arabic are of great value and have been relied upon by scholars and historians ever since they appeared, though Azad's Persian works have received more scholarly attention than his Arabic ones. He was celebrated all over India, Arabia, and Egypt for his learning and literary productions.
Azad is largely unknown outside India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, to the scholars of modern Arabic. This is due in large part to the fact that Arabist scholarship pays little attention to Arabic literature produced after 1517 and before 1798, and to literature produced outside the Arab heartland.
He lies buried near the Dargah
Dargah
A Dargah is a Sufi shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint. Local Muslims visit the shrine known as . Dargahs are often associated with Sufi meeting rooms and hostels, known as khanqah...
of Sufi saint Amir Hasan Dihlawi Sijzi (d.1336) at Khuldabad
Khuldabad
Khuldabad Urdu: خلد آباد is a city and a Taluka of Aurangabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Initially it was known as Rauza meaning garden of paradise...
near Aurangabad India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
See also
- Wali DakhniWali Mohammed WaliWali Muhammad Wali , was a classical Urdu poet of the subcontinent....
- Siraj AurangabadiSiraj AurangabadiSiraj Aurangabadi was a famous mystic poet. He was born at Aurangabad Maharashtra. His full name was Siraj-ud-Din Aurangabadi.-Life:...
- Sikandar Ali WajdSikandar Ali WajdSikandar Ali Wajd was a talented Urdu poet from Aurangabad, Maharashtra India. He had equal proficiency in composing gazals and poems.-Professional life:...
- Sufi Saints of AurangabadSufi Saints of AurangabadAurangabad furnished a genial soil for the spread of the religion of the Prophet, and was the centre of great missionary movements in the 8th century of the Hijri. The district is home to the earliest of Sufi saints of the Deccan. The town of Khuldabad contains the shrines of the most famous saints...
- KhuldabadKhuldabadKhuldabad Urdu: خلد آباد is a city and a Taluka of Aurangabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Initially it was known as Rauza meaning garden of paradise...
- UrduUrduUrdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
- Urdu poetryUrdu poetryUrdu poetry is a rich tradition of poetry and has many different types and forms. Borrowing much from the Persian language, it is today an important part of Pakistani and North Indian culture....