Persian Literature During Delhi Sultanate

Persian Literature During Delhi Sultanate

Poetry

The most notable Persian writer of the period was Amir Khusrau (1252-1325). He wrote a large number of poetical works, including historical romances. He experimented with all the poetical forms and created a new style of Persian which came to be called Sabaq-i-Hind or the style of India. He was also an accomplished musician and was a disciple of the great Sufi saint, Nizamuddin Auliya. Other important Persian poets were Mir Hasan Dehlawi, Badra Chach, etc.

Historical Works

Apart from poetry a strong school of history writing in Persian developed in India during the period. The most famous historians of the period were Zia-ud-din Barani, Shamsi-Shiraj Afif and Isami.

Translations

Zia Nakshabi was the first to translate Sanskrit works into Persian.’ His book Tuti Namah (book of the parrot), written in the time of Muhammad Tughluq, was a Persian translation of Sanskrit stories. Later, in the time of Firuz, Sanskrit books on medicine and music were translated into Persian. Sultan Zain-Ul-Abidin of Kashmir had the famous historical work, Rajatarangini, and the Mahabharata translated into Persian. Sanskrit works on medicine and music were also translated into Persian at his instance.