Amir Khusrau

1253 – October 1325

Amir Khusrau was a 13th-14th century poet, musician, and scholar of the Delhi Sultanate, often called the 'Parrot of India'. A devoted disciple of the Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya, he served as court poet to a succession of Delhi sultans and wrote prolifically in Persian and the early Hindavi vernacular. He is traditionally credited with shaping qawwali music and Hindustani musical culture.

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Life events

Born in Patiyali
1253

Amir Khusrau was born in 1253 at Patiyali in the Ganges valley, the son of a Turkic officer and an Indian mother.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Became a disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya
c. 1272

As a young man Khusrau became a devoted disciple of the Chishti Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi, a bond that defined his spiritual life.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Served as poet to Prince Muhammad in Multan
c. 1281 – 1285

Khusrau served at the Multan court of Prince Muhammad, son of Sultan Balban, until the prince was killed in a Mongol attack in 1285.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Became court poet to Sultan Jalaluddin Khalji
1290

With the rise of the Khalji dynasty in 1290, Khusrau was appointed court poet in Delhi, beginning decades of service to successive sultans.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Composed his Khamsa
1298 – 1302

Between 1298 and 1302 Khusrau composed his Khamsa, a quintet of Persian narrative poems written in response to the Khamsa of Nizami.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Credited with developing qawwali and early Hindavi poetry
c. 1300

Tradition attributes to Khusrau the development of qawwali devotional music, numerous musical innovations, and pioneering verse in the Hindavi vernacular.

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Wrote the Nuh Sipihr
1318

In 1318 Khusrau completed the Nuh Sipihr ('Nine Heavens'), a masnavi praising India's culture, languages, and learning.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Wrote the Tughlaq Nama
c. 1320

Late in life Khusrau composed the Tughlaq Nama, a historical masnavi on the rise of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Died in Delhi
October 1325

Khusrau died in Delhi in October 1325, months after the death of his master Nizamuddin Auliya, and was buried beside his master's shrine.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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