Jashn-e-Khusrau 2013

JASHN-e-KHUSRAU 2013 CELEBRATING THE GENIUS OF KHUSRAU

Aga Khan Trust for Culture | Mapin Publishing

JASHN-e-KHUSRAU 2013 Celebrating the Genius of Khusrau

Amir Khusrau is one of the greatest poets of the Persianate region comprising of South and Central Asia, Iran, and Asia Minor. He lived in Delhi (13th/14th century), in the period which saw an amazing influx of scholars, poets, artisans, Sufis, travellers, and merchants from Persianate Central Asia – the area and civilization ravaged by Chengiz Khan, the Mongol – to South Asia. He saw the merging of two great civilizations – Hindu and Islamic – and he wove them beautifully in his literary works, language, music, and local traditions. Jashn-e-Khusrau 2013: Celebrating the Genius of Khusrau celebrates the contributions of Khusrau in the making of the composite South Asian culture that has come to be known as Hindustani.

Amir Khusrau (1253–1325 AD) served as a court poet to several nobles and sultans of Delhi Sultanates between 13th and 14th centuries: recording their battles and guiding their political campaigns; praising them eloquently in metaphors and analogies of Persian literature adapted within Indian imageries; creating governance norms and ethics; making discourses and innovations in science and music; writing historical and love epic poems and ghazals; and, as a devout of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, the most revered 13/14th century Chistiya Sufi of Delhi, he gave to the world the vibrant artistic traditions of Sufiana music and poetry – which continue till today in many oral traditions ranging from classical to folk.

The book introduces the multi-faceted genius of Khusrau in contemporary settings to generate a body of discourses for popular understanding. It presents his contributions as important cultural heritage of South Asia in the context of the 700 years of accumulative history and cultural developments.

It compiles the proceedings of the Festival of Khusrau (Jashn-e-Khusau), 2013, organized by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture with co-funding from Ford Foundation. The book provides, for the first time, a comprehensive understanding of the era of Amir Khusrau; the beginnings of Indo-Islamic art and culture of the medieval era; and their continuity into presentday India.

The three audio CDs included here contain unique and exclusive qawwali, masnavi, ghazal, and Hindustani classical music. All verses and music compositions (except the contemporary fusion) are attributed to Amir Khusrau, and they remain till today as part of the oral heritage.

with 166 images, 4 illustrations, 1 map and 3 music CDs.

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Jashn-e-Khusrau 2013

JASHN-e-KHUSRAU 2013 CELEBRATING THE GENIUS OF KHUSRAU

JASHN-e-KHUSRAU 2013 CELEBRATING THE GENIUS OF KHUSRAU edited by SHAKEEL HOSSAIN for Aga Khan Trust for Culture

AGA KHAN TRUST FOR CULTURE Mapin Publishing

First published in India in 2014 by Aga Khan Trust for Culture with co-funding from Ford Foundation in association with Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd

Text © Aga Khan Trust for Culture Illustrations © as listed.

This book is a catalogue of the proceedings of Jashn-e-Khusrau 2013, a series of symposiums, lectures, exhibitions, heritage walks, and concerts under the title Celebrating the Genius of Amir Khusrau. The events were held simultaneously at several venues in New Delhi (22 February to 27 March 2013)—India Habitat Centre, National Museum, National Archives of India, and Sunder Nursery Amphitheatre. The book and the events were produced

by Aga Khan Trust for Culture with co-funding from Ford Foundation as a part of Aalam-e-Khusrau programme, a pivotal cultural development component of Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative. www.nizamuddinrenewal.org

All rights reserved by Aga Khan Trust for Culture under international copyright conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Simultaneously published in the United States of America in 2014 by Grantha Corporation E: mapin@mapinpub.com Distributed in North America by Antique Collectors’ Club T: 1 800 252 5231 • F: 413 529 0862 E: sales@antiquecc.com • www.accdistribution.com/us Distributed in United Kingdom and Europe by Gazelle Book Services Ltd. T: 44 1524-68765 • F: 44 1524-63232 E: sales@gazellebooks.co.uk • www.gazellebookservices.co.uk Distributed in Southeast Asia by Paragon Asia Co. Ltd T: 66 2877 7755 • F: 66 2468 9636 E: info@paragonasia.com Distributed in the rest of the world by Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd 706 Kaivanna, Panchvati, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad 380006 INDIA T: 91 79 4022 8228 • F: 91 79 4022 8201 E: mapin@mapinpub.com • www.mapinpub.com

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Curator/Editor and Designer for the Events/Catalogue: Shakeel Hossain (for Aga Khan Trust for Culture)

ISBN: 978-81-89995-87-4 (Mapin) ISBN: 978-1-935677-43-7 (Grantha) LCCN: 2014946624 We are grateful to several museums, archives, libraries and institutes, as mentioned below, from whose collections reproductions of manuscripts and paintings have been displayed in the exhibitions and used in the book. They have been duly credited along with the images throughout the exhibitions and the book: Alwar Museum, Alwar Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh Berlin State Library, Berlin Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, Oxford British Library, London The David Collection, Copenhagen Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles Morgan Library & Museum, New York National Library of France, Paris National Museum, New Delhi, courtesy IGNCA Princeton University Library, Princeton Rampur Raza Library, Rampur, UP, courtesy IGNCA Salar Jung Museum, Hydrabad Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Victoria Memorial, Kolkata Walters Art Museum, Baltimore (Abv. IGNCA for Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi) Copyediting: Neha Manke / Mapin Editorial Production coordination: Gopal Limbad / Mapin Design Studio Printed by Parksons Graphics, Mumbai

Front cover: Amir Khusrau and Amir Hasan Sizji at the court of Alauddin Khilji (see p. 86) Page 2: The book release event of Jashn-e-Khusrau: A Collection in the forecourt of Chaunsath Khamba, Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti, 2012. The court was landscaped and developed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture as part of its Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative. The landscape was completed with funds from the Ford Foundation. The publication Jashn-e-Khusrau: A Collection is a catalogue of the proceedings of 2010 festival celebrating the tradition of qawwāli, an innovation of Amir Khusrau.

Right: Painting depicting Amir Khusrau from the collection of Victoria Memorial Museum, Kolkata.

Courtesy: Victoria Memorial Museum, Kolkata Pages 8–9: An evening view of Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah.

Photo: MAS

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CONTENTS 008 | PREFACE | Culture as Urban Identity | Shakeel Hossain 014 | FOREWORD | Ravindra Singh, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Culture 016 | FOREWORD | Cameron Rashti, Historic Cities Programme, AKTC 018 | ACKNOWLEDGEMENT | Ratish Nanda, Projects Director, AKTC 022 | INTRODUCTION | Celebrating the Genius & Pluralism of Amir Khusrau | Shakeel Hossain

PART I

ESSAYS

044 | AMIR KHUSRAU: IN MAKING OF INDIA’S COMPOSITE CULTURE Iqtidar Husain Siddiqui 054 | MASNAVIS OF AMIR KHUSRAU | Chander Shekhar 064 | KHAMSAS OF NIZAMI GANJAVI AND AMIR KHUSRAU Sharif Hussain Qasemi 070 | CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CROW: MAJNUN OF NIZAMI | LAYLA OF KHUSRAU | S.M. Yunus Jaffery 076 | HASAN SIJZI AND AMIR KHUSRAU: FRIENDS, POETS, AND DEVOTEES Sunil Sharma 088 | MYSTICAL POETRY OF AMIR KHUSRAU AND MIRZA BEDIL: CENTRAL CHARACTERISTICS | Akhlaque Ahmad Ansari 096 | ROOTS OF PERSIAN PARDA SYSTEM IN HINDUSTANI MUSIC: A CONCLUSION FROM THE WORKS OF AMIR KHUSRAU Diloram Karomat 108 | AMIR KHUSRAU IN THE CONTEXT OF INDO-PERSIAN SYNTHESIS IN MEDIEVAL NORTH INDIAN MUSIC | Madhu Trivedi 124 | AMIR KHUSRAU: CONTRIBUTIONS TO HINDUSTANI Najma Perveen Ahmad 130 | HINDAVI POETRY OF KHUSRAU: COLLECTIVE MEMORY, CULTURAL TRADITIONS AND SUFI MUSIC | Azarmi Dukht Safavi

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PART II

VERSES ANd muSIC

142 | VERSES AND MUSIC: INTRODUCTION | Shakeel Hossain 157 | KALĀMS 158 | CD 1 • QAWWĀLIS | Verses: Qaul – Man Kunto Maula; Qalbana – Ilahi Tubto Min Kullil Ma’si; Qalbana – Laa Taghafil Hal-e Wajhul; Ghazal – Dishab Ke Mirafti Buta; Panghat – Bahut Din Bite Piya Ko Dekhe; Rang – Aaj Rang Hai Ai Ma; Salaam – Ale Nabi Wa Salawatullah 168| CD 2 • GHAZALS & MASNAVIS | Verses: Qaul – Man Kunto Maula; Masnavi – Mi'raj, Pash Chu Kursifalak Ra Guzasht; Ghazal – Zi Hal-e Miskin; Ghazal – Diwana Shudam Dar Arzuyat; Ghazal – Har Qaum Rast Rahe; Bidai – Ahesta Bero; Medley – A Tribute to Amir Khusrau; Contemporary – Baaz Baad Dard e Judai Chu Kunam 176 | CD 3 • CLASSICAL | Verses: Qaul – Man Kunto Maula; Khayal – Hajrat Nijamuddin Man Sao, Raag Bihag; Khayal – Biya Biya Ki Ghulame Ambiya Ae Dost, Raag Ganam; Khayal – Imrozo Bade Umre Dildar Yade Ma Kard, Raag Eman Kalyaan; Khayal – So Ab Rang Ghuliyan, Raag Jaunpuri; Tarana – Dir Dir Tom Na, Raag Jaunpuri; Naqsh-oNigar – Jaaneman Jaaneman

PART III

APPENdICES

182 | RUH-E-DEHLI: CHISHTI SUFIS OF DELHI SULTANATE | INTRODUCTION TO HERITAGE WALKS | Shakeel Hossain 189 | ILLUSTRATED CHRONOLOGY 210 | MAP: PERSIANATE WORLD & KHUSRAU’S EXPEDITIONS 212 | GLOSSARY | S.M. Yunus Jaffery 217 | REFERENCES & EXTENDED BIBLIOGRAPHY 222 | JASHN-E-KHUSRAU 2013: EVENTS, PARTICIPANTS & CONTRIBUTORS 227 | CREDITS: JASHN-E-KHUSRAU 2013 FESTIVAL & PUBLICATION 228 | PROJECT BACKGROUND 228 | NOTES ON DATES, TERMINOLOGY, TRANSLATIONS, AND TRANSLITERATIONS

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Culture As urban Identity P R E FA C E Shakeel Hossain

There are several grand ideas and sincere intentions to bring about changes in many areas of crises. There are also great work energies and grand potentials behind them, but all of these would remain mere concepts without inspired leaderships, uncanny insights, generous supports, and, of course, a good work team. The Cultural Revival Programme of Hazrat Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiatives was lucky to have all—Ratish Nanda, Projects Director, Aga Khan Trust for Culture, India with his can-make-it-happen skills; Ravina Aggarwal, Ford Foundation, India who immediately recognized the value of the cultural approach to Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti Urban Renewal Initiatives and the capabilities of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture team; the all-pivotal generous Ford Foundation grants, 2009–2014, which made the Programme possible; and the hard work and dedication of the project team (mentioned individually on the credit page)—their achievements speak for them. The team leader, Deeti Ray, tirelessly wove every bit of the projects seamlessly together.

With this synergy, the Cultural Revival Programme of Hazrat Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiatives developed and produced many seminal projects over the last five years. They were successful and were enthusiastically received by the public. The immediate and apparent successes of events and projects, however, are not the Cultural Revival Programme’s parameters of successes. The projects successes will be defined when they create ripples (re)instating cultural heritage as the central variable in urban renewal and development equations.

When referring to cultural heritage, it does not specify culture as intangible heritage as defined by UNESCO: ”traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral

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new cities—coexisting together in the same time, but also leading to the decay of the old living-quarters. However, in spite of the decaying built condition, the traditional art and culture continue to throb within them.

But how long can they survive the onslaught of the recent fervour of new media of trendy visual references, global economic influences, and new urban development processes? The ramifications of these are more than just apparent; they are creating a sense of disconnect and loss.

traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.” Instead, intangible heritage is redefined as the spirit of place, that which renders urbanity with its rang (colour)—the same metaphor with which the poet Amir Khusrau lovingly evokes the spirit and quality of his piya (beloved), Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and his aangan (courtyard). Without the rang of his pir (spiritual master), he says he is nothing. He goes on to say—bhag lagi mera aangan ko… aye re sakhi mera piya ghar ayo—the courtyard of my house is blessed when my beloved visits.

In the same way, it can be said, culture provides a place its essence.

Without the important cultural traditions within our historic quarters, they will be just decaying chaos of lanes and buildings. And, it is the coming together of the culture and place and moments of experiencing them which is intangible—something to be cherished and nourished.

The projects of the Cultural Revival Programmes set out to do just that— link works and life of Khusrau and Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti to the history and culture of Delhi. The programme did take cultural events and exhibition to urban cultural centers outside the Basti to re-connect the city with its heritage.

The projects took the opportunity to address the role of culture in the preservation of urban heritage. This is important, especially in India, which enjoys the continuity of its tradition into its modern times. With the East India Company, came the modern era to the Subcontinent creating a separation between the traditional and the modern, old cities and the

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In the present trend of rapid urbanization and growth of Indian cities, the most challenging issues are the growing informal-sector settlements and the decaying historic urban quarters. And in most cases they are married together. The historic quarters have become the home of the poorer members of the mega-cities. Furthermore, the notion of urban conservation is very rare and most of the time, and understandably, very daunting. For the historic urban settlements have become ghetto-like slums with illegal encroachments and overcrowded living environment.

In spite of all of the above, Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti displays a unique sense of place with a rich cultural diversity. However, the socio-cultural situation of the Basti is as complex, layered, and conflicting as the socioeconomic make up of the Basti. The lack of any community structure and the differences between the various sectors within the settlement are played out in the social, economic, and physical situations of the Basti. In common understanding it is taken that economic growth leads to societal well being, which, in turn, promotes better living environment. In the context of the Basti’s diverse cultural environment, this equation does not apply in its simple form, and neither can it be seen as linear and unidirectional without the risk of losing urban identity, cultural values of the community, and the spirit of place. Also, it is important to stress here that Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin is more precious to our heritage than just an old historic urban village.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti cannot be taken as another informal precinct— an urban slum generated by the social and economic structure of a (developing world) mega city. It is a 700-year-old settlement that has survived many dynasties, raids and eras, maintaining its core Sufi cultural and traditional identity into the 21st century. The basti draws thousands of visitors from all walks of life – economic, cultural and religious—who come daily to venerate the 14th century Sufi saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin, enshrined at the heart of the settlement. It displays the essential quality of pluralism which has come out of the Sufi’s message of equality,

Far left: Prayer meeting at the Dargah. Photo: MAS Left: A malang suďŹ faqir at the Basti during the Urs of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. Photo: MAS Below: A kabab stall along path to the Dargah. Photo: MAS Bottom: Basant festival at the Basti, 2014. Photo: NS Following page: Residential quarter of Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti. Photo: AKTC Archive.

Page 13: View of the entrance to the Dargah. Photo: SA

tolerance and divine love. It represents the many layers of South Asian religious and cultural diversity. Unfortunately, the onslaughts of frantic economic and urban growth had laden the unique and ambient culture of the area with common perils of globalization in the context of the developing world. In addition, because of extreme poverty and hovelled living conditions, the unique characteristic of its traditional milieu are losing recognition and grounds for survival.

With the British Raj, also came the modern town-planning principles and trends to India. The new planned enclaves became the aspiration of the middle-class Indian. They began to leave their havelis and kothis for the new bungalows and flats of the modern havens. The old cities they left behind, over time, became refuge for the city poor and new migrant workers. The big empty houses of the old city provided perfect godowns for the wholesale businesses of the area! There is an urgent need for urban conservation of what little is left of the old settlements. The rate of destruction is fast and there is no preservation regulations implemented to retain the urbanscape or architecture of the old towns.

The direction of conservation needs to incline itself towards urban contextualism on two fronts. One, the conservation of the monuments

and other noteworthy buildings, which needs to be played out in their settings—placing them as cores of urban conservation; the other being, the need to see the historic or traditional settlements in totality as monuments of the city, where the continuing traditions and cultural resources are perceived as unique urban identity of the metropolis in the global context.

As a rule, the modern city/town planning process has completely ignored the historic monuments and quarters. This has resulted in most of them being found ignored and abused in the backyards of the new enclaves and colonies—always under the threat of encroachments and mutilations.

It is important to argue the needs and ways of re-incorporating them in the built environment as centrepieces of urbanity. At this stage, it is vital to explore how heritage—built environment, art/craft traditions, culture,

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and history, and various forms of creative expressions in local traditional situations—can be re-connected with the urban in city-planning process.

At the same time, the revitalization of the old settlements raises issues regarding their sustainability and the nature of their development. Unlike the urban conservation process of Europe and America, which moves out the poor and lets the rich move in to sustain their precious urban heritage, in India, primarily, this is not feasible—because the rich have no aspiration for the traditional city environment. Secondarily, but as important, it is not acceptable—because the vital link that has grown between the people, the tradition, the trade and the urban fabric of the historical quarters gives them their unique characters. In the case of Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin, the tradition and culture of the place solely belong to it and are umbilically linked to the rituals of the Dargah. The relationship has grown over

700 years and is eternal. Replacing them will remove the very spirit of the place.

The culture when lived out within its own environment determines that delicate substance of intangible heritage. It is not culture alone, as defined by its ritual and artistic manifestations, which is intangible—as generally cited. It is the experience of culture within its milieu which is intangible and is to be cherished.

The equation is to be preserved and catered for its continuity. Granted, it is not an easy task. It is like ‘having the cake and eating it too’. But an understanding and appreciation of the culture and urbanity link can be the beginning.

The Cultural Revival component of Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti Urban Renewal Initiative, with a generous grant from Ford Foundation, developed several programmes and projects connecting culture and built environment. They addressed the need to provide continuity to indigenous creative traditions, not just as in the misconception of ‘intangible heritage’ as events and

cultural projects, but as integrated elements of urban renewal and development efforts. Culture provides visible continuity to urban identity and history. The projects illustrated how culture can be used as a means of expressing the identity of place and connecting the habitants to their sense of place; how new urban social and economic models can emerge through cultural approach; and how best to encourage citizens, planners, and policy makers to include cultural variables in their development processes. They display the different ways in which culture can be used in city planning to build relationships between stakeholders, to connect districts, to address economic and social divides, and to find innovative ways to nurture culture and urbanity link.

Shakeel Hossain, May, 2014

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FOREWORD Ravindra Singh, IAS Secretary, Ministry of Culture Government of India

Amir Khusrau Dehlavi, as we so admiringly evoke him as a symbol of social harmony and cultural plurality, was an iconic figure in the history of Indian sub-continent. He was a devout Muslim but at the same time he served as an ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity in his time. He was a living legend and his humanism transcended all barriers of caste, colour and creed. He was a prolific classical poet associated with the royal courts of more than seven rulers of the Delhi Sultanate. With his long royal association, gifted brilliance and committed ethical way of living, Khusrau had pervading effect on the arts, the architecture, the music, the language, and other manifestations of the culture of the period, and what followed. They form parts of our rich and important heritage, which tell us of our past and of what we are made of in the present. They need to be honoured and preserved for the generations to come—not just for us, but for all of the world. By linking the intangible heritage of Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti with the conservation efforts on the built heritage, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in the last few years has amply demonstrated this with sincere dedication and finely executed projects, which range from the grand conservation of Humayun’s Tomb to the careful uplifting of neglected community parks, education and providing health and other basic community facilities to the celebration of one of our national heroes, Amir Khusrau.

The poet, the statesman, the musician, the Sufi, the historian, and all the other new aspects we discover of him from time to time have been the focus of the lovers of literature, music, culture, and history. Popularly, we know him from his sufiana Hindavi poetry, so passionately sung by the qawwāls at our Sufi dargahs, and his music of qawwāli which has become an essential feature of social and cultural gatherings. But the

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many exhibitions, concerts, discussions-demonstrations, heritage walks, and publications like this- Jashn-e-Khusrau 2013: Celebrating the Genius of Amir Khusrau—the Aga Khan Trust for Culture has presented the multi-facets of Khusrau’s genius in new lights and with such comprehensive, grand and colourful ways that have never been experienced before. Additionally, the project exemplifies the crucial link between culture and settlements and how culture can play a decisive role in the conservation of our built environment. We need more of such works on Khusrau and other heroes of our land to keep our heritage alive and make us proud of them.

This book along with the other Aga Khan Trust for Culture publications on Khusrau present his life, his works, and his legends in very comprehensive details. There is no need for me to mention bits and pieces of them here.

But I will stress this point that Amir Khusrau was not one of them who had immigrated to India to escape the swords of the Mongols, or to seek fortune in the courts of Delhi Sultanate. He was born in India and that too to an Indian mother. He was very proud of it and he went out to show to the world through his works that the cultures, arts, languages, climates, the music, the birds, the animals were far superior than the likes from Rome to Egypt and Persia to Khorasan.

courts of Delhi Sultanate the syncretic Indo-Persian music, which we enjoy today as Hindustani music. From his works we learn of the values of differences and diversity—they are to be treasured and used to enrich our culture and our creative expressions; they need to be respected and appreciated and understood, and not disregarded and disrespected for they represent the spirit of India.

The teachings and the love of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya made Khusrau aware of the true value of differences, brotherhood of humankind, respect for others’ ways of life and religions, and the needs of the poor and the underprivileged. Amir Khusrau showered his best and most passionate poems upon him, which embodied all these ideals, and it is through this unselfish love for his pir that he became immortal and attained the darjah, the revered position, of a Sufi.

I sincerely congratulate, with a deep sense of satisfaction, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture for their significant works in the field of culture— especially for its preservation and continuity.

Ravindra Singh

In light of which he wrote the epic Indian love story between the Muslim prince Khizr Khan and the Hindu princess Deval Rani to add to the classic Persianate romance poems of Layla-Majnun and Shirin-Farhad. The poem was based on a true story where the son of Sultan Allauddin Khilji falls in love with the daughter of Raja Karan of Gujarat, which fell to the Delhi Sultan. The love for India also led him to introduce to the Persianate

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FOREWORD Cameron Rashti Director, Historic Cities Programme Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Geneva

The many cultures of India have fascinated the outside world from ancient times. Experiencing and acquiring knowledge about them directly is as ardent a desire of travellers and scholars today as in the times of Alexander, Ibn Battuta, and the countless others who have followed in their footsteps. In many respects, the resilient continuity in the ways of life in India, defined by its diversity, its cultures, its arts and architecture, its languages and literature, and its people is unparalleled elsewhere in the world. Although there have been many disruptions in its long history, India has always assimilated outside creative stimuli and retained its balance as a unique syncretic cultural entity, not serving to displace others, but rather, thriving amongst its neighbours as an allinclusive India. The period of Amir Khusrau was one of these periods of creative stimulation.

Amir Khusrau was born in a very crucial and decisive period in Indian history. The Turkish invaders arriving at the end of 12th century remained in India and made it their home. The establishment of an Islamic base of power in Delhi spread swiftly east to Bengal, west to Gujarat and south to the Deccan, transmitting in the process the Persianate culture established by Mahmud of Ghazni two centuries earlier. Though responsible for much destruction in India, Mahmud was thus also responsible for the beginnings of the Persianate culture, centred in the city of Ghazni (in present-day Afghanistan), which later flourished in Delhi under the Sultanate (1206 - 1526) and the Mughal (1556–1857) dynastic periods.

The Sultans of Delhi were great patrons of the arts and literature and welcomed with great honour and patronage the scholars, poets, artisans, and Sufis who came to their courts. Here, in the city of Delhi, they found

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a safe haven of Islamic culture, intellectualism and arts—sheltered from the destructions of the Mongols. It can be said that in India, Islamic society found a new set of tools and materials for its creative expression. It could not ignore or set aside the rich and highly developed Indic cultures and arts and, instead, what evolved were Indo-Islamic culture, arts, and architecture, forming one of the richest heritages of India. Among them are the continuing traditions of the Sufis, literature, and music, which found their beginning in Amir Khusrau’s works and syncretic innovations.

Unfortunately, the passage of time, the over-weighing impact of globalization, and a preoccupation with the present, have all led to the marginalization of this heritage. Ignored for long, many of the nation’s living traditions and historic urban quarters have fallen in despair and need immediate attention to re-instate their relevance and value in the present context, and to ensure their continuity.

Jashn-e-Khusrau 2013 celebrates the genius of Khusrau and the pluralistic nature of Indo-Islamic cultural history. Starting from Delhi, the celebration with diverse events was taken to Rampur, Lucknow, and Aligarh, where it was received with great excitement and distinction amongst the audiences. Through Jashn-e-Khusrau 2010 and 2013, a sense and feel of the grand expanse of the works and life of one of the most revered cultural figures of the nation, Amir Khusrau, was imparted; his contributions and innovations were celebrated as cutting across several genres of literature, music and culture.

The Aga Khan Trust For Culture is fortunate to have been involved in such a vital process and is very grateful to the Government of India for this opportunity to revive interest in this important phase of Delhi’s history.

We are grateful to all partner agencies that co-funded this project, foremost among them the Ford Foundation, for providing indispensable support for the cultural revival programme of Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti.

We at the Aga Khan Trust For Culture are proud of our partners in our heritage conservation initiatives in Delhi, a city that had become the centre of the Persianate culture at the time of Amir Khusrau. The Trust’s team in Delhi is also to be highly commended for its important work and sincere dedication to this project.

developed, organized, and produced projects—publications, exhibitions, academic discussions, popular plays and story-telling gatherings, poetry readings, films, website, digital applications, walks, training workshops, and an extensive archive—to promote the genius of Khusrau amongst all strata of Indian society. At the same time, in line with the vision of His Highness the Aga Khan, these projects have used the cultural elements of this society as a stepping-stone for the improvement of the built and living conditions of the community. The initiative thus has sought to link the life and works of Amir Khusrau intrinsically with local history and culture.

The cultural expressions of past and continuing traditional environments of India are not just the highly valued assets of the people of India, but are esteemed highly by entire world. The preservation of their continuity is central to the vision of a collective ‘world heritage’ saved for all times.

Following the conservation of the walled garden of Humayun’s Tomb in 2003, the Historic City Program of the Aga Khan Trust For Culture, itself a member of the Aga Khan Development Network, initiated work in 2007 on the Humayun Tomb, Sundar Nursery, Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti Urban Renewal Initiative in partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Central Public Works Department.

The aim of the Initiative was and continues to be the improvement of the visitors’ experience, residents’ living conditions, and the preservation of the built heritage of the past and its continuing traditions. Aalam-eKhusrau exemplifies the very core of our commitments and efforts.

I would like to specifically thank Ratish Nanda for championing this important creative moment in Delhi’s history, Shakeel Hossain for curating the Aalam-e Khusrau programme and its associated events, and Deeti Ray for her dedication in making this a success. Thanks are also due to many others who have played a role to make Jashn-e-Khusrau: Celebrating the Genius of Amir Khusrau a success—not just those who made it happen but also those who welcomed it with much enthusiasm.

Cameron Rashti

The work of Amir Khusrau, whose contributions embody the Indian ideals and culture of pluralism, has been presented by the Aalam-eKhusrau Programme of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture through several multi-dimensional projects. Over the last four years, the programme has

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Ratish Nanda, Projects Director Aga Khan Trust for Culture, New Delhi

This second publication in the Jashn-e-Khusrau series and associated concerts, exhibitions, publications, website, phone apps, and films are a significant component of the Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative being implemented by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in the Humayun’s Tomb – Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti area of Delhi.

The project area boasts of a World Heritage Site, a designated conservation area comprising the densest ensemble of medieval Islamic buildings in Delhi, and a community associated with the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin that boasts of seven centuries of living heritage. It was here that Hazrat Amir Khusrau in the 14th century, Mirza Ghalib in the 19th century, and many of the cultural icons in the interim defined what we understand today as Hindustani culture. Yet, by the 21st century, the traditions of Sufism, pluralism, and tolerance that should define the Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti had been lost and many amongst the local residents far removed from their cultural roots.

The Urban Renewal Initiative has sought to document the cultural legacy of Hazrat Amir Khusrau, not only within the basti but in countrywide locations and even internationally. Performance spaces created here have allowed performers to once again draw people to the basti and instill a sense of pride amongst the local youth who are responsible for the cultural mapping.

Providing education, health, and sanitation infrastructure while restoring the monuments such as Chausath Khambha; providing opportunities for vocational training, implementing housing and street improvement, and landscaping neighbourhood parks as part of a single initiative have helped demonstrate that conservation and development can have the desired impact only when attempted simultaneously.

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We, at AKTC, commenced our focus on the legacy of Hazrat Amir Khusrau after the insistence of Hazrat Pir Khwaja Ahmed Nizami Syed Bokhari, Sajjadanashin and Muttawali, Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. To him, I must express my gratitude. Many amongst the Nizami families, tracing their descent from the saint, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, have been supportive through the years and here, I must acknowledge Nazim Ali Nizami, Syed Najmi Nizami, Syed Hilal Nizami, Wariz Ali Nizami, Farid Ahmed Nizami and Kashiv Ali Nizami.

The project, with over a hundred individual components, has been possible as a result of partnerships with the Archaeological Survey of India, Central Public Works Department, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, and co-funding provided by the Ministry of Tourism of the Government of India, Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, World Monuments Fund, Delhi Development Authority, Housing and Urban Development Corporation, amongst others.

The Aalam-e-Khusrau programme, of which this publication is one of the many outputs, has been funded by the Ford Foundation. Ms. Kavita N Ramdas, Representative, Ford Foundation, New Delhi, visited the programme area within the first week of assuming her office and has, thankfully, continued to appreciate and support our efforts. I owe deep gratitude to Dr Ravina Aggarwal, Programme Officer for Media, Art and Culture, Ford Foundation, who has provided advice, support, guidance and above all sustained her interest through the many years this effort has taken.

The international Jashn-e-Khusrau festival held in 2013 included thirteen concerts at the Chausath Khambha in Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti, India Habitat Centre, and the Sundar Nursery; exhibitions at the National Museum, National Archives, and the India Habitat Centre; and several days of academic debate, lectures, film screenings, and heritage walks.

For this, I must foremost thank Mr Jawhar Sircar, CEO, Prasar Bharti for ensuring Jashn-e-Khusrau was live on Doordarshan and Mr Ravindra Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, for his belief in the initiative and his support in seeking that the project serve as a model for other sites.

We owe thanks to Shri Pravin Srivastava, Director General, and Dr B. R.Mani, Additional Director General, of the Archaeological Survey of India. Dr Venu Vasudevan, Director General, and Ms Jayshree Sharma,

Director Exhibition, at the National Museum made the exhibition their own, giving us the rare privilege of accessing the related collections and displaying them. Similarly, Dr Mushirul Hasan, former Director General, National Archives of India, provided us wholehearted support and encouragement. Mr Vijay Motwani, Special Director General, Central Public Works Department, through his efforts ensured that the specially built amphitheatre at Sundar Nursery provided a picturesque setting for the concerts. Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation provided publicity for which I am grateful to the efforts of Mr Sudhir Sobti.

Finally, no programme of this scale can be successful without the support of the Delhi Police and the Municipal Corporation, which we received from both agencies.

Two of the concerts where artists from Pakistan were to perform might not have been held without the efforts of Ms Malvika Singh, whose belief that musicians and, in turn, culture do not fall prey to politics of hatred, ensured that the necessary visas were obtained, literally hours prior to the scheduled concert.

Much of the festival was held at the India Habitat Centre where Mr Raj Liberhan, Director, India Habitat Centre (IHC), Dr Alka Pande, Consultant, Art Advisor and Curator, Visual Arts Gallery, IHC, and Ms. Renu Oberoi, Programme Head, IHC, all went out of their way in welcoming AKTC’s efforts and the thousands who came to participate. Their support in accommodating multiple demands that a fortnight-long festival brings made the task so much easier and meaningful.

Smt. Chandresh Kumari Katoch, Hon’ble Minister of Culture, Government of India, inaugurated the festival as well as the exhibition at the National Museum demonstrating the significance of the effort to the Ministry of Culture. Amongst other dignitaries who presided over the events at the festival were Mr Salman Khurshid, Dr Karan Singh, Smt. Sheila Dikshit, Mr Wajahat Habibullah, Justice Rajinder Sachar, Mr Shigeru Aoyagi of UNESCO, Ms Sangita Gairola, then Secretary Culture, and Mr Ashok Khurana, DG, CPWD, to all of whom we are grateful for their time and valuable support.

No festival is complete without an audience and to the thousands who filled up all the venues and came for repeat visits and have continued to enquire for publications, music, and future events, I am grateful for sharing our discovery of Khusrau.

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Following the February events in New Delhi, the exhibition travelled to Rampur Raza Library, Rampur, Uttar Pradesh State Archives, Lucknow, and the Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, with each of these institutes displaying related manuscripts from their collections. I would like to thank respectively Prof. S.M.Azizuddin Husain, Ms Rubina Baig, and Dr Azarmi Dukth Safavi for their initiative and support.

The Aalam-e-Khusrau programme has been directed and curated by Shakeel Hossain, whose interest, knowledge, commitment, and strive for perfection at the cost of considerable time away from home—Boston, USA—and other professional commitments has ensured the success of the revival of Khusrau’s legacy, where it had all begun. It has been an honour for me and my colleagues at AKTC, Delhi office to assist Shakeel in his efforts.

My colleague Deeti Ray, in her typical calm manner and with remarkable energy and commitment made the Jashn-e-Khusrau and the larger Aalame-Khusrau seem effortless. It has been a joy for me to witness Deeti ensure mammoth tasks are completed to a high quality, while ensuring an enthusiastic work environment; she is an example to us all.

Finally, the team of engineers at AKTC led by Mr Rajpal Singh and Mr N.K. Agarwal ensured performance venues were ready at an unexpected

Right: Aerial view of the tomb of Mirza Ghalib, 19th century poet of Delhi, within Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti. Landscaped by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, 2010, with partial funding from Ford Foundation. Photo: NS Next page: Aerial view of the monuments within the barkat (blessings) of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. Humayun’s tomb is in the rear and Isa Khan’s tomb is in the fore. The monuments have been restored by Aga Khan Trust for Culture; Humayun’s Tomb, 2013, with partial funding from Sir Dorabji Tata Trust; Isa Khan, 2014, with partial funding from World Monuments Fund. Photo: Vijendra Nagar, Ramesh Talahan and Roet Bindra.

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schedule, working tirelessly round the clock and for weeks leading up to the concerts. Similarly, the design team led by Archana Saad Akhtar ensured multiple exhibitions, fliers, publications, websites, social media platforms were all reaching out with the desired impact. Somak Ghosh, Kavita Kanojia, and Hardeep Thakur deserve a special mention for their tireless support for a project team whose primary responsibility is not to create and hold international concerts. This required everyone pitching in with no task too big or too small – and it remains a privilege for me to work alongside a group of more than a hundred diverse, passionate and determined team at the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, New Delhi.

I am grateful to Mr Luis Monreal, Director General, Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and Mr Cameron Rashti, Director, Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme, for their guidance, support and being present here in Delhi to participate in Jashn-e-Khusrau. I finally thank Mr Bipin Shah of Mapin Publishing for their significant effort in publishing this book as well as the exhibition catalogue.

Thank You Ratish Nanda

azīz donon hain dil ko mere kabhī hūn kāfir, kabhī musalmān

Both are dear to me – Sometimes I’m an infidel, sometimes a Muslim.

Celebrating the Genius & Pluralism of Amir Khusrau INTRODUCTION Shakeel Hossain

Amir Khusrau, in the cultural landscape of present-day, has come to be celebrated as the epitome of social pluralism and mystical Islam. He is widely accepted as the founder of the Hindustani culture —the composite culture of the Hindus and the Muslims, which began in India with the Muslim conquerors from late 12th century onwards. However, the many who celebrate him as a genius for his contributions to music, language, and pluralism, and him as a Sufi, know very little of his written works. They know him from the legends that grew around him out of the elaborative structure of oral tradition and sheer veneration of his genius. He continues to exist in present tense as reference for contemporary times.

Jawaharlal Nehru in his book, Discovery of India, accentuates the contemporary value of Khusrau’s pluralistic brush and its significance in the diverse, and sometimes divided, Subcontinent. He writes: “...Amir Khusrau, a Turk whose family had settled in the United Provinces for two or three generations... was a poet of the first rank in Persian, and he knew Sanskrit also. He was a great musician and introduced many innovations in Indian music. He is also said to have invented the sitar, the popular stringed instrument of India. He wrote on many subjects and, in particular, in praise of India, enumerating the various things in which India excelled. Among these were religion, philosophy, logic, language, and grammar (Sanskrit), music, mathematics, science and the mango fruit! But his fame in India rests, above all, on his popular songs, written in the ordinary spoken dialect of Hindi… He sang of the different seasons and each season, according to the old classical style of India, had its own appropriate tune and words; he sang

Right: Veneration of the shrine of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya during the Basant festival at the Basti. Over the years the festival has been linked with the pluralistic attitude of Amir Khusrau as cherished in his writings, oral memory, and the continuing tradition of qawwali. Photo: NS

iye Dhamāl

hel Hajrat Khwājā Sang K

eliye dhamāl ājā sang kh āye Hajrat Khw mil ban ban Bāis Khwājā āl m ja ebha rat Rasūl Sa aj H n āl ei m m ha Tā eliye D ājā Sang Kh Hajrat Khw anāye ro basant m Arab yār te l gulāl lā o iy Sadā rākh āl kheliye dham Khwājā sang Khwaja with Hazrat Let’s rejoice essed up come all dr wājā, we’ve Kh Prophet t e ee th m To e radiance of th is m hi Khwaja In with Hazrat Let’s rejoice ring lebrating sp iends are ce der w po d re Your Arab fr the Always keep aja w Kh with Let’s rejoice

Right: Basant festival at Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin, 2010. All the qawwals go in a procession from shrine to shrine in the Basti singing Basant. The verse (above) and its music is attributed to Amir Khusrau. The locals and the liberal elites of the city join in to celebrate the pluralistic genius of the poet.

Basant marks the coming of spring to Delhi and it is celebrated in the Basti to evoke an event initiated by Amir Khusrau. It is told that Nizamuddin Auliya was so grieved by the passing away of his young nephew, Taqiuddin Nooh, that he withdrew himself completely from the world. Amir Khusrau could not bear his pir’s anguish. One day Khusrau came across some Hindu women dressed up in bright spring colours, singing, and carrying flowers to their god. Fascinated by the ritual, Khusrau said, “Well, my pir too needs an offering of Basant.” He dressed himself up like those women, took some mustard flowers, and went singing to his pir. Nizamuddin Auliya, on recognizing Khusrau, smiled. Amir Khusrau and other disciples started singing Persian and Hindavi couplets in praise of spring to celebrate the smile of their pir.

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of life in its various phases, of the coming of the bride, of separation from the beloved, of the rains when life springs anew from the parched earth.

Those songs are still widely sung and may be heard in any village or town in northern or central India… Even during his long life Khusrau’s songs and riddles had made him famous. That reputation has continued and grown.

I do not know if there is any other instance anywhere of songs written 600 years ago maintaining their popularity and their mass appeal and being still sung without any change of words.”1 Nehru’s quote on Khusrau presented here eloquently encapsulates the legendary Khusrau and the exploratory scope of Aalam-e-Khusrau Programme projects2—this book is a product of it. Aalam-e-Khusrau reintroduced the legendary Khusrau in contemporary settings with references to his works and attributions. Through a series of researches, documentations, symposiums, workshops, discussions, heritage walks, exhibitions, concerts, and publications, it examined the full range of his genius and pluralism in the historical and cultural background of medieval and today’s India. The last festival of the series, Jashn-e-Khusrau 2013: Celebrating the Genius of Amir Khusrau, is one of the outcomes of the Programme. This book documents the proceedings of Jashn-e-Khusrau 2013.

The multi-religious and multi-cultural environment of India during the time of Khusrau emerged from the demographic makeup of the Hindus and the Muslims under the tolerant political attitudes of the early sultans of Delhi. Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish (r. 1211–1236 AD), later Ghiyasuddin Balban (r. 1266–1287 AD), and Alauddin Khilji (r. 1296–1316 AD) ignored the demands of the ulamas (Islamic scholars and rightful guides) to force conversion on the newly conquered Hindu masses. Instead, under the influences of the Chishti Sufis— Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki (d. 1236 AD) and Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya (d. 1325 AD), they took the more compassionate approach to the ruling of the land. They made alliances with the Hindu rulers, elites, and the populace, allowing them to continue in their religious practices and their way of life.3 However, there was a non-Muslim taxation, jizya, imposed upon them and there were atrocities committed on the Hindus by the Muslim ruling class from time to time.

Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq (r. 1351–1388 AD) was particularly noted for intolerance towards Hindus when it came to building new temples.

Though, he was wary of harming the Hindu populace. He writes in Futuhat-i-Firozshahi, a brief account of his deeds that “The Hindus and idolworshipers had agreed to pay the money for toleration (zar-izimmiya), and had consented to the poll tax (jizya), in return for which they and their

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Above: Young man falls in love with the girl singing on the terrace. The illustration is from a copy of Jami’s Baharistan, Garden of Spring, 1595. Mughal, Lahore. Bodleian Library, Oxford.

MS. Elliot 254, fol 35b.

The painting depicts a typical environment of Delhi as described by Ziauddin Barani in Tarikh-e-Firoz Shahi. During the time of Jalauddin Khilji, the gada-ghazis (the warrior mendicants of the Nata tribe) took to Persian. The lovliest girls of that community learnt the art of Persian dance and music... and every lane of Delhi echoed a ghazal tune. (The writings of Amir Khusrau-I. Ed. Habibuddin Ahmed. 288)

Right top: A young musician carrying on the tradition of qawwāli at the Dargah.

Right below: Qawwāl Meraj Ahmad Nizami (in red kurta) singing at the Dargah. He is the most senior member from the lineage of Qawwal Bachche.

families enjoyed security. These people now erected new idol temples in the city and the environs in opposition to the Law of the Prophet, which declares that such temples are not to be tolerated… When intelligence of this [a newly built idol-temple in the village of Maluh] came to my ears my religious feelings prompted me at once to put a stop to this scandal and offence to the religion of Islam. On the day of the assembling I went there in person, and I ordered that the leaders of these people and the promoters of this abomination should be put to death. I forbade the infliction of any severe punishments on the Hindus in general...”4 In spite of such acts, the ways of the Hindus continued under the Delhi Sultanate and the two communities co-existed together, in many cases side by side. Many Hindus converted to Islam for favours from the rulers and to get out of the strict fold of the caste system. Firoz Shah accounts, “I encouraged my infidel subjects to embrace the religion of the Prophet, and I proclaimed that everyone who repeated the creed and became a Musulman should be exempt from the jizya, or poll-tax. Information of this came to the ears of the people at large, and great numbers of Hindus presented themselves, and were admitted to the honour of Islam. Thus they came forward day by day from every quarter, and, adopting the faith, were exonerated from the jizya, and were favoured with presents and honours.”5 With the result, a unique syncretic and pluralistic environment grew in Delhi under the rule of the Muslims, who had come from Central Asia, Anatolia, Persia, and Afghanistan. In addition, the influx of the Sufis, scholars, poets, musicians, artisans, and the adventurers to escape the Mongols or to seek fortune in the protected region across the Hindu Kush, created a haven of diverse Islamic intellectualisms, art and culture in Delhi. The city soon outshone Baghdad, Rum, and the Maghreb.6 There are many historical records from that time—written by Abd-al Malik Isami, Ziauddin Barani, Amir Khusrau, and later Ibn Battuta7—which boast about the grandness of the city of Delhi. The genius and pluralism of Khusrau developed and grew in this rich, diverse, and syncretic cultural canvas of the Delhi Sultanate. And, it is not that all intellectuals, scholars, poets, historians of this period can be put on this platform of pluralism. There is not enough scope in this introduction to draw a comparative analysis on this, but just taking Ziauddin Barani—an intellectual, scholar, poet and an historian; a younger contemporary and friend of Amir Khusrau; and born and bred in India with Hindavi as his mother tongue—shows no pluralistic inclination or sentiment in his writings or his outlook. In fact, he is hostile

to Hindus, non-Sunni Muslims, and to the non-elite strata of the society in his propositions. Therefore, it is not that pluralism was the ethos and the trend of the time, like the political correctness of the liberals today. Pluralism was a virtue of Amir Khusrau. The central thematic subject of Jashn-e-Khusrau 2013 is the celebration of this virtue of Khusrau as apparent in his writings and attributions.

The cultural diversity and richness of the Delhi Sultanate of 13th and 14th century, along with his indigenous sentimentality, formed the essence of his writings and innovations. The courts of the ruling elites and the khānaqāh of his pir, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, were the two distinct nodes of his interactions and influences. Within the classic Persian poetry genre—developed by the Persian masters like Firdausi (940–1020 AD) of the unmatched Shahnama; Khaqani Shirvani (1122–1190 AD) whom Khusrau tried to imitate in his earlier poems;8 Nizami Ganjavi (1141–1209 AD) of the seminal Khamsa (quintet), which inspired many later Persian poets including Khusrau; Sa’di Shirazi

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(1184–1291 AD) of the most revered diwans, Gulistan and Bustan; and the fountainhead of mystical poems, Sanai Ghaznavi of the The Walled Garden of Truth or Hadiqat al Haqiqa—he adopted and adapted the imageries, sentiments, and intellectualism of the Indian soil through his playful and creative genius. Annemarie Schimmel, the most respected expert on Indo-Islamic literature, cited Amir Khusrau as the bud of the Indian style of Persian poetry, known as sabk-e hindi.9 He wrote in all styles of Persian poetry, unlike the many masters mentioned above who were poets of one or the other style. Maulana Shibli remarks in Shi‘rul Ajam, a history of Persian poetry, “...To take poetry alone, Khusrau’s mastery over all its forms is marvelous. Firdausi, Sa‘di, Anwari, Hafiz, ‘Urfi and Naziri are kings in the realm of verse, but the sway of each of them was confined to one section of it only, Firdausi could not advance beyond the masnavi, Sa’di could not write qasidas, Anwari had no power over the ghazal or the masnavi, while Hafiz, ‘Urfi and Naziri were unable to step outside the circle of the ghazal. But Khusrau’s comprehensive genius takes the ghazal as well as the masnavi, qasida, and rubai within its all-embracing fold… For sheer quantity no one can equal him. Firdausi’s couplets amount to about seventy thousand, Saib has been responsible for over a hundred thousand, but Amir Khusrau’s couplets number several lacs [hundred thousand]...” In addition to this, Auhadi remarks in the Taskira-i-Urfat that Khusrau’s work in Brij Bhasha (Hindi) was as extensive as his work in Persian.10 A Summary of his Writings11 Diwāns: Amir Khusrau collected his own poems in five diwāns (collections of poems) consisting of qasidas (mostly panegyric poems), tarji and tarkib-bands,12 short masnavis (epic poem with rhyming couplets), qitas (fragments), ruba’is (quatrains), and ghazals (lyric poems) at various stages in his life. He wrote extended prefaces providing introductions to the verses with details of his life and intentions. Khusrau titled the diwāns as Tuhfat-us-Sighar (Gift of Youth) 1273 AD; Wasat-ul-Hayat (Middle of Life) 1284 AD; Ghurrat-ul-Kamal (Prime of Perfection) 1294 AD; Baqiya Naqiya (Miscellaneous Selections) 1316 AD; and Nihayat-ul-Kamal (Extremity of Beauty) 1325 AD. Masnavis: He wrote ten long masnavis including the Khamsa, which he wrote in response to the Persian classic by Nizami Ganjavi. Khusrau wrote his own adaptations of the five tales, which he completed in a short 3/4 years, 1298-1302 AD, compared to Nizami who dedicated his whole life

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to the writing of his Khamsa. Khusrau titled his masnavis differently to distinguish them from Nizami’s—Matla-ul-Anwar; Shirin-o-Khusrau; Majnun-o-Layla; Aina-i-Sikandari; and Hasht-Bihisht. Though written in the same meters as Nizami’s masnavis, the variations in emotions and references in Khusrau’s poems imparted originality to them. He was first in the long line of poets who based their compositions in the structure of Nizami’s Khamsa. The other five masnavis are historical in contents. One of the literary innovations credited to Amir Khusrau is his use of current historical events and his own observations, instead of stories and legendary characters from the past, as subjects of epic masnavis. The first historical masnavi written by him, Qiran-us-Sa’dain (Meeting of two Auspicious Stars), documents the meeting of Sultan Kaiqubad with his father, Sultan Bughra Khan of Bengal (1289 AD). The confrontational nature of the encounter ended in a reconciliation between the father and the son.13 He completed his first masnavi in 1289 AD. This was followed by: Miftah-ul-Futuh (1290 AD) documenting the victories of Sultan Jalaluddin Khilji (r. 1290–1296 AD); Dewal Rani Khizr Khan (1315 AD) on the romantic love between the Hindu princess Dewal Dei, daughter of Raja Karan of Gujarat, and Prince Khizr, son of Sultan Alauddin Khilji (r. 1296–1316 AD), later he re-wrote the ending to include the tragic death of Prince Khizr; Nuh Sipihr (1318 AD), a chronicle of Sultan Qutbuddin Shah’s conquests and achievements; and finally, Tughlaq Nama (1321 AD) records the short reign of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq.

The last masnavi was discovered recently in Maulvi Rashid Ahmed’s library in Aligarh (published, 1933 AD).

Prose: Ijaz-i-Khusrawi is his major literary prose work, written in five volumes. Besides defining styles of writing, it provides elaborate descriptions of various cultural and artistic traditions of his time. The other prose written by him was Khazain-ul-Futuh, a short historical narrative of Sultan Alauddin Khilji’s reign.

Ghazaliyat: Unlike his masnavis, his over 2000 ghazals are in a simple and elegant style with a beautiful flow and rhythm. In addition, he wrote numerous qasidas and ruba’is. It is fair to say that most of Amir Khusrau’s works, especially the Persian epic poetry, are less known and remain only in the scholarly circles. Of all of his Persian poetry, which runs into over hundred thousand bayts, hemistiches, only his ghazals—which Khusrau did not care much for—are more popularly remembered and sung till today by the qawwāls in the sama’ mehfils across South Asia like they were sung during his time.14

Summary of his Attributions and Contributions Courtier and Statesman: Khusrau was not just a man of words; he was also a man of knowledge, charm, and wit, and with abilities to entertain the court in any situation. He accompanied sultans on expeditions and advised them on diplomacy, governance, economy, and social justice.15 Historian: He documented several sultans’ reigns and events of social and political importance in his poems and prose. He was not a historian in the conventional sense. He recorded the contemporary events and cultural expressions in poetic narratives as observed by him.16 He was the first among the Persian poets of his time to write historical masnavis.

Astrologist: He had knowledge of stars and planets to weave his panegyrics with the elements of the seven heavens. As a court poet he placed his patrons among the stars and the divines with his words, in order to get their names distinctions and eternity.17 Musician: He credited himself with detailed knowledge of music and for being a very gifted musician. In the realm of sufiana music, it is believed that Amir Khusrau invented qawwāli as we know it today. He is attributed with the creation of Hindustani music based on Persian and Indian modes.

(Refer to essays on music in this book.)

Hindavi Poems: He is attributed with a large collection of Hindavi poetry through which he is popularly celebrated. As his Hindavi verses have been transmitted through oral memories, they raise a lot of debates about their authenticity. Though Khusrau himself refers to his Hindavi verses, which he writes he has scattered among his friends and did not consider it worthwhile to discuss it further.18 (Refer to Safavi’s essay and Verses: Introduction in this book for further discussions on the Hindavi verses of Khusrau.)

Mystic: Khusrau as the most beloved disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya is venerated as a mystic.19 He was in awe of the Sufi’s spiritual grandeur.

In his later masnavis, he bestowed and showered his Sheikh with praise

Right: First leaf from the Khamsa of Khusrau. Besides the seal of Emperor Aurangzeb and the signature of Shahjahan, it has a note by Abdur Rahim Khan-e Khana saying the damaged and the missing Na’ats, verses in praise of the Prophet Mohammad, were re-written and repaired by the Scribe Mir Baqi Samarqandi. The signature is dated 1012 AH. Courtesy: Berlin State Library, Berlin. Ms. Or. Fol.1278

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beautifully illustrated; colophon page ascribes them to Behzad (d. 1535 AD), the master painter from the court of the Safavids. The scribe is noted as Mir Baqi Samarqandi. Among the emperors, nobles, and patrons of literature and art, he was respected as a great master of Persian poetry at par with Nizami of Ganjavi, Sa’di Shirazi (his contemporary), Hafez, and Nur-uddin Jami. Allama Mohammad Iqbal (d. 1938), one of the greatest poet-philosophers of contemporary South Asia and, also, an admirer of Amir Khusrau’s poetry, writes of the immortality of not just Khusrau’s verses, but Khusrau himself. Khusrau is truly eternal compared to the sultans of great kingdoms and palaces—all of which have perished with time. Iqbal writes:

rahe na Aibak o Ghorī ke ma'rake bāqī hamesha tāza o shīrīn hai naghma-ye Khusrau

even more beautiful than the sultans. In the ambitious path to immortalize himself through his poetry, he learnt from his pir that the richness of the spirit was of far more importance. And it is through this nisbat (relation) with the Sufi that he, himself, came to be venerated as a Sufi. It was his verses dedicated to Sheikh Nizamuddin that have immortalized him. They are sung as sufiana kalāms (mystical poems) and listened to with great passion in the contemporary sama’ settings of the Dargah. People from every stratum of the society and religion attend it.

Some travel far to attend the Thursday-evening gatherings at the shrine.

Delhi travel books and guides call this a spiritual experience—not to be missed, if ever in Delhi.

The contributions of Khusrau have been appreciated and cherished throughout history—beginning from his lifetime. His poetry and prose have been copied, lavishly illustrated, and treasured by sultans and emperors from Delhi to Istanbul. The beginning page of his Khamsa (The Quintet) on page 29, from the collection of the Berlin State Museum, Berlin has the seal of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (r. 1658–1707 AD).

It also has the signature of Emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1658–1658 AD), and a note by Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khana from the court of Emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605 AD) saying that the valuable Khamsa pages were collected and restored with great care for the royal library. The manuscript is

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The exploits of Aibak and Ghori have faded, but Khusrau’s lyrics are forever fresh and sweet.

There may be some in South Asia, especially India, who would not know of Khusrau, but they will definitely—however unknowingly—know one or two of the verses attributed to him. Particularly, his most popular Hindavi rhymes: Chhāp tilak sab chīnī re mose nainā milāike...

Matvālī kar līnhī re mose nainā milāike...

Bal bal jāūn main tore rang rajvā Apnī sī kar līnhī re mose nainā milāike Khusro Nijām ke bal bal jaiye Mohe suhāgan kīnhī re mose nainā milāike You’ve taken away my looks, with your glance...

You’ve intoxicated me with your glance...

I give my life to you, who dyes with your colour You’ve dyed me in yourself, by just a glance.

Khusrau, gives life to you Oh, Nijam, You’ve made me your bride, with your glance.

To summarize it can be said that there were many great poets in the region within the similar time and cultural span, but none lived on as a legend like Khusrau. There are several factors which have lent to generating the legendary image of Amir Khusrau. Foremost among them is the use of vernacular language and sentiments in his verses, as

expressed by Nehru in the quote cited in the beginning. Through Hindavi and indigenous themes, he reached the common person as he continues to do till today.20 Then are the prevailing traditions of qawwāli and Hindustani music. The bearers of them—the Qawwāl Bachche (the lineage of qawwāls of Amir Khusrau)21 and the traditional music gharanas (lineages) of the ‘Khansahibs’—have faithfully transmitted sina-ba-sina (from memory to memory) the attributions of the music’s beginnings, compositions, and the verses associated with them to Amir Khusrau. The music and verses, over time, were elaborated and modified with outside influences and inspirations, but they fundamentally stayed at source as Khusrau’s.

Top left: A Sufi and companions listen to music at night. Mughal, c.1645. The Bodleian Library, University of Oxford. MS. Douce Or. a.1, fol. 40a Left: Jashn-e-Khusrau 2013 concert at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi Top right: Shrine of Amir Khusrau, Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah precinct, New Delhi. He continues to be venerated as Sufi Hazrat Amir Khusrau.

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He was and is, no doubt, one of the greatest poets of the region, but his glory and veneration grew out of his pluralistic stance and the love of the most revered Sufi of Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. Amir Hasan Sijzi, his contemporary, a fellow poet, and a Sufi—considered by many as far greater a poet than Khusrau, as the Sa’di of Hind, and who was also a dear disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya—never attained any measurable status of Khusrau. Hasan was a true Sufi in the later part of his life and he dedicated his life to writings of the discourses of his Sufi master. He was also associated with music. He sang in the sama’ gatherings of Hazrat Nizamuddin. In fact, his Persian ghazals are invariably appropriated by the qawwāls as verses of Khusrau. Hasan’s grave lies barren in Khuldabad, Deccan. The essay by Sunil Sharma, “Amir Hasan Sijzi and Amir Khusrau: Friends, Poets, and Devotees”, in the next section further elaborates on the works and friendship of the two poets. One cannot, therefore, set aside and belittle the attributions of Khusrau’s genius, indigenous sentiment, and plurality in the making of the Hindustani synthesised culture.

Khusrau’s association with Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and the presence of his tomb in the Sufi's Dargah complex are the other principal reasons for the legend of Khusrau. He met his spiritual mentor, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, at his grandfather’s house early in his life. The friendship between the Sheikh and Khusrau grew later and various accounts tell us that he was the Sheikh’s favourite disciple. However, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya never made him his khalifa, and Khusrau remained in the service of the royal courts till the end of his life. Grief-stricken by the death of his Sheikh, who died on 3 April 1325 AD, Amir Khusrau died six months later on 27 September, 1325.

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Jashn-e-Khusrau 2013

II Any work on Amir Khusrau’s continuing legends and attributions in the realms of music, mysticism, vernacular Hindavi compositions, and cultural tolerance is bound to draw critical glares from the many who are well versed with Khusrau’s works and cling to his written words from one perspective or the other. There are numerous scholarly analyses done of him—as a person, statesman, poet, courtier, historian, musician, astrologer, social messiah, and a mystic. Thus, acknowledging the inherent drawbacks of presenting Khusrau in all of these facets on a non-academic canvas for general audience, Aalam-e-Khusrau, World of Khusrau undertakings—this book is one of them—have carefully, and with sincere apprehension, tried to balance the scholarly conclusions with oral traditions. It is true, that the masses who celebrate and propagate Khusrau for his innovations and attributions in such realms know very little of his writings, or their social and historical contexts. But, it is also a correct realization that myths and beliefs, in the popular world, are more prevalent and persistent than cut and dry facts. In the popular knowledge, the ‘truth’ has been passed on from one generation to another (with variations and additions depending on the memories, moods, and skills of the narrators). And they are believed to be facts.22 Researchers have shown that there are no proofs of the many innovations and attributions in his writings, but they have not totally cleared the doubts among them. Some scholars, like Shabab Sarmadee,23 who starts

PROJECT BACKGROUND This book is a product of Aalam-e-Khusrau project which was initiated in 2010 by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture with a four-year grant from Ford Foundation. As a pivotal component of Hazrat Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative, pioneered by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in partnership with – Archaeological Survey of India, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and Central Public Works Department – Aalam-e-Khusrau has successfully completed several projects in the last four years. The projects showcase the Aga Khan Trust for Culture initiatives in the urban conservation of Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti and its surrounding monuments. The programme links the cultural and the social elements of the society with its built heritage and history in an integrated urban renewal program.

The programme has come to be recognized by the authorities and the populace concerned as seminal in many ways. Former Minister of Culture, Kumari Selja, at the release of Jashn-e-Khusrau: A Collection – an event catalogue of Aalam-e-Khusrau 2010 outreach project, summarized the importance of the programme as “...not only to Delhi but to all of the nation. It (Aalam-e-Khusrau) provides a window to the world of our history and culture. And that we need to save our culture for ourselves, our future, and for the rest of world to cherish... What we are today is because of our past history and culture... We need to take Khusrau out to the world and this (Aalam-e-Khusrau programme) exemplifies that effort.”

Jashn-e-Khusrau 2013

Celebrating the Genius of Amir Khusrau Edited by Shakeel Hossain and Aga Khan Trust for Culture 228 pages, 170 colour illustrations 1 map 11 x 11” (280 x 280 mm), hc ISBN: 978-81-89995-87-4 (Mapin) ISBN: 978-1-935677-43-7 (Grantha) ₹2500 | $65 | £40 2014 • World rights

SHAKEEL HOSSAIN, presently, a consultant to the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, is involved with the development of Urban Conservation Master Plan for Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti.

Trained as an architect and urban designer, his expertise and work – professional and academic – has mainly been in field of Indian city forms, architecture, and art and crafts within the popular religio-cultural context. He has developed and curated several exhibitions and lectured on subjects such as Karbala: Represented; Beliefs, Rituals, Art and Architecture; Muharram in India; The Transient, The Ephemeral, and The Static: Ritual Architecture and Urban Form. He has been Senior Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.; American Institute of Indian Studies, New Delhi; Center for World Religions, Harvard University; and Aga Khan Programme for Islamic Architecture, MIT, Cambridge.

Aga Khan Trust for Culture

www.akdn.org/AKTC

Mapin Publishing

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Printed in India

ART

The second book in this series World of Khusrau: Innovations and Contributions (published by AKTC in association with Mapin Publishing) comprehensively illustrates the vast range of Amir Khusrau’s genius, with a vast array of rare manuscripts, objects and images from several collections. Jashn-e-Khusrau 2013 is the third volume in the series celebrating the contributions and attributions of Amir Khusrau as part of Nizamuddin Basti cultural revival programme.

JASHN-E-KHUSRAU 2013: MUSIC COLLECTION ONE: QAWWÃLI 1. Man Kunto Maulā (13:38) Qaul / Traditional, Niazi Nizami Brothers 2. Ilāhi Tubatu Min Kullil Māsī (11:43) Qalbana / Traditional, Ghaus Muhammad Nasir Niazi 3. Lātā Māfi Hāl-e-Wajhul (2:44) Qalbana / Traditional, Fariduddin Ayaz & Abu Mohammad 4. Dīshab Ke Mīraftī Butā (10:07) Ghazal / Traditional, Fariduddin Ayaz & Abu Mohammad 5. Bahut Din Bīte Piyā Ko Dekhe (13:01) Mohammed Ahmed Warsi Nasiri 6. Āj Rang Hai Ai Mā (15:17) Rang / Traditional, Najmuddin Saifuddin 7. Āl e Nabi Wa Salvā Tullāh Wa Salāmo Hū (2:03) Salām / Traditional, Najmuddin Saifuddin

TWO: LIGHT CLASSICAL & CONTEMPORARY 1. Man Kunto Maulā (9:00) Qaul / Indo-Afghani Traditional, Ustad Eltaf Hussain Sarahang 2. Pāsh Chu Kursi Falak Rā Guzāsht (4:19) Masnavī Mi'raj / Traditional, Ustad Jamil Ahmed 3. Zi hāl-e Miskīn (11:52) Ghazal, Ustad Jamil Ahmed & Shahroz Bharti

`2500/$65/£40/€48

ISBN 978-1-935677-43-7

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4. Dīwānā Shudam Dar Ārzūyat (7:32) Ghazal, Shahroz Bharti 5. Har Qaum Rāst Rāhe (7:23) Ghazal, Muneer Khatun Begum 6. Ahestā Bero (6:28) Bidāi / Indo-Afghani Traditional Ustad Eltaf Hussain Sarahang 7. A Tribute to Amir Khusrau (15:46) Sitar and Vocal Medley, Ustad Shujaat Husain Khan 8. Bāz Bād Dard-e-Judāī Chu Kunam (6:38) Contemporary / Fusion, Mekaal Hasan Band

THREE: HINDUSTANI CLASSICAL 1. Man Kunto Maulā (19:40) Qaul / Khayal, Ustad Aslam Khan 2. Hajrat Nijāmuddīn mansā pur’o (7:42) Rāg Bihāg / Khayāl, Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan Classical 3. Biyā Biyā Ke Ghulāme (10:45) Rāg Ganam / Khayāl, Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan Classical 4. Imroz Bāde Umre (11:27), Rāg Eman Kalyān / Khayāl, Ustad Eltaf Hussain Sarahang Classical 5. So Āb Rang Ghuliyaan (10:32), Rāg Jaunpurī / Khayāl, Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan Classical 6. Dir Dir Tūm Nā (2:59), Rāg Jaunpurī / Tarānā, Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan Classical 7. Jāneman Jāneman (4:32) Rāg Sahānā / Tarānā, Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan Classical