February 24, 2019 |
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Ghavasi is another great poet of Qutb Shahi kingdom. His poetic excellence peaked during the rule of Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler, and found patronage when Abdullah Qutb Shah succeeded. He gained such prominence that he was sent as a royal ambassador to Bijapur. Mullah Wajhi, a poet of no mean repute himself, grew envious and took potshots at Ghavasi in his poem, Qutb Mushtari. Not just this. He is also believed to have driven a wedge between his bete noire and the king.
After the death of Mohammed Quli, his nephew and son-in-law, Sultan Mohammed Qutb Shah, took over. But, his reign was not conducive to the growth of poetry. Poets, in general, went through a lean phase and many gave vent to their distress in their verses. A disciple of Hazrat Mir Momin, the Sultan was drawn to religion and philosophy and took least interest in poetry. However, when his son, Abdullah Qutb Shah, ascended the throne, the situation changed for the better. Poets who had gone into seclusion and forgotten resurfaced. It was as if the golden era of Mohammed Quli had returned. In his poem, Totinama, Ghavasi sang paeans of Abdullah Qutb Shah thus:
Khain yun bahaq alaa wali
Ke phir jug main aaya Mohammed Quli
Dube the hunarmand so pher kar
Nikal aye taj daur main tair kar
Ghavasi is known for his two Masnavis (spiritual poems) – Saiful Mulk Badiul Jamal and Totinama. Both are translated from Persian into Deccani. The first one, a romantic narrative, was written in 1035 Hijri and the second one in 1049 Hijri. Saiful Mulk, which contains more than 2,000 verses, was written by Ghavasi in just one month. Totinama is a translation of Ziauddin Bakhshi’s Persian poem. It contains 45 anecdotes and stories.
His third Masnavi, Chanda Lork, which is also known as Mina Satvanti, is yet to see the light of the day. However, copies of it are available at Asafia State Central Library and Idara Adbiyate Urdu. An old Indian tale, it is all about how Chanda, the king’s daughter, falls in love with a shepherd, Lork. The central theme of the story revolves around modesty, chastity and virtue. Sample what Chanda says:
Anbeel chanch kankyan sonch lazzatan
Tuje kaiku khas kya nematan
Jo kuch teri kismat, so tu payega
Tera wo desayu kadan jayega
Moral values like austerity, piety and retreat from pomp and ambitions are discussed in detail in these stories. What is unique about these Masnavis is that they look original poems. In Ghavasi’s hands, they get totally transformed. They acquire the distinct Deccani ‘lab-o-lehja’ with suggestive use of metaphors and similes so much so that at no point readers feel that these are translated works. Ghavasi’s language is simple and free from affectation, thereby enhancing the appeal of the Masnavis.
As soon as Abdullah Qutb Shah became the king, Ghavasi presented Saiful Mulk Badiul Jamal to this young ruler and became the ‘Malkush Shora’, (poet laureate) of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Pleased with him, the king gifted away a village to Ghavasi and arranged a special session with him every night near the royal palace.
As an ambassador to the Adil Shahi dynasty, Ghavasi acquitted himself well and left deep poetic imprints. He gave such a demonstration of his skills that renowned poets of Bijapur sultanate like Mulla Nusrati and Muqimi mentioned him in their books. His reputation even travelled to north India.
A native of Bidar, Ghavasi penned his first Masnavi here and mentioned about the sufi saint, Khwaja Banda Nawaz. Being a devotee of Hazrat Meeran Shah Haidar Wali, he also wrote many verses in his praise. Slowly, his fame reached Golconda and Ghavasi came over here in the hope of recognition and patronage. Prof Mohammed Ali Asar, who has done extensive research in Deccani literature, regards Ghavasi as the greatest Ghazal poet of Dabistan-e-Golconda. No poet of Qutb Shahi or of Adil Shahi eras can match him. What makes Ghavasi’s compositions stand out is their inherent melody, passion and linguistic expressions. Sample this ghazal:
Aye dil aaram main jidhar jaaon
Dil ku terech pas dhar jaaon
Tuje dekhe pe kahe bin sher jio rehe na shayer ka
Yaad karta hun tuj to laak anjhu
Ghavasi also wrote Marsiya (lamentation), Qasida (panegyric), Rubaiyat (quatrains), Nazm (rhymed verse). However, his Masnavis mark a milestone in spiritual poetry and play an important role in advancement and adornment of Urdu poetry.
After the death of Mohammed Quli, his nephew and son-in-law, Sultan Mohammed Qutb Shah, took over. But, his reign was not conducive to the growth of poetry. Poets, in general, went through a lean phase and many gave vent to their distress in their verses. A disciple of Hazrat Mir Momin, the Sultan was drawn to religion and philosophy and took least interest in poetry. However, when his son, Abdullah Qutb Shah, ascended the throne, the situation changed for the better. Poets who had gone into seclusion and forgotten resurfaced. It was as if the golden era of Mohammed Quli had returned. In his poem, Totinama, Ghavasi sang paeans of Abdullah Qutb Shah thus:
Khain yun bahaq alaa wali
Ke phir jug main aaya Mohammed Quli
Dube the hunarmand so pher kar
Nikal aye taj daur main tair kar
Ghavasi is known for his two Masnavis (spiritual poems) – Saiful Mulk Badiul Jamal and Totinama. Both are translated from Persian into Deccani. The first one, a romantic narrative, was written in 1035 Hijri and the second one in 1049 Hijri. Saiful Mulk, which contains more than 2,000 verses, was written by Ghavasi in just one month. Totinama is a translation of Ziauddin Bakhshi’s Persian poem. It contains 45 anecdotes and stories.
His third Masnavi, Chanda Lork, which is also known as Mina Satvanti, is yet to see the light of the day. However, copies of it are available at Asafia State Central Library and Idara Adbiyate Urdu. An old Indian tale, it is all about how Chanda, the king’s daughter, falls in love with a shepherd, Lork. The central theme of the story revolves around modesty, chastity and virtue. Sample what Chanda says:
Anbeel chanch kankyan sonch lazzatan
Tuje kaiku khas kya nematan
Jo kuch teri kismat, so tu payega
Tera wo desayu kadan jayega
Moral values like austerity, piety and retreat from pomp and ambitions are discussed in detail in these stories. What is unique about these Masnavis is that they look original poems. In Ghavasi’s hands, they get totally transformed. They acquire the distinct Deccani ‘lab-o-lehja’ with suggestive use of metaphors and similes so much so that at no point readers feel that these are translated works. Ghavasi’s language is simple and free from affectation, thereby enhancing the appeal of the Masnavis.
As soon as Abdullah Qutb Shah became the king, Ghavasi presented Saiful Mulk Badiul Jamal to this young ruler and became the ‘Malkush Shora’, (poet laureate) of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Pleased with him, the king gifted away a village to Ghavasi and arranged a special session with him every night near the royal palace.
As an ambassador to the Adil Shahi dynasty, Ghavasi acquitted himself well and left deep poetic imprints. He gave such a demonstration of his skills that renowned poets of Bijapur sultanate like Mulla Nusrati and Muqimi mentioned him in their books. His reputation even travelled to north India.
A native of Bidar, Ghavasi penned his first Masnavi here and mentioned about the sufi saint, Khwaja Banda Nawaz. Being a devotee of Hazrat Meeran Shah Haidar Wali, he also wrote many verses in his praise. Slowly, his fame reached Golconda and Ghavasi came over here in the hope of recognition and patronage. Prof Mohammed Ali Asar, who has done extensive research in Deccani literature, regards Ghavasi as the greatest Ghazal poet of Dabistan-e-Golconda. No poet of Qutb Shahi or of Adil Shahi eras can match him. What makes Ghavasi’s compositions stand out is their inherent melody, passion and linguistic expressions. Sample this ghazal:
Aye dil aaram main jidhar jaaon
Dil ku terech pas dhar jaaon
Tuje dekhe pe kahe bin sher jio rehe na shayer ka
Yaad karta hun tuj to laak anjhu
Ghavasi also wrote Marsiya (lamentation), Qasida (panegyric), Rubaiyat (quatrains), Nazm (rhymed verse). However, his Masnavis mark a milestone in spiritual poetry and play an important role in advancement and adornment of Urdu poetry.
J.S.Ifthekhar,
Hyderabad based journalist.
Article published in Telangana Today
Dated February 24,2019
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