Essay on Amir Khusro – 1000 Easy Words

Introduction

Amir Khusro was a great poet, musician, and scholar of India. He is called the “Parrot of India” or Tuti-e-Hind. He was born in 1253 AD and died in 1325 AD. He lived 700 years ago, but people still love his poems, songs, and music today. He was not just a poet. He was a Sufi saint, a soldier, a historian, and the father of many Indian arts. He brought together Hindu and Muslim cultures and gave India a new mixed culture called Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb.

Birth and Early Life

Amir Khusro’s full name was Abul Hasan Yamin-ud-Din Khusro. He was born in Patiyali, a town in Etah district, Uttar Pradesh. His father, Amir Saif-ud-Din Mahmud, was a Turkish officer who came from Central Asia. His mother was Indian and the daughter of Rawat Arz, a Hindu officer in the army of Balban. So Khusro had both Turkish and Indian blood. This is why he loved India so much.

His father died when Khusro was only 8 years old. After that, his maternal grandfather took care of him. Khusro was very smart from childhood. He started writing poetry at the age of 8. He learned Persian, Arabic, Turkish, and Hindi. He also learned music, history, and religion.

Life at Royal Courts

Khusro worked for 7 different kings of Delhi Sultanate. He started with Balban and ended with Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. The most famous king he served was Alauddin Khilji. Kings liked him because he was honest, brave, and talented. He even went to war with them. But his real love was poetry and music, not fighting.

Khusro as a Poet

Khusro wrote in Persian, which was the court language then. But he also wrote in Hindavi, the old form of Hindi and Urdu. He is the first person who wrote poems in Hindavi. He loved India and wrote: “I am an Indian Turk, I can answer you in Hindavi”.

He wrote 5 diwans or books of poems. He wrote many masnavis, which are long poems. Some famous ones are:

  • Qiran-us-Sadain – About the meeting of King Kaiqubad and his father.
  • Miftah-ul-Futuh – About Alauddin Khilji’s victories.
  • Nuh Sipihr – In this book, he praised India. He said India is better than all other countries. He wrote about India’s weather, fruits, flowers, animals, languages, and knowledge.

He also wrote riddles, dohas, and songs in simple Hindi. His riddles are still famous. Example: “Ek thaal moti se bhara, sabke sar par aundha dhara” – Answer: Sky with stars. Children still solve his riddles today.

Khusro as a Musician

Amir Khusro is called the father of Hindustani music. Before him, Indian music and Persian music were separate. He mixed them and created a new style.

His main gifts to music are:

  • Qawwali: He started this Sufi singing style. He mixed Persian tunes with Indian ragas. Qawwali is still sung at dargahs.
  • New Ragas: He created many new ragas like Yaman, Zilaf, Sazgiri, and Sarparda.
  • Khayal: He developed the Khayal style of singing, which is very popular now.
  • Tarana: He invented tarana, where we sing with meaningless words like “na dir” to show the beauty of tune.
  • Instruments: He invented the sitar by changing the old Indian veena. He also improved the tabla from the pakhawaj.

Because of him, Indian music became rich and colorful.

Khusro as a Sufi

Khusro was a student of the great Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi. He loved his guru very much. He said, “If I don’t see my master for a day, that day is not counted in my life”. When Nizamuddin Auliya died in 1325, Khusro was very sad. He died 6 months later and was buried near his master in Delhi. Their dargah is still visited by thousands of people.

For Khusro, love for God and love for humans was the same. His poems talk about love, unity, and peace. He respected all religions. He wrote songs for Holi, Diwali, and Basant. He celebrated both Eid and Hindu festivals.

Khusro’s Love for India

Unlike other Persian writers who praised Iran or Arabia, Khusro praised India. In Nuh Sipihr, he wrote that India is like heaven. He said Indian languages are sweet, Indian scholars are wise, and Indian flowers are beautiful. He wrote: “I have praised India so much that even the people of India will be surprised.”

He used Hindi words in his Persian poetry. He made local language respectable. Because of him, Hindi and Urdu started growing. He is called the father of Urdu language.

Khusro’s Famous Works in Simple Hindi

He wrote many small poems that common people could understand:

  1. Dohe:
    “Khusro dariya prem ka, ulti wa ki dhaar,
    Jo utra so doob gaya, jo dooba so paar.”
    Meaning: The river of love flows in opposite direction. One who enters drowns, but one who drowns actually crosses it.
  2. Songs for Seasons: “Amma mere baba ko bhejo ri, ki sawan aaya” – A famous song for the rainy season.
  3. Basant Songs: He wrote many songs for Basant festival celebrated at Nizamuddin Dargah even today.

Death and Legacy

Amir Khusro died on 27 September 1325 in Delhi. He was 72 years old. But he is still alive in his songs and poems.

His legacy:

  • He joined Hindu and Muslim culture.
  • He gave us qawwali, sitar, tabla, and khayal.
  • He started Hindi-Urdu literature.
  • He taught that love and humanity are bigger than religion.

Every year, Basant and Urs are celebrated at his dargah in Delhi. Singers sing his qawwalis like “Chhaap Tilak Sab Cheeni”.

Conclusion

Amir Khusro was a true Indian. He showed that you can follow Islam and still love Indian culture. He gave India new music, new language, and new poetry. He is a symbol of India’s unity in diversity. In today’s world, we need more people like Amir Khusro who spread love, not hate. As he said: “Do not look at my face, look at the love in my heart.”

That is why after 700 years, we still call him Tuti-e-Hind – the sweet-voiced parrot of India.