India - Studies in the History of an Idea Edited by Irfan Habib 2004 Aligarh Historians Society Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd.9 The Idea of India in Amir Khusrau SYED ALI NADEEM REZAVI It appears that by the thirteenth century, the concept of India as a distinct geographical entity, came into Indo-Persian literature along with an understanding of a composite culture, and, also with it, a sense of love of the country. The most prominent examples of such patriotism and ideas of a common heritage appear in the writings of Amir Khusrau, the poet-laureate of the Delhi Sultanate. Amir Khusrau was born at Patiali in the modern district of Etah in Uttar Pradesh in 1253. His father, Amir Saifuddin Mahmud was a Turk who had migrated to India during the reign of Iltutmish, some years prior to Khusrau’s birth, from the city of Kush (now known as Shahr-i Sabz) in Uzbekistan. His mother was the daughter of ‘Imadul Mulk, a noble from Delhi.' Khusrau was a prolific writer and has left behind important works like Qiranu-s Sa‘dain, Miftahu-l Futith, Shirin wa Khusrau, Hasht Bihisht, Masnavi Dewal Rani wa Khizr Khan, Matlau’l Anwar, I'jaz-i Khusravi, Khazdinu-! Futih and Nuh Sipihr.? Although in almost all these works Khusrau has left behind statements which help us understand his vision and concept of India, the Nuh Sipihr appears to be the most prolific in the outflow of patriotic statements. The Nuh Sipihr is a masnawt which was completed by Khusrau in 1318 and eulogises Mubarak Shah Khalji. It appears to reflect most perfectly the ideas of Khusrau about India which he had tried to develop in his earlier works. This work is divided into nine chapters which correspond to the nine skies or spheres (sipthr) of the heavens. It is in the third chapter of this work that we find a long and detailed eulogy of India. Amir Khusrau proudly asserts: ! Fora life history of Amir Khusrau see, Muhammad Wahid Mirza, The Life and Works of Amir Khusrau, Calcutta, 1935; Mohammad Habib, ‘Hazrat Amir Khusrau of Delhi’ Politics and Society During the Early Medieval Period, Collected Works of Professor Mohammad Habib, ed.K.A. Nizami, Aligarh, 1974, 1, pp.291-355 2 For a full list of authentic writings of Khusrau, see, Wahid Mirza, op.cit.; For an exhaustive listing of Khusrau’s patriotic verse see, S. Sabahuddin Abdur Rahman, Hindustan Amir Khusrau ki Nazar Mein, Azamgath, n.d, (Urdu).122 India — Studies in the History of an Idea If my adversary taunts me as to why I prefer (tarjih) Hind over other lands. (I would say:)There are two reasons for this assertion (hujjat): The first reason is that this land since time immemorial (has been destined) To be the place of my birth (maulud), abode (mawa) and motherland (watan).* He further justifies the praise and precedence which his motherland deserves by citing a well known tradition of the Prophet: “the love of motherland is an essential part of the true faith (hub al-watan min al-iman)y".He asserts that this is an essential part of his creed (din).* In the introductory section of this chapter Khusrau clarifies that the praise of India was reserved in this section as the presiding planet of both, the seventh sky (to which this chapter corresponds) and India was zuh/ (Saturn).* He claims that although ‘Rum (Greece), Khurasan (Iran) and Khotan (China)’ allege (ta‘na) their superiority, he had knowledge of the efficacy of this country’s magic and thus could prove that Hind is better than any other country. For If the Creator bestows upon me the gift (So that) my easy flowing pen (kilk) may be empowered to express qualities to perfection, I aspire not to leave the greatness of this land on earth (concealed). But raise it to the sky upto the (height) of the heaven (khuld-i barin).* Khusrau then goes on to enumerate seven rational (agli) proofs (asbar) of the assertion (hujjat) that India was the earth’s Paradise. The first argument is that after being thrown out from heaven Adam found refuge in this country. According to him, “As Hind was just like heaven (khuld nishan), Adam could descend here and find repose”.’ Secondly, India was the land of the peacock, a heavenly bird. “Had Paradise (firdaus) been in 3 Amir Khusrau, Nuh Sipihr, ed. M.Wahid Mirza, Calcutta, 1950, p.150. For an English rendering of the third chapter of this work see, India as seen by Amir Khusrau, tr. R.Nath and Faiyaz Gwaliari, Jaipur, 1981, Some other works on this theme are: Sabahuddin Abdur Rahman, ‘Nationalist Sentiments in Indo-Persian Literature’, Indo- Iranica, 28, no.1,March 1965, pp.1-34; S.B.Nigam, ‘Amir Khusrau and India’, Indo Iranica, 24, no.3-4,1971, pp.67-73; Shujaat A.Sandilvi, ‘A great Indian patriot’, Amir Khusrau Memorial Volume, Govt.of India pub., 1975, pp.21-32. + Nuh Sipihr, p.150 5 Ibid., p.147. © Thid..p.148. 7 Ihid., pp.151-52.