Biography of Amir Khusrau

Born: 1253, Patiyali
Died: October 1325, Delhi

Amir Khusrau was the foremost visionary of his age, who contributed most to the fusion of the two cultures i.e., Indian and Persian. He was born in 1253. His mother was of Indian origin. Khusrau's father Amir Saifuddin Mahmud, a noble, was in the military service of Sultan Iltutmish.

Amir Khusrau was a born poet and musician. His compositions won him willing princely patronages, even at the young age of twenty. He served as poet-laureate to at least six Sultans, the last being Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. In 1284, Khusrau became a full-fledged Sufi.

Khusrau's writings give ample proof that he was a lover of music and knew Persian and Indian systems. The credit for introducing Persian melodies and blending Indian Ragas with Persian airs went to Khusrall. Wajid Ali Shah considered Khusrau as the Nayak of Khayal and inventor of Tarana. Interestingly, some writers hold Khusrau to be the inventor of the musical instrument Sitar.