The rich and diverse range of Amir Khusrau’s work in culture, science and art

The rich and diverse range of Amir Khusrau’s work in culture, science and art provides an understanding of the art and culture of the 13th -14th century era of Amir Khusrau Dehlvi and their continuity into present day India. It elaborates the foundation of a vital chord of Indian heritage, history, and culture which has produced an amazing range of works of art from architecture to music thus putting the multi-faceted contributions of Amir Khusrau in contemporary context with a diverse array of related objects and visuals from the collection of National Museum and contemporary sources.

Amir Khusrau, one of the greatest poets of this region, lived in the period which saw an amazing influx of scholars, poets, artisans, Sufis, travellers, and merchants from Persianate Central Asia. He saw the merging of two great civilizations and wove them so beautifully in his literary works. He 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 epic historical and love poems; and, as a devout of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, the revered 13/14th century Chishti Sufi of Delhi, he gave to us the vibrant artistic traditions of Sufiana music and poetry – which continue till today in many oral traditions ranging from the classical to the folk.

Amir Khusrau Dehlvi saw the merging of two great civilizations and wove them so beautifully in his literary works that they even surpassed the masters from Persia and Central Asia.