phy of
poets: wrote his own autobiography in Persian, and also Persian poetry.

MOMIN: of Delhi: author of six long masnawis: skilled in medicine,
astronomy and astrology, and deeply read in poetry: at first lived
a gay and reckless life, in his old age gave himself to prayer and
fasting, and acquired great contemporary fame: his work is considered
to be the most delicate flower of Urdu expression.

MUSHAFI: belonged to a distinguished family of Amroha: lived at first
at Lucknow, then went to Delhi: there he held famous literary reunions,
at which gathered many poets of whom he was the inspirer and teacher.

MUZTAR: born and educated at Lucknow: his ancestors occupied an
honourable rank at Delhi: was a pupil of Mushafi.

NASIKH: of Calcutta: belonged to the latter half of the 19th century:
Deputy Magistrate and Member of the Legislative Council of Bengal.

SAUDA: born at Delhi about 1720: a soldier by profession: much esteemed
in his lifetime, and was a favourite at Court: excelled in all kinds
of poetry, chiefly the ghazal, the qasidah, and satire.

TABAN: of Delhi: as famous for his beauty as for his poetic talent:
pupil of Hatim, and was a friend of Mazhar and Sauda: was descended
from the Prophet on both father's and mother's side.

WALI: of the Deccan, the first to write an Urdu Diwan: is considered
the Father of Urdu poetry: born at Aurungabad, wrote in the latter
half of the 17th century. He held a just balance between Sunnis and
Shiahs, and did not flatter any Ruler in his verses. He knew the
literature and art of Europe and wrote many mystical and spiritual
poems.

YAKRANG: one of the officers of the Emperor Muhammad Shah (r. 1719-48):
lived in dignity and honour at Delhi.

ZAHIR: a well-known modern poet, lived at Rampur at the Court of Nawab
Kalbe Ali Khan, afterwards at the Court of the Nawab of Tonk, and
finally at Hyderabad, in the literary circle of the Nizam, by whom
he was much appreciated and rewarded.

ZAUQ: a celebrated poet at the Court of Bahadur Shah (r. 1837-57):
was his teacher in the arts of verse: compiler of an anthology Of poems:
is said to have written one hundred thousand verses: is still highly
popular and much quoted.

ZAFAR: or Bahadur Shah, was the Padishah of Delhi, the last Mogul
Emperor, and lived 1768-1862: son of Akbar II.: was over 60 years of
age when he came to the throne: himself a poet and a good judge of
music and painting, he gathered round him literary men and