Abū al-Feizi

Abu al-Faiz ibn Mubarak, popularly known by his pen-name, Faizi (20 September 1547 – 15 October 1595) was a poet and scholar of late medieval India whose ancestors Malik-ush-Shu'ara (poet laureate) of Akbar's Court. He was the elder brother of Akbar's historian Abul Fazl. Akbar highly recognised the genius in him and appointed him tutor for his sons and gave place to him among his decorative 'Navaratnas'. Faizi was born in Agra on 5 Sha'ban, AH 954 (20 September 1547), he was the eldest son of Shaikh Mubarak of Nagaur in Rajputana, India. His father, Shaikh Mubarak, was a scholar in the philosophy literature of Greece as well as in Islamic theology. He was educated mostly by his father. In AH 974 (1566–8), he reached Akbar's court. Akbar successively appointed him tutor for his princes, Salim, Murad and Daniyal. In AH 990 (1581), he was appointed sadr of Agra, Kalpi and Kalinjar. In 1588, he became poet laureate of Akbar's court. In AH 999 (1591–2), he was sent to Khandesh and Ahmednagar as Mughal envoy. In AH 1003 (1594), a few years after his return from Deccan, Faizi suffered from asthma and died on 10 Safar, AH 1004 (15 October 1595) at Lahore. Initially, he was buried in the Ram Bagh at Agra but his body was later transferred to another family mausoleum near Sikandara. He composed significant poetic works in Persian and is ascribed by Bada'uni and his other contemporaries to have composed over a hundred poetic works, but all the titles are not known to us. His Divan (collection of poems), was entitled Tabashir al-Subh. His Divan comprises qasidas, ghazals, ruba'is and elegies. The exaltation of pantheism in some of his lyrics brought on him the enmity of the orthodox Muslim clergy. In pursuance of the literary practice then in vogue, Faizi planned to produce a Panj Ganj (literally five treasures) or Khamsa in imitation of the Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi.