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BI-ANNUAL RESEARCH JOURNAL “BALOCHISTAN REVIEW” ISSN 1810-2174

Balochistan Study Centre, UoB, Quetta (Pak) VOL. XXVIII NO.1, 2013

A BRIEF ABOUT PERSIAN POETRY OF

KHUSHAL KHAN KHATTAK

Language & Literature

Dr. Nasrullah Jan Wazir, *

Dr. M. Usman Tobawal†
Abdul Rehman Kakar‡

ABSTRACT
Khushal Khan is one of the eminent poets and scholars of Pashto
language. His contribution to the Pashto language is of great
significance because he had written in assorted genres of literature with
special reference to Pashto language and literature. The paper
thoroughly discusses various aspects of Khushal Khan Khattak's poetry
in the perspective of his Pashto and Persian poetry as he was not only a
scholar and poet of Pashto but also well versed in Persian and Arabic
languages. In this research paper it is strived to unveil the techniques
and thoughts of Khushal Khan Khattak in Persian.

INTRODUCTION
Khushal Khan Khattak is such a multi dimensional personality, the art
and work of whom is confessed not only by Pashtoons but also by the people
of other nations. Although the national movement of Pashtoons had been
initiated by Bayazeed alias Peer Roshan yet Khushal Khan, having extra
ordinary qualities of leadership boosted it up to its zenith.
Even though he is known as matchless poet and writer of Pashto literature, he
had also uttered Persian poetry of high caliber. This article focuses
particularly the Persian poetry of Khushal Khan. But it would be better to
introduce his personality to the readers before discussing his Persian poetry.
This article comprises of two parts, personality and Persian poetry of Khushal
Khan Khattak.

* Assistant Professor, Pashto Department, University of Balochistan, Quetta-Pak.

† Assistant Professor, Pakistan Study Centre, University of Balochistan, Quetta-Pak.
‡ Lecturer, Pashto Department, University of Balochistan, Quetta- Pak.
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RESEARCH METHOD
In order to high light the art and personality of Khushal Khan
Khattak, historical and analytical research methods have been adopted. As he
lived during the pinnacle of Mughal reign in which Hindustan had been
leaving its signs of momentousness and bizarreness on other nations. As the
birth of Khushal Khan Khattak had taken place in the same period and he was
attached to Mughal's royal court also. But his detachment to Mughal's royal
court and causes of the anorexia of Mughals has been discussed in the
framework of historical research where as his poetry is to be conversed in
structure of analytical research.

PROMINENT PASHTOON LITERARY FIGURES

Generally there are many writers whose contributions have gained
enough respect in the history of Pashto literature but there are two figures
whose efforts in the field of knowledge and literature not only gave all
comprising state to Pashto but also proved that Pashto is in no way less then
its sister languages in expression and communication . In other words they
not only organized Pashto but also gave it a pretty state of acceptance /
assent.
One of them was the ever greatest and famous personality of sixteenth
century saint / Peer known as Peer Roshan also called Bayazeed Ansari, the
founder of Roshania Movement, who is considered to be the founder / chief
of Roshania School of thought in the succession of Mysticism, the way,
introduced by Bayazeed Roshan to accomplish his thoughts, was in no way
accepted by the traditionalists. That is why many problems and hurdles were
created for him in the very beginning. However, the way, how courageously
he promoted his rule of conduct/ programme, is quite matchless in the world
of Mysticism.
Due to his enchanting personality and anxious and thoughtful way he finds
himself in his nation. The logic, through which he makes his nation follow
him, was to communicate them in their native language Pashto. Since he
knew that language is the key source to up rise conscience and to educate the
people of any society, he came to the conclusion to communicate the nation
in its own language which is a pretty proof of his knack in the field of
language and literature. Though he knew that Arabic and Persian had got
enough scope in religious and royal courts respectively and that he had pretty
good command on these languages, he preferred to address/ communicate his
nation in his native language. Its lasting consequences and effects were not
only revealed on him but the history of Pashto literature also argues that the
credit setting Pashto language and literature on organized foundation goes to
him.
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The Genius one: The person next to him whom is considered to be more
respectable, the man of ages whom Pashtoon acknowledge their national hero
and the father of Pashto language and literature are known as Khushal Baba.
He was born in 1022 Hijri during the regime of Mughal Emperor Jahangir at
Akora Khattak in the house of Malik Shahbaz Khan. Khushal’s ancestors
were the most influential personalities of the region. His elders were among
the loyalists to the Mughal rulers and the influential functionaries /
magistrates from the time of their grandfather Malik Akor Khan the great,
who not only ensured peaceful atmosphere for the Mughal rulers but also
helped them in elevating the brackishness against them in the vicinity.
Khushal Khan took part in many battles along his father during the reign of
Shah Jahan Mughal.
Once in the company of his father he got forth to elevate the tumult by
Yousafzai Afghans where the cracking blood of the brave Pashtoons was
expressing enough enthusiasm from both sides. This battle caused the death
of countless soldiers from each side. Khushal Khan too received some miner
injuries whereas his father got seriously wounded with an arrow which took
his life. After the death of his father, the royal court of Shah Jahan issued the
order for the continuity of his Functionary as a reward of his loyalty. He kept
accomplishing the fulfillment of his promise / oath with Mughal until they
got suspicious from him. The story of how Mughal got suspicious from him
took its roots from a bloody dispute among Shah Jahan’s sons over the
accession to the throne of their father. Finally the Rein of the empire came
into the hands of Aurangzeb Alamgeer. No sooner had Aurangzeb the control
of the empire, the Chief functionary/ Magistrate of Peshawar Ameer Khan
Khawafi; a confidant of Aurangzeb wrote a letter against Khushal Khan in
which he suspected the future intentions of Khushal Khan. Aurangzeb, who
was tricked by Ameer Khawafi, forgot the generation after generation loyalty
of Khushal Khan and issued the order of his captivity. Since Khushal Khan
had no such intentions, he remained completely unaware about Aurangzeb’s
order and got averse from Mughal and raised the slogan for the freedom of
Afghans.
His repenting from the Loyalty with Mughal and his inclination towards
Pashtoon National Struggle is the important point of his life to which
Pashtoon consider a corner stone of their liberty and the primary step for their
national Unity.
It was the time when Khushal Khan Baba gave a new spirit to the national
struggle concealed in the mysticism of Bayazeed Roshan and undertook the
task to fight against Mughals. He fights not only with sword but also utilized
the treasure of art and thoughtfulness which is the proud of his nation. This
literature, which is known as national and historical document and an
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authentic source of Pashto classical period. Hence, he is mainly remembered

as a national Hero and the Man of sword and knowledge.
His personality was the collection of many qualities. He was at a time the
Lord/ Sardar of his tribe, a war-manger commander, a magistrate/functionary,
a native Physician, the best hunter, a geographist at one hand, and a great
linguist, a man of letters and a unique figure in the world of poetry and
literature on the other hand.
He is also considered to be a unique personality in Pashto because he was the
first intellectual who was struggle an increase of variety, mechanism and
terminology in Pashto literature. Apart from this made efforts for innovation
in Pashto prose and the mode of writing. As he would say in his poem about
what he has done for Pashto prose, poetry and the mode of writing, as
Khushal Khan says in his Poetry:
‫كه د نظم كه د نثر كه د خط دى‬
‫په پښتو ژبه مي حق دى بې حسابه‬
‫نه په خوا په كښې كتاب ؤ نه يې خط ؤ‬
(Pashto 2001) ‫دا دى ما په كښې تصنيف كړل څو كتابه‬
Whether it is poetry, prose and writing
Pashto is under my obligations
It had neither a book nor writing before me
They are the few books which I contributed in
He himself mentions the poetic works of Peer Roshan and his followers
Mirza Khan Ansari, Wasil, Hasil, Dolat Luhani and the books of Akhonies in
his own poetry. Whereas, he admitted the greatness of some of them but his
claim, that their was neither a book in Pashto not it had any arranged system
of writing, may probably be a poetic boasting because the poetic works of
Roshanies and Akhonies were before him or he might not have considered
those creations of the standard of his own poetry. However, this claim of
Khushal Khan is not an exaggeration and he would say:
‫مګر يا زه يې چي ګويا په شاعرۍ كړم‬
(Khushal N.D.) ‫پښتانه يې پوهول ايزد تال‬
Ever since I have been blessed with poetic power
With which I have to make the Pashtoon understand.

There are some artists whose transmission of thoughts is either slide by the
barriers of language or their thought can’t be expressed through words that
are why a temptation is found in the expression of their feelings and
emotions. In this way if we cast a glance at the matchless artistic skills of
Khushal Khan, we will hardly find any art beyond his commands/
acquisition. In this if we look at his skills and good disposition in language
and expression, eloquence and maturity, we will hardly find any figure equal
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to him long after. Every one therefore admits him a treasure of language and
the man of letters who created favorable situation in Pashto.
His command on Arabic can easily be understood through his use of Arabic
idioms in his poetry. Whereas about Persian he has openly claimed:
‫فارسي شعر مي هم زده سليقه لرم د دواړو‬
(Preshan & Khatir ‫پښتو شعر مي خوښ شو هر څوك خپل ګڼي ښاغلي‬
1980)
“Along Persian I have good disposition in both languages
I like Pashto verse because every one thinks of his own people’s heroes”.

His poetry got a unique fame in Pashto and the poets of all the ages got
benefited from his poetic works. Anyway the model he presented in poetry
can’t be excluded from the great poetic works of Persian. Since Pashto was
his national language, he had a great bent for that. Otherwise if he had
continued his practice in Persian, the way he made in Pashto, it was no
wonder that he would have been classed among the great poetic master of
Persian. These are not mere claims about him but it is admitted that he had
many great qualities which he himself mentions.
‫زه خوشحال چي په پښتو په فارسي طاق يم‬
(Khushal N.D.) ‫ال مي په پښتو ژبه كښې ژبه ورغلګي‬
“I have equal skills in Pashto and Persian
Still my tongue is functional and busy in Pashto."

It is Khushal Khan who practiced newness in Pashto and brought it equal to

the standard of Shiraz and Khajund in its meaning and freshness. He has
rightly said:
‫په تازه تازه مضمون د پښتو شعر‬
(Khushal N.D.) ‫په معنى مي د شيراز او د خجند كړ‬
“I brought Pashto equal to Shiraz and Khajund
I have command on Persian but I guided the Public in Pashto”.

His arrival, no doubt, was a blessing of God Almighty for the poverty
stricken Afghans who were seeking for national unity for centuries, because
before him Bayazeed Roshan provided the nation a mere foundation.
Khushal Khan Personality can easily be unveiled by the verses of Allama
Mohammad Iqbal would say:
‫ہزارونسال نرگس اپنى بےنورى پہ روتى تھى‬
(Samad 1960) ‫بڑى مشكل سے ہوتا ہے چمن ميں ديده ور پيدا‬

“The daffodils wept for centuries at its luck

For no visitor is seen for long in the garden.”
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Iqbal, one of the greatest Philosophers and a prominent figures of 20th

century, has indirectly got a touch of his ideas and has published an eloquent
article in 1928 under the title " Khushal Khan Khattak the Afghan Worrier
Poet" in an English magazine " Islamic Culture" Publish at Hyderabad
Dukken.
In this article Iqbal has highly appreciated the character and poetry of this
great eloquent Afghan Poet. Iqbal himself had no knowledge of Pashto
language but during his stay at London where in the Indian office Library he
got benefited from Major Raverty’s book" Selection from the Poetry of the
Afghans ". Mr. Raverty has translated about a hundred poems of Khushal
Khan from Pashto into English. By dint of this Iqbal got highly impressed
from this great Poet of Pashto which he has discussed in his article. Apart
from this Iqbal in his poetry highly praised the thoughts, art and great ode of
Khushal Khan.

)Iqbal 1970(
Iqbal views about Khushal Khan, to be an acquainted Afghan, a great leader,
bold and fearless poet is not a general statement because Iqbal himself was
the Poet whom the entire world has praised. In this way Iqbal’s statement to
call Khushal Khan a nobleman is the acknowledgement of his greatness and
Person in him.
Iqbal in his Poem" The Legacy/ well of Khushal Khan", openly discusses the
military tactics and the emotion of freedom of Afghan at one hand, and have
warmly appreciated the confidence and intentions of this honorable noble
hero of Afghans.

(Iqbal N.D.)
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On the other hand Khushal use of terminology such as the eagle, liberty,
mankind, honor, Afghanism and Archery in his poetry is also seen in that of
Iqbal’s poetic work. It neither means the comparison between the two poets
nor does the effect they receive from one another rather it mean to understand
the similarity and unity in their use of natural symbols.
A famous researcher well acquainted to Khushal Khan and Iqbal, Mir Abdul
Samad Khan has highlighted an excerpt of Iqbal in his book. He has pointed
out Iqbal’s visit to Kabul and his meeting with Afghan ruler Nadir Shah in
which Iqbal requested Nadir Shah to generalize the thoughts of this great
personality among Afghans. He stated “the movement for Afghan National
unity, which is still in progress, is the most interesting movement of Asia.
Bahlol Ludhi and Sher Shah Suri in Hindustan, Khushal Khan in the
Frontier, Abdul Rehman and his grand son Amanullah Khan are the
imminent personalities of this movement. It is not at stretch when an Afghan
historian will narrate the story of this movement in a way Bolton King has
narrated the story of Italian movement." (Samad 1960)
The way Khushal Khan boldly promoted the sense for Afghan national
struggle could hardly have any match in the time to come. He openly
declares:
‫نه به زما غوندي بل جنګيالى راشي‬
‫نه به زما غوندي بل ننګيالى راشي‬
‫خټك له پريږده په درست افغان كښې‬
(Samad 1960) ‫عجب كه هسي فرهنګيالى راشي‬
“Neither there will be a swordsman like me
Nor will be a man brave like me
Not only in Khattak but in the whole Afghan
There won’t come any wise man like me."
Apart from the angle through which his personality can be examined in the
Afghan national struggle, his slogan is quite shining,

‫د افغان په ننګ مي و تړله توره‬

(Khushal 2009) ‫ننګيالى د زمانې خوشحال خټك يم‬
took the sword for the honor of Afghan
I Khushal Khan am the noble man of the time. "

The tick and unique model of his poetic work known as “Kuliat - E - Khushal
Khan Khattak," is considered as a master piece in Pashto classical poetry.
Though before him there were some poets in Roshania period whose
greatness in the field of poetry has been mentioned by him also but he enjoys
superiority over all his precedents due to the variety of his subject and the
height in his thoughts. Thus, the variety of subject, the depth in art and
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thought, high notion and fearless way of expression in his poetry is in a true
sense considered to be a representative of the excessive desire of his nation.
His poetic greatness in Pashto is an admitted example but his Persian poetry
with all its characteristics is the best model of poetry. He himself states:
‫فارسي شعر مي هم زده زه سليقه لرم د دواړو‬
(Preshan & ‫پښتو شعر مي خوښ شو هر څوك خپل لري ښاغلي‬
Khatir 1980)
“ I have great command on Pashto and Persian
I like Pashto verse because every one thinks of its own people’s
heroes.”
He has many times stated that his command on Persian poetry is equal to that
on Pashto poetry but the reason why he selected Pashto was his love with his
nation and language. Apart from Persian, he had command on Arabic and
Hindi whose examples are in abandon in his poetry. Since it was relation to
the subject, the discussion should, therefore, be limited to his Persian poetry.
The model of Persian poetry, found at the end of his collection, contains pure
Persian odes, Ballads, mixed odes of Pashto and Persian and Sonnet. It
contains forty five pure Persian odes which collectively consist of four
hundred poets whereas five mixed odes of Pashto and Persian whose total
number is thirty eight. In this way the total number of Persian poems is three
hundred and fifty eight. The uniqueness and beauty of expressions in his
Persian poetry has prettily been explained by Syed Murtaza Jafari in the
following words in an article:
“Khushal Khan Khattak’s few Persian verses in his 78 years life are pretty
enough lead an eternal life in the world of Literature." (Jafari N.D.)
All the Pashtoon poets, before Khushal Khan tried there geniuses in Persian
but it is very rare for any one of them to come parallel to in style , mode ,
the height of thoughts and the abundance of the subject .
Akin to his Pashto poetry , the subjects such as wine, tap room, page and
bowl, lust and drunkenness, darling and vial, beauty, separation and union,
spring and Autumn, preachers and scholars other subject are found in
abundance in his Persian poetry.
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(Khushal N.D.)
The simplicity in the use of idioms, mechanism, terminology and vocabulary
is a pretty proof of beauty, test and purity of any language. Since this quality
is abundant in Persian, his poetry finds enough smoothness. The roughness
found in Pashto, stoops Pashtoon poets achieve the purpose in Persian poetry
which is achieved by the Persian poets. Nevertheless, Khushal Khan Khattak
is free from this bondage because he has equal command on both the
languages. Most of his Persian Poetry is Erotic in style but as for as newness
and address in his poetry is concerned, it can easily be understood from a
statement of Mir Abdul Samad:
"Most of his Persian poetry is of erotic and Rakish style. It seems as if he has
done this poetry for the charge of the taste of language though there is
enough oddness and innovation in them". (Samad 1960)
The famous Urdu poet Zameer Jafari too has the same opinion: "Khushal
Khan Khattak has created a very lovely innovation in his Persian poetry and
has carried vastness in the entire Persian poetry. The innovation is his
masterly are of Pashto meter and rhyme in Persian poetry which if he has not
rendered, it would have been a great injustice with Persian poetry. There
wounds of Pashto resulted beauty in his poetry ".(Jafari N.D.)
In one of his Persian songs he has beautifully used. The meter and rhyme of
Pashto.
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(Khushal N.D.)
The style introduced by Khushal Khan Khattak in Persian poetry, is lacking
in the works of all others. The style used in one of his odes, in which one lie
in the Pashto and the other is in Persian, is a special characteristic of his art.

(Khushal N.D.)
It is impossible to be a poet without the touch of love and poetry without the
events of love and beauty is impossible. Since a poet has under passed the
spell of Pain in his love, his poetry; therefore, is the collection of Anguish
moments which have befallen on him? Love is the fact in which man of every
age is engaged. If we look at the consequences of love, we will come to know
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that many people have got lasting fame in it where as some other people have
received disgrace and insult in it.
Khushal Khan Khattak is also a poet of the rank who remained under the
spell of many loves which he not only expressed in his poetry but also made
it a part of his practical life. Since he did not considerer love a provisional
activity, he poured it in his heart.
Love the fact in which the darling/ beloved shows many elegances which the
helpless loves has to bear silently. Almost all the poets have given the same
picture of love but Khushal Khan's way of expression is different from them.

(Khushal N.D.)
He beautifully states: the grace of the darling’s beauty, redness of lips and
complexion of cheeks, the grace of eyes and eyelashes, delication of body
and the august and graceful giant enchain the heart of the poet. The elegance
of the beloved which sounds the poet is the dark locks.
In one of his songs Khushal explains much elegance of the locks of the
darling.

(Khushal N.D.)
Khushal Khan's life is the expression of various activities. Some of them
even affect the process of his learning. If he remained engaged in learning for
an hour, he would remain engaged in those other activities for the years. One
of these hobbies was hunting of the unique birds which he has expressed in
his poetry. His love with hunting can be imagined from the fact that he wrote
a comprehensive book "Baz Nahma” which was published by Pashto
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Academy Peshawar and "Da Ulumu Academy Kabul Afghanistan (The

Academy of Knowledge Kabul Afghanistan). Now that he had good
experience of the races, augmentation and other characteristics of birds, he
used Eagle as a symbol for male and beauty and melodious sound of
partridge as a symbol for female. Such symbols are quite common in his
Pashto poetry. These symbols are beautifully used in his Persian odes.

(Khushal N.D.)

CONCLUSION
Shortly, we can say that Hindustan, being a cradle of ancient
civilizations, art and culture, always strived to uphold prosperity and
connectivity of the people of assorted nations through a joint language which
kept unity of the nations continued in the country besides upholding their
literary heritage. More over lexical and artistic harmony had also been
observed for centuries. Instances of which could be found in Persian, the
official language of the then rulers of India who had ruled from fourth to
twelfth century. Persian had played pivotal role in promoting and extending
the local languages of Hindustan and made the sources of expression very
simple. In this connection, the basic foundation, grammar, and modern
literary genres of Pashto language and literature had always been remained
under the influence of Persian.
How ever, as every language has its own incidence due to which its
utilitarianism and significance remains maintained. Similarly, it was
impossible for Pashto to linger under the influence of neighboring languages
all the times. As some Pashtoon scholars of high caliber boosted up Pashto to
the parallel position of other languages of the region. Khushal Khan Khattak
is on the top of the list in the series of these scholars. Khushal Khan Khattak
was such a poet and writer who were proficient both in Pashto and Persian
poetry.
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REFERENCES

 Iqbal, Allama (1970), Javid Nama, Sheikh Ghulam Ali & Sons,
Lahore, 7th Edition, p. 207.
 Iqbal, Allama (N.D.),Baal - e - Jabrael, Gosha - E - Adab, Jinnah
Road, Quetta, p.154.
 Jafari, Murtaza Syed (N.D.), Khushal Baba Ke Farsi Shaeri, pp.
158&159.
 Khattak, Khushal Khan, (N.D.) Deewan, Part one, Department of
Culture, Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa, N.D., pp.458, 526, and 573,577.
 Khattak, Preshan & Ghaznawi Khathir, (1980) Khushal Nama,
Abaseen Arts Council, Peshawar, pp.4, 9.
 Khattak, Khushal, (2009) Armaghan –E- Khushal, University Book
Agency, Peshawar, P.26.
 Khattak, Khushal Khan, (N.D.) Deewan, part two, Department of
Culture, Khyber Pakhtoon khwa, pp. 459, 461, 463, 477.
 Pashto (2001), Khushal Number, Jun , July and August, Vol. 33,
Serial No. 6,7 and 8, Pashto Academy, Peshawar, p.255.
 Samad, Mir Abdul, (1960) Iqbal And Khushal, Manzoor Aam Kutab
Khana Inside Kabuli Gate, Peshawar, pp.45,71,82,102.