Daagh Dehlvi

Daagh Dehlvi Biography

Mirza Daagh Dehlvi was an Urdu poet of 19^th century from Delhi, best known for penning ghazals. He was a contemporary of great Urdu poets like Mirza Ghalib and Amir Meenai, and lived during the period, 1831 - 1905. He belonged to the old Delhi school of thought in Urdu poetry, and was also associated with Arabic and Persian literary pieces. He considered one of the best romantic poets of his time. He wrote romantic and sensuous poems and ghazals in simple Urdu language, which earned him a lot of admirers.

Daagh Dehlvi was born on 25 May 1831 in Delhi during Mughal rule. Kucha Ustad Dagh in Chandni Chowk is the exact place of his birth and belonged to a royal family. His birth name is Nawab Mirza Khan, and he was born to Nawab Shamsuddin Ahmed Khan, the ruler of Lotharu and Ferozepur Jhirka. His mother’s name is Wazir Khanum. When Dehlvi turned just four, father was hanged under charges of conspiracy in the murder of William Fraser. His mother was a social lady, still young and she wooed and remarried the Mughal crown prince, Mirza Muhammad Fakhroo. Thus Daagh grew up in a rich royal background and he also received good education. He also received training in calligraphy and horse riding.

Since the age of 10 he was interested in reciting poetry and he was drawn towards romantic poetry. Dehlvi remained a purist in his writings and never allowed western influences on his poetry. He followed traditional Delhi school of thought in his writings. He wrote in simple words, which helped him to earn praises from common man. After his step-father’s death in 1856, he along with his mother left Delhi and relocated to Rampur of Uttar Pradesh, where he worked in government sector for long 24 years. Later he moved towards Hyderabad where he lived till 73 years.

Published: February 18, 2019

Updated: February 18, 2019