Bedil Dehlavi

Abu’l-Ma‘ani Mirza Abd al-Qadir Bedil Dehlavi (1644–1720) was a major Persian poet, mystic, and thinker. Born in Patna, he later made Delhi the centre of his life and work. Bedil stands among the most accomplished and influential poets of the Indian style. The intellectual depth, delicacy, and mystical reach of his poetry give him a singular place in Persian literature. His influence remains especially strong in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.

Bedil wrote in nearly every major poetic form. His verse includes ghazals, qasidas, tarkib-bands, tarji‘-bands, mukhammases, qit‘as, ruba‘iyat, and several masnavis. The best known of the latter include Muhit-e A‘zam, Tur-e Ma‘rifat, Irfan, Tanbih al-Muwaswasin, and Isharat wa Hikayat. His prose works include Chahar Unsur, often read as an autobiography, as well as Ruqa‘at, Nukat, Bayaz, and the Muqaddimat.

He was an exceptionally prolific writer. Estimates place his poetry and prose at between ninety thousand and one hundred thousand verses, making his body of work one of the largest in Persian literature. His poetry abounds in simile, metaphor, symbol, allusion, and intricate structures of thought. For this reason he is often regarded as the most important single representative of the Indian style.

Tradition holds that Bedil first wrote under the pen name Ramzi, then adopted Bedil after reading a line in the preface to Saadi’s Golestan:

“What can the heart-lost seek from the traceless?”

Scholars differ over the historical basis of this story, but Bedil’s deep attachment to Saadi is beyond doubt. He expressed his admiration in a line that may be rendered, “In poetry and prose, I am content with Saadi’s rose and hyacinth.” Bedil’s thought and style were entirely his own, yet his bond with the classical Persian tradition, and with Saadi’s wisdom in particular, is unmistakable.

Bedil died in Delhi on 5 December 1720 and, in accordance with his wishes, was buried in the courtyard of his home.