Shaikh Muhammad Ibrahim Zauq

Shaikh Muhammad Ibrahim Zauq was a distinguished poet of nineteenth-century Delhi, poet laureate of the Mughal court and teacher of Bahadur Shah Zafar. Born into a middle-class family, he became known at an early age for his command of idiomatic language. After receiving guidance from Shah Nasir, he soon established his own standing as a master poet.

Zauq excelled in the ghazal and qasida. His poetry is known for clarity of language, lively idiom, moral experience and a deep connection with the speech of Delhi. As the emperor’s teacher, he stood at the centre of the city’s literary life. His famous rivalry with Ghalib was also prominent in the late Mughal period.

Much of Zauq’s poetry was lost in the upheaval of 1857, but the surviving divan bears witness to his technical assurance and memorable style. His many pupils and his role in refining literary language left a lasting influence on classical Urdu poetry.