Marsiyakhwani
as Seen by Dargah Quli Khan in 18th Century Delhi
By
Prof.Mazhar Naqvi
Muraqqa-E-Delhi, the personal diary of Dargah Quli Khan, is a
significant source of Muharram ceremonies in Delhi during the later Mughal period.
Unfortunately, little efforts have been made to create awareness about the diary
among devotees of Ahle-Bait and a number of great Marsiyakhwans and patrons of Azadari
in Delhi remain unknown to us even today. Dargah Quli Khan was an important
official of Hyderabad and had visited Delhi as a part of the entourage of Nizam-Ul-Mulk,
Asaf Jah- 1.He penned his observations about the various aspects of Delhi’s
socio- cultural life during his stay from 1737 to 1741.As he reportedly
professed Imami faith, he took great interest in witnessing Muharram rituals
and has given a detailed account of rituals observed in memory of Imam Husain’s
martyrdom during the reign of Mughal Emperor Mohammad Shah.
Dargah Quli Khan mixed freely with the people and ensured to visit all
those places known for providing spiritual solace to Delhites. He paid visits
to all the centers of socio- cultural activities so as to present correctly the
wide range of his observations. His most remarkable contribution is the
description of Marsiyakhwans of Delhi. Had he not specifically mentioned some
of the best known Marsiyakhwans of Delhi of later Mughals, their names would
have erased from the pages of history forever. The credit for christening of
the diary as Muraqqa (Album) goes to Mirza Muzaffar Husain who extracted the
portion relevant to Delhi for the first time in 1926 and arranged for its
publication from Hyderabad.
Dargah Quli Khan has
mentioned as many as eleven Marsiyakhwans who were popular for their
composition and recitation. He has also given details about their physical appearance
and also quality of their voices. Some of them were blessed with booming voiced
and were able to fill the eyes of mourners with tears through the verses of the
elegies. He also mentions a few Marsiyakhwans who were devoid of powerful voice
but had so much pathos in their recital that left the devotees grief- stricken.
Muraqqa presents the Marsiyakhwans in a hierarchal form and gives a superior
position to those who wrote and recited both followed by the ones who only recited
the elegiac poetry of others.
Muraqqa starts with the
description of Mir Lutf Khan who according to the writer does not indicate any
spiritual enlightenment from his bulky body, ugly and unattractive face. But he
recited marsiyas with great skill and aplomb. Dargah Quli Khan suggests that Mir
Lutf Khan should be called Muhtashim and honored as Maulana Hasan Kashi. It may
here be noted that Muhtashim Kashani was associated as poet with the court of
Shah Tehmasp( 1524-1576) of Safavid dynasty
and famous for a number of elegies composed by him on the tragic theme
of Karbala. Muraqqa reveals that Mir Lutf Khan used to recite marsiyas full of
agony and affliction at the mourning gatherings held at the palatial mansion of
Javed Khan.
Dargah Quli Khan has
also discussed specifically three brothers namely Maskeen, Hazeen and Ghamin
who were quite popular in the art of composition and recitation of marsiyas. They
were capable of afflicting the mourners more deeply than the listening of ‘Rauzatus-Shauda’.
The trio devoted themselves to the memory of Hazrat Ali and his sons and eked
out a decent living from their recitation. The translation of a stanza of their
famous marsiya indicates their devotion to martyrs :
“We hardly know the
difference between the breeze and the zephyr,
All we know is that who
so ever brings us the news of our beloved, takes away our heart”
Muraqqa is full of
praise for Mir Abdullah who recited elegies of Hazeen and Nadim in such a way
that wails and laments of the mourners always attained a high pitch. He was so
popular that devotees gathered in large number hours before his arrival. The great
musicians of 18th century were unanimous in their opinion that Mir Abdullah
was a superb elegist with a rhythmic voice never heard before. Many a qawwals
also learnt from him the art of Marsiyakhwani.
Another marsiykhawan to
figure in the Muraqqa is Shaikh Sultan who hailed from western Uttar Pradesh. Though
he did not receive any formal training yet his recitations always evoked
lamentation and wailing from the mourners. His rendering always created an
atmosphere of grief and sadness at the Ashurkhanas. He used to recite marsiyas
in a sonorous voice. Dargah Quli Khan also mentions Mir Turab Khan as a leading
marsiykhawan whose recitation stunned the people to a state of melancholic
silence. He was well-versed in the art of music and always left a great impact
on mourners. Mir Turab commanded considerable respect among Marsiyakhwans of
his times.
“The melancholic sounds
of his elegies melt the heart and his wailing tones bring tears in the eyes. People
are mesmerized by his recitations and some go into a state of trance. His
dignified bearing in the Ashurkhana and other places of mourning is worth
beholding”. This is how Muraqqa describes another popular Marsiyago Mirza Ibrahim
but mentions nothing about his family and lineage. Mir Dervish Husain has been
described as a worthy successor of Mir Abdulla by Dargah Quli Khan. He was
patronized by Javed Khan and his recitation was highly appreciated and caused cacophony
of wails among the mourners. His style and voice had a striking similarity with
Mir Abdullah but devotees never accused him of copying due to his exemplary
devotion to Ahle-Bait.
“Having heard him once
they do not desire to hear him again, as the sheer force and impact of his
recitation saps their strength”. This is the description of Jani Hajjan Marsiyago
whose voice was so piercing and sharp as the razor’s edge. He was a favorite of
nobles and accumulated huge wealth through recitation of elegies at the zenith
of his career. The last one to find a
place in Muraqqa is Mohammad Nadim. His compositions were replete with
sorrowful words and metaphors. His performance always had a mesmerizing affect
on the listeners. Nadim excelled in the art of inserting verses of another poet
in his composition ( tazmeen).He was greatly influenced
by Wahshi, a poet of Kirman (Iran) known
for his Musaddas.( Stanza of an elegy).Muraqqa
gives an example of Nadim’s elegy:
“Friends, hear the
details of my problems, Hear the details of my life when I have nothing left.
While reciting his marsiya,
Nadim himself was afflicted so much that his listeners were simply left
crestfallen.
While eulogizing the
works of popular Marsiyakhwans, Dargah Quli Khan has also lamented over their
poor economic condition. Except Jani Hajjan and the three brothers ,all other Marsiyakhwans
were not affluent and also not held in high esteem. They were considered
inferior to even a small Mansabdar and called razil instead of sharif. Their
demand increase during Muharram only and they earned maximum during Mausam-e-Aza
and lived frugally rest of the year. (Reference available on request)
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