Matn/Pizhūhī-i Adabī (Sep 2024)
Olfati Savoji and Rawaih Gulshan Qutbshahi
Abstract
Olfati Savoji was an 11th-century Shiite poet who served at the court of Abdullah Qutbshah. In addition to composing poetry in celebration of him, Savoji also authored two treatises, namely "Riyaz al-Sana'i Qutbshahi" and "Rawaih Gulshan Qutbshahi," as a tribute to Abdullah Qutbshah. The novels of Gulshan Qutbshahi have been erroneously attributed to Olfati Yazdi by most tazkira writers. However, based on historical and stylistic data, it is clear that these works actually belong to Muslim Olfati Savoji. Therefore, the attribution to Olfati Yazdi is false. Rawaih Golshan is a concise work that includes an introduction, seven fragrances, and a conclusion. It employs a combination of prose and structured language, reminiscent of artificial and technical texts. The treatise provides a detailed account of Abdullah Qutbshah, his military forces, servants, royal palaces, renowned festivities, and holidays, as well as the enchanting aspects of Hyderabad. Olfati authored the document in the year 1051. Olfati has directed his endeavors towards ensuring the phonetic equilibrium of the text and the cadence of the words. Hence, the utilization of various puns, rhyming prose, and other verbal devices, such as the employment of sequential additions and repetition throughout the entire piece, is truly remarkable. In addition, he has employed arrays, such as similes and contrasts, to establish proportionality and semantic equilibrium within phrases.IntroductionThe influx of Muslim Iranians to India commenced under the reign of Sultan Mahmud in the late 7th century, leading to the establishment of indigenous administrations in the southern and central regions of India. Sultan Qoli founded the Qutbshah dynasty. Abdullah Qutbshah, the fifth monarch of the Qutbshah dynasty, was born in 1023 AH and became king in 1035 AH. He remained alive until the year 1083 AH and held the throne for approximately 48 years. The reign of Abdullah was a highly prosperous and successful phase of Qutbshahi control in India. During this time, numerous poets, writers, and scientists from Iran migrated there and enjoyed a life of abundance and contentment. Among them was Olfati Savoji.Olfati Savoji was a prominent Shia poet during the 11th century of the Hijri calendar. He served as a poet and writer in the court for approximately 38 years, starting from 1045 Hijri until the end of Abdullah Qutbshah's reign in 1083. He authored two treatises, "Riyaz al-Sana'i Qutbshahi" and "Rowaih Golshan Qutbshahi," as well as several poems. Olfati Savoji arrived in Isfahan upon the demise of Sultan Abdullah and passed away somewhere between 1087 and 1090. The same city likely laid him to rest.Literature ReviewWhile discussing the state of Olfati Savoji, Nasrabadi, Khoshgo, Arzoo, and Mohammad Mozafar Hossein Saba neglected to mention the passing of Golshan Qutbshahi. In his Tazkira Mahbub al-Zalaman, Sufi Malkapuri reported the spirits of Golshan Qutbshehi; however, he attributed this information to Alfati Yazdi. Ahmed Golchin Ma'ani identified the erroneous nature of Sufi's statements regarding the attribution of Golshan Qutbshahi's customs to Olfati Yazdi and highlighted this discrepancy. Sufi's error has also influenced other publications. In his book "Mir Muhammad Momin Aster Abadi, the Promoter of Shi'ism in South India," Mohiuddin Qadri accurately quotes the statements of Golshan Qutbshahi but acknowledges that he has not personally read Golshan Qutbshahi's memoirs. In the book "Looking at the History of Hyderabad Deccan," on page 84, Mojtabi Karmi and in the article "Persian Language and Literature in India," Amir Hasan Abedi have both made the same error. They mistakenly assigned Riyad al-Sana'i and Ravaih Golshan to Olfati Yazdi and Fereshteh Koshki. Additionally, Olfati Yazdi edited and published Gulshan Qutbshehi's memoirs under the name Fereshte Koshki. Nabi has presented Olfati Savoji as a significant figure in the realms of Indian and Persian literature, based on the testimony of Nasrabadi.MethodologyThis article will begin by presenting the framework of Golshan Qutbshehi's novels. We will then conduct an analysis to explore the linguistic (phonetic, lexical, and syntactic) and literary characteristics of Golshan Qutbshehi's novels. I shall refrain from discussing the intellectual aspect of al-Fati's work, as it lacks logical ideas and instead focuses solely on the visual depiction of buildings, flowers, fruits, and similar subjects.ConclusionOlfati Savoji, not Olfati Yazdi, is the author of Golshan Qutbshahi's novel. This is due to Olfati Yazdi's service under Ali Qali Khan of Zaman, an Akbari commander who met his demise in 974 AH. Olfati Yazdi passed away either in the same year or the following year, which was 48 or 49 years before Abdullah Qutbshah was born and 76 or 77 years before Golshan Qutbshahi, the author of Rawaih (1051), was born. Moreover, stylistic similarities and historical evidence point to the same individual as the author of both Golshan's books and Riyad al-Sana'i. The Ravih of Golshan Qutbshehi consists of an introductory section, seven Ravihs, and a concluding section.A) Olfati commenced the book by uttering a couple of phrases in admiration of Hazrat Bari Ta'ala, followed by the recitation of a naat in honor of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Subsequently, he referenced a quotation from Ali Ibn Abi Talib (PBUH). Subsequently, he commended Abdullah Qutbshah for his benevolence towards Ali (a.s.) and the family of Rasoolullah, as well as for his efforts in advancing Shiism in Telangana. He then bestowed the title "Rowaih Golshan Qutbshahi" on his work, which was penned in the year 1051 Hijri.B) The content of the book: In the initial publication, Olfati describes Abdullah Qutbshah as exceptional and remarkable in the global context due to five distinct qualities: The following qualities are: 1. justice; 2. dignity; 3. good nature; 4. generosity; and 5. courage.In the second Raiha, the author begins by describing the royal palaces, buildings, and significant resorts. Next, he introduces three government officials from Abdullah's court. The first is Nawab Allami Ibn Khatun, who achieved the position of Peshwai, or Nawabi, in 1038. The second is Nawab Madar Ilhami, Mir Mohammad Saeed Ardestani, who became Mir Jamalgi, or Minister, in 1047. Lastly, there is Mr. Debir al-Mulk Olfati did not explicitly identify the secretary; however, it is possible that Mullah Muhammad Ali is the individual in question.In the third stanza, he depicts Hyderabad; in the fourth verse, it portrays the regal gathering and festivities. The fifth smell depicts the vast number of warriors and the courage of the soldiers, as well as the war elephants, greyhound horses, and the weaponry used by Abdullah Qutbshah's cavalry.Olfati composed a poem consisting of 59 verses in the Masnavi genre, depicting the festive gathering of Abdullah, the bartender, in the sixth stanza.In the seventh chapter, Golshan's flavors are introduced, and he receives overwhelming appreciation for his novel.The book's completion date, which coincides with its start date, is 1051 Hijri.c) Conclusion: Golshan's poems conclude with a concluding note named "Latifa Ghaibi" and five verses in Mamdouh's supplication. Latifah Ghaibi provides an elucidation of the numerical correlation between the number of letters in the name "Sultan Abdullah" and his nickname "Qutabshahan Zaman," both of which consist of 12 letters, in reference to his religious affiliation, which is Twelve Imam Shia.The book's stylistic characteristics: Olfati Savoji has composed Golshan's novels in a manner reminiscent of artificial and technical literature, with the exception that he employed straightforward and commonly used vocabulary, refraining from including Arabic phrases and poetry except on three occasions. Furthermore, he abstained from utilizing unfamiliar similes, metaphors, and complex expressions.Some of its primary stylistic characteristics include the following: Olfati’s primary focus in the phonetic segment lies in the melodic qualities of words and the cadence of sentences. In order to achieve phonetic equilibrium, he has extensively employed the technique of double assurance, wherein certain sections of the text bear resemblance to the lines of a poem. Occasionally, certain lengthy and brief lines have converged in a manner resembling structures like Mastzad and Rabai. Within the syntactic segment, Olfati places particular emphasis on composition and frequently employs similes and metaphors in supplementary structures. Olfati has employed similes and metaphors and subsequently incorporated sarcasm as part of their expressive repertoire. He has focused more on achieving harmony by utilizing similes and contrasts among the original spiritual arrays.
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