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Abdul

Abdul, was a distinguished poet in the court of Sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah II of the Adil Shahi dynasty. According to Naseeruddin Hashmi, some sources suggest that his real name was Abdul Ghani. He is best known for his mathnaviIbrahim Nama’, which was commissioned by Sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah II and completed in 1012H/1603. The Sultan, intrigued by the idea of a unique literary work, summoned Abdul and instructed him to write a book unlike any other, stipulating that the author should be well-versed in Hindi and Dakhni, but not in Arabic. This request led to the creation of Ibrahim Nama, a mathnavi consisting of 725 couplets.

The work begins with hamd, naat, and manqabat, including a manqabat dedicated to Hazrat Banda Nawaz Gesudaraz, followed by the primary subject matter, which focuses on the personal life events of Sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah II. Although not a comprehensive biography, Ibrahim Nama provides significant insights into the Sultan’s private life, making it an important literary document.

One of the distinctive features of Ibrahim Nama is its linguistic composition, which blends the old Dehlvi dialect of Delhi with Dakhni, reflecting a fusion of Hindi and Persian literary traditions. This mixture is noted by Masud Husain Khan, who describes the language of Ibrahim Nama as an amalgamation of these regional dialects. The work is regarded as the first literary masterpiece of the “School of Bijapur,” a testament to the unique cultural and literary environment of the Adil Shahi court.

Abdul is also believed to have been a contemporary of Mullah Wajhi of Golconda, another prominent poet of the time. In his Ibrahim Nama, Abdul identifies himself as “Abdul Dehlvi,” indicating his origins from Delhi. His contribution to the literary traditions of both Dakhni and Persian, along with his role in the cultural milieu of Bijapur, has cemented his place in the history of Deccan literature.

Further Reading:
1. Khan, Masud Husain, editor. Ibrahim Nama. 2nd ed., Karnataka Urdu Academy, 1999
2. Zor, Syed Muhiuddin Qadri, editor. Abdul Ka Ibrahim-Naamah. 1st ed., Idara-e-Adabiyat-e-Urdu, n.d
3. Hashmi, Naseer-Uddin. Dakan MeiN Urdu. 1st ed., Taraqqi Urdu Bureau, 1985.

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