Toqra, His Manuscript, and the Subcontinent

During the Timurids dynasty, the Indian subcontinent was the cradle of nurturing the Persian poets. At that time, a group of the Iranian poets moved to that territory, settled down and passed away there. The reputation of some is widespread, but some are less known. One of these eloquent poets is Toqra-ye-Mashhadi, who is unfortunately almost unknown among people.He was a very talented Indian style poet in the 11th Century A.H. who traveled to India during the monarchy of Shah Jahan and was an attendant of Prince Moradbakhsh. He spent his final days in Kashmir where he passed away and was buried. He was an expert in poetry and prose and used many Indian words in his works. Toqra was a theme-creating poet; however, in spite of his ambitions, he did not reach his deserved position. In the present study, we are trying to introduce Toqra and his works, in particular, the manuscript of his divan, paying attention to Toqra’s two manuscripts and also his relationship with the Indian subcontinent. The method of the study is thematic and the purpose is to provide help for more knowledge on the Indian style and on a period of the history and culture of the Indian subcontinent.