Investigating the Role of Zohuri Torshizi in the Development of Persian Culture and Language in Deccan

In the seventh to eleventh centuries A.H., Muslim rulers came to power in the Indian subcontinent who were interested in Persian culture and language. Following this change, the Iranians emigrated to India for various reasons and gained a variety of political, military, and economic powers at the court of local rulers, paving the way for the growth and spread of Persian culture and literature in the Indian subcontinent. Maulana Noureddine Mohammad Zohuri Torshizi (944-1025 A.H.) was an Iranian poet from Khorasan who emigrated to India in the tenth century and served the rules of Nizam Shahi and Adil Shahi dynasties and became the poet laureate in Deccan. During his four decades of presence in Deccan (southern India), Torshizi worked hard to spread the Iranian language and culture. In the present article, by descriptive-analytical method and using library sources, an attempt has been made to explain the role of Zohuri Torshizi in the spread of Persian culture and language in the Indian subcontinent. The findings show that Torshizi, despite many obstacles, especially calumnies by the enemies of Iran and of the Shiites in Deccan, with the support and encouragement of the rulers, was able to spread Persian culture and language in the Indian subcontinent by creating valuable literary works. The results of the present article provide a realistic picture of the role of Zohuri Torshizi and his literary works and how to support and encourage Nizam Shahi and Adil Shahi rulers in the development of Persian culture and language.