By : Poorvanshi Tyagi

Abstract

Persian culture penetrated Indian roots through Persian-Turkic and Afghan rulers of the Ghaznavid and 13th Century Delhi Sultanate eras. It, however, reached its zenith, with the coming of the first Timurid Mongolian prince Babur. Indo-Persian culture as we know it today, owes its relevance largely to Mughal patronage. This article aims to explore the growth of Persian culture under the Mughal Empire, primarily looking at art, architecture, and literary traditions – facets that continue to uphold Indo-Persian elements in contemporary India. 

Introduction

The Indian subcontinent shares a long standing history with the Iranians. From establishing ties with Achimean Persia to cultural and economic exchanges established during the reign of Sassanian dynasty, the remnants of Persian culture in present day India hold ages of shared history. India witnessed the coming of Persian culture through the Ghaznavid era of rulers in 11th Century. Rulers of Turkic-Persian and Afghan origin brought in Persian writers and scholars who settled in India, marking the beginning of an era of Persian scholarship in the country. The growth of Persian culture however, owes also to the establishment of Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century. It was then against the backdrop of Mughal rulers that Persian culture and language reached its peak in India and has left a mark on the nation ever since. Babur being the fifth descendant of Timur, introduced an intrinsically Turkic dynasty to Indian masses. The Mughal dynasty was not one with Persian origin. It became Persianised over time. Babur and his descendants transformed the linguistic landscape of India by making Persian the official court language, expanding it to not just officials and elites but also to literature and poetry. The Mughal rulers became patrons of Persian art and literature. Thus began a long-standing tradition of Persian art, language, food and architecture that not only established itself as a distinct apparatus but also found itself in continuous interaction with pre-existing traditions and its convergence with such traditions to be manifested into what we know today as the Indo-Persian culture. Persian culture’s involvement in India’s art, architecture, linguistic and literary traditions provide a valuable insight into the the working of the Mughal court, highlighting its Persian diaspora which greatly contributed to the embedment of Persian elements in the Indian subcontinent.  

Persian & Hindavi : The Amalgamation of Languages

Persian language had already made its mark on India before the Mughal period, through well established poets like Amir Khusrau and Siraji Khuraasani. Persian as a language did not grow on its own. It traversed through pre-settled Persian scholars. Flourishing trade with the Iranians called for active participation and frequent visits of Iranian officials into the Mughal court. This became one of the reasons as to why Persian was declared the official language of the court. It would be spoken by everyone from the elites and officials to clerks at the lowest levels of administration. Spoken by kings and high officials, Persian held prestige. Mughal rulers maintained a tradition of recording their reign in diachronic and synchronic chronicles. The most important chronicles such as Akbar Nama and Badshah Nama were written in Persian. Persian language came into interaction with existing Indian languages like Hindavi, out of which grew Urdu – a language that would continue to hold significant influence throughout Northern India for years to come. Urdu is said to have emerged as an amalgamation of Hindi, Persian and Arabic. Although Urdu grew further apart from Hindi after Partition, due to religious conflicts, its prevalence in today’s spoken Hindi is significant. Common words and phrases such as asmaan, safar, shak, etc, are Urdu words born out of interaction between Persian and Hindavi. With Urdu, emerged a rich culture of a new style of poetry (nazms) that is cherished across the world even today. 

Indo Persian Dynamics in Art, Architecture and Literature

Over the years, India has stitched tapestries portraying her borrowed, malleable, and ever-changing traditions. These influences are manifested in architectural frameworks of Indian cities as well as in literary and art traditions. 

Persian architecture in India not only blended with pre-established Hindu architectural traditions but also brought along with it, inspirations from places as far as Syria. Since Mughals were not a monolith dynasty, different styles of Indo-Persian architecture prevailed during reigns of different Mughal rulers. At times, the Persian style of architecture would be overshadowed by that of other ethnicities, depending on the groups that held concentration of power at the time. The most important examples of Indo-Persian architecture were built during the reign of Akbar and Shah Jahan. Architectural feats like Humayan’s tomb, Taj Mahal, Chashma-i- Shahi, Pari Mahal, and so on can be attributed to Persian influences. These monumental wonders stand today as a testament to the patronage that Persian influences received in the Mughal era. 

Similarly, trained Iranian painters and calligraphers would be subjected to high importance in the Mughal court, contributing to the prevailing book-making tradition. Painters like Abu’l Hasan, Mir Sayyid Ali, and Abdu Samad would be invited by Mughal rulers to maintain a portfolio of paintings for the Emperor. Calligraphists would also hold a central position in the court as the art of handwriting was equally cherished by the Mughal rulers. Akbar was particularly delighted by Perso-Arabic style- Nastaliq, which would find its way to folios through calligraphers like Sultan Ali Masshadi and Muhummad Husayn of Kashmir. 

Besides art and architecture, poets and writers of the Mughal court also brought along Persian influences. They would compose long form poems or masnavis and diwans written in the praise of the King. Poets of Iranian descent like Faizi, Naziri, and Khwaja Hussain Sanai would acquire fame among readers with sold out markets for their books. This poetry tradition was not restricted to the imperial household. Masnavis were written to express devotion to God, using allegories of human love. 

Persian poetic traditions were also assimilated into religious life by the efforts of Amir Khusro who combined Turkish, Arabic, and Persian traditions to fuse into what we know as the tradition of qawwali – music that would involve Sufi poetry and musical chants to evoke divine ecstasy. Today, compositions like Chaap Tilak continue to inspire contemporary Indian musicians. 

Relevance of Persian Culture in Contemporary India

The decline of the Mughal dynasty and the consequent coming of the British marked a steady decline in usage of Persian. It meant also the loss of patronage to Persian scholars and artists, taking away livelihoods of those who depended on the Mughal court for sustenance. Early on into the colonisation project, British officials found it necessary to learn and write Persian text. However, soon the prevalence of the language was equated with Islamic dominance. The European need for civilising colonies meant propagating English culture and ideas. The British replaced Persian with English as the official high level language in 1832. This linguistic transition was witnessed among all social groups with the gradual acceptance of Hindustani. Persian culture, thus was consistently marginalised by the coloniser, through imposition of European customs that sidelined the traditional Persian rituals which brought life to the Mughal court. Indo-Persian architecture was overshadowed by Neo-Gothic and Indo-Saracenic styles. The white-washing mission taken on by the colonisers reflects the isolation of Persian language and culture in British India. Yet, it would be false to assume that the Persian culture which grew in Mughal India for over 300 years, received a complete erasure in the lieu of British rule. Universities like Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University made efforts to preserve the Persian language by upholding Persian studies, an educational department that remains active even today. Indian poets of British India like Mirza Ghalib and Muhummad Iqbal were heavily influenced by Persian literary traditions. 

The Mughal dynasty left with us, a massive legacy of Persian culture and art. Present day India may not be consciously aware of its influences, reflected in flavourful cuisine such as biryani and kebabs, Urdu poetry and use of the language in everyday conversations itself, calligraphy, art and architecture, as well as growth of Sufism. This very legacy becomes a pillar in championing India-Iran relations today. Dr. Mohd Ali Rabbani, cultural counsellor at Embassy of Iran, highlights the importance of cultural cooperation between the two countries, one that is based on academic cooperation, religious dialogue, cinematic cooperation, and written heritage. Recent attempts of the Embassy to preserve shared historical manuscripts and literary treasures further presents an optimistic realm for Indo-Persian culture moving forward.  

About the author

Poorvanshi Tyagi is a freshman at O.P. Jindal Global University, currently pursuing her bachelor’s in Global Affairs. She is a published poet and the founder of an online literary magazine, ‘The Book N Quill Journal’. Her interests lie in reading historical and philosophical literature. She wishes to explore academic writing and keeps herself open to research opportunities. 

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