Daag Dehlvi life and biography

Nawab Mirza Khan (1831-1905) , commonly known as Daagh Dehlvi was an outstanding Mughal poet famous for his Urdu ghazals and belonged to the Delhi school of Urdu poetry. He wrote poems and ghazals under the takhallus (Urdu word for nom de plume) 'Daagh Dehlvi' (the meanings of 'Daagh', an Urdu noun, include stain, grief and taint while 'Dehlvi' means belonging to or from Delhi).

His father died when he was all but 6 years of age and that is why his stepfather, Mirza Muhammed Fakhroo, brought him up. Mirza Muhammad was related to Mogul ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar. Following his death 1865, Daag left Delhi for Rampur where he went into government service and spent a comfortable life. But Daag was soon fed up of monotony and wanted to experiment. This period of Daag 's life was both creative as well as torturous. It was during these years that Daag composed most of his heart-wrenching poems. The period of desperation and discomfort ended in 1891 when Daag got an invitation from Nizam to come to Hyderabad. There he won honor and prestige and lived a life of luxury. Hyderabad was a cradle to many poets of that period following the decline of Moguls in Delhi.

Daagh Dehelvi is today remembered as an outstanding poet. Daag belonged to the Delhi school of Urdu poetry and had mastered the craft of Ghazal and Nazam both. Daag started reciting poetry at the age of ten. His poetry improved with his age but was distinct from other contemporary writers. His poetry does not wallow in despair. Rather, they were lashed of joy and exuberant. He was a self-acknowledged romantic but contrary to the impression one gets from his poetry, he eschewed wine. Usage of common words and phrases was distinctive of his style. Daag Dehlvi passed away in the year 1905

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