Adib Pishavari
Adib Pishavari (Persian: ادیب پیشاوری), also known as Sayyed Ahmad B. Sehab al-Din Razawi (1844 – 30 June 1930),[1] was a Sufi scholar who, according to his family tree, traced his ancestry back to Omar Sohravardi and was born near[2] or in[1] Peshawar, Pakistan. He was a master of Persian literature.[3] The border wars between the British and the Afghan tribes resulted in the deaths of his father and many other relatives when he was a young man. Therefore, Adib relocated to Kabul and later Ghazni to complete his early education. He moved to Iran in 1877 and enrolled at the madrasa of Molla Hadi Sabzevari in Sabzavr.[4] There he was exposed to advanced philosophical lectures.[1] Having lost his father and relatives as a result of British wars, Adib Pishavari was a critic of British colonial policies in Iran and the region, which he deemed "evil." For this purpose, he likened UK to terms such as "old fox," "ominous raven," and "venomous viper".[5]
Adib Pishavari | |
|---|---|
ادیب پیشاوری | |
 Adib Pishavari, c. 1910s–1920s | |
| Personal | |
| Born | 1844 |
| Died | 30 June 1930 (aged 85–86) |
| Resting place | Imamzadeh Abdollah |
| Religion | Islam |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Parent | Seyyed Shah Baba (father) |
| Jurisprudence | Twelver Shia Islam |
| Notable idea(s) | Criticizing British colonial policies in Iran and the region |
| Notable work(s) | Qaysaria |
| Education | etiquette and wisdom |
| Profession | Scholar, Poet |
| Muslim leader | |
| Teacher | Molla Hadi Sabzevari |
| Profession | Scholar, Poet |
Early life and education
According to some he was born in a mountain village between Afghanistan and Peshawar, while others claim he was born in Peshawar. His father, Seyyed Shah Baba, and his predecessors were all Sufiya nobility. After his father was killed by the British, he moved to Kabul and then Ghaznin, where he learnt etiquette and wisdom.[2]
Move to Iran
Adib then went to Mashhad to complete his education, and then to Sabzevar, where he attended Haj Molla Hadi Sabzevari in his final two years.[2] In 1921 Adib moved to Tehran at the suggestion of Mirza Saeed Khan Garmroudi, the Iranian foreign minister in charge of Astan Quds at the time. Adib never married. He remained in Tehran until his death in 1930, and was interred in Ray city.[2]
Works and ideologies
Adib was one of the most important writers of his time due to his extensive knowledge of the sciences of his era, his competence in the Persian and Tazi languages, and his exceptional recall.[2] There are roughly 20,000 couplets in Adib's body of poetry. The collection, which was released three years after his death, consists mainly of Ghazals and Qasidas and has 370 Arabic and 4,200 Persian verses. In addition, he wrote the Qaysarnama, a protracted mathnavi honoring Kaiser Wilhelm II and praising Germany's participation in World War I. Despite being a member of the older generation of poets, Adib supported fresh social and political perspectives, just like many of his younger contemporaries. He thus contributed to the development of nationalistic impulses in Persian poetry.[1]
Adib's father was killed along with his numerous relatives during the British and the Afghan tribes.[1] In his works, he likened the United Kingdom to animals, such as "old fox," "ominous raven," and "venomous viper," in order to criticize British colonial policies in Iran and the region, which he deemed "evil." However, the phrase "old fox" continues to be popular to the present day.[5] One of Adib's poems reads:[5]
Many an ancient house
Was razed after you crept in
You seized lands through your fox games
You have escaped hundred of traps, like an old fox
— Adib Peshawari
See also
References
- Rahman, Munibur. "ADĪB PĪŠĀVARĪ". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- Mir Ansari, Ali. "Adib Pishavari". The Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia (in Persian). Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- Ayduz, Salim; Dagli, Caner (2014). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Science, and Technology in Islam. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-981257-8.
- Pourjavady, Reza (1 November 2018). Philosophy in Qajar Iran. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-38784-3.
- Pourparsa, Parham (25 August 2015). "Why is Britain an 'old fox' in Iranian media rhetoric?". BBC News. Retrieved 11 December 2022.