Qiran-us-Sadain a poetical work of Amir Khusrau, which describes the meeting of Sultan Muizzuddin Kaiqobad of Delhi with his father Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud bughra khan of Bengal, occupies a unique position in Indian Persian literature. Amir Khusrau was a great-poet, probably the greatest of all Persian poets born in India. Born in Patiali, he was a contemporary of seven kings of Delhi from Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud (1246-1266 AD) to Sultan ghiasuddin tughluq (1320-1325 AD) and a courtier of some of them. He accompanied Sultan ghiasuddin balban during his invasion of Bengal. All his books were in Persian verse, except the Khazain-ul-Futuh, which is a history of Alauddin Khalji's conquest of the Deccan. His works may be divided into two categories, historical and romantic. The Qiran-us-Sadain is a historical masnavi, ie a long versified narrative on a historical theme.

Balban nominated his grandson Kaikhusrau (son of Prince Muhammad), when his only surviving son Bugra Khan, governor of Lakhnauti, had declined to ascend the throne of Delhi. But the nobles, setting aside his nomination, placed Muizzuddin Kaiqobad (son of Bugra Khan) on the throne. Kaiqobad, then 18 years of age, was until then under the strict supervision of his grandfather. On the assumption of the sovereignty of the whole empire he began to lead an unrestricted life and gave himself upto pleasure. The boy, who was not allowed by his grandfather to sip wine or to mix with any gay girls, now became surrounded by women and addicted to heavy drinking and was indifferent towards administration which was left to the wazir Nizamuddin. The wazir, himself an ambitious fellow, saw to it that the sultan remained within the harem surrounded by women.

Bugra Khan, informed as he was of all the happenings in Delhi, found that the situation was rapidly going out of Kaiqobad's control. So he left Lakhnauti and started for Delhi with the sole intention of giving his son proper advice. Wazir Nizamuddin told Kaiqobad that his father was coming to occupy the throne of Delhi and induced the sultan to come out to oppose his father. So both the sultans, Kaiqobad of Delhi and Bugra Khan of Lakhnauti, started from opposite directions and they met on the way at a point on the bank of the river Saraju (in modern UP, India). Nizamuddin tried to induce the sultan to fight his father. Everybody thought a clash was imminent, but the sagacity and wisdom of Bugra Khan changed the situation. He went to the camp of his son with only a few companions and when Kaiqobad saw his father he jumped into his lap. Everybody was filled with joy. The father then returned to Lakhnauti after giving some advice to his son about the art of governance.

Amir Khusran was present on this occasion. Sultan Kaiqobad asked him to write an account of this happy incident and the result was the Qiran-us-Sadain. It is a historical masnavi; though the poet gave vent to his poetic imagination, he did not distort facts to suit his poetic needs. He himself says, shairi nist hamah rast (it is not poetry, everything is true). The title Qiran-us-Sadain is suggestive, it means meeting of two stars, ie two kings. Apart from giving an account of the meeting of the father and son on the bank of the river Saraju, this book also gives an idea about the king's court and the socio-cultural atmosphere of the period.

The Qiran-us-Sadain was edited by Maulvi Muhammad Ismail and published from Aligarh in 1918. [Abdul Karim]

Bibliography  Maulvi Muhammad Ismail (ed), Qiran-us-Sadain, Aligarh, 1918.