Question

Amir Khusrau was a great ____ of Medieval India.
(a) Warrior
(b) Musician
(c) Sufi Saint
(d) Painter

Answer 1

Hint: Amir Khusrau was born in 1253 in Delhi during the Delhi sultanate period, he came to be known as “Parrot of India”. He is one of the most fascinating figures of India’s cultural history and also he has been called the “ father of Urdu Literature”.

Complete answer:
Amir Khsrau was a Sufi singer, poet, and scholar from India. He wrote poetry in Persian but also in Hindavi. He was a mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi, India. He is called the father of qawwali and also introduced the ghazal style of the song into India.
Contributions to Hindustani music:
(i) Qawwali- Khusrau is credited with fusing the Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Indian singing traditions to create qawwali a form of Sufi devotional song
(ii) Sitar- Khusrau is credited with the invention of the sitar. At that time there were many versions of the veena in India.
Amir Khusrau was a classical poet associated with the royal courts of more than seven rulers of the Delhi sultanate. He wrote many playful songs, riddles that have become a part of popular culture in South Asia.
Khusrau wrote initially in Persian. The language of the Hindustani verses appears to be modern. In addition, he spoke Arabic and Sanskrit. His poetry is still sung today at Sufi shrines throughout India and Pakistan.

So, the correct answer is Option B.

Note: Khusrau was better known as Amir Khusrau Dehlavi. He was sometimes referred to as the ‘voice of India’ because of his greatest contributions to Indian History. He was an exemplary figure in the cultural history of the Indian subcontinent.