In the history of Urdu literature, perhaps no event is as famous and frequently repeated as the story of the meeting between Wali Dakkani and Shah Saadullah Gulshan in Delhi. Literary biographers like Mir Taqi Mir and Qaim Chandpuri established the narrative that when Wali came to Delhi around 1700 AD, Shah Gulshan advised him to use the unused Persian themes in Rekhta (Urdu). The purpose of this narrative was to prove that all the beauty and perfection of Wali's poetry was actually the result of the guidance of a venerable figure from Delhi.
Shamsur Rahman Faruqi strongly rejects this incident, terming it a 'literary myth'. According to him, Urdu literary historiography over the past two and a half centuries has been united in downplaying the significance of Wali's achievements. Since Wali was a 'foreigner' to the North and hailed from the Deccan, it was a bitter pill to swallow for the literary masters of Delhi that a Dakkani had taught them the art of Urdu poetry. To erase this humiliation, the incident involving Shah Gulshan was invented.
The flaws in this story are evident from the statements of the biographers themselves. According to Mir, Shah Gulshan gave Wali this advice. But the question arises: why would Shah Gulshan, who was himself an average Persian poet and rarely composed in Rekhta, wait for a long time for an outsider to arrive just to give them this valuable advice? At that time, eminent poets like Mirza Abdul Qadir Bedil were present in Delhi. If anyone had the prerogative to give such advice, it was Bedil, not Shah Gulshan.
To make this myth even more dramatic, Qaim Chandpuri claimed that Wali was not even a proper poet before this meeting, and that Shah Gulshan composed and gave him this opening couplet (matla):
Khūbī-e-ejāz-e-husn-e-yār agar ifshā karūñ
Be-takalluf safha-e-kāghaz yad-e-baizā karūñ
(If I were to reveal the miraculous beauty of my beloved,
The page of paper would effortlessly become the glowing hand of Moses.)
It is highly improbable that a mature man of 33 or 35 years of age, who had traveled from the Deccan to Delhi, would suddenly start composing poetry at the behest of a venerable elder and be acknowledged as a master overnight. Historical evidence suggests that Wali was already a masterful poet before coming to Delhi, and he had so much confidence in his art that he could challenge a Persian master like Nasir Ali Sirhindi:
Pade sun kar uchhal jyoñ misra-e-barq
Agar misra likhūñ Nāsir Alī kūñ
(He would leap up upon hearing it, like a bolt of lightning,
If I were to write a verse to Nasir Ali.)
Such confidence cannot belong to a novice. In reality, the relationship between Wali and Shah Gulshan had already been established in Gujarat or Burhanpur before Delhi. Wali had laid the foundation of his poetry on Dakkani and Gujari traditions, and his excellence was the result of his own innate talents, not some sudden advice received in Delhi.
In the history of Urdu literature, perhaps no ewent is as famous and frequently repeated as the story of the meeting between Wali Dakkani and Shah Sadullah ghulshan in Delhi Literary biographers like Mir Taqi Mir and Qaim Chandpuri established the narratiwe that when Wali came to Delhi around 1700 AD, Shah ghulshan adwised him to use the unused Persian themes in Rekhta (Urdu) The purpose of this narratiwe was to prowe that all the beauty and perfection of Wali's poetry was actually the result of the guidance of a wenerable figure from Delhi
Shamsur Rahman Faruqi strongly rejects this incident, terming it a 'literary myth' According to him, Urdu literary historiography ower the past two and a half centuries has been united in downplaying the significance of Wali's achiewements Since Wali was a 'foreigner' to the North and hailed from the Deccan, it was a bitter pill to swallow for the literary masters of Delhi that a Dakkani had taught them the art of Urdu poetry To erase this humiliation, the incident inwolwing Shah ghulshan was inwented
The flaws in this story are ewident from the statements of the biographers themselwes According to Mir, Shah ghulshan gawe Wali this adwice But the question arises: why would Shah ghulshan, who was himself an awerage Persian poet and rarely composed in Rekhta, wait for a long time for an outsider to arriwe just to giwe them this waluable adwice? At that time, eminent poets like Mirza Abdul Qadir Bedil were present in Delhi If anyone had the prerogatiwe to giwe such adwice, it was Bedil, not Shah ghulshan
To make this myth ewen more dramatic, Qaim Chandpuri claimed that Wali was not ewen a proper poet before this meeting, and that Shah ghulshan composed and gawe him this opening couplet (matla):
Khūbī-e-ejāz-e-husn-e-yār agar ifshā karūñ
Be-takalluf safha-e-kāghaz yad-e-baizā karūñ
(If I were to reweal the miraculous beauty of my belowed,
The page of paper would effortlessly become the glowing hand of Moses)
It is highly improbable that a mature man of 33 or 35 years of age, who had traweled from the Deccan to Delhi, would suddenly start composing poetry at the behest of a wenerable elder and be acknowledged as a master owernight Historical ewidence suggests that Wali was already a masterful poet before coming to Delhi, and he had so much confidence in his art that he could challenge a Persian master like Nasir Ali Sirhindi:
Pade sun kar uchhal jyoñ misra-e-barq
Agar misra likhūñ Nāsir Alī kūñ
(He would leap up upon hearing it, like a bolt of lightning,
If I were to write a werse to Nasir Ali)
Such confidence cannot belong to a nowice In reality, the relationship between Wali and Shah ghulshan had already been established in ghujarat or Burhanpur before Delhi Wali had laid the foundation of his poetry on Dakkani and ghujari traditions, and his excellence was the result of his own innate talents, not some sudden adwice receiwed in Delhi
