Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan (1556 – 1627)
Context
The tomb of the famed poet, Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan has been restored as part of the Union Tourism Ministry’s ‘Adopt a Heritage’ scheme.
About
- Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan (1556 - 1627), also known as Rahim, was a poet and composer who lived during the rule of Mughal emperor Akbar.
- He was one of the navratnas (nine jewels) of Akbar’s court.
- He was the son of Bairam Khan Akbar's trusted guardian and mentor, who was of Turkic extraction.
- Rahim is known for his Hindi dohe (couplets) and his books on astrology.
- He was heavily influenced by the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. His poetry has references to the Hindu deities Krishna, Rama, Vishnu, and Shiva, demonstrating his love to and respect for Hinduism.
- Apart from writing various dohas, Rahim translated Babar's memoirs, Baburnama from Chagatai language to Persian language.
- He had an excellent command over the Sanskrit language. In Sanskrit, he wrote two books on astrology, Khetakautukam and Dwatrimshadyogavali.
- His tomb was built by him for his wife Mah Banu and is thefirst Mughal tomb ever constructed for a woman, even before the famous Taj Mahal in Agra.