Humam-i Tabrizi ( fa, همام الدین تبریزی; 1238/39 – 1314/15), was a
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
Sufi
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
poet of the
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate ( fa, ایل خانان, ''Ilxānān''), known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (, ''Qulug-un Ulus''), was a khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm, ...
era. He was one of the most distinguished figures of his time due to his poetry, teachings, piety, and Sufi spirituality.
Humam spent most of his life in the city of
Tabriz
Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...
, where he became an influential figure. He became close to the
Juvayni family
The Juvayni family was a Persian family native to the Juvayn area in Khorasan. The most famous members were Shams al-Din Juvayni (d. 1284) and his elder brother Ata-Malik Juvayni (d. 1283). The family was known for patronizing many scholars and ...
, who lent him political and cultural protection, and helped him establish a ''
khanqah
A khanqah ( fa, خانقاه) or khangah ( fa, خانگاه; also transliterated as ''khankah'', ''khaneqa'', ''khanegah'' or ''khaneqah''; also Arabized ''hanegah'', ''hanikah'', ''hanekah'', ''khankan''), also known as a ribat (), is a buildin ...
'' (Sufi lodge) in Tabriz. Following the execution of his Juvayni patron
Shams al-Din Juvayni
Shams al-Din Juvayni ( fa, شمسالدین جوینی; also spelled Joveyni) was a Persian statesman and member of the Juvayni family. He was an influential figure in early Ilkhanate politics, serving as ''sahib-i divan'' (vizier and minister ...
in 1284, Humam managed to find support amongst other political figures, such as
Rashid al-Din Hamadani
Rashīd al-Dīn Ṭabīb ( fa, رشیدالدین طبیب; 1247–1318; also known as Rashīd al-Dīn Faḍlullāh Hamadānī, fa, links=no, رشیدالدین فضلالله همدانی) was a statesman, historian and physician in Ilk ...
. Humam died at the age of 78, and was buried in the Sorkhab district of Tabriz.
Most of his poetry was in the form of a ''
ghazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
'', and followed the same style and tone of that of his contemporary
Saadi Shirazi
Saadi Shīrāzī ( fa, ابومحمّد مصلحالدین بن عبدالله شیرازی), better known by his pen name Saadi (; fa, سعدی, , ), also known as Sadi of Shiraz (, ''Saʿdī Shīrāzī''; born 1210; died 1291 or 1292), was ...
. He also wrote two ''
masnavi
The ''Masnavi'', or ''Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi'' ( fa, مثنوی معنوی), also written ''Mathnawi'', or ''Mathnavi'', is an extensive poem written in Persian by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi, also known as Rumi. The ''Masnavi'' is one of the most ...
s'' (poem in rhyming
couplet
A couplet is a pair of successive lines of metre in poetry. A couplet usually consists of two successive lines that rhyme and have the same metre. A couplet may be formal (closed) or run-on (open). In a formal (or closed) couplet, each of the ...
s), the ''Suhbat-nama'' and ''Kitab-i mathnaviyyat''.
Biography
Details regarding Humam's early life and education are obscure, including his place of birth. According to Humam's ''
divan
A divan or diwan ( fa, دیوان, ''dīvān''; from Sumerian ''dub'', clay tablet) was a high government ministry in various Islamic states, or its chief official (see ''dewan'').
Etymology
The word, recorded in English since 1586, meanin ...
'' (collection of short poems)—which was assembled soon after his death—he died at the age of 78. This demonstrates that Humam was born in 1238/39, as he died in 1314/15. Most of his life, Humam lived in
Tabriz
Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...
, a city in the
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
region that served the capital of the
Mongol
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate ( fa, ایل خانان, ''Ilxānān''), known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (, ''Qulug-un Ulus''), was a khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm, ...
between 1265 and 1307. He occasionally took trips to other places, including a visit to
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
and a pilgrimage to
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
.
Most sources accept the account of the biographer
Dawlatshah Samarqandi
Dawlatshah Samarqandi ( fa, دولتشاه سمرقندی; – 1495/1507) was a poet and biographer active under the Timurid Empire. He is principally known for composing the ''Tadhkirat al-shu'ara'' ("Memorial of poets"), a Persian biographical ...
, which claims that Humam was a student of
Nasir al-Din al-Tusi
Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Tūsī ( fa, محمد ابن محمد ابن حسن طوسی 18 February 1201 – 26 June 1274), better known as Nasir al-Din al-Tusi ( fa, نصیر الدین طوسی, links=no; or simply Tusi in the West ...
. Humam was also a student of
Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi
Qotb al-Din Mahmoud b. Zia al-Din Mas'ud b. Mosleh Shirazi (1236–1311) ( fa, قطبالدین محمود بن ضیاالدین مسعود بن مصلح شیرازی) was a 13th-century Persian polymath and poet who made contributions to as ...
, who dedicated his work ''Miftah al-Miftah'' ("Key to the Key") to him. The work was a commentary on the ''Miftah al-'Ulum'' ("Key to the Sciences"), a textbook composed by
Siraj al-Din al-Sakaki and which focused on
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
rhetoric, grammar, and style. Humam responded by assembling a book of
panegyric
A panegyric ( or ) is a formal public speech or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing. The original panegyrics were speeches delivered at public events in ancient Athens.
Etymology
The word originated as a compound of grc, ...
s as a homage to Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi.
Humam was a
Sunni Muslim
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word ''Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagree ...
, as demonstrated by a poem that praises the four
caliphs
A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
of the
Rashidun Caliphate
The Rashidun Caliphate ( ar, اَلْخِلَافَةُ ٱلرَّاشِدَةُ, al-Khilāfah ar-Rāšidah) was the first caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was ruled by the first four successive caliphs of Muhammad after his ...
. His Arabic
eulogy
A eulogy (from , ''eulogia'', Classical Greek, ''eu'' for "well" or "true", ''logia'' for "words" or "text", together for "praise") is a speech or writing in praise of a person or persons, especially one who recently died or retired, or as a ...
of two masters of the Sufi
Kubrawiya
The Kubrawiya order ( ar, سلسلة کبرویة) or Kubrawi order, also known as ''Firdausia Silsila'', is a Sufi order that traces its spiritual lineage (''Silsilah'') to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, through Ali, Muhammad's cousin, son-in-la ...
order,
Sa'id al-Hamuya and the latter's son Sadr al-Din Ibrahim Hamuya, suggests that Humam was possibly associated with the order. According to Hafiz Husayn ibn Karbala'i, Humam's Sufi master was Hasan Bulghari, whilst the 18th-century text ''Tadhkira-yi suhuf-i Ibrahim'' ("Memorial of Abraham's scripture") claims that Humam's master was
Sa'id al-Din Farghani
Sa'id al-Din Farghani ( fa, سعیدالدین فرقانی; 1231 – 1300) was a Persian Sufi mystic and scholar, who is known to have composed three works.
Farghani was born in 1231 in Kashan, a town located in the Farghana Valley. Although the ...
. However, neither of those figures are mentioned in Humam's writings.
It was in Tabriz that Humam distinguished himself amongst the political and intellectual figures. He was close to the
Juvayni family
The Juvayni family was a Persian family native to the Juvayn area in Khorasan. The most famous members were Shams al-Din Juvayni (d. 1284) and his elder brother Ata-Malik Juvayni (d. 1283). The family was known for patronizing many scholars and ...
, from whom he enjoyed political and cultural protection. Humam was provided with the funds to establish a ''
khanqah
A khanqah ( fa, خانقاه) or khangah ( fa, خانگاه; also transliterated as ''khankah'', ''khaneqa'', ''khanegah'' or ''khaneqah''; also Arabized ''hanegah'', ''hanikah'', ''hanekah'', ''khankan''), also known as a ribat (), is a buildin ...
'' (Sufi lodge) in Tabriz by
Sharaf al-Din Harun Juvayni
Sharaf al-Din Harun Juvayni ( fa, شرف الدین هارون جوینی; also spelled Joveyni) was a Persian statesman and poet from the Juvayni family. He was the son of Shams al-Din Juvayni.
He was executed in July–August 1286 due to a defam ...
, whom he dedicated his ''Suhbat-nama'' ("Book of companionship") to. Sharaf al-Din Harun Juvayni's father
Shams al-Din Juvayni
Shams al-Din Juvayni ( fa, شمسالدین جوینی; also spelled Joveyni) was a Persian statesman and member of the Juvayni family. He was an influential figure in early Ilkhanate politics, serving as ''sahib-i divan'' (vizier and minister ...
—who was the
grand vizier
Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...
of Ilkhanate—supplied the ''khanqah'' with an annual income of 1,000
dinar
The dinar () is the principal currency unit in several countries near the Mediterranean Sea, and its historical use is even more widespread.
The modern dinar's historical antecedents are the gold dinar and the silver dirham, the main coin of ...
s taken from the court treasury. He referred Humam as an "exemplar for all mortals, the crème de la crème of his epoch… a man unique in his age, the most perfect man in the entire human species."
It was through this ''khanqah'' that Humam could enter the spiritual and literary circle of the Persian-speaking political elite. Humam played an important role in the cultural and political environment of Tabriz, during a period which the Ilkhanate rulers were being
Islamicized. He regularly wrote ''
ghazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
s'' about the religious syncretism of this period, especially under the Ilkhanid ruler
Abaqa
Abaqa Khan (27 February 1234 – 4 April 1282, mn, Абаха/Абага хан (Khalkha Cyrillic), ( Traditional script), "paternal uncle", also transliterated Abaġa), was the second Mongol ruler (''Ilkhan'') of the Ilkhanate. The son of Hulag ...
(). Humam was later given the honour of accompanying Shams al-Din Juvayni on his assignment to
Anatolia
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
as advisor to the
vizier
A vizier (; ar, وزير, wazīr; fa, وزیر, vazīr), or wazir, is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in the near east. The Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was a ...
of the
Sultanate of Rum
fa, سلجوقیان روم ()
, status =
, government_type = Hereditary monarchyTriarchy (1249–1254)Diarchy (1257–1262)
, year_start = 1077
, year_end = 1308
, p1 = By ...
,
Mu'in al-Din Parwana
Mu'in al-Din Suleiman Parwana ( fa, معین الدین سلیمان پروانه), better known as Parwana ( fa, پروانه) was a Persian statesman, who was for a time (especially between 1261–1277) a key player in Anatolian politics involvi ...
. Humam returned the favour by inviting Shams al-Din Juvayni to a grand meal served on four hundred Chinese plates.
On the accusation of financial misappropriation, Shams al-Din Juvayni was executed on 17 October 1284. He left a goodbye letter, which specifically mentions Humam when addressing the clerics of Tabriz. Although Humam was close to the Juvayni family, the execution of Shams al-Din Juvayni did not hurt his career. He managed to affiliate himself with the grand vizier Sa'd al-Din Savaji, and then the latter's successor,
Rashid al-Din Hamadani
Rashīd al-Dīn Ṭabīb ( fa, رشیدالدین طبیب; 1247–1318; also known as Rashīd al-Dīn Faḍlullāh Hamadānī, fa, links=no, رشیدالدین فضلالله همدانی) was a statesman, historian and physician in Ilk ...
, whom Humam dedicated much of his work to. Humam also found support amongst the Ilkhanid Sultans
Tekuder
Ahmed Tekuder ( Mongolian: ''Tegülder'', meaning “perfect”; fa, تکودر) (c.1246 10 August 1284), also known as Sultan Ahmad (reigned 1282–1284), was the sultan of the Persian-based Ilkhanate, son of Hulegu and brother of Abaqa. He was ...
(),
Ghazan
Mahmud Ghazan (5 November 1271 – 11 May 1304) (, Ghazan Khan, sometimes archaically spelled as Casanus by the Westerners) was the seventh ruler of the Mongol Empire's Ilkhanate division in modern-day Iran from 1295 to 1304. He was the son of A ...
() and
Öljaitü
Öljaitü ( mn, , Öljaitü Qaghan, fa, اولجایتو), also known as Mohammad-e Khodabande ( fa, محمد خدابنده, ''khodābande'' from Persian meaning the "slave of God" or "servant of God"; 1280 – December 16, 1316), was the eigh ...
().
Humam died in 1314/15 at the age of 78, and was buried in the Sorkhab district of Tabriz. Soon after his death, Rashid al-Din Hamadani assembled his ''divan'', which included both poetry in Arabic and Persian. Humam's ''khanqah'' was still active in 1487, as reported by Dawlatshah.
Works
Humam's poetry was influenced by poets such as
Sanai
Hakim Abul-Majd Majdūd ibn Ādam Sanā'ī Ghaznavi ( fa, ), more commonly known as Sanai, was a Persian poet from Ghazni who lived his life in the Ghaznavid Empire which is now located in Afghanistan. He was born in 1080 and died between 1131 ...
,
Anvari
Anvari (1126–1189), full name Awhad ad-Din 'Ali ibn Mohammad Khavarani or Awhad ad-Din 'Ali ibn Mahmud ( fa, اوحدالدین علی ابن محمد انوری) was a Persian poet.
Anvarī was born in Abivard (now in Turkmenistan) and died in ...
, and
Saadi Shirazi
Saadi Shīrāzī ( fa, ابومحمّد مصلحالدین بن عبدالله شیرازی), better known by his pen name Saadi (; fa, سعدی, , ), also known as Sadi of Shiraz (, ''Saʿdī Shīrāzī''; born 1210; died 1291 or 1292), was ...
.
In 1972, the historian Rashid Ayvadi composed a critical edition of Humam's ''divan'', which encompasses 220 ''ghazals'', and thus around 3944 couplets, 165 of which are in Arabic. The ''divan'' starts with five ''ghazals'', then a ''
qasida
The qaṣīda (also spelled ''qaṣīdah''; is originally an Arabic word , plural ''qaṣā’id'', ; that was passed to some other languages such as fa, قصیده or , ''chakameh'', and tr, kaside) is an ancient Arabic word and form of writin ...
'' (eulogy or
ode
An ode (from grc, ᾠδή, ōdḗ) is a type of lyric poetry. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three majo ...
), followed by a poem praising the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
, and then various panegyrics about distinguished politicians and rulers of the Ilkhanate realm, such as Shams al-Din Juvayni, Rashid al-Din Hamadani, Sultan Tekuder, and Sultan Öljaitü. Humam also wrote many ''qasidas'' in honour of several Sufi masters.
Humam is known to have written two ''
masnavi
The ''Masnavi'', or ''Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi'' ( fa, مثنوی معنوی), also written ''Mathnawi'', or ''Mathnavi'', is an extensive poem written in Persian by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi, also known as Rumi. The ''Masnavi'' is one of the most ...
s'' (poem in rhyming
couplet
A couplet is a pair of successive lines of metre in poetry. A couplet usually consists of two successive lines that rhyme and have the same metre. A couplet may be formal (closed) or run-on (open). In a formal (or closed) couplet, each of the ...
s); the first was ''Suhbat-nama'', a treatise on love, which he completed in his mid-40s. The second was the bigger ''Kitab-i mathnaviyyat'' ("Book of epic verses"), which he completed in his final years. The latter was written in the same
metre
The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its pref ...
as the influential poem ''
Hadiqat al-haqiqat'' ("The enclosed garden of truth") by Sanai.
Humam considered Saadi to be the greatest writer of the romantic ''ghazal'' genre, and imitated his style and tone. Like Saadi, Humam focuses mostly on the topic of love; ''majaz'' (figurative, human romantic love) and especially ''haqiqi'' (divine love). Humam wrote also verse replies to the majority of Saadi's ''ghazals'' and ''qasidas''. Because of this, Humam was later referred to as "the Saadi of Azerbaijan."
One of Humam's ''ghazals'' was written in two languages mixed together, which according to the
Iranologist
Iranian studies ( fa, ايرانشناسی '), also referred to as Iranology and Iranistics, is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the research and study of the civilization, history, literature, art and culture of Iranian peoples. It ...
Ehsan Yarshater
Ehsan Yarshater ( fa, احسان يارشاطر, April 3, 1920 – September 1, 2018) was an Iranian historian and linguist who specialized in Iranology. He was the founder and director of The Center for Iranian Studies, and Hagop Kevorkian Profe ...
, was a mix of Persian and
Old Azeri
Old Azeri (also spelled Adhari, Azeri or Azari) is the extinct Iranian language that was once spoken in the northwestern Iranian historic region of Azerbaijan (Iranian Azerbaijan) before the Turkification of the region. Some linguists believe th ...
, the latter which was an
Iranian language
The Iranian languages or Iranic languages are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family that are spoken natively by the Iranian peoples, predominantly in the Iranian Plateau.
The Iranian languages are grouped ...
native to Azerbaijan.
Legacy and assessment
The Iranologist
Richard N. Frye
Richard Nelson Frye (January 10, 1920 – March 27, 2014) was an American scholar of Iranian and Central Asian studies, and Aga Khan Professor Emeritus of Iranian Studies at Harvard University. His professional areas of interest were Irania ...
included Humam amongst the "finest Persian writers and poets of classical Persian" that Azerbaijan had produced. Leonard Lewisohn calls him one of the most distinguished figures of his time due to his poetry, teachings, piety, and Sufi spirituality. According to the modern historian Dhabihallah Safa; "despite the fact that he was influenced heavily by Saadi's ''ghazals'', Humam has his own original and sweet style; his thematic inventiveness is charming and fresh, and in poetic art he holds a high degree."
In the ''mathnavi'' ''Ushshaq-nama'' ("Book of lovers") by
Ubayd Zakani
Khwajeh Nizam al-Din Ubayd Allah al-Zakani ( fa, خواجه نظام الدین عبید الله الزاکانی, Ḵwājeh Niẓām al-Dīn ʿUbayd Allāh al-Zākānī; d. 1370), better known as Ubayd Zakani () was a Persian poet of the Mongol ...
, Humam is called one of the greatest masters. Other poets such as
Hafez
Khwāje Shams-od-Dīn Moḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī ( fa, خواجه شمسالدین محمّد حافظ شیرازی), known by his pen name Hafez (, ''Ḥāfeẓ'', 'the memorizer; the (safe) keeper'; 1325–1390) and as "Hafiz", ...
and
Kamal Khujandi
Kamal Khujandi (1320-1400 AD, fa, کمال خجندی), also Kamal Khojandi, Kamaleddin Khojandi, or Kamal-E Khojandi, was a Persian Sufi and Persian ghazal poet of the 14th century (8th century hijri).
He was born in Khujand, today the capi ...
also commended Humam by citing his lines, while
Muhammad Shirin Maghribi Tabrizi imitated his style in seven of his ''ghazals''.
Amir Khusrau
Abu'l Hasan Yamīn ud-Dīn Khusrau (1253–1325 AD), better known as Amīr Khusrau was an Indo-Persian culture, Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar who lived under the Delhi Sultanate. He is an iconic figure in the cultural his ...
considered Humam along with Saadi "the only two perfect masters of the genre of the Persian ''ghazal''."
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tabrizi, Humam-i
13th-century Persian-language poets
13th-century Iranian people
Ilkhanate-period poets
14th-century Persian-language poets
14th-century Iranian people
Burials in Maqbaratoshoara
1230s births
1310s deaths