Quolam Reza Khan Arkawazi (born c. 1765 in Ilam – died c. 1834) was a

Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish languages *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern Kurdistan **Eastern Kurdistan **Northern Kurdistan **Western Kurdistan See also * Kurd (dis ...

poet and

ascetic Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

and a prominent literary figure from Pish-e Kuh region near

Khorramabad Khorramabad ( fa, خرم‌آباد, Khorramâbâd ), alternatively romanized as Khorramābād, Khoramabad, Khurramabad, Khorram Abad, or Khur Ramābād, is a city and the capital of Lorestan Province, Iran. At the time of the 2016 census, its po ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. He wrote in both Feyli and Gorani.

Biography

Little is known about the life of Arkawazi and the chronology of his literary works. He was born in the village of Serçete near Ilam to a

Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...

Kurdish family who belonged to the Arkavazi tribe. His family were wealthy and he grew up in the village. His father Hasan Bag was a well-known figure and held the title of

Khan Khan may refer to: *Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan *Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name *Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...

. Arkawazi grew up speaking Feyli but also knew Gorani since it was the literary and administrative language of the Pish-e Kuh region. He moved to

Najaf Najaf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف) or An-Najaf al-Ashraf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف ٱلْأَشْرَف), also known as Baniqia ( ar, بَانِيقِيَا), is a city in central Iraq about 160 km (100 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated popula ...

for his studies and documents indicate that he was well-versed in contemporary theological and mystical disciplines. He was respected in his home region of Pish-e Kuh and the ruler of the region Hasan Khan described him as " 'Tat lord of poets''". However, at the height of his career, Arkawazi was considered an enemy of Hasan Khan. Reasons for this could have been the oppression of Hasan Khan but also due to the fact that Arkawazi did not accept prizes given by the ruler. Nonetheless, the rivalry worsened and Arkawazi was imprisoned. After years in prison, Arkawazi left for

Kerend-e Gharb Kerend-e Gharb ( ku, نكرن ,کرن, Kirin, fa, كرندغرب; also known as Kerend, Karand, and Karīnd) is a city and capital of Dalahu County, Kermanshah Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 7,894, in 2,041 families. ...

where he lived in

seclusion Seclusion is the act of secluding (i.e. isolating from society), the state of being secluded, or a place that facilitates it (a secluded place). A person, couple, or larger group may go to a secluded place for privacy or peace and quiet. The se ...

. When he died around 1834, few people came to his funeral. Arkawazi had a son named Ahmad Khan and known as Kelwelay who died young from a snake bite.

Poetry

Arkawazi wrote in a simple and direct matter. Despite being from an aristocratic background, the poetry of Arkawazi concerned itself more with the lower classes of Kurdish society. For example, he wrote about the well-being but also the misery of the Kurds. Another theme in his writing was

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...

stemming from his ascetic life and

nostalgia Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a learned formation of a Greek language, Greek compound, consisting of (''nóstos''), meaning "homecoming", ...

Literature

Works of Arkawazi include: * ''Munacatname'' – a mystical

mathnawi Mathnawi ( ar, مثنوي ''mathnawī'') or masnavi ( fa, مثنوی) is a kind of poem written in rhyming couplets, or more specifically "a poem based on independent, internally rhyming lines". Most mathnawī poems follow a meter of eleven, or oc ...

in 24 ''bands'' and 666 verses * ''Baweyal –'' an

elegy An elegy is a poem of serious reflection, and in English literature usually a lament for the dead. However, according to ''The Oxford Handbook of the Elegy'', "for all of its pervasiveness ... the 'elegy' remains remarkably ill defined: sometime ...

written about the death of his son Kelwelay. ''Baweyal'' is still popular in Ilam and different versions exist of it. * ''Xurbet –'' a poem he wrote after he settled in Kerend-Gharb * ''Zilixam Şûran –'' lyric verse * ''Zilixam Jeçîn –'' lyric verse

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Arkawazi, Quolam Reza Khan 1765 births 1834 deaths 18th-century Kurdish people 19th-century Kurdish people Kurdish poets