Mir Ali Heravi, also known as Mir Ali Hossein Heravi and Mir Jan, titled as ''Kateb-e Soltani'', was a prominent Persian calligrapher and

calligraphy Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

teacher of

Nastaʿlīq ''Nastaliq'' (; fa, , ), also romanized as ''Nastaʿlīq'', is one of the main calligraphic hands used to write the Perso-Arabic script in the Persian and Urdu languages, often used also for Ottoman Turkish poetry, rarely for Arabic. ''Nasta ...

script in the 16th century. He was the second significant Persian calligrapher after

Mir Emad Mir Emad (born Emad al-Molk Qazvini Hasani ( fa, ),‎ 1554 – August 15, 1615) is perhaps the most celebrated Persian calligrapher. He was born in Qazvin, Iran. It is believed that the Nastaʿlīq style reached its highest elegance in ...

. He had artistic influence on the later calligraphers.

Biography

Mir Ali Heravi was from Herat. In 1506, he emigrated with his family to

Mashhad Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of R ...

, but after a short time they came back to Herat and stayed there. When he was young, he was a scrivener of orders and instructions for the governor of Herat. Then he started working as a calligrapher in the court of

Sultan Husayn Mirza Bayqara Sultan Husayn Bayqara Mirza ( fa, حسین بایقرا / ''Husayn Bāyqarā''; June/July 1438 – 4 May 1506) was the Timurid ruler of Herat from 1469 until May 4, 1506, with a brief interruption in 1470. A skilled statesman, Sultan Husayn ...

. He became the King's favorite calligrapher and was titled as Kateb os-Soltan. He signed some of his works with ''Mir Ali al-Kateb os-Soltani''. He lived in Herat until the death of Sultan Husayn Mirza Bayqara. After King's death, he lived sometimes in Mashhad and sometimes in Herat. In 1512, Ismail I captured Herat. In this time, Heravi became the protégé of Karim od-Din Habibollah Savoji. After Habibollah's murder, when Sam Mirza Safavi, the brother of Tahmasp I, was the governor of

Khorasan Khorasan may refer to: * Greater Khorasan, a historical region which lies mostly in modern-day northern/northwestern Afghanistan, northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan * Khorasan Province, a pre-2004 province of Ira ...

, Mir Ali Heravi was in Herat for 3 years until 1528. In 1528, Obeid Khan captured Herat for a short time and took Mir Ali Heravi to Bukhara and appointed him as a scrivener and calligraphy teacher of his son, Abdolaziz Khan. Mir Ali Heravi lived 16 years in Bukhara. He was not allowed to leave the city. He died in 1544 in Bukhara. Because of homesickness and obligatory emigration to Bukhara and being far from family, Heravi lived in this city under depression and sadness. Heravi was Zein od-Din Mohammad's student. Zein od-Din Mohammad learned calligraphy himself from Soltan Ali Mashhadi.

His students

Mir Ali Heravi had seven important students: * Mir Mohammad Bagher, who was a calligrapher in the court of

Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana Khanzada Mirza Khan Abdul Rahim (17 December 1556 – 1 October 1627), popularly known as simply Rahim and titled ''Khan-i-Khanan'', was a poet who lived in India during the rule of Mughal emperor Akbar, who was Rahim's mentor. He was one of ...

, Humayun and

Akbar Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...

. * Khaje Mohammad Shabestari, the chief of Herat's police station. *

Ahmad Mashhadi Ahmad Mashhadi, also known as Mir Seyyed Ahmad, was an important Persian Nastaliq calligrapher in the 16th century. He was from Mashhad. He was also a poet and some of his original poems still exist. Biography Mashhadi learnt calligraphy art in ...

, the scrivener and a companion of Tahmasp I. * Mir Hossein Bokharaei * Malek Deylami, Mir Emad's calligraphy teacher. * Mir Heidar Bokharaei * Mir Chalame

References

External links

*
Mir ‘Ali Kāteb (Heravi)
Reed College {{DEFAULTSORT:Heravi, Mir Ali People from Herat Iranian calligraphers 1544 deaths 16th-century Iranian painters