English: Lucknow, 1800-10

Light washes of pigments on paper Image: 11.5 x 8 cm Folio: 32 x 23.9 cm

Inscription: (back) Nawab Taqi of Lucknow

A small inscription on the verso informs us that this bespectacled, grey-bearded man is Mir Taqi Mir, whom many consider one of the greatest Urdu poets of all time. Mir Taqi Mir was born in Agra in 1723. His father, Ali Muttaqu and his uncle, and primary caretaker, Aman Allah, were both Sufi dervishes. Naturally, Mir spent much of his youth in the company of dervishes and fakirs, which had a profound impact on his personality and writing. His uncle died when he was ten and his father a year later, prompting him to move to Delhi. There he continued his education and began to seek out patronage.