Akhund Darweza

Akhund Darweza was born about the year 956 of the Hijra (1549 AD) in Peshawar. His father was named Gadayii and his grandfather Sadi. He has been referred to as the founder of a new school of Pushto literature. He was the author of many works in Pukhto and Persian. Darmesteter, the French orientalist, puts the number of his works at fifty [1]. He wrote many manuscripts in Persian, including Tazkirat al-Abrar wa al-Ashrar (History of the Pious and Evil). He wrote at least one text in Pashto, Makhzan, to compete with the Pashto writing of his ideological opponent, Bayazid Ansari (1525-81), author of the Roshaniyya text, Khair al-Bayan [2].

Akhund Darweza Baba died in 1048/1638, in the reign of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor, and was laid to eternal rest in the Hazarkhwani graveyard, located at a short distance to the south of Ganj gate of the walled city of Peshawar. [3]

The tomb of Akhund Darweza was built by Sarwar Shah in 1310 Hijri or 1890 AD. 

 

References:

1- Pashtunistan – Louis Dupree – Page 54

2- A History of Pashtun Migration, 1775-2006 – Page 58

3 – Journal of Central Asia – Volume 20 – Page 99

Akhund Darweza remarks,

…”The Afghans had since ancient times never considered it proper to have a king as their pride and arrogance would not let them bow and prostrate before one of their own kith and kin. Further if they agreed to call one a King, they feared that they would thereby reduce themselves to the level of servants. They would rather like all of them to be treated as equals and it was , therefore, that all Afghans were addressed as Maliks.” (Akhund Darweza, Tazkiratal Abrar wal Ashrar)