Khalilullah Butshikan

Khalilullah Butshikan (; 1552/1553–1625/26), was an Iranian calligrapher in Safavid Iran and the Sultanate of Bijapur.

Biography A native of Bakharz in Khorasan, he was born in 1552/1553 to a seyyed family (descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad). He was the nephew of the calligrapher Muhammad Husayn Rizayi and descended from Mir Sana'i Bakharzi, who served as the minister of the Timurid ruler Sultan Husayn Bayqara . Since Khalilullah was interested in mysticism and was sometimes referred to as "Shah Khalilullah", it has been suggested that he was a descendant of the Nimatullahi leader Shah Nimatullah Wali and his son Shah Khalilullah "Butshikan".

The cities of Mashhad and Herat was were Khalilullah spent his early years. He studied in the school of the calligrapher Mir Ali Heravi. He was later appointed as the teacher of prince (later known as Shah Abbas I). After the prince was crowned shah of Iran in October 1587, Khalilullah did not stay at the court in Qazvin, but instead immigrated to India for unknown reasons. He entered under the service of Ibrahim Adil Shah II , the ruler of the Sultanate of Bijapur. There he reached a prominent status, as described by Ibrahim Zubayri;

In 1609/10, Ibrahim Adil Shah II sent Khalilullah as his ambassador to Iran, where he stayed until 1614/15. In 1618, Khalilullah made a nastaliq copy of the Kitab-i Nauras by Ibrahim Adil Shah II. The latter showed his gratitude by having Khalilullah sit on his throne, declaring him "Padishah of the Pen." Since the early Islamic era, it had been traditional to give honorific titles to calligraphers. Khalilullah was soon afterwards send as an ambassador to Iran again, returning in 1619/20.

Khalilullah died in 1625/26.