Mirza Manohar Tausani

Mirza Rai Manohar Das "Tausani" was a Persian poet active during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar. He is regarded as the first notable Hindu poet in Persian literary tradition of India. A native of Jaipur, he was associated with the Kachhwaha dynasty and contributed to the development of Persian poetry in the early Mughal period. Akbar was so impressed with him that he personally taught him Persian, as emphatically noted by Jahangir in his Tuzuk.

salign=left

Tausani was the son of Rai Lonkaran Shaikhawat, a Rajput Raja of Sambhar. Akbar took a special interest in his upbringing, and as a child, Manohar lived in the imperial palace at Fatehpur Sikri, where the emperor affectionately called him Muhammad Manohar. Jahangir also showed him great care, making playful remarks about Tausani's poetic talents in his Tuzuk. Poetry, being a central and admired element of Mughal culture, was deeply absorbed by Tausani in his character. Contemporary writers, including Abul Fazl and Badayuni, noted that he was the first Hindu poet to write in Persian, with verses demonstrating artistic grace and maturity. Later writers confirmed this assessment.