in the days of Shah Alam II. (r. 1759-1806). He wrote his poems mostly
in Persian, and was the author of a Dictionary of Mystical words.

ASIF: pen-name of H.H. Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, Nizam of Hyderabad, who
died in 1911: pupil of the poet Dagh (q.v.) and was an esteemed poet,
and patron of poets.

DAGH: a court poet of Rampur: went to Hyderabad and became the teacher
of the Nizam in poetry (see Asif): lived there in great honour as Poet
Laureate, and was given the title of Fasih-ul-Mulk (the eloquence of
the nation): his poetry is described as natural and graceful in
expression: his proficiency was so great that no poet could stand
against him in the Mushaira: he was of extraordinary wit.

FIGHAN: of Delhi: was the foster-brother of the Emperor Ahmad Shah
(r. 1748-1754) and was one of the principal officers at the Imperial
Court: famous for his piquant and witty conversation, and greatly
skilled in jeux de mots, at which he spent his days and nights.

GHALIB: came of a distinguished Turk family of Samarkand: wrote in
Persian as well as in Urdu, and held the position of Poet Laureate
at the Court of Bahadur Shah (r. 1837-1857) the last Mogul Emperor.

HALI: a modern poet: pupil of Ghalib: recently dead: greatly admired,
chiefly by the Muslims, for his poems calling for Muslim and Indian
renascence. He received from the British Government the title of
Shams-ul-ulema.

HASAN: Mir Shulam Hasan, born at Delhi: passed his youth in Faizabad
and then came to Lucknow to join the literary circle there: was as