Migration of Persian literati from Delhi to Awadh

Awadh always had been a cultural centre of India from times immemorial. The world famous Sanskrit epic Ramayana has been written here. The decline of Mughal Empire in the first half of 18th century lead to the disintegration of the center of political power and small provincial chieftains claimed independence, leading to the rise of independent princely states. As the centre of power shifted, scholars, poets, historians and men of letters who were bereft of the royal patronage started emigrating from the Delhi court to other parts of the country most notably to Awadh. It was during this milieu that Awadh resurfaced as one of the major centers of Persian language and culture. This paper seeks to provide a short introduction of notables who migrated to Awadh after the fall of Delhi and give a general overview of the life and contribution of these literary figures towards the development of the Persian literature