रसखान: Raskhan

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Indian Culture is known for some eternal values such as peace, quest for knowledge, communal harmony and above all its traits of compositeness. It is a country rich in diversity - geographically as well as culturally, yet it exists as a multi-cultural unit since ancient times. At various stages of history it has integrated well with other cultural traditions and synthesized diverse cultural streams to produce a Sanjhi Sanskriti, which is reflected well at societal level as well as in the realm of art and culture.

It was in fact a unique phenomenon of the fourteenth century that court and folk culture came in close contact through persons who were intimate in both the circles. During this period, the devotional traditions of the Vaishnavites, the Nath and the Siddhas were integrated in the form of Bhakti movement and which also assimilated some of the Sufi practices. There was no rigidity in the observance of religious practices. During this period regional literary languages such as Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati as well as Hindavi also developed as these poets wrote their poetry for the masses.

There are ample evidences to suggest that from the fourteenth century onwards the Muslim scholars began to show keen interest in the study of indigenous literary languages and subjects.

The Mughal period is significant for the development of Braj Bhasha, which became the dominant medium of poetry and music in the Braj area and was influenced immensely by the literary and musical traditions flourishing at the Mughal court. The Mughal rulers and grandees were great scholars in their own right. Abdur Rahim Khan-i- Khänän was a great scholar of Turki as well as Awadhi and he patronized poets of repute.

The Mughal prince Dara Shukoh was a scholar of repute who took up the task of writing in Persian many Sanskrit texts such as the Upanishads and the Yogvashistha. Maj'ma-ul-Bahrain was another masterpiece authored by him. These practices facilitated the dissemination of Indian philosophical principles worldwide.

Raskhan, a devotee of Sri Krishna, adopted Braj Bhasha as a medium of poetry. He is renowned for his creative works such as Sujän-Raskhän, the Premvatika, the Dânlilä, the Ashtyäm as well as a collection of padas (verses).

An ardent devotee of Sri Krishna was Taj Bibi. She was a prolific writer and wrote many verses which demonstrated her command on language as well as in Indian mythology. Her creative works clearly depict the composite culture.

One may conclude by saying that the cultural canvas of India showed a strong trait of assimilation by virtue of which it got enriched over a period of time. Indian culture continued to appropriate and assimilate the multi-dimensional, multi-religious and multi-lingual trends with which it came in contact at various levels of past, but most beautiful aspect of Indian culture is that it always maintained its great and unique identity.

I would like to express my gratitude to the authors of books published under the series on "Sanjhi Sanskriti Ke Nirmaata" and hope that the readers will enjoy reading these publications.

Raskhan, Rahim, Taj Bibi were poets of devotion to Sri Krishna and Dara Shukoh was a scholar, poet, translator, philosopher and administrator. All these personalities reflect the composite heritage of India. When Hindus and Muslims started living together, both were influenced by each other's beliefs and ideas. The spirit of tolerance, the desire to assimilate each other's ideas and customs, and the broad view of Hindu and Muslim saints created Sufism and the Bhakti creed afresh. The sense of generosity between Hindus and Muslims grew after generations of living together and of constant interaction between the people of the two communities.

The main task of the devotee poets was to spread love and peace. They were always in favor of religious harmony. India is geographically wide, linguistically heterogeneous, integrated with faith and influenced by its culture as well as local cultural practices. The poem of devotion served to connect the whole country. Poets devoted their life in writing soul-stirring compositions in praise of God and highlighted common humanistic ethical values of all religions.

The poetical language of Raskhan was very fluent and easy to understand. Raskhan's love for Krishna and Brajbhoomi can be seen in his many other memorable poems. According to Dara Shukoh, the man himself is not only a creation of God but also a part of his essence, so he calls out, to identify oneself to know the essence of God. In his poem, he writes that man is like a drop and God is like an Ocean. Rahim's couplets which are widely cited in Indian society are direct lessons for everyday life, touching on themes of friendship, enmity, life and family, relationships, etc. They speak to us for centuries in a contemporary tone. Taj Bibi wrote verses and dhamaars in devotion to Krishna which are still sung in Pushtimargiya temples.

Centre for Cultural Resources and Training is pleased to present a book series on "Sanjhi Sanskriti Ke Nirmaata" dedicated to Indian composite culture. I am grateful to Prof. Harimohan Sharma, Professor and Head (Retd.), Department of Hindi, University of Delhi; Dr. (Mrs.) Madhu Trivedi, Retd. Associate Professor, School of Open Learning, University of Delhi and Dr. Ajay Kumar Pandey, Director, Vrindavan Research Institute, Vrindavan for vetting of this book. I thank Dr. Devendra Choubey for the meticulous writing of the book Raskhan. This book aims at understanding the ideas and works of Raskhan in light of contemporary world.

**Contents and Sample Pages**