Brief Chronology of Khusrau's Life & Times

(All dates are in A.D., and are approximate)

• circa 1100 - Birth of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti who brought Chishtia Sufi order to India
• 1206 - Khusrau's father Amir Saifuddin migrates from Transoxiana to Delhi
• circa 1250 - Birth of Nizamuddin Aulia at Badayun (now in Uttar Pradesh)
• 1253 - Khusrau is born in village Patiali, Etah (Uttar Pradesh)
• 1260 - Khusrau comes to Delhi with mother, after his father expires
• 1262 - Khusrau stays with rich maternal grandfather Rawat-e Arz (an Indian convert), studies Farsi at maktab (school)
• 1271 - First divan of poetry "Tuhfatus-Sighr" is compiled
• 1272 - First job with King Balban's nephew Malik Chhajju
• 1276 - Second job with Bughra Khan (Balban's son)
• 1279 - Second divan Wastul-Hayat under process; Khusrau visits Bengal
• 1281 - Employed with Sultan Mohammad (Balban's second son), visits Multan with him
• 1285 - Khusrau participates in a war against invading Mongols. He is taken as prisoner, but finally escapes.
• 1286 - Kyqbad is the new king. Khusrau's Ghazals being sung in his court
• 1287 - Khusrau visits Awadh with Ameer Ali Hatim (another patron).
• 1288 - His first historical Mathnavi Qiranus-Sa'dain is completed.
• 1290 - Jalaluddin Feroz Khalaji in power. Second mathnavi, Miftahul Futooh is ready.
• 1294 - Third divan "Ghurratul-Kamal" is complete.
• 1295 - Alauddin Khalaji in power. Invasions of Devgiri and Gujarat.
• 1298 - Khusrau completes Khamsa-e-Nizami
• 1301 - Further attacks on Ranthambor, Chittor, Malwa etc. Khusrau remains with the king for writing chronicles.
• 1310 - Khusrau comes close to Nizamuddin Aulia, completes Khazain-ul-Futuh
• 1315 - Alauddin Khalaji expires; Khusrau completes Mathnavi Duval Rani-Khizr Khan
• 1316 - Mubarak Khalaji is on the throne; fourth historical mathnavi Noh-Sepehr ready
• 1321 - Mubarak Khalaji murdered; Ghayasuddin Tughlaq in power; Khusrau writes Tughlaq Nama
• 1325 - Sultan Mohammad bin Tughlaq in power; Nizamuddin Aulia expires; so does Khusrau after six months.

© Yousuf Saeed, 1998-2003