Muztar Khairabadi

Biography

Muztar Khairabadi was born in 1865 in Khairabad into a family known for scholarship and poetry. His grandfather, Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, was a celebrated Islamic scholar, and his mother guided his first steps into poetry. Later, he refined his craft under the influence of masters like Ameer Minai, which gave his verses a classical richness.

Alongside his literary journey, Muztar held roles in the judicial and administrative systems of the princely states of Tonk and Rampur. His reputation as a poet earned him titles such as Eitbar-ul-Mulk and Iftikhar-ul-Shaura. Despite his official duties, poetry remained his true calling, and he wrote extensively in the form of ghazals, marsiyas, and long narrative poems.

His poetry often reflected spiritual thought, emotional intensity, and refined language. Works such as Nazr-e-Khuda, Milaad-e-Mustafa, and Behr-e-Taweel show his range from devotional to lyrical expression. He also ran a literary magazine called Karishama-e-Dilbar, which helped promote poetry and criticism in his era.

Muztar Khairabadi’s contribution is remembered not only for his own writings but also for the literary legacy that lived on through his family. His son Jan Nisar Akhtar became a leading poet and lyricist, while his grandson Javed Akhtar and great-grandchildren carried forward the tradition into modern literature and cinema.

He passed away in 1927 in Gwalior, where he was laid to rest. More than a century later, his verses are still valued for their classical beauty and the way they connect the poetic traditions of the past with the emerging voices of the future.