The Chronograms of Khaqani

Abstract

As with the majority of great national figures of the Middle Ages, we know relatively little about the facts, and, in particular, about the dates of the life of the major Persian language poet of the twelfth century, ode-writer to the Shirvānshāhs, son of a carpenter of Shirvān, Afẓāl al-dīn Ibrāhīm Khāqānī.A brief sketch of the biographical information concerning the poet, which was compiled from oriental sources by N. Khanikoff almost a century ago, was then somewhat expanded and supplemented by K. G. Zaleman. With some insignificant variations and additions, this sunmary was then reproduced in all the works on Khāqānī up to our day. The question of the role of Transcaucasian elements In the works of Khāqānī was raised in the study carried out by Ju. N. Marr, in cooperation with K. I. Chajkin, during the last year of his life. Following the excellent tradition of V. A. Žukovskij, both sought first of all to extract bibliographical material from the poet's divan itself.