Khushal Khan Khattak
Poet-warrior Khushal Khan Khattak, who lived during the 17th century reign of Mughal emperors, recounts a time of civil strife in his poetry and books. He also addresses the universal topics of love, ethics, and the daily routines of life. Khushal used his poetry to exhort the Pashtun people to drop their divisions and become more united. He was appointed to succeed his father as leader of the Khattak's in 1641 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jehan, but was later imprisoned by Jehan’s successor, Aurangzeb. After his release in the 1650s, Khushal led a rebellion against the Mughals, resulting in the defeat of Aurangzeb. Thereafter, Khushal dedicated himself to writing several hundred works, many of which have unfortunately not survived to modern times. Khushal’s surviving work is still read widely today, and a variety of English translations of selected poems exist as well.
