Azarmi Dukht Safavi

The Early life

Dr. Azarmi Dukht Safavi was born 1948 into an educated and cultured family of Uttar Pradesh in India. Her family belongs to the Safavid dynasty of Iran. Her forefathers migrated to India from Iran during the period of Nadir Shah. Dr. Azarmi Dukht Safavi, Director Persian Research Institute at Aligarh Muslim University, President All India Persian Teachers’ Association, Member Editorial Board Danishnam-i-Shibh-i-Qarreh (Encyclopedia of Indian subcontinent) Qand-i-Parsi and Indo-Iranica, was born in Shamsabad, in the district of Farrukhabad. She learnt Persian from her father who was himself an erudite scholar and writer of Persian.

Education

After completing her Primary and Secondary education, Safavi joined Aligarh Muslim University for pursuing higher studies in Persian. She did her B.A. in 1966, M.A. in 1968 and completed her Ph.D in Persian in the year 1974. Topic of her Ph.D thesis was "Sadi as a Humanist and Lyricist." Her Ph.D supervisor was (Late) Prof. Nazeer Ahmad. After finishing her Ph.D, she was appointed as lecturer in the Dept. of Persian where she later became Professor and taught for 32 years. Safavi commands Persian, English, Urdu and Hindi.

Persian Origin

Prof. Safavi is from the family of the Nawabs of Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh, India) and her family belongs to the Safawid dynasty of Iran. Shah Rahmatullah Safavi, great, great grand father of Prof. Safavi, came to India during the reign of the Indian Mughal king Muhammad Shah in 1737 A.D. He was made the governor of Azeemabad (Patna). Later on the family migrated to Delhi, then to Lucknow and finally settled in Shamsabad where they now have their properties and Havelis. Prof. Safavi’s great, grand father Nawab Wali, alias Nawab Dulha was a prolific writer and author of more than twenty books in Persian. Her father Mohammad Sadiq Safavi, was her first teacher of Persian and he inspired her to study Persian. He himself was a Persian scholar having done his M.A. in Persian from Aligarh Muslim University. His articles were regularly published in leading literary journals of Iran, e.g. Yaghma, Sukhan etc.

Positions Held

During her academic career Prof. Safavi has held many responsible posts at Aligarh Muslim University such as ;

1. Dean, Faculty of Arts
2. Chairman, Dept. of Persian
3. Director, General Education Centre
4. Editor, University Literary Journal etc.
5. Awards Received:
6. Presidents of India Award (2005) for Exemplary Persian Scholarship
7. Saadi Literary Award , Iran Culture House, New Delhi
8. Special Award for Foreign Persian Scholars, Govt. of Iran
9. University Certificates for Distinguished Professor
10. Ghalib Award
11. Maikash Akbarabadi Award
12. Felicitation and Award by Anjuman Mafakhir-o-Asrar Farngi, Tehran on 18 May 2015 (29 Urdibehesht, 1394); Citations by Farhangistan-i-Zaban-o-Adab Farsi, Danishgah-i-Payam-e-Noor, Danishgah-i-Shibhi Qarreh etc.

Institute of Persian Research

Prof. Safavi is the Founder Director of Institute of Persian Research established in 2006 at Aligarh Muslim University. She wrote a proposal for the establishment of the Institute which was approved by the Government of India. Now the Institute is working vigorously for the development of Persian Language and Literature. Its programmes include Publication, Seminars / Conferences Lectures by eminent Iranian / Indian scholars, training in Modern / Spoken Persian etc. The Institute has published 45 books and monographs and organized 7 Seminars till now.

She has established Persian Language Research Center of the Aligarh University in 2006.

Articles

Prof. Safavi has published more than 150 research papers in Persian /English / Urdu in National / International Journals.

Books

1. Tashreeh-ul-Aqwam, Critical Edition with Introduction and Notes
2. Akhbar-ul-Jamal, Critical Edition with Introduction and Notes
3. Bahr-e-Zakhkhar, (03 Volumes) Critical Edition with Introduction and Notes
4. Relevance of Rumi’s Thought in Modern Times (Ed.)
5. Sufistic Literature in Persian : Tradition and Dimensions, (Ed.) Vol.I&II
6. Aftab-e-Alamtab, Critical Edition with Introduction and Notes
7. Tazkirah Writing in Persian, (Ed.) Vol. I& II
8. Revisiting Adabiat-e-Dastani in Persian, (Ed.) Vol. I,II
9. Unsut-Taibeen - English Translation
10. Persian Masnawi, (Ed.) Vol. I,II
11. Arafatul Ashiqin, Volume 2, Critical Edition with Introduction and Notes
12. Post Islamic Revolution Short Stories in Iran, Translation from Persian
13. Indo-Iranian Heritage, (Ed.) Vol. I,II
14. Nazm-e-Guzidah, Critical Edition with Introduction and Notes
15. Silkus Suluk, Critical Edition with Introduction and Notes
16. Chehl Namoos, Critical Edition with Introduction and Notes
17. Persian Ghazal : Tradition and Dimensions, (Ed.) Vol. I&II
18. Indology and Persian Literature, (Ed.)
19. Humanism and Universal Brotherhood in Persian Literature, (Ed.) Vol. I,II
20. Revolution & Creativity
21. Ijaz Khusravi, English Translation, Vol. I, Smithsonian Institution, Amir Khusrau Society, Chicago, U.S.A.
22. Mukhkhul Maana, Critical Edition with Introduction and notes
23. Impact of Persian Language & Culture on India, (Ed.)
24. Indo-Iran Relations, (Ed.)
25. Contribution of Persian Language and Literature to the Composite Culture of India, (Ed.)
26. Adab Shanasi
27. Unsut-Taibeen – Annotated English Translation of Shiakh Ahmad Jam’s Famous Sufistic Treatise; Zohra Publications, London, U.K.

Her Students

1. Among her many students are included :
2. Prof. S. M. Asad Ali Khurshid, Professor, Dept. of Persian, Aligarh Muslim University
3. Dr. Rana Khurshid, Associate Professor, Dept. of Persian, Aligarh Muslim University
4. Dr. Mohd. Usman Ghani, Associate Professor, Dept. of Persian, Aligarh Muslim University
5. Dr. Md. Ehteshamuddin, Assistant Professor, Institute of Persian Research, A.M.U., Aligarh
6. Mr. Mohd. Qamar Alam, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Persian, Aligarh Muslim University
7. Dr. Sarfaraz Ahmad Khan, Maulana Azad National Urdu University (Lucknow Center)
8. Dr. Ahmad Joulai, Iran
9. and others.