Nawab Mirza Khan Daag better known as Daag Dehlvi was born in 1831 in
Delhi. His father died when he was all but 6 years of age and that is
why his stepfather, Mirza Muhammed Fakhroo, brought him up. Mirza
Muhammad was related to Mogul ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar. Following his
death 1865, Daag left Delhi for Rampur where he went into government
service and spent a comfortable life. But Daag was soon fed up of
monotony and wanted to experiment. This period of Daag 's life was both
creative as well as torturous. It was during these years that Daag
composed most of his heart-wrenching poems. The period of desperation
and discomfort ended in 1891 when Daag got an invitation from Nizam to
come to Hyderabad. There he won honor and prestige and lived a life of
luxury. Hyderabad was a cradle to many poets of that period following
the decline of Moguls in Delhi.
Daagh Dehelvi is today remembered as an outstanding poet. Daag belonged
to the Delhi school of Urdu poetry and had mastered the craft of Ghazal
and Nazam both. Daag started reciting poetry at the age of ten. His
poetry improved with his age but was distinct from other contemporary
writers. His poetry does not wallow in despair. Rather, they were lashed
of joy and exuberant. He was a self-acknowledged romantic but contrary
to the impression one gets from his poetry, he eschewed wine. Usage of
common words and phrases was distinctive of his style. Daag Dehlvi
passed away in the year 1905
