Alaol
Encyclopedia
Alaol (1607?-1680? CE) was a medieval poet in Bengal
. He is thought to be born around 1607 in Faridpur
in the present-day Bangladesh
. His most well known work is Padmavati, which depicts the story of Padmavati
, the Sinhala princess and the queen of Chittor. There is an important literary prize named after him in Bangladesh, the Alaol Puroshkar. He is widely believed to be one of the most talented of Bengali
medieval poets.
pirates while travelling on boat with his father. He was taken to Arakan
. Alaol worked as a bodyguard for a while, but slowly his reputation as a poet spread. His talent was first recognised by Solaiman, a minister of king Srichandra Sudharma (Tsandathudhamma) of Arakan. He completed Daulat Qazi's Sati Mayana-Lor-Chandrani and translated Tohfa at his request. Later, prince Magan Thakur, the foster-son of the sister of king Srichandra Sudharma and co-regent o£ Arakan and the prime minister of Arakan, secured him a place in the court of Arakan.
His major work, Padmavati, based on Malik Muhammad Jayasi
's Padmavat
was written under the patronage of Magan Thakur. He also began writing the Saifulmuluk Badiuzzamal, an adaptation of a Persian
work of same name during this period. After the death of Magan Thakur, he received patronage from Saiyad Muhammad Musa, the army chief of king Shrichandra Sudharma. He translated the Haftpaykar from Persian
on his request. In 1659, Shah Shuja took refuge in Arakan court. In 1660, after the killing of Shah Shuja, Alaol was also thrown out of the Arakan court because of his closeness with him. At this juncture, Saiyad Musa, a minister of the Arakan king gave him shelter. He completed his Saifulmuluk Badiuzzamal on his request. He spent his last days in the court of Majlis Navaraj, another minister of Arakan, where he wrote his last work Dara-Sekandarnama.
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. He is thought to be born around 1607 in Faridpur
Faridpur District
Faridpur is a district in central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division. Faridpur District has a population of over 1.7 million people and is situated on the banks of the Padma river . It is bordered by Madaripur, Narail, Rajbari, Magura, Shariatpur, Gopalgonj, Dhaka and Manikganj...
in the present-day Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. His most well known work is Padmavati, which depicts the story of Padmavati
Padmavati
-Mythology:* Alamelu, aka Padmāvatī, Hindu goddess and consort of Sri Venkateshwara of Tirupati* Another name for the Hindu serpent goddess Manasa* Padmavati , Jain goddess-Given name:...
, the Sinhala princess and the queen of Chittor. There is an important literary prize named after him in Bangladesh, the Alaol Puroshkar. He is widely believed to be one of the most talented of Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
medieval poets.
Life
Alaol was born in Faridpur. He was son of a minister of Majlis Qutb, the ruler of Fatwabad. Alaol is believed to be kidnapped by PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
pirates while travelling on boat with his father. He was taken to Arakan
Rakhine State
Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...
. Alaol worked as a bodyguard for a while, but slowly his reputation as a poet spread. His talent was first recognised by Solaiman, a minister of king Srichandra Sudharma (Tsandathudhamma) of Arakan. He completed Daulat Qazi's Sati Mayana-Lor-Chandrani and translated Tohfa at his request. Later, prince Magan Thakur, the foster-son of the sister of king Srichandra Sudharma and co-regent o£ Arakan and the prime minister of Arakan, secured him a place in the court of Arakan.
His major work, Padmavati, based on Malik Muhammad Jayasi
Malik Muhammad Jayasi
Malik Muhammad Jayasi was an Indian poet who wrote in the Avadhi dialect of Hindi.He hailed from Jais, presently a city in the Rae Bareli district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh...
's Padmavat
Padmavat
Padmavat or Padmawat is an epic poem written in 1540 by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in the Awadhi language. It is the first important work in Awadhi.- Theme :...
was written under the patronage of Magan Thakur. He also began writing the Saifulmuluk Badiuzzamal, an adaptation of a Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
work of same name during this period. After the death of Magan Thakur, he received patronage from Saiyad Muhammad Musa, the army chief of king Shrichandra Sudharma. He translated the Haftpaykar from Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
on his request. In 1659, Shah Shuja took refuge in Arakan court. In 1660, after the killing of Shah Shuja, Alaol was also thrown out of the Arakan court because of his closeness with him. At this juncture, Saiyad Musa, a minister of the Arakan king gave him shelter. He completed his Saifulmuluk Badiuzzamal on his request. He spent his last days in the court of Majlis Navaraj, another minister of Arakan, where he wrote his last work Dara-Sekandarnama.
Works
His works, apart from Ragtalnama, are adaptations of works in other languages. His works include:- Padmavati
- Satimayana-Lor-Chandrani (completion of Doulat Kazi's work)
- Saifulmuluk Badiuzzamal
- Dara-Sekandarnama
- Tohfa (1660)
- Saptapaykar
- Ragtalnama