ʿAJIB MĀZANDARĀNI, MOḤAMMAD ḴALĪL B. MOḤAMMAD ḤOSAYN, poet (d. ca. 1280/1863 or 1289/1872). Born at Bārforuš (now Bābol), he moved with his father to Tehran when he was eight years old and at an early age began to compose poems. The panegyrics he declaimed at social gatherings gave him access to the court of Moḥammad Shah Qājār (1250-64/1834-48), where he recited a qaṣida. The shah changed his pen-name from Adīb to ʿAjib and attached him to the court. In his riper years he continued to attend public and private royal functions. During Nāṣer-al-dln Shah's reign (1264-1313/1848-96), ʿAjib was a prolific eulogist of the shah and eminent men; at the same time he lived the life of a darvish and often voiced mystic themes. He also left verses in Arabic. Part of his work was collected by Moḥammad Serāj b. Ḥājjī Mollā Reżā, one of his relatives who was the secretary of an ʿālem of Māzandarān named Sayf-al-eslām; this manuscript collection is now in the possession of Moḥammad Farahmand. ʿAjīb traveled once, to Ḥājjī Tarkān. He died at his birthplace.
Bibliography:
Majmaʿ al-fosahaʾ II, pp. 350-51.
Mirzā Ṭāher Šeʿrī, Ganj-e šāyegān, Tehran, 1272/1855-56, pp. 229-65.
M. Farahmand, “ʿAjīb-al-zamān Māzandarānī,” Dāneš 1, 1328 Š./1949, pp. 499-500.
J. Solṭān-al-qorrāʾī, “ ʿAjīb Māzandarānī,” ibid., pp. 656-57.
(M. Dabirsiāqi)
Originally Published: December 15, 1984
Last Updated: July 29, 2011
This article is available in print.
Vol. I, Fasc. 7, p. 702
M. Dabirsiāqi, “ʿAJIB MĀZANDARĀNI,” Encyclopædia Iranica, I/7, p. 702; an updated version is available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ajib-mazanderani (accessed on 25 April 2014).
