The Kabikaj Foundation

Editor’s note:

We are building Dakhni-pedia as a digital repository of Dakhni poets and scholars who have contributed to Dakhniyaat دکنیات — the study of Dakhni language and literature.

Deccani Urdu, commonly known as Dakhni, is a linguistic and literary treasure that emerged through historical interactions and cultural exchanges in the Deccan region of South Asia. This Indo-Aryan language took shape during the medieval period, serving as a lingua franca among diverse communities—including Muslims, Hindus, and others—living under the Deccan Sultanates. Over time, Dakhni evolved into a distinct literary language under the patronage of regional courts and rulers, contributing significantly to the early development of Urdu literature. Today, Dakhni continues to thrive as a spoken language among communities in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, with a rich blend of Persian, Arabic, and Dravidian influences. While some scholarly and literary work was undertaken during the Asaf Jahi period in Hyderabad, much of it has been lost or remains inaccessible.

This project is a humble effort by The Kabikaj Foundation to preserve and revitalise Dakhniyaat. We invite contributions in the form of resources, oral history, research, writing, and scholarly engagement. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Zoë Woodbury High and Abdul Aleem ‘Faris’ sahaab for their valuable contributions in the form of translations, research, writing, and ongoing support.

This is developing project is rooted in personal memory and archival legacy. Over five-six decades ago, my grandfather—Hz. Riasat Ali Taaj (1930-1999)—was actively working on Dakhni folk literature, amongst other subjects. Unfortunately, due to ill health and other circumstances, much of his work—including this research—remained unpublished during his lifetime; and a significant portion of his archival material was eventually damaged or lost. Incorporating the remnants of his scholarship into our efforts, we are building this project. Websites like Rekhta.org and Ganjoor.net are excellent examples of digital literary repositories, as is the encyclopedic work of Dr. Frances W. Pritchett (Professor Emerita, Columbia University) on Ghalib and Meer – her efforts, work and scholarship truly inspire us. A detailed bibliography of the works that we have been using will be updated soon; Dr. Muhammad Ali Asar, Dr. Muhammad Jamaal Shareef and Maulvi Naseeruddin Hashmi, Dr. Syeda Ja’far are the few main names for now.

The entries across Dakhni-pedia are currently arranged alphabetically. Within the primary category of poets, we also plan to introduce parallel subcategories to facilitate more nuanced exploration—such as by genre (e.g., marsiyah, mathnavi, qasidah, ghazal), by era (based on the reigns of major Deccani sultans), and by region (such as Golconda, Bijapur, Bidar, etc.). We also intend to include images related to poets and their works, and—one fine day—hope to access, digitise, and upload the many manuscripts—that lie hidden in various libraries, museums and personal collections— associated with this tradition. In addition, we plan to publish or reprint the scholarship as well as selected and curated kalaam of the poets – accompanied by notes, translations and glossaries. Based on a handful of Dakhni lexicons in our collections, a related project focused on building a Digital Dakhni lexicon is also underway. We are committed to citing as many sources as possible and listing them under a further reading section accompanying each entry. While there may be occasional typographical or transliteration errors, especially in names and dates (as many of them are being converted from the Hijri to the Gregorian calendar), these will be corrected during the editing phase after the initial content upload.

We hope Dakhni-pedia becomes a collaborative space for rediscovering and reimagining the legacy of Dakhni language and literature. We welcome and encourage your contributions—whether through proofreading, translations, archival resources, research assistance, or engagement with any of our projects.

Riasath Ali Asrar,
Founder,
Kabikaj