TEHRAN — Iran’s National Library and Archives hosted the unveiling of the Divan of Aqel Shahjahanabadi, with the participation of India’s ambassador to Iran, Persian literature scholars, poets and cultural figures.
The ceremony, held at the Cultural Think Tank of the National Library and Archives of Iran, focused on the literary significance of Shahjahanabadi and the enduring role of Persian literature in the cultural history of the Indian subcontinent.
The event was chaired by Ehsanollah Shokrollahi, head of the Cultural Think Tank of the National Library and Archives of Iran. Speakers included Soroush Ayineh, poet and music scholar; Bahman Bani-Hashemi, poet and Persian literature researcher; and Hooman Yousefi-Dehi, the editor and corrector of the newly unveiled work.
Shokrollahi described India as a vast cultural landscape shaped by diverse religions, ethnic groups and traditions. He said understanding India requires attention to Persian literature, noting that a significant portion of medieval India’s historical writings were produced in Persian.
He emphasized that Persian literature represents a shared heritage between Iran and India, saying many leading Persian poets either lived in India or benefited from the support of Indian rulers. He called for greater efforts to preserve, revive and publish this literary legacy.
Discussing the Indian style of Persian poetry (Sabk-e Hendi), Shokrollahi highlighted the influence of Mirza Abdulqadir Bidil Dehlavi and said greater attention should be given in Iran to poets who developed within his literary circle, including Aqel Shahjahanabadi.
Bani-Hashemi criticized the limited attention given to Persian poetry from later centuries, saying this resulted partly from excessive focus on earlier classical periods and from overlooking Persian literary traditions that developed outside Iran.
He said Persian in India evolved over several centuries with its own linguistic and cultural characteristics and should be examined within its historical context rather than solely through the standards of Persian poetry in Iran.
Bani-Hashemi said Aqel Shahjahanabadi’s choice of the pen name “Aqel” was notable because it differed from the more common romantic and mystical pen names 

of the period. He added that the poet’s works reflected major features of the Indian style, including complex imagery, innovative themes and expressions influenced by Indian culture.
Yousefi-Dehi said Aqel Shahjahanabadi was born and raised in India and created significant Persian works despite Persian not being his mother tongue. He described Aqel as both a poet and statesman, saying he was connected to literary circles influenced by figures such as Bidil Dehlavi.
According to Yousefi-Dehi, key themes in Aqel’s poetry include the instability of worldly life, moral values, advice to rulers and reflections on death — themes associated with the intellectual and literary traditions of the Indian style.
Rudra Gaurav Shresth, India’s ambassador to Iran, described the Indian style of Persian literature as a shared cultural treasure between Iran and India. He said Persian served for centuries as a language of administration, courts and education in India, and stressed the importance of expanding cultural cooperation between the two countries.
The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of the Divan of Aqel Shahjahanabadi in the presence of the editor, speakers, cultural officials and representatives involved in publishing the work.