Khanzada Mirza Khan Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana (17 December 1556 – 1627) (Hindi: अब्दुल रहीम ख़ान-ए-ख़ाना) also known as Rahim is a renowned composer during the time of Mughal
emperor Akbar. He was one of the main nine ministers (Diwan) in his court, also known as the Navaratnas. Rahim is famous for his Hindi couplets and his books on Astrology. The
village of Khankhana, is named after him, which is located in the Nawanshahr district of the state of Punjab, India.
Biography
Bairam Khan's widow and child (Rahim) being escorted to Ahmedabad, in 1561, after his assassination, Akbarnama
Rahim was son of Bairam Khan, Akbar’s trusted caretaker, who was having Turkic ancestry. When Humayun returned to India, from his exile, he asked the nobles to forge matrimonial
alliances with various zamindars and feudal lords, across the nation. While Humayun himself married the elder daughter of Jamal Khan of Mewat (present Mewat district of Haryana), he
asked Bairam Khan to marry the younger daughter.
Gazetteer of Ulwur states:
Soon after Babar's death, his successor, Humayun, was in A.D. 1540 supplanted by the Pathan Sher Shah Suri, who, in A.D. 1545, was followed by Islam Shah. During the reign of the
latter a battle was fought and lost by the Emperor's troops at Firozpur, in Mewat, on which, however, Islam Shah did not loose his hold. Adil Shah, the third of the Pathan interlopers,
who succeeded in A.D. 1552, had to contend for the empire with the returned Humayun.
In these struggles for the restoration of Babar's dynasty Khanzadas apparently do not figure at all. Humayun seems to have conciliated them by marrying the elder daughter of Jamal
Khan, nephew of Babar's opponent, Hasan Khan, and by causing his great minister, Bairam Khan, to marry a younger daughter of the same Mewatti.
His Maternal lineage goes to Lord Krishna
Khanzadahs, the royal family of Muslim Jadon (also spelt as Jadaun) Rajputs, accepted Islam on their association with the Sufi saints. Khanzadah, the Persian form of the Rajputana
word 'Rajput', is the title of the great representatives of the ancient Jadubansi royal Rajput family, descendants of Krishna and therefore of Lunar Dynasty. They are the Mewatti Chiefs
of the Persian historians, who were the representatives of the ancient Lords of Mewat.
Abdul Rahim was born in Lahore (now in Pakistan) on 14th Çafar 964
After Bairam Khan was murdered in Patan, Gujarat, his wife and young Rahim were brought safely to Ahmedabad, from they brought to Delhi and presented to the royal courts of
Akbar, who gave him the title of 'Mirza Khan', and subsequently married him to Mah Banu, sister of Mirza Aziz Kokah, son of Ataga Khan, a noted Mughal noble.
Later, Bairam Khan's wife became the second wife of Akbar, which made Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khan his stepson, and later he became one of his nine prominent ministers, the
Navaratnas, or nine gems.
Although a Muslim by birth, Rahim was a devotee of Lord Krishna and wrote poetry dedicated to him. He was also an avid Astrolger, and the writer of two important works in
Astrology Khet Kautukam and Dwawishd Yogavali are still popular.
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He is well known for his strange manner of giving alms to the poor. He never looked at the person he was giving alms to, keeping his gaze downwards in all humility. When Tulsidas
heard about Rahim's strange method of giving alms, he promptly wrote a couplet and sent it to Rahim:-
"ऐसी देनी देंन ज्यूँ, कित सीखे हो सैन
ज्यों ज्यों कर ऊंच्यो करो, त्यों त्यों निचे नैन"
"Sir, Why give alms like this? Where'd you learn that?, Your hands are as high as your eyes are low"
Realizing that Tulsidas was well aware of the truth behind creation, and was merely giving him an opportunity to say a few lines in reply, he wrote to Tulsidas in all humility:-
"देनहार कोई और है, भेजत जो दिन रैन
लोग भरम हम पर करे, तासो निचे नैन"
"The Giver is someone else, giving day and night. But the world gives me the credit, so I lower my eyes."
His two sons were killed by Akbar's son Jehangir and their bodies left to rot at the Khooni Darwaza because Rahim was not in favor of Jehangir's accession to the throne at Akbar's
death.
His tomb is situated in Nizamuddin on the Mathura road ahead of Humayun's Tomb in New Delhi, it was built by him for his wife in 1598, and later he was himself buried in it in 1627.
Later, in 1753-4, marble and sandstone from this tomb was used for the making of Safdarjung's Tomb, also in New Delhi.
Popular couplets of Rahim
Young Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana being received by Akbar, being helped by Ataga Khan, Akbarnama
"बड़े बड़ाई न करें, बड़े न बोले बोल,
रहिमन हीरा कब कहे, लख टका मेरो मोल. "The truly great never reveal their worth. Nor do those who are truly worthy of praise, praise themselves. Says Rahim, when does a diamond reveals its
value."
"रहिमन देखि बदें को, लग्हू न दीजे दारी,
जहाँ काम आवे सुई, कहा करे तलवारी.
"Says Rahim, when you are introduced to an important/rich person, do not ignore or forget your poor friends. For if, for example, you need a needle to successfully complete a job, of
what use is a sword!"
रहिमन धागा प्रेम का, मत तोड़ो चटके,
टूटे से फिर न जुड़े, जुड़े गाँठ पड़ जाये.
"Says Rahim, don't allow the (delicate) thread of love (between individuals) to snap. Once it snaps, it cannot be rejoined and if you do rejoin it, there is a knot in it."
तन सूप, है लीजीये जगत पच्होर,
हरिकन को उदिजन दे, गरुय राखी बटोर.
"Says, Rahim, this mind (body) is like a sieve (winnowing fan), sort out your friends through it. Let the light (bad) ones and go (fly in the wind) and carefully keep the heavy (good)
ones."
खीरा मुख ते काटिये, मलियत लों लगाये|
रहिमन कडवे मुख कों, चहियत इही सजाये||
"To cure a bitter cucumber, we cut its head off and rub in salt. Says Rahim to cure a bitter mouth we should apply the same remedy"
जे रहीम उत्तम प्रकृति, का करी सकत कुसुंग,
चन्दन विष व्यापत नहीं, लिप्तात रहत भुजंग.
"Says Rahim, How will evil corrupt, he who has an excellent character? After all does the sandalwood become poisonous by having snakes lie around its trunk?"
कही रहीम सम्पति सगे, बनत बहुत बहु रीत,
बिपति कसोटी जे कसे, ते ही सांचे मीत.
"Says Rahim, people will find many many ways to be related to fortune. But only he is a true friend, who stands by you in misfortune"
रहिमन वे नर मर चुके, जे कहू मंगन जाही,
उनते पहेले वे मुए, जिन मुख निकसत नहीं.
"Says Rahim, he who has to beg is no longer a man. But those who refuse were never men to begin with."
Major works
Apart from writing various dohas, Rahim translated Babar's memoirs, Baburnama from Chagatai language to Persian language, which was completed in AH 998 (1589–90). His command
over Sanskrit was very good. He wrote two books on astrology, Kheta Kautukama and Dwawishd Yogavali.
