Taraz Yazdi

Taraz Yazdi, Mirza ‘Abd al-Wahhab (1809-1845), son of Hajj ‘Abd al-Karim. Calligrapher and poet whose father had been a Zoroastrian from Yazd who had converted to the Islamic faith. Taraz was born in Yazd and received his education there. He later became a master of writing different calligraphic hands. Mirza ‘Abd al-Wahhab turned to poetry after a while and found his way into the court of the Qajar Muhammad Shah in Tehran, but he fell into disfavor with the chancellor, Hajj Mirza Aqasi. Taraz composed satirical poems against the chancellor, but after a while felt that he was in danger. He fled to Yazd, but received a beating at the hands of the chancellor’s agents there. He died of the physical and psychological complications resulting from the beating at the age of 37 and was laid to rest in that city. Taraz was a master of composition in different literary genres, but he mainly composed eulogies and satires. He also made poetical compositions about the Shi’i Imams as true successors to the Prophet. After receiving the assault he ceased composing eulogies and satires. The date of his death has been recorded as 1806 in Tadhkira-yi Sukhanvaran-i Yazd and al-Dhari’a. His Divan of poetry is extant.

Tazkira-yi Sukhanvaran-i Yazd (194-199); Sukhanvaran-i Nami-yi Mu’asir-i Iran (4, 1401-2411).