Amir Khusrau, the famous poet, was a disciple of which Sufi saint?

Amir Khusrau (1253-1325) was one of the greatest poets, musicians and scholars of medieval India. He was born at Patiyali, in present-day Uttar Pradesh. He served as a court poet under several rulers of the Delhi Sultanate, including Balban's son, Jalaluddin Khalji, Alauddin Khalji and Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. He is popularly called the "Tuti-i-Hind" (Parrot of India).

Khusrau was a devoted disciple of Sheikh Nizamuddin Auliya (1238-1325), the famous Sufi saint of the Chishti order in Delhi. Nizamuddin Auliya was known as "Mehboob-e-Ilahi" (Beloved of God) and kept away from kings and courts. The deep bond between the teacher and the disciple is well known. Khusrau died a few months after his master and was buried close to him. Both tombs are in the Nizamuddin Dargah complex in Delhi, where qawwali is sung every evening.

Khusrau wrote mainly in Persian but also in Hindavi, an early form of Hindi-Urdu. His works include Khazain-ul-Futuh (about Alauddin Khalji's conquests), Qiran-us-Sadain, Nuh Sipihr (which praises India and its languages), Tughlaq Nama and Ashiqa. He is traditionally credited with developing qawwali and new ragas, and with the invention of the sitar and tabla, though historians doubt these claims. He also wrote riddles (paheliyan) and mukarniyan in Hindavi.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Moinuddin Chishti brought the Chishti order to India and is buried at Ajmer.
• ✗Baba Farid (Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakar) was the teacher of Nizamuddin Auliya; his verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib.
• ✗Bahauddin Zakariya founded the Suhrawardi order in India, at Multan.