Daqīqī

Persian poet

Also known as: Abū Manṣūr Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad Daqīqī

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In full:: Abū Manṣūr Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad Daqīqī

Died:: c. 976–981, Ṭūs, Iran

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Daqīqī (died c. 976–981, Ṭūs, Iran) was a poet, one of the most important figures in early Persian poetry.

Very little is known about Daqīqī’s life. A panegyrist, he wrote poems praising various Sāmānid and other princes and much lyrical poetry. He is remembered chiefly for an uncompleted verse chronicle dealing with pre-Islamic Persian history and legend and with the rise of Zoroastrianism. His chronicle paved the way for Ferdowsī, who included some of Daqīqī’s verses in his Shāh-nāmeh (“Book of Kings”). Although Daqīqī cannot be wholly credited with originating the metre and style that became dominant in Persian epic literature, he most certainly contributed a great deal to its creation. He was murdered by his Turkish slave.

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