Padmavat
"Queen Nagmati rashly asks her new parrot who is more beautiful, she or his former owner Princess Padmavati of Sri Lanka. Naturally, she gets a displeasing answer." An illustrated manuscript of Padmavat, c. 1750 | |
| Author | Malik Muhammad Jayasi |
|---|---|
| Language | Persian and Awadhi |
| Genre | Historical Fiction Epic poetry |
| Set in | 13th–14th century India |
| Published | 1540 |
| Publication place | India |
| Text | Padmavat at Wikisource |
Padmavat (or Padmawat) is an epic poem written in 1540 by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi, who wrote it in the Awadhi language, and originally in the Persian Nastaʿlīq script. It is the oldest extant text among the important works in Awadhi. A famous piece of Sufi literature from the period, it relates an allegorical fictional story about Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khalji's desire for the titular Padmavati, the Queen of Chittor based on historic conquest of chittor. Alauddin Khalji and Padmavati's husband Ratan Sen are historical figures, whereas Padmavati may have been a fictional character.