The Tomb of Mirza Ghalib at Nizammuddin.
Mirza Ghalib (1797-1869) was a great poet of Persian and Urdu languages who lived in the final era of Moghul rule in Delhi. He was born in Agra as Mirza Asadulla Baig Khan and started writing poetry from the age of 11. He migrated to Delhi and had his haveli at Ballimaran in Chandni Chowk. He was a court poet of Moghul rulers.
Ghalib married at a young age of 13 and none of his seven children survived infancy stage. This tinge of sadness in personal life was reflected in his poetries. He was popular in the Indian subcontinent. His theme that life is one of continuous struggle was reflected in his verses.
He was a gifted letter writer and in one of his letters mentions marriage as second imprisonment after the initial confinement of life itself. His letters paved the way for simpler usage of Urdu which was ornamental earlier.
He took the concept of Ghazals and changed them from expression of anguish in love to philosophies of life. His haveli in Chandni Chowk has been converted into a memorial. He was given the title Dabir-ul-Mulk by Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar in 1850. He died in 1869.
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