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121 settled at Qoniya (Iconium), in Asia Minor. Maulana died there in 1274. His grand tomb at Qoniya may still be seen. Rumi is one of the greatest Sofi poets of all ages. Amir Khusro: The father of Amir Khusro, Amir Moham- mad Saifud Din, came from Balkh to India and settled at Patiala, where Khusro was born in 1253. Khusro was a brilliant boy and commenced literary work at a very early age. He was a great writer and produced a large number of works both in prose and poetry. There was no form of Persian poetry which he left untouched and in each of these he attained singular success. The Timurids (1405-1519 A. D.), like the Ghaznavids, were great patrons of learning and the arts. Their court at Herat was a resort of scholars, artists and philosophers. Behzad, the well- known Oriental painter, lived at their court. One of the great- est writers of this age is Amir Alisher Nawai. He was born in 1440 and received his education in the same college with his future sovereign, Sultan Hussain Mirza. He was first appointed as the Keeper of the Royal Seal, but was soon promoted to the highest post—that of the Prime Minister of the Sultan. He was no less distinguished for his great learning and high statesman- ship than for his munificent patronage of letters. He is the founder of the famous Khilasiyya convent of Herat, a retreat for literary men of merit. His home also was open to scholars of all nationalities, whom he received with every mark of respect. Mirkhond: Mirkhond was born in 1433. His father, a pious and learned man, lived at Balkh. After the death of his father, Mirkhond went to Herat, where he succeeded in gaining the favour of that celebrated patron of letters, Alisher Nawai. He received every mark of kindness and encouragement from this distinguished personage and began at his request his great work on universal history, Rauzat-us-Safa in 1474 A.D. It is one of