Abdulkadyrkhan Khattak

Born 1650–51; died circa 1702. Afghan poet; a follower of the literary school founded by his father, Khushkhal’khan Khattak.

Abdulkadyrkhan Khattak spent most of his life far from his homeland. Sufi motifs echo in his poetry. He wrote verses dedicated to manliness, courage, and daring, as well as love lyrics; he spoke out against violence and evil. He created a divan of poetry, wrote a verse form of the popular Afghani fairy-tale legend Adamkhan and Duarkhanyi, and translated Saadi’s Gulistan into Pashto.