Persian Hazrat Amir Khusrau of Delhi was a prominent medieval Indian poet. He wrote in both Persian, the courtly language of the day, and Hindavi, the popular language. The same Hindavi evolved into two lovely languages known as Hindi and Urdu. Amir Khusrau's poems are still widely read for their beauty and wisdom. He is considered one of the greatest poets of the Persian language and among the most important figures in the history of South Asian literature. Amir Khusrau was born in 1325 in Delhi, then part of the Mughal Empire. His father, Qutbuddin, was an eminent jurist and philosopher. His mother's name has been given as Ayamah Bano. Some sources say she was a slave girl, while others claim she was a noblewoman from Central Asia who married Qutbuddin. She died when Amir Khusrau was only seven years old. After her death, his uncle brought him to live with him and his family at the court where they remained for several years until Qutbuddin's death. It was during this time that Amir Khusrau began to show an interest in poetry. He first went to live with another uncle who was a religious scholar named Fazlullah. Here he learned about Islamic theology and philosophy and became interested in exploring other ways to learn about God.