Habba Khatoon

Habba Khatoon (1554–1609) was a 16th-century Kashmiri Muslim poet and ascetic, who is also known as 'Nightingale of Kashmir'. She was born in the small village of Chandhara near "Pampore" located outside Sempora in present Jammu and Kashmir state, and was known by the name Zoon (the Moon) because of her immense beauty until her marriage with Yusuf Shah Chak, who later became ruler of Kashmir, after which she was called Habba Khatoon. When her husband was captured by Mughal emperor Akbar taken away to Bengal (and later buried in Bihar) never to return, she became an ascetic.Her tomb lies near Athwajan (English connotation -Handfull of Rings) on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

Habba Khatoon was a 16th-century Muslim poet from the village of Chandrahar of Kashmir. She was born in the small village ,Chendilora and was known under the name Zoon (the Moon) because of her immense beauty. After her marriage to Yusuf Shah Chak, who later became ruler of Kashmir, after which she was called Habba Khatoon.

Her songs are popular in Kashmir and she is almost a legendary figure in Kashmiri literary history. Perhaps the influence she has exerted over the popular imagination had much to do with the difficult life she had as a peasant girl who had received some basic education. Habba Khatoon was a peasant girl who, after a difficult first marriage which ended in divorce, married Kashmir's last independent King, Yousuf Shah Chak. When the Mughal King Akbar conquered Kashmir through deceit/treachery and exiled Yousuf Shah Chak, Habba Khatoon spent the rest of her life wandering across the Valley singing her songs. Even though there is some dispute about biography, the texts associated with her name are widely popular across Kashmir.

She grew up in the midst of the saffron fields and in the shade of the chinar trees. She was not raised as a typical peasant girl. She had learnt how to read and write from the village moulvi. At an early age her father married her to a peasant boy. But this illiterate peasant boy could not keep Zoon happy. He could not understand the longings of her heart. Just like Lal Ded, Zoon also was sad. Lalla became desperate and left her home. Zoon divorced her husband and started singing songs in Kashmiri.

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