The epic poem Padmavatiwas composed by Jaisi in AD 1540 under the patronage of Sher Shah Suh. It was taken up for translation in the tetracentenary year of its composition. In 1940 Shirreff completed the bulk of the translation which was started by George Grierson. The English rendering of it has definitely caught the essence of the poem of the master poet. The poem revolves around the life of PadmavatT, the Rajput queen of Chittor. As a worthy disciple of Kabir, Jaisi still shines today as a real pioneer in the path of Hindu-Islamic cultural rapprochement. One point of debate is whether Padmavatiwas written in Persian or Kaithi characters.
Not much biographical details exist about Jaisi. He himself says he was born during an earthquake in AD 1494. Afflicted with smallpox he lost the sight in one eye and hearing of one ear. Padmavati is in the form of an allegorical Sufi masnavi. It is half fairy tale and half historical romance and a kaleidoscopic mix of whatever the poet found of charm and beauty in the world around him.
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