WRITER

Rudaki

860 - 941

Photo of Rudaki

Icon of person Rudaki

Rudaki (also spelled Rodaki; Persian: رودکی; c. 858 – 940/41) was a poet, singer, and musician who is regarded as the first major poet to write in New Persian. A court poet under the Samanids, he reportedly composed more than 180,000 verses, yet only a small portion of his work has survived, most notably parts of his versification of the Kalila wa-Dimna, a collection of Indian fables. Born in the village of Banoj (located in the present-day Rudak area), the most important part of Rudaki's career was spent at the court of the Samanids. While biographical information connects him to the Samanid amir (ruler) Nasr II (r. 914–943), he may have already joined the court under the latter's predecessor, Ahmad Samani (r. 907–914). Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Rudaki has received more than 276,836 page views. His biography is available in 54 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 51 in 2019). Rudaki is the 444th most popular writer (up from 507th in 2019), the 2nd most popular biography from Tajikistan and the most popular Tadzhik Writer.

Rudaki is most famous for being the first poet to use the Persian language as a literary language.

Memorability Metrics

  • 280k

    Page Views (PV)

  • 72.40

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 54

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 4.80

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 4.29

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among WRITERS

Among writers, Rudaki ranks 444 out of 7,302Before him are André Maurois, Meera, Lysias, Giacomo Leopardi, Auguste Escoffier, and Propertius. After him are Fausto Cercignani, Comte de Lautréamont, Ammianus Marcellinus, Karl Barth, Gabriela Mistral, and Susan Sontag.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 860, Rudaki ranks 4Before him are Pope John X, Pope Sergius III, and Robert I of France. After him are Ludmila of Bohemia, Pope Benedict IV, Theophylact I, Count of Tusculum, Arethas of Caesarea, and Acfred, Duke of Aquitaine. Among people deceased in 941, Rudaki ranks 2Before him is Muhammad al-Mahdi. After him are Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni, Jayavarman IV, and Olaf Guthfrithson.

Others Born in 860

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Others Deceased in 941

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In Tajikistan

Among people born in Tajikistan, Rudaki ranks 2 out of 35Before him are Emomali Rahmon (1952). After him are Spitamenes (-400), Nasir Khusraw (1004), Rahmon Nabiyev (1930), Abu-Mahmud Khojandi (940), Khaydhar ibn Kawus al-Afshin (800), Oqil Oqilov (1944), Kokhir Rasulzoda (1959), Viktor Bout (1967), Qahhor Mahkamov (1932), and Vladimir Voinovich (1932).

Among WRITERS In Tajikistan

Among writers born in Tajikistan, Rudaki ranks 1After him are Vladimir Voinovich (1932), Gulnazar Keldi (1945), and Iskandar Khatloni (1954).