1. Introduction
Mowlānā Sharaf al-Dīn ʿAlī Bāfqī (900–977 AH / c. 1494–1569 CE) was one of the scholars and poets during the reign of Shah Ṭahmāsb I Ṣafavī, yet he has remained largely neglected in modern literary scholarship. His significance in the history of Persian literature stems from his master-student relationship with Vahshī Bāfqī. Although it appears that a great poet like Vahshī has overshadowed him, leading to his poetry being overlooked, he can be considered one of the greatest qasīda-writers of the 10th century AH. Unfortunately, no mention of Sharaf al-Dīn’s dīvān has been found in any of the catalogs of Persian manuscripts. Contemporary biographers who wrote about him also did not provide any information regarding his dīvān. A unique manuscript, long overlooked by researchers, was discovered in a private library in Isfahan. Through this manuscript, new findings about Sharaf al-Dīn, his poetry, and the literary period of Shah Ṭahmāsb’s reign can be attained.

2. Literature Review
Despite many tazkirahs (chronicles of poets) and historical literary works mentioning Sharaf al-Dīn Bāfqī and commending him for his eloquent qasīdas, and despite his qasīdas being cited alongside those of great qasīda-writers in numerous anthologies, no precise information regarding his dīvān has been provided. Similarly, no manuscript of his dīvān has been indexed in the catalogs of manuscripts. Encyclopedias also explicitly state that no information is available about his dīvān (Mahinfar, 1376 SH, Vol. 1: 620; Kazemini, 1382 SH: 2/826). In fact, the manuscript under examination in this article, which has been beyond the sight of scholars for years, belongs to the private library of Dr. Aghābābāei in Isfahan (for information on this manuscript, see Aghābābāei, 1402 SH: 209). Furthermore, Aghābābāei, relying on tazkirahs and the present manuscript, has shed light on various aspects of Sharaf’s life (see Aghābābāei Khoozani, 1402 SH: 93), but no comprehensive and independent research on his life has been conducted to date.

3. Methodology
Due to the novelty of the subject, this research was fundamentally shaped with the objective of clarifying and addressing certain ambiguities and untold aspects of the 10th century AH literary milieu. It elucidates, therefore, the impact of historical, political, and social developments on the literary environment of the 10th century AH through an exploration of the life of a poet closely associated with the court.

4. Discussion
Sharaf al-Dīn ʿAlī Bāfqī was a well-known figure within the scientific and literary milieu of the 10th century AH, so much so that most contemporary tazkirahs lauded him for his learning and erudition. He was born around 900 AH in Bāfq, spent a period pursuing knowledge in Shīrāz, eulogized Shāh Ḥusayn, the vizier of Shah Ismāʿīl, in his youth, and during the reign of Shah Ṭahmāsb became one of his court poets. An examination of his courtly eulogistic qasīdas reveals the intellectual and political principles of the Ṣafavids, particularly Shah Ṭahmāsb, in establishing a new and independent national identity. Some of his verses also contain historiographical information in the time of Shah Ṭahmāsb. Sharaf served for a while as the governor of Bāfq by royal appointment. In Bāfq, he was also engaged in teaching and nurturing disciples, including Vahshī and his brother. Despite the connection and closeness between these two poets, their themes and styles exhibit distinct differences. One notable distinction is that his poetry lacks a strong affinity with the ‘School of Reality’ (Maktab-e Woghūʿ), and he gained greater recognition for his qasīdas rather than his qazals. In their life paths as well, the master and disciple each went their own way. In his later years, due to an assignment, Sharaf moved to Herat for three years. It appears that the poet’s final qasīdas belong to this period. These poems contain historical references, and the poet turned away from pure eulogy into social critique. He ultimately passed away in Bāfq in 977 AH. What has been definitively ascertained of his works today is his dīvān, comprising his qasīdas, qazals, mathnavīs, and rubāʿīs, which totals 3,499 verses.
However, certain reports in old tazkirahs concerning Sharaf’s life and works should be viewed with skepticism. For example, in old tazkirahs and contemporary literary sources there are some faults and errors. These inaccuracies have become more pronounced over time in later sources, leading to his biography being confused with those of poets bearing similar names, such as Sharaf al-Dīn ʿAlī Yazdī, Sharaf Jahān, Sharafī, etc. Consequently, serious doubt surrounds his alleged journey to India, his purported connection to Sharaf al-Dīn ʿAlī Yazdī, the attribution of treatises on enigmas and hygiene to him, his composition of rubāʿīs on the assassination of Bayazīd, and his alleged hearing impairment. No evidence for any of these claims can be found in his dīvān.

5. Conclusion
Although contemporary literary researches say nothing about Mowlānā Sharaf al-Dīn ʿAlī Bāfqī, he was a recognized figure within the intellectual and literary milieu of the 10th century AH. His contemporaries, as recorded in most tazkirahs, praised him for his learning and erudition. Nevertheless, the information available in tazkirahs and contemporary literary sources about his life contains some inaccuracies, which have been addressed in this article. The erroneous information from tazkirahs can be broadly summarized as follows:
1. His journey to India.
2. The story of Sharaf composing a rubāʿī (quatrain) on the incident of the assassination of Bāyezīd, son of Sultan Süleyman, the king of the Ottoman Empire. This rubāʿī was first mentioned in Salm al-Samāwāt, and other tazkirahs were influenced by this work.
3. The account of composing a rubāʿī regarding hearing impairment in the presence of Shah Ṭahmāsb. Owḥadī erroneously attributed the rubāʿī of apology for hearing loss to Sharaf, and other tazkirahs have followed his lead.
4. Dates of Sharaf’s death that predate 972 AH.
5. The assertion by some scholars that Bāfqī was a descendant of Sharaf al-Dīn ʿAlī Yazdī, the author of the Ẓafar-nāmah.
6. The attribution of treatises on enigmas, hygiene (ḥefẓ al-ṣeḥḥah), and crises (bohrān) to Bāfqī under the pseudonym Sām Mīrzā.
Furthermore, information beyond the tazkirahs, derived from the recently discovered manuscript, may be summarized as follows:
1. His travel to Herat.
2. Sharaf’s interactions with the court of Shah Ṭahmāsb.
3. A eulogy of Shāh Ḥusayn Iṣfahānī, the vizier of Shah Ismāʿīl.
4. Sharaf’s blindness in his later years.
The deficiencies and inaccuracies related to the tazkirahs have become more pronounced over time in later sources, and this poet’s life has become confused with those of other poets who share similar names, including Sharaf al-Dīn ʿAlī Yazdī, Sharaf Jahān, Sharafī, and others.
Based on the present research, what is certain about his life is that he was born in Bāfq around 900 AH, spent a period pursuing knowledge in Shīrāz, eulogized Shāh Ḥusayn, the vizier of Shah Ismāʿīl, in his youth, and during the reign of Shah Ṭahmāsb became one of his court eulogists. Subsequently, he was appointed governor of Bāfq by the Shah, where he engaged in teaching and mentoring students, including Vahshī and his brother, and was consistently respected. He also frequently accompanied the Shah. In his later years, he undertook a three-year assignment in Herat, became blind in old age, and finally passed away in Qazvin in 977 AH. However, serious doubt exists regarding his journey to India, his connection to Sharaf al-Dīn ʿAlī Yazdī, the attribution of treatises on enigmas and hygiene, the composition of a rubāʿī on the incident of Bayazīd’s assassination, and his alleged hearing impairment.