Artists & Writers

Modern era

Bimal Roy

July 12, 1909 – January 8, 1966

Indian film director (1909–1966)

Modern era

K. Asif

June 14, 1922 – March 9, 1971

Indian director (1922–1971)

Modern era

Hakim Mohammed Said

January 20, 1920 – October 17, 1998

Pakistani medical researcher, scholar, philanthropist, and governor of Sindh Province (1920–1998)

Amjad Saqib

Sitara-e-Imtiaz recipient

Modern era

Annemarie Schimmel

April 7, 1922 – January 26, 2003

German scholar of Islam (1922-2003)

Modern era

Bhai Ram Singh

1858 – 1916

Indian architect

Modern era

Jahanara Imam

May 3, 1929 – June 26, 1994

Bangladeshi writer (1929–1994)

Modern era

Zainul Abedin

December 29, 1914 – May 28, 1976

Bengali painter (1914–1976)

Early Modern era

Lalon Shah

1772 – October 17, 1890

Bengali poet, composer and Baul saint

Modern era

Hason Raja

December 21, 1854 – December 6, 1922

Bengali poet (1854–1922)

Modern era

Begum Rokeya

December 9, 1880 – December 9, 1932

Bengali feminist writer and social reformer (1880-1932)

Modern era

Anagarika Dharmapala

September 17, 1864 – April 29, 1933

Sri Lankan Buddhist revivalist and writer (1864-1933)

Modern era

Bhanubhakta Acharya

July 13, 1814 – April 23, 1868

The First-ever poet of Nepali Language

Early Modern era

Ahmad Shah Durrani

1722 – 1772

Founder of the Afghan Durrani Empire (r. 1747–1772)

Medieval era

Rabia Balkhi

b. c. 1000

Persian poet, first woman poet of Islamic period

Modern era

Nancy Dupree

October 3, 1927 – September 10, 2017

American archaeologist (1927–2017)

Medieval era

Yue Fei

March 24, 1103 – January 27, 1142

Song dynasty general, killed by royal decree from the Emperor Gaozong of Song (1103–1142)

Medieval era

Wen Tianxiang

June 6, 1236 – January 9, 1283

Chinese politician of the Song Dynasty

Medieval era

Zhu Xi

October 18, 1130 – April 23, 1200

Chinese historian, neo-Confucian philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty (1130–1200)

Medieval era

Wang Yangming

October 31, 1472 – January 9, 1529

Chinese philosopher and general (1472–1529)

Medieval era

Su Shi

January 8, 1037 – August 24, 1101

Chinese writer and politician (1037–1101)

Ancient era

Wang Xizhi

321 CE – 361 CE

Chinese calligrapher (c. 321 – c. 361)

Medieval era

Li Qingzhao

March 19, 1084 – May 19, 1155

Chinese Song Dynasty poet, known as "the most talented woman in all ages"

Early Modern era

Li Shizhen

July 3, 1517 – 1593

Chinese polymath and scientist (1517-1593)

Early Modern era

Xu Xiake

1586 – March 8, 1641

Chinese geographer and traveller

Medieval era

Sei Shonagon

966 CE – 1025

Japanese author and court lady

Early Modern era

Matsuo Basho

1644 – November 28, 1694

Japanese poet (1644–1694)

Early Modern era

Shin Saimdang

October 29, 1504 – May 17, 1551

Calligraphist and noted poet (1504-1551)

Early Modern era

Yi Hwang

1501 – 1570

Korean Confucian scholar (1502 -1571)

Early Modern era

Yi I

December 26, 1536 – 1584

Joseon civil servant & Neo-Confucianist (1536 – 1584)

Early Modern era

Jeong Yak-yong

1762 – 1836

Korean scholar and philosopher (1762 - 1836)

Early Modern era

Zanabazar

1635 – 1723

Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader

Medieval era

Nguyen Trai

1380 – September 28, 1442

Vietnamese scholar and poet (1380–1442)

Early Modern era

Nguyen Du

b. c. 1500

16th-century Vietnamese writer

Early Modern era

Ho Xuan Huong

1772 – 1822

Vietnamese poet (1772–1822)

Modern era

Phan Boi Chau

December 26, 1867 – October 29, 1940

19/20th-century Vietnamese nationalist and revolutionary

Modern era

Vo Nguyen Giap

August 25, 1911 – October 4, 2013

Vietnamese general and communist politician (1911–2013)

Early Modern era

Taksin

April 17, 1734 – April 7, 1782

King of Siam

Modern era

U Thant

January 22, 1909 – November 25, 1974

UN Secretary-General from 1961 to 1971

Contemporary era

Sudirman

May 25, 1954 – February 22, 1992

Malaysian singer and songwriter (1954-1992)

Modern era

Raden Saleh

1811 – April 23, 1880

Painter from Indonesia (1811-1880)

Modern era

Pramoedya Ananta Toer

February 6, 1925 – April 30, 2006

Indonesian writer (1925–2006)

Modern era

Apolinario Mabini

July 22, 1864 – May 13, 1903

Prime Minister of the Philippines in 1899

Modern era

Fernando Amorsolo

May 30, 1892 – April 24, 1972

Filipino painter (1892-1972)

Modern era

P. Ramlee

March 22, 1929 – May 29, 1973

Malaysian singer, actor and film director (1929–1973)

Modern era

Abai Qunanbaiuly

July 29, 1845 – June 23, 1904

Kazakh poet, philosopher and composer (1845-1904)

Medieval era

Alisher Navoi

February 9, 1441 – January 3, 1501

Turkic poet and politician (1441–1501)

Early Modern era

Magtymguly Pyragy

1733 – 1782

Turkmen spiritual leader and philosophical poet

Medieval era

Rudaki

859 CE – 941 CE

Persian poet, the father of Persian poetry

Medieval era

Shota Rustaveli

1172 – 1216

Georgian poet

Medieval era

David the Builder

1073 – January 24, 1125

King of Georgia (1073-1125)

Modern era

Ilia Chavchavadze

October 27, 1837 – August 30, 1907

Georgian public figure and writer; a saint of Georgian Orthodox Church (1837-1907)

Medieval era

Nizami Ganjavi

1141 – 1209

Persian poet

Modern era

Mohammad Mosaddegh

May 19, 1882 – March 5, 1967

Former Prime Minister of Iran (1882–1967)

Medieval era

Attar of Nishapur

1145 – April 26, 1221

Persian Sufi poet (c. 1145 – c. 1221)

Modern era

Forugh Farrokhzad

January 5, 1935 – February 13, 1967

Iranian poet (1935-1967)

Modern era

Nazim Hikmet

January 15, 1902 – June 3, 1963

Turkish communist poet, playwright and novelist (1902–1963)

Early Modern era

Evliya Celebi

March 25, 1611 – 1682

Turkish traveler and writer (1611–1682)

Modern era

Halide Edib Adivar

June 11, 1884 – January 9, 1964

Turkish social reformer and statesperson (1884–1964)

Medieval era

Al-Mutanabbi

920 CE – 965 CE

Arab poet (c. 915 – 965)