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Urdu writing in its
various primitive forms can be traced to Muhammad Urfi (Tadhkirah
- 1228 AD), Amir Khusro (1259-1325 AD) and Kwaja Muhammad
Husaini (1318-1422 AD). As Urdu started flourishing in the
kingdoms of Golconda and Bijapur, the earliest writings in Urdu
are in the Dakhni (Deccani) dialect. The Sufi saints were the
earliest promoters of the Dakhni Urdu. The Sufi-saint Hazrat
Khwaja Banda Nawaz Gesudaraz is considered to be the first prose
writer of Dakhni Urdu and some treatises like Merajul Ashiqin
and Tilawatul Wajud are attributed to him but his authorship is
open to doubt. The first literary work in Urdu is that of Bidar
poet Fakhruddin Nizami's mathnavi 'Kadam Rao Padam Rao' written
between 1421 and 1434 A.D. Kamal Khan Rustami (Khawar Nama) and
Nusrati (Gulshan-e-Ishq, Ali Nama and Tarikh-e-Iskandari) were
two great poets of Bijapur. Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah, the
greatest of Golconda Kings who was a distinguished poet, is
credited with introducing a secular content to otherwise
predominantly religious Urdu poetry. His poetry focused on love,
nature and social life of the day.
Among the other important writers of Dakhni Urdu were Shah
Miranji Shamsul Ushaq (Khush Nama and Khush Naghz), Shah
Burhanuddin Janam, Mullah Wajhi (Qutb Mushtari and Sabras),
Ghawasi (Saiful Mulook-O-Badi-Ul-Jamal and Tuti Nama),
Ibn-e-Nishati (Phul Ban) and Tabai (Bhahram-O-Guldandam).
Wajhi's Sabras is considered to be a masterpiece of great
literary and philosophical merit. Vali Mohammed or Vali Dakhni (Diwan)
was one of the most prolific Dakhni poets of the medieval
period. He developed the form of the ghazal. When his Diwan
(Collection of Ghazals and other poetic genres) reached Delhi,
the poets of Delhi who were engaged in composing poetry in
Persian language, were much impressed and they also started
writing poetry in Urdu, which they named Rekhta.
The medieval Urdu poetry grew under the shadow of Persian
poetry. Unlike the Hindi poetry, which grew out of the Indian
soil, Urdu poetry was initially fed with Persian words and
imagery. Sirajuddin Ali Khan Arzu and Shaikh Sadullah Gulshan
were the earliest promoters of Urdu language in North India. By
the beginning of the 18th century a more sophisticated North
Indian variation of the Urdu language began to evolve through
the writings of Shaikh Zahooruddin Hatim (1699-1781 AD), Mirza
Mazhar Jan-e-Janan (1699-1781 AD) Khwaja Mir Dard (1719- 1785
AD), Mir Taqi Mir (1722-1810 AD), Mir Hasan (1727-1786 AD) and
Mohammed Rafi Sauda (1713-1780 AD). Sauda has been described as
the foremost satirist of Urdu literature during the 18th
Century. His Shahr Ashob and Qasida Tazheek-e-Rozgar are
considered as masterpieces of Urdu literature. Mir Hassan's
mathnavi Sihr-ul-Bayan and Mir Taqi Mir's mathnavies provided a
distinct Indian touch to the language. Mir's works, apart from
his six Diwans, include Nikat-ush-Shora (Tazkira) and Zikr-se-Mir
(Autobiography).
Shaik Ghulam Hamdani Mushafi (1750-1824), Insha Allah Khan (Darya-e-Latafat
and Rani Ketaki), Khwaja Haider Ali Atish, Daya Shankar Naseem (mathnavi:
Gulzare-e-Naseem), Nawab Mirza Shauq (Bahr-e-Ishq, Zahr-e-Ishq
and Lazzat-e-Ishq) and Shaik Imam Bakhsh Nasikh were the early
poets of Lucknow. Mir Babar Ali Anees (1802-1874) excelled in
the art of writing marsiyas.
The last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was a poet with
unique style, typified by difficult rhymes, excessive word play
and use of idiomatic language. He has authored four voluminous
Diwans. Before the national uprising of 1857 the reign of
Bahadur Shah Zafar witnessed the luxurious spring of Urdu poetry
immediately followed by the chilly winds of autumn. Shaik
Ibrahim Zauq was the Shah's mentor in poetry. Next to Sauda he
is considered to be the most outstanding composer of qasidas
(panegyrics). Hakim Momin Khan Momin wrote ghazals in a style
peculiar to him. He used ghazal exclusively for expressing
emotions of love. Any description of Urdu literature can never
be complete without the mention of Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib
(1797-1869), who is considered as the greatest of all the Urdu
poets. With his passion for originality, Ghalib brought in a
renaissance in Urdu poetry. In the post - Ghalib period, Dagh
(b. 1831) emerged as a distinct poet, whose poetry was
distinguished by its purity of idiom and simplicity of language
and thought.
Modern Urdu literature covers the time from the last quarter of
the 19th century till the present day and can be divided into
two periods: the period of the Aligarh Movement started by Sir
Sayyid Ahmed Khan and the period influenced by Sir Mohammed
Iqbal followed by the Progressive movement and movements of
Halqa-e-Arbab-e-Zouq, Modernism and Post modernism. However,
Altaf Hussain Hali (1837-1914) is the actual innovator of the
modern spirit in Urdu poetry. Hali's works include Diwan-e-Hali,
Madd-o-Jazr-e-Islam or Musaddas-e-Hali (1879), Shakwa-e-Hind
(1887), Munajat-e-Beva (1886) and Chup ki Dad (1905). Hali
showered the art of writing biographies with a critical approach
in his biographies Hayat-e-Sadi and Hayat-e-Jaweed. Hali was the
pioneer of modern criticism.
His Muqaddama-e-Sher-o-Shaeri is the foundation stone of Urdu
criticism. Shibli Nomani (b.1857) is considered as the father of
modern history in Urdu. He has produced several works based on
historical research, especially on Islamic history, like
Seerat-un-Noman (1892) and Al Faruq (1899). Shibli also produced
important works like Swanih Umari Moulana Rum, Ilmul Kalam
(1903), Muvazina-e-Anis-o-Dabir (1907) and Sher-ul-Ajam (1899).
Mohammed Hussain Azad was an important writer and poet of this
period. He laid the foundation of modern poem in Urdu.
Ab-e-Hayat, Sukhandan-e-Pars, Darbar-e-Akbari and Nazm-e-Azad
are some of his outstanding literary works.
Other leading poets
of modern period include Syyid Akbar Husain Akbar Allahabadi
(1846-1921), who had a flair for extempore composition of
satiric and comic verses, Khushi Mohammed Nazir (1872-1944), who
composed Jogi and Pani Mein, Mohammed Iqbal (1873-1938), Durga
Sahai Suroor (d.1910), Mohammed Ali Jauhar (d.1931) and Hasrat
Mohani (d.1951). Iqbal's poetry underwent several phases of
evolution from Romanticism (Nala-e-Yateem and Abr-e-Guhar Bar)
to Indian Nationalism (Tasvir-e-Dard, Naya Shivala and Tarana-e-Hindi)
and finally to Pan-Islamism (Shakva, Sham-o-Shair,
Jawab-e-Shakva, Khizr-e-Rah and Tulu-e-Islam).
Fani Badayuni
(1879-1941), Shad Azimabadi (1846-1927), Yagana Changezi
(1884-1956), Asghar Gondavi (1884-1936), Jigar Moradabadi
(1896-1982), Akhtar Shirani, Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1912-1985), Miraji
(1912-1950), N.M.Rashid (1910-1976), Akhtarul-Iman (b.1915), Ali
Sardar Jafri (b.1913), Makhdoom Mohiuddin (1908 -1969), Kaifi
Azmi (b.1918), Jan Nisar Akhtar (1914-1979), Sahir Ludhianvi
(1922-1980), Majrooh Sultanpuri (1919-2000), Asrarul Haq Majaz
(1911-1955), Nasir Kazmi, Ibn-e-Insha and Dr Kalim Ajiz have
taken the Urdu poetry to new heights.
A new generation of poets emerged around the sixth decade of
twentieth century. The leading poets of this generation include
Khaleelur Rahman Aazmi, Himyat Ali Shair, Balraj Komal, Ameeq
Hanafi, Kumar Pashi, Makhmoor Saidi, Mazhar Imam, Dr Mughni
Tabassum, Bani, Munir Niyazi, Suleman Areeb, Aziz Qaisi, Saqi
Faruqi, Iftekhar Arif, Saleem Ahmed, Qazi Saleem, Shafiq Fatima
Shera, Bashar Nawaz, Akbar Hyderabadi, Waheed Akhter, Shaz
Tamkanat, Zubair Razvi, Muztar Majaz, Mushaf Iqbal Tausifi,
Zohra Nigah, Kishwar Naheed, Zahida Zaidi, Siddiqua Shabnam and
others.
The short story in Urdu began with Munshi Premchand's
Soz-e-Vatan (1908). Premchand's short stories cover nearly a
dozen volumes including Prem Pachisi, Prem Battisi, Prem Chalisi,
Zad-e-Rah, Vardaat, Akhri Tuhfa and Khak-e-Parvana. Mohammed
Hussan Askari and Khwaja Ahmed Abbas are counted among the
leading lights of the Urdu Short story. The Progressive Movement
in Urdu fiction gained momentum under Sajjad Zaheer (1905-1976),
Ahmed Ali (1912-1994), Mahmood-uz-Zafar (1908-1994) and Rasheed
Jahan (1905-1952). Urdu writers like Rajender Singh Bedi and
Krishn Chander (1914-1977) showed commitment to the Marxist
philosophy in their writings. Krishn Chander's Adhe Ghante Ka
Khuda is one of the most memorable stories in Urdu literature.
His other renowned short stories include Zindagi Ke Mor Par,
Kalu Bhangi and Mahalaxmi Ka Pul. Bedi's Garm Kot and Lajvanti
are among the masterpieces of Urdu short story. Bedi's important
works include collections of short stories, Dana-o-Daam Girhen,
Kokh Jali and Apne Dukh Mujhe Dedo etc., collection of plays "Saat
Khel" and a novel Ek Chadar Maili Si (1972). Manto, Ismat
Chughtai and Mumtaz Mufti form a different brand of Urdu writers
who concentrated on the "psychological story" in contrast to the
"sociological story" of Bedi and Krishn Chander. Some of Ismat
Chughtai's leading short stories are Chauthi Ka Jora, Do Hath,
Lehren and Lihaf. Manto dealt in an artistic way with many
unconventional subjects, like sex, which were considered taboo
by the Middle-class. His Thanda Gosht, which dealt with the
subject of necrophilia, shocked the readers. Another of Manto's
praise-worthy works was Khol Do, which tackled the horrors of
partition. Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi (b.1915) is another leading name
in Urdu short story. His important short stories include
Alhamd-o-Lillah, Savab, Nasib and others. In the post-1936
period, the writers belonging to the Halqa-e-Arbab-e-Zauq
produced several good stories in Urdu. Upender Nath Ashk (Dachi),
Ghulam Abbas (Anandi). Intezar Hussain, Anwar Sajjad, Balraj
Mainra, Surender Parkash and Qurratul-ain Haider (Sitaroun Se
Aage, Mere Sanam Khane) are the other leading lights of Urdu
short story. Several leading fiction writers emerged from the
city of Hyderabad in the contemporary times, which include
Jeelani Bano, Iqbal Mateen,
Awaz Sayeed, Kadeer Zaman,
Mazhr-uz-Zaman and others.
Novel writing in Urdu can be traced to Nazir Ahmed (1836 - 1912)
who composed several novels like Mirat-ul-Urus (1869), Banat-un-Nash
(1873), Taubat-un-Nasuh (1877), Fasana-e-Mubtala (1885),
Ibn-ul-Waqt (1888), Ayama (1891) and others. Pandit Ratan Nath
Sarshar (1845 - 1903)'s Fasana-e-Azad, Abdul Halim Sharar (1860
- 1920)'s Badr-un-Nisa Ki Musibat and Agha Sadiq ki Shadi, Mirza
Muhammed Hadi Ruswa's Umrao Jan Ada (1899) are some of the great
novels and novelettes written during the period. Niaz Fatehpuri
(1887 - 1966) and Qazi Abdul Gaffar (1862-1956) were the other
eminent early romantic novelists in the language. However, it
was Premchand (1880-1936) who tried to introduce the trend of
realism in Urdu novel. Premchand was a prolific writer who
produced several books. His important novels include
Bazare-e-Husn (1917), Gosha-e-Afiat, Chaugan-e-Hasti,
Maidan-e-Amal and Godan. Premchand's realism was further
strengthened by the writers of the Indian Progressive Writers'
Association like Sajjad Zaheer, Krishn Chander and Ismat
Chughtai. Krishn Chander's Jab Khet Jage (1952), Ek Gadhe Ki
Sarguzasht (1957) and Shikast are considered among the
outstanding novels in Urdu literature. Ismat Chughtai's novel
Terhi Lakir (1947) and Qurratul-ain Haider's novel Aag Ka Darya
are considered as important works in the history of Urdu novel.
Khwaja Ahmed Abbas, Aziz Ahmed, Balwant Singh, Khadija Mastur,
Intezar Hussain are the other important writers in Urdu in the
contemporary times.
Urdu was not confined to only the Muslim writers. Several
writers from other religions also wrote in Urdu. Prominent among
them are Munshi Premchand, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Pandit Ratan Nath
Sarshar (Fasana-e-Azad) and Brij Narain Chakbast (1882 - 1926),
who composed Subh-e-Watan and Tilok Chand Mahrum (1887-1966),
who composed Andhi and Utra Hua Darya, Krishn Chander, Rajindar
Singh Bedi, Kanhaiyalal Kapur, Upendar Nath Ashk, Jagan Nath
Azad, Jogender Pal, Balraj Komal and Kumar Pashi.
Akbar Allahabadi (1846-1921) was the pioneer among the Urdu
humorists and satirists. Majeed Lahori, Mehdi Ali Khan, Patras
Bokhari (1898-1958), Mirza Farhatullah Beg, Shafiq-ur-Rahman,
Azim Baig Chughtai, Ibn-e-Insha, Mushfiq Khwaja, Mushtaq Ahmed
Yousifi, K.L.Kapur, Amjad Hussain, Mujtaba Hussain, Himayatullah
and Talib Khundmeri are the other leading names in the
field of humour.
Prof. Hafiz Mohammed Sheerani (1888-1945) devoted long years to
the field of literary criticism. Others in this field include
Shaikh Mohammed Ikram (1907-1976), Sayyid Ihtesham Hussain (1912
- 1976), Mohammed Hasan Askari, Ale-Ahmed Suroor, Mumtaz Husain,
Masud Husain, Shams-ur-Rahman Faruqi, Gopichand Narang, Mughni
Tabassum (b.1930) and others.
Farhang-e-Asifya is the first Urdu dictionary based on
principles of the modern lexicography, which was produced by
Maulana Sayyid Ahmed Dehlvi (1846-1920) in 1892.
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