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The Famous Poets and Scholars of Muslim India
Compiled by: Syed Ali Shahbaz
Pakistan's prominent Urdu and Persian poet, Khawar Rizvi
On June 1, 1938 AD, Pakistan's prominent Urdu and Persian poet, Khawar Rizvi was born in Punjab. Born Seyyed Sibt-e Hassan Rizvi in a family tracing its descent from Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), he took the penname "Khawar" (East in Persian) for writing poetry and essays, as he was a great admirer of eastern values and way of life.
An enlightened scholar, he actively participated in the political and intellectual movements as a member of the Progressive Writers' Movement. He was against all types of tyranny, dictatorship, subjugation and exploitation. Due to his ideology and political beliefs he became a victim of the oppressive policies of General Zia ul-Haq, the dictator of Pakistan. Khawar died of a heart attack at the age of 43 in 1981.
The famous Urdu novelist, Saadat Hassan Manto
On May 11 in 1912 AD, the famous Urdu novelist, Saadat Hassan Manto was born in Ludhiana in what is now India's Punjab state. He is best known for his short stories, such 'Bu' (Odour), "Khol Do" (Open It), "Thanda Gosht" (Cold Meat), and his magnum opus, "Toba Tek Singh". For a while he lived in Bombay and wrote film scripts, before migration to Pakistan in 1948. He died in Lahore in 1955. In his short life, Manto published twenty-two collections of short stories, one novel, five collections of radio plays, three collections of essays, and two collections of personal sketches.
The famous Urdu poet of India, Amir Ahmad Minai
On 16th of the Islamic month of Sha’ban in 1244 AH, the famous Urdu poet of India, Amir Ahmad Minai, was born. He started writing poems as of the age of 15 years. His works in prose and verse were simple and delicate. He has also written numerous odes in admiration of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and the Ahl al-Bayt. His elegies include “Nour-e Tajalli” and “Abr-e Tajalli” on the birth of the Holy Prophet (SAWA).
Munshi Premchand
On July 31, 1880 AD, Munshi Premchand, famous for his modern Urdu-Hindi literature, was born near Benares in northern India. He learnt Urdu and Persian in childhood, and years later taught himself English. After his mother's death, he sought solace in fiction, and developed a fascination for books, especially after hearing stories from the Persian-language fantasy epic "Tilism-e Hoshruba" His writings prominently featured realism, describing the problems of the poor and the urban middle-class. He used literature for the purpose of arousing public awareness about national and social issues and often wrote about topics related to corruption, child widowhood, prostitution, feudal system, poverty, colonialism and on the freedom movement. He died in 1936 at the age of 56 years. Among his works mention could be made of Soz-e Watan, Jalwa-e Isaar, Bazaar-e Hosn, and Maidan-e-Amal.
The famous India historian and poet, Safai Tirmizi
On 7th of the Islamic month of Ramadhan in 944 AH, one of the renowned historians and poets, Seyyed Nezam od-Din Mohammad M’asoum Safai Tirmizi, who wrote under the penname “Naami”, was born in India. His ancestors were from Qandahar in Afghanistan. He and his father served the Sultans of Gujarat in western India. He has left behind valuable books, such as “Tibb-e Naami”on medicine. He passed away in 1019 AH.
The prominent Indian Islamic scholar, Seyyed Mohammad Dildari
On 4th of the Islamic month of Shawwal in 1260 AH, the prominent Indian Islamic scholar, Seyyed Mohammad Dildari, was born. He initially learned sciences under his father and later on under the renowned Islamic scholars of his day. Thereafter, he compiled numerous valuable books. Among the 40 works he left behind, mention can be made of “Emad al-Ijtehad” on jurisprudence.
Prominent philosopher of the Subcontinent, Syed Zafar ul-Hassan
On June 19, 1949 AD, prominent philosopher of the Subcontinent, Syed Zafar ul-Hassan, passed away in Lahore, Pakistan, at the age of 64 years. He was educated at Allahabad and obtained doctorates from the universities of Erlangen and Heidelberg in Germany. He then became the first Muslim Scholar of the Subcontinent to obtain a PhD from Oxford University in Philosophy.
He started teaching at Aligarh Muslim University, India in 1911, and in 1913 became professor of philosophy at Islamia College, Peshawar in what is now Pakistan. From 1924 to 1945 he was professor of philosophy at the Aligarh Muslim University, where he also served as Chairman of the Department of Philosophy.
In 1939, he put forward the 'Aligarh Scheme' along with Dr Afzaal Hussain Qadri, titled "The Problem of Indian Muslims" proposing three independent states in the Subcontinent. From 1945 until the partition of the country, he was Emeritus Professor at Aligarh. In August 1947, he migrated to Pakistan. He wrote many books including "Revelation and Prophet", "Message of Iqbal", and "Philosophy of Islam"
The famous Urdu and Persian poet of India, Mir Mohammad Taqi Mir
On September 20, 1810 AD, the famous Urdu and Persian poet of India, Mir Mohammad Taqi Mir, passed away at the age of 87. Born in Agra in a religious family descended from the Infallible Imams of the Prophet's Household, he was one of the pioneers who gave shape to Urdu language, and is considered the principal poet of the Delhi School.
He later migrated to Lucknow at a time when Urdu language and poetry was in its formative stage. Mir's instinctive aesthetic sense helped him strike a balance between the indigenous expression and new enrichment coming in from Persian imagery and idiom.
He was a prolific author in both Urdu and Persian, and wrote his autobiography titled "Zikr-e Mir" in Persian. In addition to his "Kulliyat-e Farsi" or Persian language collection of poems, he has also left behind at least six divans in Urdu.
The famous poet, essayist and scholar of the Maldives islands, Hussein Salah od-Din
On September 20, 1948, the famous poet, essayist and scholar of the Maldives islands, Hussein Salah od-Din, passed away at the age of 67 in Sri Lanka and was buried in Colombo Park. He is recognized for his outstanding contributions to Maldivian literature, including the translation of various books written in Arabic, Urdu and Persian into Dhivehi language. He became the Attorney General of Maldives at the young age of 18 years also served as the Chief Justice of the Maldives for a long time.
The Urdu and Persian author, linguistic, researcher and critic, Dr. Ghulam Mustafa Khan
On September 23, 1912, the Urdu and Persian author, linguistic, researcher and critic, Dr. Ghulam Mustafa Khan, was born in Jabalpur, India, in a religious family of the Naqshbandi Sufi order. He was a product of the famous Aligarh Muslim University and did him his MA in Urdu & Persian literature, followed by PhD on the eminent Persian poet, Hassan Ghaznavi.
He migrated to Pakistan, and took up service at the Urdu College, Karachi. Later he was head of the Department of Urdu in Sindh University, Hyderabad. His book on the famous philosopher-poet Iqbal Lahori and the holy Qu'an, was awarded as the best book ever written on this subject. Dr Ghulam Mustafa became a famous religious and spiritual leader. He trained a large number of students and was author of more than 100 books in Arabic, Persian, Urdu and English.
The Indo-Pakistani political activist and literary figure, Seyyed Ghulam Mohi od-Din Nairang
On September 26, 1876 AD, the Indo-Pakistani political activist and literary figure, Seyyed Ghulam Mohi od-Din Nairang, was born in Ambala in a family that had migrated to India from Termez in Greater Khorasan. He studied law and joined the All-India Muslim League. He was a close friend of the Philosopher-Poet of the East, Allamah Mohammad Iqbal Lahori, and was active in political and social activities. On the creation of Pakistan he settled in Lahore where he died in 1952. In addition to his poetical composition "Kalaam-e Nairang" he was a regular contributor to literary Urdu magazines such as "Zamana", “Makhzan”, “Humayun”, “Aligarh Old Boys”, and his own “Tableegh”. His articles on political, national and literary topics also appeared in the prominent newspapers of those days such as "Inqelaab” (Lahore), “Zamindaar” (Lahore), “Wakeel” (Amritsar), “Sach” (Lukhnow), and “Khilafat” (Bombay).
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