GREATS OF URDU POETRY:
Ghazal is the most classic form of poetry not only in Urdu but also in Arabic, Persian and Turkish. By origin it was crafted as a simple love-poem, but with the passage of time, philosophical, mystical, dialectic and social subjects also made their way in this genre. During the initial period, Ghazal was embraced as a medium of self-expression by the great Persian Sufis (almost the Saints) of the 11th and 12th centuries, which brought this form of poetry to the forefront.
Traditions of Persian language and litreture were cultivated in the subcontinent by the Muslim rulers and during their rule Ghazal flourished alongwith other forms of poetry. The most celebrated-poet of that era was AMEER KHUSRO (1253-1325), a contemporary of the great masters of Persian-Ghazal, Sa’adi (d.1291) and Hafiz (1320-98). The era of KHUSRO saw the begining of Urdu Litreature and Urdu Ghazal in the North.
This tradition of Urdu litreature eventually spread to the Muslims Kingdoms of South during the 16th and 17th centuries, where, poets welcomed the Persian traditions and techniques, but its vocabulary was dominated by the local dialect. These poets described their language as “DAKHNI”. A prominent poet VALI DAKHNI (1668-1720) was a unique example of this trend. The rich illustrious tradition of Urdu Ghazal, which continues till today, was actually established by Vali. His visits to Delhi in the early 18th century completely revolutionized the literary atmosphere in the North and poets were mesmerized by Vali’s highly sophisticated typical diction. Under his influence, a major and perhaps the most siginificant revolution came into Urdu Ghazal with the advent of SAUDA (1713-81), DARD (1721-83) and MEER (1722-1810). These eminent poets gave Urdu Ghazal the glory it enjoys today.
Within a few decades the splendour of Ghazal swept across the literary circle of the subcontinent under the patronage of the last Moghul Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar (1775-1826). Being a poet of remarkable achievements himself, Zafar opened new doors of fame for Urdu Ghazal, which paved the way for greats like; ZAUQ (1790-1854), MOMIN (1800-52) and GHALIB (1797-1869).
These legends not only enhanced the high poetuc standards set by their predecessors Sauda and Meer, but added a passion for objectivity and a sense of high seriousness in poetry. Ghalib is of course an iconic personality in Urdu Ghazal, who along with other poets appeared to be deeply conscious not only of their own lives but also of humanity at large. DAGH DEHALVI (1831-1905) and AMEER MINAI (1829-1900) were the last representatives of traditional Ghazal in the Mughal era.
(this thread would proceed further with a short account on each of the greats mentioned in this article…)
Regards,
Raju Jamil
*Credits:- Extracted from PPL’s Dairy-2008
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