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Precursor of the Urdu novel[edit]

Prose in Urdu literature developed into a proper literary form a lot later than Urdu poetry. Among the various poetic forms practised in Urdu, the masnavis or the verse romances are said to be the precursors of the Urdu novel as they contain in them elements that later went in the making of the novels.[1] Some of the early masnavis include Gasavvi’s masnavis of Saif ul Muluk and Badi ul Jamal which were composed as early as 1616 in the Deccan.[1] Other masnavis include Masnavi e Bairam and Gulandam, Ibn Nasahti’s Phulban, Nusrati’s Ghulam e Ishq.[2]

Apart from the verse romances, the early prose romances like Baq o Bahar, Araish i Mahfil, Bahar i Danish, Qissa e Laila e Majnun, and Gulbakoili also heralded the coming of the Urdu novel.[3]

The establishment of the Naval Kishor Press at Lucknow and the translation and publication of cycle of stories such as Dastan i Amir Hamza and Bostan e Khayal further popularised Urdu prose and lead to the publication of the Rajab Ali Suroor’s Fasaina e Ajaib, the first original romance in the Urdu language.[4]

Early novels[edit]

In 1869, Nazir Ahmad Dehlvi published Mirat-ul-Uroos, the first original novel in Urdu.[5] It served as Nazir’s form of conduct literature about marriage aiming to show young Muslim the virtues that must be cultivated for a good and successful married life.[6] Nazir Ahmad followed Mirat-ul-Urros with a sequel, Binat-un-Nash.[7]

Ratan Nath Dhar Sarshar introduced proper fiction and touch of realism in Urdu novel with his serialised novel Fasana-e-Azad which was influenced from Don Quixote.[8] It was published in four volumes and is set in Lucknow.[9] While the characters and settings of Fasana-e-Azad are realistic, the plot and events are very loosely knit and the characters lack consistent development.[10]

Abdul Halim Sharar was one of the early adopter of novel writing who gained immensed popularity as a novelist. He was influenced by the novels of Walter Scott and introduced historical elements into his work.[11] He wrote several historical novels such as Malik Aziz aur Varjana and Saukin Malka, both set during the Crusades. His Alfanso, Flora Florenda and Maftuh Fateh are set during the Muslim rule in Spain.[12] His Husn ka Daku and Asrar i Darbar i Harampur dealt with contemporary history.[13] Sharar also wrote several novel that dealt with social themes such as Badr un Misa ki Musibat, Aga Sadiq ki Shadi, Dilkash and Tahira.[14]

Urdu novelists writing immediately after Nazir Ahmed, Sarshar and Sharar were generally their imitators whose works were derivatives.[15] Munshi Sajjad Husain wrote several novels such as Haji Baglol and Tarhdar Laundi.[15] Qazi Sarfaraz Husains wrote novels such as Saza e Atish, Anjam i Atish, Sa’dat, Sa’id, and Shahid e Rana.[16]

This period also saw a plethora of translations of English novels. Notable among these were Jaur i Falak, a translation of East Lynne by Mirza Muhammad Said; Zara-Azim, a translation of The Mighty Atom by Brij Kumari; Aina e Ibrat a translation of Mrs. Halliburton’s Troubles by Khujista Akhtar Suravardy.[17]

Muhammad Ali Talib wrote novels such as Gaura, Jaffar Abbasa, Husn i Sarvar, Akhtar o Hasina, and Neel ka Sanp which were popular at the time of their appearance.[18]

Maulvi Bashir ud Din Ahmad, son of Nazir Ahmad, also wrote several novels that show influences of Mirat-ul-Urros and Binat-un-Nash. His major works are Iqbal Dulhan, Husn i Maashirat, Isla e Maishat.[19]

Syed Ahmad Dehlvi’s Rahat Zamani and Mehr Afroz are conduct books for young girls.[20]

20th century[edit]

Mirza Hadi Ruswa is best remembered for his novel Umrao Jaan Ada which was one of the first modern Urdu novels. His other novels include Zat i Sarif, Sharifzada, Akhtari Begum, Khuni Bhed, Khuni Asiq, and Rus ka Shahzada.[21]

Mirza Muhammad Said introduced analytical novels into Urdu with Khab i Hasti and Yasmim, both of which are exploration of the inner conflicts of youth.[21]

Women novelists[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Suhrawardy 1945, p. 23.
  2. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, pp. 23, 24.
  3. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, p. 25.
  4. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, pp. 25, 26.
  5. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, pp. 40, 41.
  6. ^ Clark 1970, p. 119.
  7. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, p. 52.
  8. ^ Clark 1970, p. 111.
  9. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, p. 33.
  10. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, p. 32.
  11. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, p. 66.
  12. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, p. 68.
  13. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, p. 81.
  14. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, p. 82.
  15. ^ a b Suhrawardy 1945, p. 92.
  16. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, p. 93.
  17. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, p. 94.
  18. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, p. 95.
  19. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, p. 99.
  20. ^ Suhrawardy 1945, p. 102.
  21. ^ a b Suhrawardy 1945, pp. 172, 173.

Cited sources[edit]

  • Suhrawardy, Shāista Akhbar Bānu (1945). A Critical Survey of the Development of the Urdu Novel and Short Story. Longmans, Green & Company.
  • Clark, Thomas Welbourne (1970). The Novel in India: Its Birth and Development. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-01725-2.
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