The Pharaohs of Urdu: Ky Pi
The Pharaohs of Urdu: Ky Pi
The Pharaohs of Urdu: Ky Pi
∗
Munshµ Pr®m±and, “Urd∑ m® Fir‘auniyat,” in Pr®m±and Adabiy≥t (Patna,
), pp. –. This volume is number in the reprint series devoted to
selections from Zam≥na (Kanpur), which is where the original appeared in
December . All notes added are by the translator.
1
Niy≥z Mu√ammad Kh≥n Fate√p∑rµ, Niy≥z Fate√p∑rµ (–) is best
known for Nig≥r, the monthly journal he started at Bhopal in Feb. and then
moved to Lucknow in , editing, publishing and often writing the entire issue
himself. He was also an important figure among the so-called “aesthetes” in
Urdu. Frequently involved in literary and religious controversy, he also gained
many admirers all over South Asia. After living in Lucknow until late in his life,
he moved to Karachi with his magazine, where he died not long after.
2
These and similar titles were much favored by the Urdu “aesthetes,” whose
ranks included, besides Niy≥z, L≥m A√mad ( Laπµfu ’d-Dµn A√mad) Akbar≥b≥dµ,
Mi≥n Bashµr A√mad, ƒij≥b Imti≥z ‘Alµ, Majn∑ Gårak^p∑rµ, and Sajj≥d AnΩ≥rµ.
• T A U S
3
I suspect this to be a subtle dig at the large fashionably liberal but safely
silent element among educated Muslims.
4
The Hindustani Academy was founded in to encourage cooperation
between Hindi and Urdu writers and the use of a language that stayed away from
the linguistic extremes of the two. It brought out several valuable editions of
earlier texts, and also published a journal, Hindust≥nµ , in the two scripts. The
journal, I’m told, still exists, but its concern with Urdu is only nominal.
5
Day≥ Nar≥’in Nigam (–) was the publisher and editor of Zam≥na
(Kanpur), which for close to forty years was one of the best Urdu literary
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stuffing it with Arabic and Persian words, then a Hindu can also wish to
give Urdu a Hindu color by putting into it vocabularies from Hindi and
Bhasha.7
Urdu is not the exclusive heritage either of the Muslims or of the
Hindus. Both have equal rights to read and write it. The Hindus have a
prior right over it because it is a branch of Hindi.8 Hindi soil and water
have given Urdu its inherent shape, and that cannot be altered by
inserting into Urdu a few Arabic and Persian words—a change of dress
does not change anyone’s race or nationality. No matter how wrathful
Mr. Niyaz might become, the Hindu cannot discard his rightful claim on
Urdu, nor can he refrain from writing Urdu in his own way—no less than
the Muslim who writes Urdu in his own way. Mr. Niyaz may complain
loudly that the Hindus were butchering Urdu, but so can the Hindus
claim that the Muslims were slaughtering it, and more brutally at that.9 A
division or separation could take place only if the Muslims began to write
[exclusively] for the Muslims, and the Hindus similarly for the Hindus.
But it can never be that the Hindus entirely give up writing and
publishing in Urdu and be content reading the writings of the Muslims
alone. They are not prepared to accept this “second class” status. The
Hindus have a right to participate—as themselves—in any and every
movement that is launched for the growth of Urdu. I believe that there
would be no Muslim—except for those who are as narrow-minded as Mr.
Niyaz—who would deny the Hindus this right.
There are an abundant number of Muslims on the Academy’s
subcommittee that has the responsibility to select translators for its Urdu
publications. It should not cause anyone to complain if these committee
members do not consider the Hindus as incompetent as Mr. Niyaz does,
or if they do not think it improper to acknowledge the scholarship and
long service to Urdu of certain Hindu writers. Any denial of Mr. Nigam’s
services to Urdu’s cause would be a shameful oversight that only Mr.
Niyaz could commit. Who can estimate the [financial] losses Mr. Nigam
has borne in publishing Zam≥na ? He sacrificed not only his ancestral
7
It seems that for Pr®m±and, Hindi meant Kha∞µ Bålµ, while B^≥sh≥ stood for
Braj B^≥sh≥.
8
Two important recent books on Hindi and Urdu are: Alok Rai and
Shamsur Rahman Faruqi.
9
My understanding of this cryptic remark is that Pr®m±and is referring to the
one stroke killing by non-Muslims, and the slow ÿabµ√a of the Muslims.
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property for it, he has also devoted his entire life to it. And yet today a
mean-spirited journalist has the gall to declare that this twenty-five-year-
long literary service amounts to nothing! Likewise, Mr. Rawan is a senior
poet in Urdu—even Mr. Niyaz must have admired some of his verses.
But Mr. Niyaz’s admiration remains verbal at best; it totally vanishes the
moment any occasion arises for some monetary reward.
I will offer Mr. Niyaz some sincere advice: he should have the
members of the Academy selected on the basis of religion, instead of
language. He would then be free to swing his stick at any Hindu who
dared to trespass. But so long as the basis for selection is language alone,
and so long as Hindus continue to write in Urdu, Mr. Niyaz cannot push
them beyond the reach of any material token of appreciation. He should
also remember that on the basis of religion [qaumiyat] Urdu will get at
the maximum only one-third of any proffered amount, and that one-third
would also count for Urdu’s [claimed] “historical importance” and “high
dignity.”10
While Hindu writers are being shown such appreciation, just look at
how devoted the Hindus are to the Muslim poets [of Hindi]. New
editions of Rahim’s and Ja’isi’s works continue to appear, and they are
read as assiduously as the writings of Surdas and Tulsidas. These two
Muslim poets are anthologized in textbooks in the same manner as the
two Hindu poets. No one gives any thought to their being Muslims. But
I find no example of any Muslim scholar editing for publication the work
of a Hindu poet. It was only recently that Mr. Asghar Gondavi edited the
book Y≥dg≥r-e Nasµm , and he is still paying for his mistake. Is there any
limit to this literary arrogance and narrow-mindedness? ❐
10
The kind of statements many leaders of the Muslim League in U.P. were
making at the time.