MIRZA GHALIB

Dabeer-ul-Mulk, Najm-ud-daulah Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan (Urdu/Persian: مرزا اسد اللہ بیگ خان ), pen-name Ghalib (Urdu/Persian: غالب, ġhālib means dominant) and (former pen-name) Asad (Urdu/Persian: اسد, asad means lion) (27 December 1796^[1] — 15 February 1869), was an all time great classical Urdu and Persian poet of the Indian subcontinent. Most notably, he wrote several ghazals during his life, which have since been interpreted and sung in many different ways by different people. He is considered to be the most popular and influential poet of the Urdu language.

AHMAD FARAZ

Ahmed Faraz (Urdu: احمد فراز Hindi: अहमद फ़राज़) (January 14, 1931 – August 25, 2008) was considered one of the greatest modern Urdu poets of the last century. Faraz is his pseudonym ‘takhallus’, whereas his real name is Syed Ahmad Shah. Ahmed Faraz died in Islamabad on August 25, 2008.^[1]

Ahmed Faraz, who has been compared with Mohammad Iqbal and Faiz Ahmed Faiz, holds a unique position as one of the best poets of current times, with a fine but simple style of writing. ^[2]Even common people can easily understand. Ethnically a pashto speaking Pashtun, Ahmed Faraz studied Persian and Urdu at the Peshawar University. He later became lecturer at the Peshawar University.

ALLAMA IQBAL

Sir Muhammad Iqbal (Urdu: محمد اقبال) born (November 9, 1877 – April 21, 1938) was a Muslim poet, philosopher and politician born in Sialkot, British India (now in Pakistan), whose poetry in Urdu, Arabic and Persian is considered to be among the greatest of the modern era,^[1] and whose vision of an independent state for the Muslims of British India was to inspire the creation of Pakistan. He is commonly referred to as Allama Iqbal (علامہ اقبال‎, Allama lit. Scholar.)

After studying in England and Germany, Iqbal established a law practice, but concentrated primarily on writing scholarly works on politics, economics, history, philosophy and religion. He is best known for his poetic works, including Asrar-e-Khudi—which brought a knighthood— Rumuz-e-Bekhudi, and the Bang-e-Dara, with its enduring patriotic song Tarana-e-Hind. In India, he is regarding for the patriotic song, Saare Jahan Se Achcha (सारे जहाँ से अच्छा). In Afghanistan and Iran, where he is known as Iqbāl-e Lāhorī (اقبال لاہوری‎ Iqbal of Lahore), he is highly regarded for his Persian works.

Iqbal was a strong proponent of the political and spiritual revival of Islamic civilisation across the world, but specifically in India; a series of famous lectures he delivered to this effect were published as The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. One of the most prominent leaders of the All India Muslim League, Iqbal encouraged the creation of a “state in northwestern India for Indian Muslims” in his 1930 presidential address.^[2] Iqbal encouraged and worked closely with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and he is known as Muffakir-e-Pakistan (“The Thinker of Pakistan”), Shair-e-Mashriq (“The Poet of the East”), and Hakeem-ul-Ummat (“The Sage of Ummah“). He is officially recognised as the “national poet” in Pakistan. The anniversary of his birth (یوم ولادت محمد اقبال‎ – Yōm-e Welādat-e Muḥammad Iqbāl) on November 9 is a holiday in Pakistan.

MEENA KUMARI NAAZ(mahjabeen bano)

Mahjabeen Bano was the third daughter of Ali Baksh and Iqbal Begum; Khursheed and Madhu were her two elder sisters. At the time of her birth, her parents were unable to pay the fees of Dr. Gadre, who had delivered her, so her father left her at a Muslim orphanage, however, he picked her up after a few hours.

Her father, a Sunni Muslim, was a veteran of Parsi theater, played harmonium, taught music, and wrote Urdu poetry. He played small roles in films like Id Ka Chand and composed music for films like Shahi Lutere.

She is also a very good urdu poet.Her takhallus is NAAZ .Her some ghazal is realy incridable so i add her profile to my blog.

FIRQ GORAKHPURI

Firaq Gorakhpuri was born Raghupati Sahay in the year 1896 at Gorakhpur District of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Born to a family of aristocrats, Firaq had a taste of Urdu poetry at very tender age. He started writing poetry in Urdu in teens and developed his own niche in an era that was marked by the likes of Sahir, Iqbal, Faiz and Kaifi. Although a left leaning intellectual, Firaq was never an active member of ‘Indian Progressive Writers Association’.

KALEEM AJIZ

Dr. Ajiz, a very respected world renowned Urdu poet from Patna, is currently in Toronto, Canada. PatnaDaily.Com had the privilege to briefly highlight the great life and work of this scholar and philosopher who most certainly has left an indelible mark in the Indian literary world.Dr. Ajiz, who is very proud to represent India, and Patna in particular, was born in a village in Patna district in the 1920s. He was a gold medalist in BA from Patna College and then earned his Masters degree in Urdu from Patna University. He also got his doctorate from Patna University for his thesis on “Evolution of Urdu Literature in Bihar.” This thesis is now available in a book form. He served as a lecturer for decades in the Department of Urdu at Patna University.

In 1976, his first book of ghazals was released by the President of India in Vigyan Bhawan, Delhi. In the ’60s and ’70s he was the only Urdu poet who represented Bihar in the Red Fort Mushaira held every year in Delhi on the eve of Independence Day.

 

GULZAR

‘Sampooran Singh Kalra’ was born on August 18, 1936, to Makhan Singh Kalra and Sujan Kaur in Dina, Jhelum District, British India, located in the current-day West Punjab, Pakistan.

He is best known in India as a lyricist for songs that form an integral part of Indian cinema. Gulzar began his career under two other artists – Bimal Roy and Hrishikesh Mukherjee. His book Ravi Paar has a narrative of Bimal Roy and the agony of creation. Gulzar started his career as a songwriter with Sachin Dev Burman for the movie “Bandini” (1963). The song was “Mora gora ang layle”, pictured on Nutan.

QATEEL SHIFAI

His real name was Aurangzeb Khan. He adopted Qateel Shifai as his pen name in 1938 under which he was known in the world of Urdu poetry. “Qateel” was his “takhallus” and “Shifai” was in honour of his ustaad Hakim Mohammed ‘Shifa’ whom he considered his mentor.

Due to his father’s early death, Qateel was forced to quit his education. He started his own sporting goods shop. Being unsuccessful in his business he decided to move to Rawalpindi, where he started working for a transport company and earned about 60 Rupees a month.

In 1946, he was called to Lahore by Nazir Ahmed to work as the assistant editor of the monthly ‘Adab-e-Latif’, a literary magazine published since 1936. His first ghazal was published in the Lahore weekly ‘Star’, edited by Qamar Jalalabadi.

In January 1947, Qateel was asked to pen the songs of a film by a Lahore based film producer. The first film he penned the lyrics for was “Teri Yaad”. After that there was no looking back. He won numerous awards as a lyricist. Many of his poem collections were published, one amongs them being “Mutriba” which got him the highest literature award in Pakistan.

To raise the standards of ghazals in films has been Qateel’s primary contribution to Urdu poetry. This was already started by Tanvir Alvi and Sahir Ludhianvi, but perpetuated and concluded by Qateel Shifai. By using simple words and a larger amount of Hindi, Qateel brought Urdu poetry closer to the masses. He established a certain standard to ghazals in films and gave them a certain respectability.

Qateel Shifai worked on numerous ghazal albums with Jagjit and Chitra Singh, as well as with Ghulam Ali to name a few.

KHWAJA HAIDAR ALI AATISH

Aatish is counted among the leading ghazal writers of Urdu. His poetry is remarkable for its chaste language, a distinct style of expression and elegance. His ghazals are full of unsullied images that reflect socio-cultural environ of feudal Lucknow. Though, he lived and wrote in a conservative society, he left the distinct stamp of his personality on his ghazals.

 

MIR TAQI MIR

Mir Taqi Mir (Urdu: میر تقی میر) (b. 1723 – d. 1810), whose original name was Mohammed Taqi (Urdu: محمد تقی) and takhallus was Mir (Urdu: میر) (sometimes also spelt as Meer Taqi Meer), was the leading Urdu poet of the eighteenth century, and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu language itself. He was one of the principal poets of the Delhi school of the Urdu ghazal and remains arguably the foremost name in Urdu poetry often remembered as Khuda-e-Sukhan meaning God of verse.

He was born in Agra, India (called “Akbarabad” at the time), which at the time was ruled by the Mughals, in 1723. He left for Delhi, at the age of 11, following his father’s death. His philosophy of life was formed primarily from his father, whose emphasis on the importance of love and the value of compassion remained with him through his life and imbued his poetry.