Abul Khair Kashfi
Encyclopedia
Syed Muhammad Abul Khair Kashfi (Urdu
: سید محمد ابو الخیر کشفی) was an author
, researcher
, critic
, linguist
and scholar of Urdu literature
and linguistics
from Pakistan
.
as Professor
and Chairman, Department of Urdu
from 1958 to 1994. He was also a Visiting Professor at the Osaka University of Foreign Studies
, Japan
. After retirement Kashfi devoted his time to writing, guiding research, public speaking and media appearances.
and Ph.D
degrees in Urdu from the University of Karachi
in 1952 and 1971 respectively. The Title of the Ph.D. thesis was "The Historical and Political background of Urdu Poetry from 1707 to 1857 A.C." In between he also earned a master's degree in Teaching of English as a Second Language from Teachers' college, Columbia University
, NY (1968).
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
: سید محمد ابو الخیر کشفی) was an author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
, critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
, linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
and scholar of Urdu literature
Urdu literature
Urdu literature has a long and colorful history that is inextricably tied to the development of that very language, Urdu, in which it is written...
and linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Career
He remained associated with the University of KarachiUniversity of Karachi
The University of Karachi is a public university located in Karachi, Pakistan. It serves an on-campus student population of more than 24,000. According to the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, it is ranked among the top three universities of the country...
as Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and Chairman, Department of Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
from 1958 to 1994. He was also a Visiting Professor at the Osaka University of Foreign Studies
Osaka University of Foreign Studies
, abbreviated to OUFS or , , or is a public coeducational research university in Minoh, Osaka, Japan. It is dedicated to area studies and the study of foreign languages and their related cultures.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. After retirement Kashfi devoted his time to writing, guiding research, public speaking and media appearances.
Education
Kashfi earned M.A.Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
and Ph.D
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degrees in Urdu from the University of Karachi
University of Karachi
The University of Karachi is a public university located in Karachi, Pakistan. It serves an on-campus student population of more than 24,000. According to the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, it is ranked among the top three universities of the country...
in 1952 and 1971 respectively. The Title of the Ph.D. thesis was "The Historical and Political background of Urdu Poetry from 1707 to 1857 A.C." In between he also earned a master's degree in Teaching of English as a Second Language from Teachers' college, Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, NY (1968).
Books
He has a vast collection of critical and literary writing to his credit which includes the following books:- Hayat-e-Muhammadi - Quran-e-Majeed Ke Aaine Mayn (“The Life of Muhammad in the Mirror of the Qur’an”), Dada Bhai Foundation Karachi.
- Urdu Sha’iri Ka Siyasi Aur Tarikhi Pasmanzar - 1707 to 1857 A.C (The Political and Historical Background of Urdu Poetry) Adabi Publishers, Karachi.
- Hamare Ahed Ka Adab Aur Adeeb, Qamar Kitab Ghar, Karachi.
- Jadeed Urdu Adab Ke Do Tanqecdi Jaezay (Two Critical Studies of Modern Urdu Literarture), Urdu Academy Sind, Karaclii.
- Hamare Adabi Aur Lisani Masail (“Our Literary and Linguistic Problems”), Majlis -e- Matbuaat -o- Tahqiqaat -e-Urdu, Karachi.
- Yeh Log Bhi Ghazab Thay (personality sketches), Feroze Sons Lahore.
- Ghalib Ki Cheh Ghazlen (“Six Ghazals of Ghalib), Urdu Academy Sindh, Karachi.
Awards
- Dawood Literary Award, (1975) Awarded for his book Urdu Sha’iri Ka Siyasi Aur Tarikhi Pasmanzar.
- National Seerat Award, (1991) Awarded for his book Hayat-e-Muhammadi - Quran-e-Majeed Ke Aaine Mayn by the Government of PakistanGovernment of PakistanThe Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
- Nishan-e-Azmat Award, (1991)
- Quaid-e-Azam Adbi Award, (1993)