Hakim Ahmad Shuja
Encyclopedia
Hakim Ahmad Shuja (born 1893-died January 1969), MBE
, was a famous Urdu
and Persian poet, writer, scholar and mystic, from former British India, later Pakistan
.
to India
, between the 10th-11th centuries AD . During the times of the Sultans of Delhi
, the family came to prominence as religious divines and Hakims i.e. practitioners of the traditional Hikmat (the Unani, or Greek system of medicine) and by the time of the Mughal
Emperor Akbar the Great
(c.1542-1605) they were established as Court Physicians at Lahore
, in the Bhati Gate
area of the Old City. Later, family members served as Chief Qazis(or Qadi
s) at Lahore and Kashmir
under Afghan
(Durrani
) rule, and a branch were ministers during Ranjit Singh
's Sikh
rule . Ahmad Shuja's father, Hakim Shuja-ed-din, was a Sufi mystic of the Chishtiya Order and one of the early pioneers of the Urdu literary press in Lahore, bringing out the famous "Shor-i-Mahshar" journal and participating actively in the work of the Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam
and Anjuman i Punjab associations.
. After a basic education in Arabic and Quranic studies at home, and initial Sufic training under various notable mystics, he was then admitted for 'English education' to the old Central Model School, Lahore and later sent to the famous Aligarh University, from where he graduated with honours.
For some time, Hakim Ahmad Shuja then worked as a lecturer
at the Osmania University
in Hyderabad state (Deccan) but was not happy and returned to Lahore to seek employment there. After several journalistic and academic ventures, he eventually settled down to regular service in the secretariat of the Punjab Legislative Assembly
, finally retiring as Secretary to the Punjab Assembly in the 1950s.
language, several dramatic works in collaboration with Imtiaz Ali Taj, Agha Hashar and other theatrical producers, and, later on, screenplays and lyrics for the early Indo-Pakistan cinema.
However, his fame today rests chiefly on these noted works: "Lahore ka Chelsea" (1967; 1989 reprint), a collection of memoirs of Old Lahore; "Khoon-Baha" (1962), some of his other personal memoirs; "Gard-i-Karvan" (1950s; reprint 1960), a collection of poems and essays in praise of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
and the 'Ahl i Bayt' (members of the Prophet's family) as exemplars of the 'Ideal' Muslim
character; and his lovely, lyrical
poems, some of which were later successfully adapted for film songs. These works reflect his idealism and humane and deeply mystical faith and a Romanticism
which reflects both the typical Urdu and Persian poetic traditions, as well as the influence of Western
writers such as Shelley
, Thomas Carlyle
, Goethe and Victor Hugo
.
.In many ways, thus, he had a direct influence and bearing upon the development of both early Pakistani literature and cinema. In addition, he also made a significant contribution to the early development of Urdu language, linguistics
and etymology
as permanent secretary and one of the main compilers/editors of Pakistan's Official Language Committee, 1949, responsible for the standardization of official and court terms, from English
to Urdu.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
, was a famous 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...
and Persian poet, writer, scholar and mystic, from former British India, later 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...
.
Background
Hakim Ahmad Shuja belonged to an old and prominent family of mystics and Islamic religious scholars, who had migrated from Arabia and TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, between the 10th-11th centuries AD . During the times of the Sultans of Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, the family came to prominence as religious divines and Hakims i.e. practitioners of the traditional Hikmat (the Unani, or Greek system of medicine) and by the time of the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
Emperor Akbar the Great
Akbar the Great
Akbar , also known as Shahanshah Akbar-e-Azam or Akbar the Great , was the third Mughal Emperor. He was of Timurid descent; the son of Emperor Humayun, and the grandson of the Mughal Emperor Zaheeruddin Muhammad Babur, the ruler who founded the Mughal dynasty in India...
(c.1542-1605) they were established as Court Physicians at Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, in the Bhati Gate
Bhati Gate
The Bhati Gate is located within Walled City of Lahore in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Bhati Gate entrance is located on the Western wall of the Old City. It is one of the two oldest entry points into the Walled City which controlled the only major north-south thoroughfare during Ghaznavid period...
area of the Old City. Later, family members served as Chief Qazis(or Qadi
Qadi
Qadi is a judge ruling in accordance with Islamic religious law appointed by the ruler of a Muslim country. Because Islam makes no distinction between religious and secular domains, qadis traditionally have jurisdiction over all legal matters involving Muslims...
s) at Lahore and Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
under Afghan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
(Durrani
Durrani
Durrani or Abdali is the name of a chief Pashtun tribal confederation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Originally known by their ancient name Abdali later as Durrani they have been called Durrani since the beginning of the Durrani Empire in 1747. The number of Durranis are estimated to be roughly 16%...
) rule, and a branch were ministers during Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
's Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
rule . Ahmad Shuja's father, Hakim Shuja-ed-din, was a Sufi mystic of the Chishtiya Order and one of the early pioneers of the Urdu literary press in Lahore, bringing out the famous "Shor-i-Mahshar" journal and participating actively in the work of the Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam
Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam
Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam , launched in Lahore in 1884. One of its major efforts was the setting up of a number of schools for Muslim girls and orphanages in the Punjab, where girls were taught Urdu and the Qur’an, as well as mathematics, needlework and crafts...
and Anjuman i Punjab associations.
Early Life and Career
Hakim Ahmad Shuja was the only son of his parents, who both died when he was still a minor and he was brought up largely by an elder cousin, Hakim Amin-ed-din, BarristerBarrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
. After a basic education in Arabic and Quranic studies at home, and initial Sufic training under various notable mystics, he was then admitted for 'English education' to the old Central Model School, Lahore and later sent to the famous Aligarh University, from where he graduated with honours.
For some time, Hakim Ahmad Shuja then worked as a lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
at the Osmania University
Osmania University
Osmania University , , since 1918, is a public university located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established and named after the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. It is one of the oldest modern universities in India. It is the first Indian University to have Urdu and...
in Hyderabad state (Deccan) but was not happy and returned to Lahore to seek employment there. After several journalistic and academic ventures, he eventually settled down to regular service in the secretariat of the Punjab Legislative Assembly
Punjab Legislative Assembly
The Punjab Legislative Assembly or the Punjab Vidhan Sabha is the unicameral legislature of the state of Punjab in northern India. At present, it consists of 117 members, directly elected from 117 single-seat constituencies. The tenure of the legislative assembly is five years, unless sooner...
, finally retiring as Secretary to the Punjab Assembly in the 1950s.
Writings
Hakim Ahmad Shujah was a very prolific and versatile writer indeed, producing several collections of Urdu and Persian poetry, countless essays and belles-lettres published in newspapers and journals throughout India (and later Pakistan), one of the earliest translations of the Quran in PunjabiPunjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
language, several dramatic works in collaboration with Imtiaz Ali Taj, Agha Hashar and other theatrical producers, and, later on, screenplays and lyrics for the early Indo-Pakistan cinema.
However, his fame today rests chiefly on these noted works: "Lahore ka Chelsea" (1967; 1989 reprint), a collection of memoirs of Old Lahore; "Khoon-Baha" (1962), some of his other personal memoirs; "Gard-i-Karvan" (1950s; reprint 1960), a collection of poems and essays in praise of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
and the 'Ahl i Bayt' (members of the Prophet's family) as exemplars of the 'Ideal' Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
character; and his lovely, lyrical
Lyrical
The term lyrical may mean:*Lyrics, or words in songs*Lyrical dance, a style of dancing*Emotional, expressing strong feelings*Lyric poetry, poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view...
poems, some of which were later successfully adapted for film songs. These works reflect his idealism and humane and deeply mystical faith and a Romanticism
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
which reflects both the typical Urdu and Persian poetic traditions, as well as the influence of Western
Western
Western may refer to:* Western , a category of fiction and visual art centered on the American Old West** Western fiction, the Western genre as featured in literature* Western music, a type of American folk music-In geography:...
writers such as Shelley
Shelley
-Meaning:In many baby name books, Shelley is listed as meaning "From the meadow on the ledge" or "clearing on a bank". It is Old English in origin. As with many other names , Shelley is today a name given almost exclusively to girls after historically being male...
, Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era.He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator.Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was...
, Goethe and Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
.
Later Life and Legacy
Hakim Ahmad Shuja continued to write even until the time of his death in 1969. Between the 1950s and 1960s, he became especially interested in the potentialities of film-making and cinemaCinema
Cinema may refer to:* Film, motion pictures or movies* Filmmaking, the process of making a film* Movie theater, a building in which films are shown* Cinema or Bommalattam, a Tamil film...
.In many ways, thus, he had a direct influence and bearing upon the development of both early Pakistani literature and cinema. In addition, he also made a significant contribution to the early development of Urdu language, 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....
and etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
as permanent secretary and one of the main compilers/editors of Pakistan's Official Language Committee, 1949, responsible for the standardization of official and court terms, from English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
to Urdu.