History of Urdu Shayari

Urdu Shayari or simply Urdu Poetry is a rich tradition of poetry with various forms. This poetry is an important part of the Pakistani and Hindu culture. However, like any other form of literature, Urdu Poetry has developed through the ages borrowing from various cultures to become what it is today. The Urdu language has developed over the centuries borrowing from native and non-native elements. Urdu as a historical language was spoken more than it was written or read. Many of the writing elements of modern Urdu are borrowed from Arabic and Persian. The language was used by British colonists to divide the Muslims and Hindus which resulted in the birth of the two nations, India and Pakistan. However, Urdu has survived through this and is currently used by both Hindus and Muslims in Bengal and Pakistan. It is the current identity of Pakistan and is significant in historical and cultural literature of both India and Pakistan.

Urdu Shayari traces its origins to the cradle of the Urdu language. Urdu literature developed in three main centers. These are Delhi, Lucknow and Deccan. The language developed as the result of the interaction between Muslim conquerors settling amongst the Hindu natives in the 12th and 13th centuries. Shayari made an appearance in the region in the mid 14th century as a result of the emergence of various poets. These Urdu Shayari poets are upheld in both Hindi and Urdu history. Quli Qutub Shah (1565 – 1611) is upheld as one of the very first notable shayari poets in both Hindu and Urdu culture.

Several other notable Urdu Shayari poets made emerged in the following centuries. Urdu poetry developed as did the language, borrowing from both native and non-native cultural elements. However, modern Urdu Poetry took take shape even before the formation of the Progressive Writers Movement. This was thanks to several Shayari poets emerging in the 19th century. Most notable of these poets was Altaf Husain Hali (1837 – 1914) who advocated for a more natural poetry that addressed the socio-cultural concerns of the time.

In the 1930s, the Progressive Writers Movement was formed. This was a manifesto developed by young Indian students of literature living in London at the time. These students mused over the role of Urdu poetry and literature in the fast ever changing world. The students encouraged the use of Urdu shayari to address the social and cultural issues of the time. The movement was focused on eradicating poverty, political exploitation, social backwardness and decadent morality. Members of the Progressive Writers Movement dreamt of an ideal society that was governed by a just political system.

The Progressive Writers Movement however, did not last for long. Emerging young Shayari poets had misgivings as to some of their policies. The new poets preferred to apprehend their own experiences without interference from external forces. These new poets modernized Urdu shayari. Most notable of these new poets were Miraji and Rashed. These poets and those who came after them developed their own view of modernism. The result is modern Urdu Poetry.

Basit Habib is the author of this article on Ghazals. Find more information on Urdu Shayari here.