Akhlaq Mohammed Khan ‘Shahryar’
Encyclopedia
Akhlaq Mohammed Khan who writes under the pen name Shahryar, is an Indian academician
, and a doyen of Urdu poetry
in India, as a lyricist in Hindi
films, he is most noted for his lyrics in films, Gaman
(1978), Umrao Jaan
(1981) and Anjuman (1986), by Muzaffar Ali
. He has been selected for Jnanpith Award
-2008 which is the highest literary award in India. This prestigious award will be given to him in the recognition of his contribution for Urdu language.
, Uttar Pradesh
in a Muslim Rajput family. His father a was teacher in a state school at Aonla. He received his early education at Bulandshahr and later studied at Aligarh Muslim University
.
as a lecturer in Urdu, he was appointed professor in 1986, and in 1996, he retired as chairman of the Urdu Department at the Aligarh Muslim University
, Aligarh, where he now lives and devotes his time entirely to poetry, and also co-edits the literary magazine "Sher-o-Hikmat" (Poetry and Philosophy),.
He remained a professor of Urdu
at Aligarh Muslim University
, and in 1996, retired as chairman of the Urdu Department at the Aligarh Muslim University
, Aligarh, where he stays now
in Urdu for his poetry collection, Khwab Ka Dar Band Hai (1987).
He became the fourth Jnanpith winner in Urdu.
in Urdu for the year. He has also published five collections of his poetry in Devanagari
script.
Academician
The title Academician denotes a Full Member of an art, literary, or scientific academy.In many countries, it is an honorary title. There also exists a lower-rank title, variously translated Corresponding Member or Associate Member, .-Eastern Europe and China:"Academician" may also be a functional...
, and a doyen of Urdu poetry
Urdu poetry
Urdu poetry is a rich tradition of poetry and has many different types and forms. Borrowing much from the Persian language, it is today an important part of Pakistani and North Indian culture....
in India, as a lyricist in Hindi
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
films, he is most noted for his lyrics in films, Gaman
Gaman
Gaman is a Bollywood film released in 1978. It is the directorial debut of Muzaffar Ali, who went on to make the successful film Umrao Jaan....
(1978), Umrao Jaan
Umrao Jaan
Umrao Jaan is a 1981 Bollywood film, directed by Muzaffar Ali. It is based on the Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada , written by Mirza Hadi Ruswa based on the famous Lucknow courtesan...
(1981) and Anjuman (1986), by Muzaffar Ali
Muzaffar Ali
Rajah Muzaffar Ali is an Indian film-maker, a fashion designer, a poet, an artist, a music-lover, a revivalist, and a social worker.He belongs to a Royal Muslim Rajput family of Kotwara. He is not to be confused with the famous 16th century Persian artist of the Persian miniature.Muzaffar Ali was...
. He has been selected for Jnanpith Award
Jnanpith Award
The Jnanpith Award is a literary award in India. Along with the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, it is one of the two most prestigious literary honours in the country...
-2008 which is the highest literary award in India. This prestigious award will be given to him in the recognition of his contribution for Urdu language.
Early life
Khan was born at tehsil Aonla, BareillyBareilly
Bareilly is a prominent city in Bareilly district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Standing on the Ramganga river, it is the capital of the Bareilly division and the geographical region Rohilkhand...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
in a Muslim Rajput family. His father a was teacher in a state school at Aonla. He received his early education at Bulandshahr and later studied at Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
.
Career
Khan started his career as a literary assistant at Anjuman Tarraqqi-e-Urdu, thereafter he joined Aligarh Muslim UniversityAligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
as a lecturer in Urdu, he was appointed professor in 1986, and in 1996, he retired as chairman of the Urdu Department at the Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
, Aligarh, where he now lives and devotes his time entirely to poetry, and also co-edits the literary magazine "Sher-o-Hikmat" (Poetry and Philosophy),.
He remained a professor 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...
at Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
, and in 1996, retired as chairman of the Urdu Department at the Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
, Aligarh, where he stays now
Awards
He was awarded the 1987 Sahitya Akademi AwardSahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
in Urdu for his poetry collection, Khwab Ka Dar Band Hai (1987).
He became the fourth Jnanpith winner in Urdu.
Works
His first poetry collection Ism-e-azam was published in 1965, the second collection, Satvan dar (Satva yet in English), came in 1969, the third collection titled Hijr ke mausam was released in 1978, his most celebrated work, Khwab Ke dar band hain, came in 1987, and also won him the Sahitya Akademi AwardSahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
in Urdu for the year. He has also published five collections of his poetry in Devanagari
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
script.
Selected bibliography
- Ism-e-azam, 1965.
- Satvan dar, 1969.
- Hijr ke mausam, 1978.
- Khwab Ke dar band Hain, 1987.
- Neend ki Kirchen - (English: Shards of Shattered Sleep) .
- Through the Closed Doorway: A Collection of Nazms by Shahryar, tr. Rakhshanda Jalil. 2004, Rupa & Co., ISBN 812910458X.
- Shahryar, Akhlaq Mohmmad Khan : Influence of the western criticism on the Urdu criticism, Aligarh.
- Dhund ki Roshni (English: The Light of Dusk): Selected Poems of Shahryar, 2003, Sahitya AkademiSahitya AkademiThe Sahitya Akademi ', India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India...
, ISBN 8126016159.