Deputy Nazir Ahmad Dehlvi
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Deputy Nazeer Ahmad Dehlvi
'Diptee' (Deputy) Nazeer Ahmad was a leading Urdu writer
who was also a social and religious reformer, and a prominent scholar. He was a pioneer of Urdu literature
whose novels are today a basic part of the educational curriculum in the Indian sub-continent (i.e., India
and Pakistan
).
Nazir Ahmad (1830–1912) came from a distinguished family of religious scholars, maulavis and muftis of Bijnor
(Uttar Pradesh
) and Delhi
.
His father was a teacher in a small town near Bijnore, who taught the boy Persian and Arabic, and in 1842 took him to study with Maulvi Abd ul-Khaliq at the Aurangabadi Mosque in Delhi. In 1846, the boy had the opportunity to enroll at Delhi College, he chose its Urdu section, he later said, because his father had told him 'he would rather see me die than learn English'
and studied there till 1853. During this period he also discreetly arranged his own marriage, to Maulvi Abd ul-Khaliq's granddaughter.
He began his career as a teacher in Arabic, in 1854 he joined the British colonial administration, in(1856) he became a deputy inspector of schools in the Department of Public Instruction in Kanpur. And at the end of 1857 he was appointed to a similar deputy inspectorship in Allahabad. Later, for his superb translation of the Indian Penal Code
in Urdu, he was nominated for the Revenue Services. He was posted as deputy collector in what was then called the North-West Provinces (i.e. modern Uttar Pradesh
), and hence the name 'Diptee (Deputy) Nazir Ahmad’ by which he is popularly known.
In 1877 Nazir Ahmad was offered a well-paid administrative position in the princely state of Hyderabad. He remained there until 1884, when court politics forced him to resign and return to Delhi, where he lived for the rest of his life.
He died of a stroke in 1912.
Mirat-ul-Uroos
(Arabic For: The Bride's Mirror)-1868–1869-is regarded as the first novel of Urdu.
After its release in 1869, within twenty years it was reprinted in editions totalling over 100,000 copies; and was also translated into Bengali, Braj, Kashmiri, Punjabi, and Gujarati. It has never been out of print in Urdu from that day of its first publication. In 1903 an English translation was published in London by G. E. Ward.
Bina-tul-Nash- (The Daughters of the Bier, a name for the constellation Ursa Major),is another great Novel by Deputy Nazeer Ahmed. It was his 2nd novel after Mirat-tul-uroos. Like Mirat-ul-Uroos, this novel is also on education of women and their character building.
Taubat-un-Nasuh (Arabic for: Sincere Repentance)1873-1874- Deputy Nazeer Ahmed earned a good name in writing novels for developing moral values and guidance of young generation. His entire work is full of teachings of moral values.
Fasaana-e-Mubtalaa(1885)- another novel for developing moral values and guidance of young generation.
Ibn'ul Waqt- 1888According to one opinion novel was based on Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, but Deputy Nazeer Ahmad strongly rejected this allegation.
Ayyamah (1891)
Ruya-e Sadiqah (1892).
Deputy Nazir was among the few who were aware of the problems and sufferings of Indian Muslims during those critical decades when the Muslim society was in a flux. He fully understood the demands of time in context of Indian Muslims. Through his novels he sought to eradicate social evils inherent in a decadent society, particularly those caused by ignorance, illiteracy and frustration. This was very effectively brought about by his novels and writings.
'Diptee' (Deputy) Nazeer Ahmad was a leading Urdu writer
who was also a social and religious reformer, and a prominent scholar. He was a pioneer 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...
whose novels are today a basic part of the educational curriculum in the Indian sub-continent (i.e., 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...
and 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...
).
Nazir Ahmad (1830–1912) came from a distinguished family of religious scholars, maulavis and muftis of Bijnor
Bijnor
Bijnor variously spelt as Bijnaur and Bijnour, is a city and a municipal board in Bijnor district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India...
(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...
) and 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...
.
His father was a teacher in a small town near Bijnore, who taught the boy Persian and Arabic, and in 1842 took him to study with Maulvi Abd ul-Khaliq at the Aurangabadi Mosque in Delhi. In 1846, the boy had the opportunity to enroll at Delhi College, he chose its Urdu section, he later said, because his father had told him 'he would rather see me die than learn English'
and studied there till 1853. During this period he also discreetly arranged his own marriage, to Maulvi Abd ul-Khaliq's granddaughter.
He began his career as a teacher in Arabic, in 1854 he joined the British colonial administration, in(1856) he became a deputy inspector of schools in the Department of Public Instruction in Kanpur. And at the end of 1857 he was appointed to a similar deputy inspectorship in Allahabad. Later, for his superb translation of the Indian Penal Code
Indian Penal Code
Indian Penal Code is the main criminal code of India. It is a comprehensive code, intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law. It was drafted in 1860 and came into force in colonial India during the British Raj in 1862...
in Urdu, he was nominated for the Revenue Services. He was posted as deputy collector in what was then called the North-West Provinces (i.e. modern 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...
), and hence the name 'Diptee (Deputy) Nazir Ahmad’ by which he is popularly known.
In 1877 Nazir Ahmad was offered a well-paid administrative position in the princely state of Hyderabad. He remained there until 1884, when court politics forced him to resign and return to Delhi, where he lived for the rest of his life.
He died of a stroke in 1912.
Literary works
He was the pioneer of Urdu novel. He was prolific writer and published books in varied genres.Mirat-ul-Uroos
Mirat-ul-Uroos
Mirat-ul-Uroos is an Urdu language novel written by Indian author Nazir Ahmad Dehlvi and published in 1869...
(Arabic For: The Bride's Mirror)-1868–1869-is regarded as the first novel of Urdu.
After its release in 1869, within twenty years it was reprinted in editions totalling over 100,000 copies; and was also translated into Bengali, Braj, Kashmiri, Punjabi, and Gujarati. It has never been out of print in Urdu from that day of its first publication. In 1903 an English translation was published in London by G. E. Ward.
Bina-tul-Nash- (The Daughters of the Bier, a name for the constellation Ursa Major),is another great Novel by Deputy Nazeer Ahmed. It was his 2nd novel after Mirat-tul-uroos. Like Mirat-ul-Uroos, this novel is also on education of women and their character building.
Taubat-un-Nasuh (Arabic for: Sincere Repentance)1873-1874- Deputy Nazeer Ahmed earned a good name in writing novels for developing moral values and guidance of young generation. His entire work is full of teachings of moral values.
Fasaana-e-Mubtalaa(1885)- another novel for developing moral values and guidance of young generation.
Ibn'ul Waqt- 1888According to one opinion novel was based on Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, but Deputy Nazeer Ahmad strongly rejected this allegation.
Ayyamah (1891)
Ruya-e Sadiqah (1892).
Contribution as religious and social reformer
Deputy Nazir was a leading proponent of the education of Muslim women and he took the issue with great determination and persistence against the Muslim mindset of his era, which was generally against the education of women.Deputy Nazir was among the few who were aware of the problems and sufferings of Indian Muslims during those critical decades when the Muslim society was in a flux. He fully understood the demands of time in context of Indian Muslims. Through his novels he sought to eradicate social evils inherent in a decadent society, particularly those caused by ignorance, illiteracy and frustration. This was very effectively brought about by his novels and writings.
Books Online
External links
- Fasana -e- Mubtala at www.iqbalcyberlibrary.net-Iqbal Academy Pakistan link to Fasaana-e-Mubtalaa.
- Ibn -Ul- Waqt at www.urducl.com-Link to Ibn-ul-waqt
- Mirat -Ul- Uroos at www.urducl.com-Link to Mirat -Ul- Uroos
- Mazameen @ U R D U S T A N at www.urdustan.com-Fasih uddin Ranj, Sir Syed's friend who influenced Deputy Nazir Ahmad and Moulana Altaf Husain Hali. Early novels in India By Meenakshi Mukherjee (First Urdu Novel:Contesting Claims and Disclaimers by M. Asaduddin), Sahitya Akademi In Theory: Nations, Classes, Literature By Aijaz Ahmad