Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
– 16 December 1978 in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
) was a Pakistani-Canadian academic who worked as a professor of
Islamic studies
Islamic studies refers to the academic study of Islam, and generally to academic multidisciplinary "studies" programs—programs similar to others that focus on the history, texts and theologies of other religious traditions, such as Easter ...
at the
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
and is best known for his work in Islamic history with a focus on
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...
Iqbal Iqbal, Eqbal, Ikbal, or Eghbal may refer to:
Geography Iran
* ''Eqbal, Iran'', a village in West Azerbaijan Province
*''Eqbaliyeh'', rural district in Iran
* ''Eqbal-e Gharbi Rural District'', western provincial district in Qazvin, Iran
* ''Eqbal- ...
scholar and literary critic.''Aziz Ahmed, literary research and controversies''
Rauf Parekh
Rauf Parekh is an Urdu lexicographer, linguist, humorist and a Pakistani newspaper columnist.
Early life and career
Born in Karachi on August 26, 1958, Parekh was educated in Karachi. Having obtained MA and PhD degrees in Urdu from the Univer ...
Aziz Ahmad was born on 11 Nov 1914 in Hyderabad, India. He was educated at the
Osmania University
Osmania University is a collegiate public state university located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Mir Osman Ali Khan, the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad in 1918 , He released a farman to establish OSMANIA UNIVERSITY on the day of 28 August 1918. It ...
, Hyderabad (BA, 1934) and in London (BA Honours, English Literature 1938). From 1938 to 1941, he was a lecturer in the Department of English at Osmania University. In 1941, he entered service for Princess Durr-e-Shahwar as her private secretary. From 1946 to 1948, he was a reader at Osmania University. He spent 9 years thereafter in Pakistan, working for the Department of Advertising, Films and Publications. From 1957 to 1962, he was employed by the London School of Oriental and African Studies as a teacher of
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
first as an associate professor of Islamic Studies before becoming full professor in 1968. He died of cancer on 16 Dec 1978 in Toronto.
Works
Apart from Urdu, Ahmad spoke
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
,
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
,
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
,
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
fluently and focused on translation early in his career. Later he started writing short stories, of which he would publish five collections, and novels, authoring ten. He penned a number of non-fiction works about history and culture and two books of literary criticism.
Writing Style
''
The Canadian Encyclopedia
''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage.
Available fo ...
''notes that "Aziz Ahmad's writings, in general, have been very critical of the feudal system and of social injustices resulting in degrading, inhuman exploitation of the underprivileged, oppressed sectors of the society at large." Syed Ehtesham Hussain in ''Urdu Adab ki Tanqeedi Tareekh'' (1983) wrote, "Like his short stories, his novels are replete with hide-and-seek with the deity of sex. Almost all characters of his, are overwhelmed by libido. Undoubtedly, he is a master of the art of novel writing. Owing to his knowledge of many European languages, he has been influenced from better European literary styles but his biggest mistake is that he closes his eyes from life's other big issues while analyzing sexual life"
Significance
Ahmad is regarded as an important Urdu short-story writer and novelist. Histories of Urdu literature mention him as a famous and eminent writer of his time. However, Aazam Raahi in his book on Ahmad notes that he was not accorded the respect commensurate with his contributions. He writes, "Despite his extraordinary works in research, criticism and fiction, he was ignored by the critics and was not given the honour that he deserved"Aazam Raahi: "Aziz Ahmed: fikr-o-fan aur shakhsiyet", Educational Publishing House, Delhi, 2012 ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' indicates that his 1946 critical assessment of the
Progressive Writers Movement
The Progressive Writers' Association or the Progressive Writers' Movement of India or ''Anjuman Tarraqi Pasand Mussanafin-e-Hind'' (( ur, ) or ''Akhil Bhartiya Pragatishil Lekhak Sangh'' (Hindi: अखिल भारतीय प्रगति ...
in Urdu, ''Taraqqi Pasand Adab,'' "is considered one of the few authentic books on the subject."
Awards
* Fellow, Royal Society of Canada.
* Honorary Degree, University of London.
Ralph Russell
Professor Ralph Russell Sitara-e-Imtiaz, SI (Urdu: رالف رَسَل) (21 May 1918 – 14 September 2008) was a British scholar of Urdu literature and a Communist. He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge. He taught Urdu and Urdu litera ...
as "The shore and the wave" (1971).
* ''Shabnam'' (1950)
Short story collections:
* ''Raqs-e-Natamaam'' (?)
* ''Bekaar Din Bekaar Raatein'' (?)
Other Books:
* ''Taraqqi Pasand Adab'' (1946)
* ''Political History and Institutions of the Early Turkish empire of Dilhi : 1206-1290 A.D.'' (1949)
* ''Iqbal Nai Tashkeel'' (?)
* ''Islamic law in theory and practice'' (1956)
* ''Sayyid Ahmad Khan, Jamal al-din al-Afghani and Muslim India'' (1960)
* ''Studies in Islamic Culture in the Indian Environment'' (1964)
* ''Islamic Modernism in India and Pakistan 1857–1964'' (1967)
* ''An Intellectual History of Islam in India'' (1969)
* ''Muslim Self-statement in India and Pakistan : 1857-1968'' (1970)
* ''Religion and Society in Pakistan'' (1971)
* ''A History of Islamic Sicily'' (1975)
Edited Volumes:
''Intekhab-e-Jadeed'' (in collaboration with Aal-e-Ahmad Suroor) (1943). It is an anthology of selected Urdu poetry from 1914 to 1942.