Malik Ram was the

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

of Malik Ram Baveja (1906–1993), a renowned

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

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 ...

and

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 ...

scholar from

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 ...

. He received the

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

in 1983 for his monumental work ''Tazkirah-e-Muasireen''. An internationally acclaimed authority on

Mirza Ghalib ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Kala Mahal, Agra, Maratha Confederacy , death_date = , death_place = Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Delhi, British India , occupation = Poet , language ...

, the Urdu and Persian poet, Malik Ram was also one of the leading Urdu writers and critics of his time. He published about eighty works in his lifetime, including those he had edited. His works are in Urdu, Persian, Arabic and English, but predominantly in Urdu, and cover literary, religious and historical subjects. In addition, he wrote well over 200 erudite articles and essays in Urdu for literary journals in India and Pakistan.

Biography

Malik Ram was born on 22 December 1906 in

Phalia Phalia (Urdu ) is a city and headquarters of Phalia Tehsil of Mandi Bahauddin District, Punjab, Pakistan. History Alexander the Great and his army crossed the Jhelum in July 326 BC at the Battle of the Hydaspes River where he defeated the ...

. After his schooling in

Wazirabad Wazirabad (Urdu/ pa, ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of Wazirabad District. Famous for its cutlery products, it is known as the city of cutlery and is also quite famous for its foods. Wazirabad is situated on the banks of th ...

, he was educated at

Government College, Lahore The Government College University, Lahore (colloquially known as GCU), is a public research university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Opened as Government College, Lahore, in 1864, it became a university in 2002. Overview In 1864, Gov ...

. Between 1931 and 1937 he worked as a journalist. At first he was the joint-editor of the Lahore monthly literary journal ''Nairang-i-Khayal.'' and subsequently its editor. He was concurrently the ''de facto ''editor of the Lahore weekly ''Arya Gazette''. Later, from January 1936 until June 1936, he was an assistant editor of the Lahore daily newspaper ''Bharat Mata.'' From 1939 to 1965, he was in the

Indian Foreign Service The Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is the diplomatic service and a central civil service of the Government of India under the Ministry of External Affairs. The Foreign Secretary is the head of the service. Vinay Mohan Kwatra is the 34th and the ...

. He took advantage of his foreign postings and assignments to travel to many countries in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, whenever time permitted, to view or study oriental texts and manuscripts lodged in their archives, libraries and museums. In 1965, after retiring from Government service, he joined India's National Academy of Letters, the

Sahitya Akademi The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of, the Indian government. Its of ...

in New Delhi, where he was in charge of its Urdu section and also edited the complete works of

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin Ahmed bin Khairuddin Al-Hussaini Azad (; 11 November 1888 – 22 February 1958) was an Indian independence activist, Islamic theologian, writer and a senior leader of the Indian National Congress. Following Ind ...

. In January 1967, he launched his own quarterly literary review ''Tahreer'' and as its editor he was actively associated with ''Ilmi Majlis'' in Delhi, a body of young Urdu research scholars and writers. He himself remained a prolific writer until he died. Shortly before he died, he donated his entire library of books and manuscripts to the

Jamia Hamdard Jamia Hamdard ( ur, ) is an institute of higher education deemed to be university located in New Delhi, India. It is a government-funded university. Established in 1989, it was formally inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of India Shri R ...

University Library in Delhi, where they are housed as the ''Malik Ram Collection.'' He died, aged 86, on 16 April 1993 in New Delhi.

Literary life and works

Mirza Ghalib

Malik Ram devoted much of his life to the study of Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, the Urdu poet, known universally as

Ghalib Mirza Beg Asadullah Khan (Urdu, fa, مرزا بیگ اسد اللہ خان; 27 December 1797 – 15 February 1869) also known as Mirza Ghalib (Urdu, fa}) was an Urdu and Persian language, Persian shayar (poet), poet of the 19th century Mughal Em ...

. He was fascinated by Urdu literature in general and Mirza Ghalib in particular. He edited and annotated Ghalib's major works in Urdu and Persian: “Sabd-e-Chin”, “Diwan-e-Ghalib”, “Gul-e-Raana” and “Khutoot-e-Ghalib”. At the age of 31, he had already presented his own research on Ghalib’s life and works in “Zikr-e-Ghalib” first published in 1938. This book prompted Kausar Chandpuri (1904–1990), the Urdu novelist, short-story writer and critic, to write "Jahan-e-Ghalib" presenting the dark side of Ghalib. "Zikr-e-Ghalib", the book with which Malik Ram established his reputation and fame as an authority on Ghalib, long before the poet became a household name, ran into five editions in his lifetime. The comprehensively revised fifth edition was published in 1976 and it remains an authoritative work of reference on Ghalib cited in scholarly works on the poet. The consensus in the academic world is that Malik Ram would have left his mark on Urdu literature with just this one work. He was working on a sixth edition when he died. Malik Ram's "Mirza Ghalib" in English was first published in 1968 by the National Book Trust, India and has been re-issued regularly. It has also been translated into many languages. It was even translated into Urdu in Pakistan by Mohammed Ismail Panipati. “Talamiza-e-Ghalib" was first published in 1958 and records the biographical details of 146 disciples of Ghalib with samples of their compositions. In his article ''Tazkirahs, Malik Ram and his passion for Ghalib'' published in Pakistan's leading English-language daily newspaper ''

Dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's horizo ...

'' on 3 May 2010,

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 ...

, the writer and critic, says it was the first time in the history of Urdu literature that a writer had undertaken this kind of research and that this book saw Malik Ram ''ride on the waves of fame'' thus cementing his reputation as "Ghalib Shanas" (''Ghalib expert and scholar ''). Parekh wrote: The second edition of "Talamiza-e-Ghalib", with twice as many pages as the first, was published in 1984, taking the total number of Ghalib's pupils to 181 and also provides details of another 40 part-time pupils. Malik Ram was awarded the 1984 Urdu prize for this work by the Urdu Academy in Delhi. Among his other major works on Ghalib, in which he either presented his own interpretation of the poet's mystical or disputed compositions, or analysed his enduring contribution to Urdu and Persian poetry and literature, the best known are: "Fasanah-yi Ghalib" (1977) and "Guftar-i Ghalib" (1985). He was instrumental in organising the Ghalib centenary celebrations in 1969. He wrote two special articles in English ( ''Ghalib: Man and Poet'' and ''The Works of Ghalib'' ) on this occasion which were published by the Press Information Bureau of the Government of India and released to the international press. His book "Ayar-i Ghalib", a collection of thirteen erudite articles on the poet, of which two were written by him, appeared in the same year and he also published a new edition of "Diwan-i-Ghalib" to coincide with the poet's centenary.

Maulana Azad

In 1965, having retired from government service, Malik Ram took up permanent residence in New Delhi and joined the

where, in three years, he edited the collected works of

comprising his letters, speeches and literary works as well as his translation of the Quran into Urdu in four volumes. These were published by the Sahitya Akademi and have been reprinted several times since Malik Ram died. Malik Ram had started his own literary career studying Mirza Ghalib in depth. He accorded the same attention in his twilight years to Maulana Azad's works in Urdu and Arabic. He is now regarded as an authority on the Maulana as well and his book "Kuch Maulana Azad ke bare mein" (''Reflections on Maulana Azad)'' on the life and works of Maulana Azad, first published in 1989, is required reading for research students in this field.

Tahreer

In January 1967, Malik Ram founded the quarterly Urdu literary review "Tahreer" of which he was the editor until it ceased publication in 1978. This research journal presented scholarly articles on literary issues and personalities, contributed by specialists in their respective field of research. Special issues were dedicated to literary figures on whom Malik Ram and his research associates had conducted due diligence research. Many of those issues were also published as books. He actively supported and guided a body of young Urdu scholars and writers (''Ilmi Majlis'') and encouraged them to produce original research material, and all "Tahreer" publications carried the "Ilmi Majlis" imprint. In a profile of Malik Ram on 17 April 1972 "

The Statesman A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level. Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States * ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...

", a leading English-language daily newspaper published in New Delhi, commented: Following in the footsteps of

Syed Sulaiman Nadvi Syed Sulaiman Nadvi (—; 22 November 1884 – 22 November 1953) was a Pakistani historian, writer and scholar of Islam. He co-authored ''Sirat-un-Nabi'' and wrote ''Khutbat-e-Madras''.Sahitya Akademi The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of, the Indian government. Its of ...

Urdu Award''. In 2010, all four parts of "Tazkirah-e-Muasireen were published in an omnibus volume of 1060 pages in

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...

. The last issue of "Tahreer" was published in December 1978. After twelve years in which 46 issues were published, Malik Ram decided to fold the journal for health reasons. He had funded the publication of the journal himself and there was no one around who was prepared to take his 'hobby' further.

Works on contemporaries

Malik Ram did not overlook the then living Urdu writers. He produced six analytical biographical works on prominent contemporary poets and writers. These were published in his "Tahreer" series of comprehensive critical literary appraisals and, for the first time, incorporated the original research material on the subjects gathered by his "Ilmi Majlis" associates viz. 1970: ''Jigar Barelvi – Shakhsiyat aur Fann '' (1890–1976) *co-editor: Saifi Premi 1973: ''

Josh Malsiyani Labhu Ram (1883-1976), better known by his pen name Josh Malsiyani, was an Indian Urdu poet who much acclaimed during his time. He was born in a poor family in the Aquilpur locality of Malsian, a small town near Jalandhar which town was the d ...

– Shakhsiyyat aur Fann'' (1884–1976) 1974: ''Syed Masud Hasan Rizvi 'Adib' – Zat o Sifat'' (1893–1975) 1974: '' Rasheed Ahmad Siddiqi – Kardar, Afkar, Guftar'' (1894–1977 ) 1974: ''L. Ahmad Akbarabadi ( 1885–1980)'' 1977: ''

Zia Fatehabadi Mehr Lal Soni (9 February 1913 – 19 August 1986), better known as Zia Fatehabadi, was an Indian Urdu ghazal and nazm writer. He was a disciple (shaagird) of Syed Aashiq Hussain Siddiqui Seemab Akbarabadi (1882–1951), who was a disciple ...

– Shakhs aur Shair'' (1913–1986) In his award-winning memoir '' Woh Surten Ilahi'' (Images of Legends), published in 1974, Malik Ram salutes some of the 'legends' he had associated with on his literary journey viz. Saail Dehlvi (1864-1945); Nawab Sadar Yar Jung Habibur Rahman Khan Sherwani (1867-1950) of

Bhikampur and Datawali (Aligarh) State The Bhikampur and Datawali principality is in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. For nearly four centuries, before the advent of British Raj in India, it was ruled by the descendants of a Sherwani Pathan from Jalalabad in Afghanistan. The Sherwani clan wer ...

;

Sulaiman Nadvi Syed Sulaiman Nadvi (—; 22 November 1884 – 22 November 1953) was a Pakistani historian, writer and scholar of Islam. He co-authored ''Sirat-un-Nabi'' and wrote ''Khutbat-e-Madras''.Brij Mohan Dattatreya Kaifi;

Yagana Changezi Yagana Changezi (1884–1956) was an Indian Urdu language poet who published several collections over a 30-year period. Early life He was born as Mirza Wajid Husain in 1884 in Patna, Bihar. He later settled in Lucknow writing under the name, Y ...

; Jigar Moradabadi;

Niaz Fatehpuri Niaz Fatehpuri (1884–1966) was the pen name of Niyaz Muhammed Khan, a Pakistani Urdu poet, writer, and polemicist. He was also the founder and editor of ''Nigar''. In 1962, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the President of India for "Literat ...

; and

Maulana Ghulam Rasool Mehr Ghulam Rasool Mehr (13 April 1895 – 16 November 1971) (غلام رسول مہر) was a Pakistani Muslim scholar and political activist born in Phoolpur, a village in the district of Jalandhar, British India. Early life Mehr went to primary sch ...

. The memoir opens with an account of his fictional meeting with

, the only piece of fiction Malik Ram ever published, based on his lifelong 'association' with the poet, as he says in the preface. He also compiled and published six felicitation volumes (

festschrift In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the h ...

en) dedicated to distinguished contemporary literary figures and educationalists. Each volume also includes his own detailed research article on the recipient of the

viz. ''Nazr-e Zakir'' : Zakir Husain, 1897–1969, Scholar and the third President of India from 13 May 1967 until his death on 3 May 1969. ''Nazr-e Abid'' : Syed Abid Husain, 1896–1978, Educationalist, playwright, Translator. Recipient of the

for Urdu in 1956. ''Nazr-e Arshi'' : Imtiyaz Ali Khan 'Arshi', 1904–1981, One of the leading Urdu research scholars of the 20th century. Recipient of the

for Urdu in 1961. *co-editor: Mukhtaruddin Ahmad ''Nazr-e Zaidi'' :

Bashir Hussain Zaidi Sayyid Bashir Hussain Zaidi, CIE, MP (30 July 1898 – 29 March 1992) was a member of the first Lok Sabha and the Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University from 1956 to 1962. He also served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of ...

, 1898–1992, Vice-Chancellor of

Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh Muslim University (abbreviated as AMU) is a Public University, public Central University (India), central university in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Orie ...

(1956-1962) and an Urdu scholar. ''Nazr-e Hameed'' : Hakim Abdul Hameed, 1908–1999, Philanthropist, Educationalist, Physician, writer, Founder of

and

Hamdard (Wakf) Laboratories Hamdard Laboratories (India), is a Unani pharmaceutical company in India (following the independence of India from Britain, "Hamdard" Unani branches were established in Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan) and Pakistan). It was established in ...

in India. ''Nazr-e Mukhtar'' : Mukhtaruddin Ahmad 'Arzoo', 1924–2010, Professor of Arabic at

and an Urdu and Arabic scholar. Details of these felicitation volumes and Malik Ram's other works, including his "Tahreer" and "Ilmi Majlis" biographical editions, with dates of publication, are listed on the Open Library website.

Hammurabi

In 1950/51 Malik Ram was posted in Iraq. His stay there aroused his interest in

Babylonia Babylonia (; Akkadian: , ''māt Akkadī'') was an ancient Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Syria). It emerged as an Amorite-ruled state c. ...

n civilisation and culture, in particular the laws of

Hammurabi Hammurabi (Akkadian: ; ) was the sixth Amorite king of the Old Babylonian Empire, reigning from to BC. He was preceded by his father, Sin-Muballit, who abdicated due to failing health. During his reign, he conquered Elam and the city-states ...

, the sixth Babylonian king. He was fascinated by the

Code of Hammurabi The Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian legal text composed 1755–1750 BC. It is the longest, best-organised, and best-preserved legal text from the ancient Near East. It is written in the Old Babylonian dialect of Akkadian, purportedly by Hamm ...

and pursued the subject avidly, even after leaving Iraq. Between 1952 and 1955, he wrote a series of six detailed articles in Urdu on

, his laws, Babylonian civilisation, traditions, customs and language. Five of these appeared in ''Tarikh o Siasiyat'' the

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

history journal. The sixth was published in ''Urdu'' another Karachi journal. It was the first time in Urdu literature that anything in detail had been published on this subject. The six articles were subsequently revised, expanded and published as a book and in 2000, a new edition was published in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

entitled "Hammurabi aur Babli Tahzib va Tamaddum". Malik Ram maintained that

is one of the all-time great figures in world history, who should be given more attention, time and space in the modern world, in educational institutions and by the media.

Islamic studies

Malik Ram was also a noted scholar of

Islamic culture Islamic culture and Muslim culture refer to cultural practices which are common to historically Islamic people. The early forms of Muslim culture, from the Rashidun Caliphate to the early Umayyad period and the early Abbasid period, were predomi ...

and literature. He spent almost two decades in the Middle East, where he travelled extensively and mastered Arabic. He wrote numerous articles on

Islamic literature Islamic literature is literature written by Muslim people, influenced by an Islamic cultural perspective, or literature that portrays Islam. It can be written in any language and portray any country or region. It includes many literary forms in ...

mores Mores (, sometimes ; , plural form of singular , meaning "manner, custom, usage, or habit") are social norms that are widely observed within a particular society or culture. Mores determine what is considered morally acceptable or unacceptable ...

and traditions. His two books on Islamic issues were acclaimed by specialists as well as laymen. ."Aurat aur Islami Taleem", an in-depth study of the status and rights of a woman in

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

– as daughter, wife, mother, divorcée, widow and heir – was first published as a book in

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...

. The revised second edition was published in 1977 in Delhi and later in Lahore. It was also translated into English as "Woman in Islam" and published in

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 ...

, Delhi and New York. An Arabic translation of the first edition with the title "Al Mara'tu fil Islam" was published in

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

in 1958 and of the second edition in New Delhi in 1990. Islamic organisations recommend the work as an authoritative treatise on the subject, which is easy to understand. In 1984, he made his second major contribution to Islamic studies with the publication of "Islamiyat", pertaining to different aspects of

and

Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...

traditions.

Affiliations

Alexandria, Egypt Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

, where he spent fifteen years between 1939 and 1955, he was an active member of the Managing Committee of the

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

which, under John P. Kirmiz, its director, played a prominent role in the literary life of the city, particularly during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Malik Ram delivered a series of lectures on 'A woman's place in Islam' at 'Religious Affairs' seminars organised by the

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

. These were later expanded and published as his book ''Aurat aur Islami Taleem'' (Woman in Islam). He was a regular participant in the activities of the Indian chapter of the

International PEN PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous Internationa ...

founded in Bombay by Sophia Wadia, who had earlier been a founder member of the

, the literary organisation for poets, playwrights, editors, essayists and novelists. For many years, he was the Urdu spokesman for the Indian PEN. In 1972, its journal reported: He was also a Fellow of the

Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, commonly known as the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS), was established, according to its royal charter of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the en ...

. From 1973 to 1982, he was a member of the

General Council and Executive Committee. In 1977, he was elected Pro-Chancellor of Jamia Urdu, Aligarh, having been a member of its General Council earlier. In 1986, he served as a member of the Court of

. He was always deeply involved in the activities of the two leading Ghalib institutions in New Delhi: the Ghalib Institute and the Ghalib Academy. The Academy was founded in 1969 by Hakim Abdul Hameed, the founder of

, and Malik Ram played a significant role in its affairs, formally or behind the scenes, from its inauguration until he died. The Academy published a book about him entitled "Ghalib Shanas Malik Ram" a few years after his death. From 1983 to 1987, he was the President of the long-established and influential 'Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu (Hind)' – the autonomous body concerned with all matters relating to the promotion of Urdu, which has over 600 branches in India.

Analysis

Mukhtaruddin Ahmad 'Arzoo' (1924–2010) wrote a detailed article on Malik Ram in the 1955 "Shakhsiyat Number" of "Nuqoosh", Lahore. For many people, this was their introduction to Malik Ram. Since then, several major works have been published on him and his literary career. “Malik Ram – Ek Mutaalah" ''(Malik Ram – A Study)'' was published in 1986. Edited by the prolific Urdu writer and poet Ali Jawad Zaidi, who has also written the foreword, this volume consists of contributions from prominent Urdu scholars, conversant with different aspects of Malik Ram's writings, who have attempted to evaluate his work in some detail. Earlier, in 1972, to mark his 65th birth anniversary, the ''Malik Ram Felicitation Committee'' was formed, which comprised 79 academicians and orientalists from around the world who presented him with a festschrift – the ''Malik Ram Felicitation Volume.'' Ali Jawad Zaidi, who edited the festschrift, calls him ''one of the four pillars of Urdu research.'' In his contribution on Malik Ram and his works, entitled ''A Seeker of Knowledge,'' G.D. Chandan from the Press Information Bureau of the Government of India, and a well-known Urdu story writer himself, wrote:

Few Urdu scholars have produced, single-handed, such a variety and volume as Malik Ram. With a quest imbued with passion, scholarship marked by clarity and research covering biographical, historical and literary subjects, he has unearthed many a hidden gem of Urdu language and literature. His wide and varied range manifests a mind which revels in search, constantly seeking knowledge...Someone described criticism as an adventure of a soul among the masterpieces. Malik Ram's work shows that research is an adventure of the same soul among the lost or undisclosed aspects of both the masters and masterpieces.

The two companion felicitation volumes in Urdu titled "Armaghan-i Malik" were compiled and edited by

Gopi Chand Narang Gopi Chand Narang (11 February 1931 – 15 June 2022) was an Indian theorist, literary critic, and scholar who wrote in Urdu and English. His Urdu literary criticism incorporated a range of modern theoretical frameworks including stylistics, s ...

. The three books were published to commemorate Malik Ram's 65th birthday, in appreciation of his erudition, scholastic versatility and manifold contributions to Urdu, Islamic and Oriental literature, and were presented to him by V.V. Giri, the President of India. at a reception he gave in Malik Ram's honour at

Rashtrapati Bhavan The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, rāsh-truh-puh-ti bha-vun; ; originally Viceroy's House and later Government House) is the official residence of the President of India at the western end of Rajpath, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India. Rashtrapati Bh ...

, New Delhi in April 1972.

Jagan Nath Azad Jagan Nath Azad (5 December 1918 – 24 July 2004), List.No.380 was an Indian Urdu poet, writer and academician. He wrote over 70 books, including poetry collections, poems, biographies, and travelogues. He was an authority on the life, ...

, the Urdu poet and an authority on Iqbal, had this to say about him in his review of the award-winning Tazkirah-i-Muasireen:

Malik Ram, an internationally-known authority on Ghalib, is a versatile man of letters. A legend in his own life-time, he has a remarkable capability to deal with many subjects. He is, at the same time, an essayist, a biographer, a memoir-writer, a literary critic, a research scholar as also an authority on
Islamic literature Islamic literature is literature written by Muslim people, influenced by an Islamic cultural perspective, or literature that portrays Islam. It can be written in any language and portray any country or region. It includes many literary forms in ...
and culture... ''Tazkirah-i-Muasireen'' is a work of encyclopaedic nature.

Two other publications in Urdu dwell on the life and works of Malik Ram, as seen by contemporary figures from the world of academia and by prominent Urdu writers of the day: '' Malik Namah'' (1987) edited by

and ''Malik Ram'' published by the Ghalib Institute in New Delhi, which also contains the text of tributes paid to Malik Ram at a function hosted by the Ghalib Institute in 1991, to celebrate his life in his 85th year.

Ale Ahmad Suroor Ale Ahmad Suroor (1911-2002) was an Urdu poet, critic and professor from India. He is best known for his literary criticism. In 1974 he was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award by the Government of India for his literary critic work, ''Naza ...

, the Urdu scholar and academic, who received the 1974

for Urdu, describes him as ''a walking library''. Malik Ram, Qazi Abdul Wadood (1896–1984) and Imtiyaz Ali Khan 'Arshi' (1904–81) were the three leading Urdu research scholars for over five decades during the 20th century. All three shunned the limelight, regarding their research activities as a pleasurable, exciting and rewarding pursuit. Individually and collectively, they had established new benchmarks for Urdu literary research. Acknowledging their expertise and achievements in this field, the ''

I.K. Gujral Inder Kumar Gujral (4 December 1919 – 30 November 2012) was an Indian diplomat, politician and freedom activist who served as the 12th prime minister of India from April 1997 to March 1998. Born in Punjab, he was influenced by nationalist ...

Committee Report'' on the status and promotion of Urdu, which was presented to both Houses of the Indian Parliament on 21 February 1979 stated: "Urdu Historical Background – Progressive Writing" (2.81) :

The great trio, Qazi Abdul Wadood, Malik Ram and Imtiyaz Ali 'Arshi', will be known not only for their research on Ghalib but also for giving our research a new depth and modern methodology. Accurate fixation of periods and dates is also one of their achievements.

To mark the first anniversary of his death, two Urdu monthly literary journals, ''Qaumi Zaban'' in Karachi and ''Aaj Kal'' in New Delhi, devoted their respective April 1994 editions to Malik Ram and his contribution to Urdu and Islamic literature. Some writers, who had known Malik Ram personally, added hitherto unpublished information about him in both journals. The "Malik Ram Number" as the ''Qaumi Zaban'' edition was called, and the ''Aaj Kal'' special issue also carried different versions of an article by Em Habib Khan (1931–1998), one of the very few people from the literary world, who had access to Malik Ram in the intensive care unit of the hospital in New Delhi where he died. Habib Khan has written a moving account of the last months of his life and of their last meeting. In 1996, the Ghalib Academy in New Delhi published "Ghalib Shanas Malik Ram" (''Ghalib Scholar Malik Ram'') by

Gyan Chand Jain Gyan Chand Jain (1923-2007) was an Indian writer and scholar of Urdu literature. Born in 1923 at Seohara of Bijnore district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Jain was known for his scholarship on Ghalib literature. He authored several bo ...

, the Urdu writer and recipient of the 1982

for Urdu. In this work, Jain recalls and examines Malik Ram's lifetime research on Ghalib and reflects on his literary legacy. This volume complements an earlier work published in 1975 by Shahid Azmi entitled "Urdu Tahqiq aur Malik Ram" (''Urdu Research and Malik Ram'' ) one of the earliest books written about Malik Ram's contribution to Urdu research. Malik Ram was a prolific letter writer. In 1997, Shamim Jahan published a collection of his letters, which also depict his literary style, in a volume entitled ''Khutut-i-Malik Ram.'' In 2010, Muhammad Arshad published "Malik Ram: Hayat aur Karname" ( ''Malik Ram: Life and Work'' ) in

Aligarh Aligarh (; formerly known as Allygarh, and Kol) is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Aligarh district, and lies northwest of state capital Lucknow and approximately southeast of the capita ...

, India. In this volume, Malik Ram, the research scholar, has himself become the subject of research.

Literary awards

Malik Ram received his first ever literary prize, a wrist-watch, for his essay in Urdu on 'Religion and Reason' which he wrote for a literary competition in 1925 in his student days. This award, suggests Ali Jawad Zaidi in ''Armaghan-i Malik'' always meant a lot to him. Some significant Urdu Literary Awards (listed in '' Malik Namah – Malik Ram ki Adabi Khidmaat '' edited by

) :

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

Government: for ''Gul-e-Raana '' (1971)

Urdu Academy,

: for ''Tazkirah-e-Muasireen – Volume 1'' (1973)

Urdu Academy,

: for ''Woh Surten Ilahi'' (1974)

Sahitya Kala Parishad Sahitya Kala Parishad (साहित्य कला परिषद) (Academy of Performing and Fine Arts) is the Cultural wing of the Govt. of National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) of Delhi for music, dance, drama & fine arts, established ...

, Delhi: ''Urdu Award'' (1975)

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...

Urdu Academy,

Patna Patna ( ), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...

: for ''Tazkirah-e-Muasireen – Volume 2'' (1975) Ghalib Institute, New Delhi: ''

Ghalib Award Mirza Ghalib Award, commonly known as Ghalib Award, is a literary award and an honor in India presented annually in the month of December by Ghalib Academy (Ghalib Institute). It was established and named after a greatest Indian poet Ghalib. ...

'' (1976) Mir Academy,

: ''Imtiyaz-e Mir Award'' (1977) Mir Academy,

: ''Iftikhar-e Mir Award'' (1981)

Urdu Academy,

: for ''Tazkirah-e-Muasireen – Volume 4'' (1982)

for ''Tazkirah-e-Muasireen'' (Volume 4) (1983) Urdu Academy, Delhi: for ''Talamiza-e-Ghalib'' (1984)

Urdu Academy,

: ''Services to Urdu Literature'' (1984/65) Dr Zakir Hussain Urdu Prize: ''Urdu Literature and Research'' (1987) List incomplete: Awards received between 1987 and Malik Ram's death in 1993 required.

References

{{Authority control Phalia 1906 births 1993 deaths People from Mandi Bahauddin District Urdu-language writers from India Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu Recipients of Ghalib Award

Biography

Literary life and works

Mirza Ghalib

Maulana Azad

Tahreer

Works on contemporaries

Hammurabi

Islamic studies

Affiliations

Analysis

Literary awards

See also

References