Mir Babar Ali Anees ( ur, مير ببر على انيس) (1800–1874), also known as Mir Anees was an Indian
Urdu poet
Urdu poetry ( ur, ) is a tradition of poetry and has many different forms. Today, it is an important part of the cultures of South Asia. According to Naseer Turabi there are five major poets of Urdu which are Mir Taqi Mir (d.1810), Mirza Ghali ...
. He used his
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
, and
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
words in his poetry. Anis wrote prolonged
Marsia
A marsiya ( fa, مرثیه) is an elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and valour of Hussain ibn Ali and his comrades of the Karbala. Marsiyas are essentially religious.
Background
The word ''Marsiya'' is derived from the Arabic word ...
s, which was a custom of his times, but nowadays only selected sections are narrated even in
religious
Religion is usually defined as a social system, social-cultural system of designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morality, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sacred site, sanctified places, prophecy, prophecie ...
ceremonies
A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion.
The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin '' caerimonia''.
Church and civil (secular) ...
. He died in 1291
Hijra
Hijra, Hijrah, Hegira, Hejira, Hijrat or Hijri may refer to:
Islam
* Hijrah (often written as ''Hejira'' in older texts), the migration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE
* Migration to Abyssinia or First Hegira, of Muhammad's followers ...
Mir Babar Ali Anis was born in 1803 CE at Faizabad. In his book ''Khandaan- e-Mir Anees ke Naamwar Sho’ara'' (Famous Poets from the family of Mir Anis), Zameer Naqvi lists 22 poets from Mir Anis’ family and their poetry. A
researcher
Research is " creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness ...
in
Urdu Literature
Urdu literature ( ur, , ) is literature in the Urdu language. While it tends to be dominated by poetry, especially the verse forms of the ''ghazal '' غزل and ''nazm '' نظم, it has expanded into other styles of writing, including that of t ...
, Syed Taqi Abedi, has shown that Mir Anis's family has written
poetic
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in a ...
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
for three centuries, first in
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 later in Urdu.''Daily Siasat'' Hyderabad (15 June 2013). Mir Anis was a fifth-generation poet, a fact he mentioned in the first stanza of "Namak-e-Khwaan-e-Takallum hai Fasaahat meri":
Education
Anis's mother appears to have been his greatest inspiration. He gained a traditional
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
education. However, research by Nayyar Masood reveals that, while in Faizabad, Anis studied with two religious
scholars
A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher ...
; one was a
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
Scholar, Mir Najaf and the other was a Hanafi (
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
) Scholar, Haider Ali Faizabadi. Masood also notes that Anis was well versed in
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 ...
as well as in
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 ...
. Anis also had
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
training
Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or Physical fitness, fitness that relate to specific practicality, useful Competence (human resources), competencies. Training has specific goals of improving on ...
and gained a thorough knowledge of old and new
weapons
A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...
.The life and works of Mir Anis ''The Dawn''. 30 April 2011
Life
Anis was invited to Lucknow where he reached the zenith of his reputation. He stayed in Lucknow because he believed that his art was not appreciated elsewhere. Yet, after the annexation of Oudh by the British, he was persuaded to visit
Azimabad
Azimabad ( hi, अज़ीमाबाद, ur, ) was the name of modern-day Patna during the eighteenth century, prior to the British Raj. Today, Patna is the capital of Bihar, a state in North India. In ancient times, Patna was known as Pata ...
(
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. ...
Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic t ...
),
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 ...
and
Allahabad
Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the administrat ...
."A History of Urdu Literature" by Ram Babu Saxena, Allahabad, 1927
In 1870 Nawab Tahwar Jung invited Anis to Hyderabad where he declined to be presented at the court of
Mir Mahboob Ali Khan
Asaf Jah VI, also known as, Sir Mir Mahboob Ali Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi (17 August 1866 – 29 August 1911) was the 6th Nizam of Hyderabad. He ruled Hyderabad state, one of the Princely states in India between 1869 and 1911.
Early life
Mahboo ...
, the then Nizam of Hyderabad State. The Nizam himself went to the Majlis where the poet was to recite. While returning from Hyderabad, he sojourned at Allahabad in 1871 and recited his marsia in the Imambara of late Lala Beni Prasad Srivastava, Vakil, who was a devotee of Imam Husain.
He died in 1874 CE and is buried at his own residence in Lucknow.
Work and contribution
According to Muhammad Hussain Azad, "The late Mīr Sahib must certainly have composed at least ten thousand elegies, and salāms beyond count. He composed as easily and casually as he spoke.".
In his essay "How to read Iqbal?" Shamsur Rahman Faruqi wrote: "
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- ...
was placed better because he had, among others, Bedil (1644–1720) in Persian and Mir Anis (1802–1874) in
Marsiya
A marsiya ( fa, مرثیه) is an elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and valour of Hussain ibn Ali and his comrades of the Karbala. Marsiyas are essentially religious.
Background
The word ''Marsiya'' is derived from the Arabic word ...
s are the best premodern model in Urdu of narrative-historical, narrative-lyrical, and oral-dramatic poetry, and Iqbal’s
poetry
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...
extends and exploits the possibilities created by Anis."
Mir Anis was criticized for playing on religious sentiments giving his work a vertical appeal at the expense of poetic beauty. While Farhat Nadir Rizvi, in her research, has propounded that Anis was narrating recorded history and was therefore restricted in use of pure imagination and fantasy, yet he dexterously harnessed the art of
storytelling
Storytelling is the social and cultural activity of sharing stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own stories or narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cultural pre ...
in his work and we cannot but accept that he was not only a Marsiya writer but also a successful storyteller. Anis has been compared with
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
. Shakespeare creates imaginary plots and characters so beautifully that they appear real to the reader; Anis narrates events and characters fossilized in history so vividly that they become alive in the eyes of his audience.
Anis is also known as a pioneer in Rubai, an Urdu poetry branch, and enjoys status akin to that of
Mirza Sauda
Mirza Mohammad rafi 'Sauda' ( ur, ),
(1713–1781) was an Urdu poet in Delhi, India. He is known for his ''Ghazals'' and Urdu ''Qasidas''.
Biography
He was born in 1713 in Shahjahanabad (i.e. Old Delhi), where he was also brought up. At the ...
,
Khwaja Mir Dard
Khwaja Mir Dard (1720-1785) ( ur, ) was a poet of the Delhi School and a Sufi saint of the Naqshbandi
The Naqshbandi ( fa, نقشبندی)), Neqshebendi ( ku, نهقشهبهندی), and Nakşibendi (in Turkish) is a major Sunni ...
and
Dabeer
Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer ( ur, ),
(29 August 1803 – 6 March 1875) was an Urdu poet who excelled and perfected the art of Marsiya writing. He is considered the leading exponent of Marsiya Nigari or marsiya writing along with Mir Anees.
Mirz ...
.
Besides being a master of the Marsia, Anis was also a specialist of the Rubai, the shortest complete poem in Urdu, containing only four lines. He enriched the contents of the Rubai, making it much more colorful and multi-dimensional. Anis introduced the tragic events of
Karbala
Karbala or Kerbala ( ar, كَرْبَلَاء, Karbalāʾ , , also ;) is a city in central Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorat ...
and their moralistic effect to Rubai. Thus, he widened the scope of Rubai to unfathomable limits. The inclusion of Karbala resulted in the florescence of the Urdu Rubai. Thus, many internal and external aspects of our life found their echo in the Urdu Rubai.
Tribute to poet in Urdu literature
Seminars and symposiums
Dabir Academy in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
organised an International
Seminar
A seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some parti ...
on "Position of Anis and Dabir in Urdu literature" on the occasion of bicentennial birthday celebrations of Mir Anis and Mirza Dabir.
A seminar titled "Mir Anis our Adab-i-Aalia" was jointly held on 19 April 2001 by the
Arts Council of Pakistan
The Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi is a council for the promotion of arts and culture in Pakistan, and one of the busiest in terms of organizing events. It is the country's oldest NGO (non-government organization) for the promotion and develo ...
,
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 ...
and Pak Arab Literary Society, with
Farman Fatehpuri
Farman Fatehpuri ( ur, ) (born Syed Dildar Ali ( ur, ), 26 January 1926 – 3 August 2013) was an Urdu linguist, researcher, writer, critic and scholar of Pakistan.
He is widely regarded as a leading authority on the life and work of ...
in the chair and Mehdi Masud as the chief guest. The Arts Council, Karachi, had also organized in April 2002 an evening to commemorate the second birth centenary of Mir Anis.
In August 2003 there was a national seminar on "Mir Anis Ke Marsia Mein Jang ke Anasir" organized by
Hyderabad Central University
The University of Hyderabad ( IAST: ''Hydarāvād visvavidyālayamu'') is a top ranking public central research university located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Founded in 1974, this mostly residential campus has more than 5,000 students ...
.
Books on Mir Anis
* ''Marsiya Khawani Ka Funn'' and ''Marka-i-Anis-au-Dabir'' (Urdu) by Nayyar Masood
* ''Urdu Marsiye K a Safar''
* ''Tajzia-i-Yadgar Marsia'', Research and compilation by
Taqi Abedi
Syed Taqi Hassan Abedi ( ur, ; born 1 March 1952) is an Indian-Canadian physician who is also poet and scholar of the Urdu language.
Compilation in Persian literature
Abedi compiled a two-volume book, ''Kuliyat-e-Ghalib Farsi'', collecting ...
* ''Intikhab-e-Kalam'' Compiled by Muhammad Reza Kazimi
*''Rubaiyate-e-Anis'' Compiled By Mr. Mohammad Hasan Bilgrami and ''Anis Shakhsiyat Aur Fun'' by Mr. Fazl-e-Imam published by UP Urdu Akademi,
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 ...
.
* Books by Syed Zameer Akhtar Naqvi ''Mir Anees Ki Shairi'' (in Urdu Language) & ''The poets in the family of Mir Anis'' (published in 1996) 2nd Book is about the life history of 22 family members of Mir Anis that were poets and their poetry.
* ''The immortal poetry & Mir Anis'' (English) by Syed Ghulam Abbas. Published in 1983 by Majlis-e-Milli,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
in
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 ...
* ''The battle of Karbala'' 90 pages (Urdu) Translated by David Matthew () Original from the University of California Digitized 27 February 2008 Publisher of 2nd Edition: Rupa & Co., 1994
* ''Mir Anis Aur Qissa Goi Ka Fan'' 498 pages: By Farhat Nadir Rizvi ()
See also
*
Mirza Dabeer
Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer ( ur, ),
(29 August 1803 – 6 March 1875) was an Urdu poet who excelled and perfected the art of Marsiya writing. He is considered the leading exponent of Marsiya Nigari or marsiya writing along with Mir Anees.
Mi ...
*
Ustad Sibte Jaafar Zaidi
Sayyid Sibte Jaffar Zaidi ( ur, سيد سبط جعفر زيدى) or commonly known as Ustad Sibte Jaffar (Urdu: اُستاد سبطِ جعفر) (born 1957) was a Pakistani professor, poet, advocate, principal, religious reciter, writer and soc ...
*
Mohsin Naqvi
Mohsin Naqvi (10 May 1947 − 15 January 1996) was a Pakistani poet, known for his ghazals.
Early life
Naqvi was born on 10 May 1947 in Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan). His father, Syed Chirag Hussain Shah, was a ...
*
Marsiya
A marsiya ( fa, مرثیه) is an elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and valour of Hussain ibn Ali and his comrades of the Karbala. Marsiyas are essentially religious.
Background
The word ''Marsiya'' is derived from the Arabic word ...
*
Azadari
The Mourning of Muharram (also known as Azadari, Remembrance of Muharram or Muharram Observances) is a set of commemoration rituals observed primarily by Shia people. The commemoration falls in Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. ...
*
Ashura
Ashura (, , ) is a day of commemoration in Islam. It occurs annually on the 10th of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. Among Shia Muslims, Ashura is observed through large demonstrations of high-scale mourning as it marks the ...
*
David Matthews (academic)
David Matthews (; 1942 – 5 March 2021) was a British scholar, author, and translator of Urdu literature and translator of Muhammad Iqbal and Mir Anees poetry in English. He taught Urdu language and Urdu literature for over 30 years (1965–99 ...