Zafar Ali Khan (1874– 27 November 1956) ( pnb, – ), also known as Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, was a Pakistani writer, poet, translator and a journalist who played an important role in the
Pakistan Movement
The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the pe ...
against the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
. He is generally considered to be "the father of Urdu journalism."
Early life
Zafar was born into a Punjabi
Janjua
The Janjua (also spelt janjua'', Junjua, Janjuah'') is a Rajput clan found predominantly in Pakistan's Punjab Pothohar Plateau.
History
Connection with the Hindu Shahis
The 10th century Arab historian Masudi mentioned that in his time the ki ...
family in
Sialkot
Sialkot ( ur, ) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of Sialkot District and the 13th most populous city in Pakistan. The boundaries of Sialkot are joined with Jammu (the winter capital of Indian administered Jammu and Ka ...
, British India. He received his early education at Mission High School,
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 ...
,
Gujranwala District
Gujranwala District (Punjabi language, Punjabi and ur, ), is a Districts of Pakistan, district that is a part of the Majha region in Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab, Pakistan. Gujranwala District is bordered by the districts of Gujrat District, Gujr ...
matriculate
Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination.
Australia
In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now. ...
d (10th grade) from
Patiala
Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, India, Punjab, northwestern India. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. Patiala is located around the ''Qila Mubarak, Patiala, Qila Mubarak ...
, and passed his intermediate (12th grade) from the Aligarh College. Next, he worked in the postal department of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the same place where his father worked, but resigned over a row with his seniors. He rejoined Aligarh College and gained his BA degree from there.
Career
After graduation, Khan was appointed secretary to a Muslim political leader
Mohsin-ul-Mulk
Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk, Munir Nawaz Jang, also known as Syed Mehdi Ali ( ur, ﻧﻭﺍﺏ ﻣﺤﺴن الملک, منير نواز جنگ, ﺳﻴﺩ ﻣﻫﺩﻯ ﻋﻠﻰ) (born 9 December 1837 — 16 October 1907), was an Indian Musli ...
, then in
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. Then he worked for some time as a translator 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 ...
,
Deccan
The large Deccan Plateau in South India, southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bou ...
, rising to the post of Secretary, Home Department. He returned from Hyderabad and launched his daily
Zamindar
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
newspaper from
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. ...
which was founded by his father Maulvi Sirajuddin Ahmad.
Relation with the Ahmadiyya Movement
Zafar Ali Khan's relationship with the
Ahmadiyya movement
Ahmadiyya (, ), officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community or the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ, ar, الجماعة الإسلامية الأحمدية, al-Jamāʿah al-Islāmīyah al-Aḥmadīyah; ur, , translit=Jamā'at Aḥmadiyyah Musl ...
was complex. His father had been an ardent admirer of
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad (13 February 1835 – 26 May 1908) was an Indian religious leader and the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement in Islam. He claimed to have been divinely appointed as the promised Messiah and Mahdi—which is the metaphoric ...
and other leading Ahmadis such as Maulana Hakeem Noor-ud-Din. His maternal uncle ''Maulana Hassan Khan'' and his cousins were also prominent Lahori Ahmadis. He worked on multiple collaborative projects with Ahmadis such as Khwaja Kamaluddin and even praised the movement. However, in the 1930s he published Anti Ahmadi vitriol in the Zamindar, and even wrote some anti Ahmadi poetry. Close to the time of death there was still some social interaction and amicability as the second Ahmadi Khalifa, Mirza Bashir ud din Mahmood, personally paid for his medical care until his passing in 1956.
Poetry
He chose to write in Urdu, instead of his mother tongue Punjabi. Khan's interest in poetry began in his childhood. His poems have religious and political sentiment. He was specially versed in impromptu compositions. His poetical output includes ''Baharistan'', ''Nigaristan'', and ''Chamanistan''. His other works are ''Marka-e-Mazhab-o-Science'', ''Ghalba-e-Rum'', ''Sayr-e-Zulmet'' and an opera ''Jang-e-Roos-o-Japan''.
Most popular Naats
* 'Woh shama ujala jis ne kiya 40 baras tak ghaaron mein' sung by
Mehdi Hassan
Mehdi Hassan Khan ( ur, مہدی حسن خاں , translit=) 18 July 1927 – 13 June 2012) was a Pakistani ghazal singer and playback singer for Lollywood. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential figures in the history of gh ...
, a
Radio Pakistan
Radio Pakistan serves as the national public broadcaster for radio in Pakistan. Although some local stations predate Radio Pakistan's founding, it is the oldest existing broadcasting network in Pakistan. The network was established on 14 August ...
production, a popular Naat written by Zafar Ali Khan
* '' sung by ''Muneeba Sheikh'', a
Pakistan Television
Pakistan Television Corporation ( ur, ; reporting name: PTV) is the Pakistani state-owned broadcaster. Pakistan entered the television broadcasting age in 1964, with a pilot television station established at Lahore.
Background
Historical co ...
production, a popular Naat written by Zafar Ali Khan
Death
He died on 27 November 1956, Wazirabad, Punjab. His funeral prayer was led by his companion
Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi
Akhundzada Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi ( ur, اخوندزادہ محمد عبدالغفور ہزاروی چشتی) (1 January 1909 – 9 October 1970) was a Muslim theologian, jurist, and scholar of ahadith in Pakistan (''South Asia' ...
.
Memorials and legacy
Sahiwal Stadium, а multi-purpose stadium in
Sahiwal
Sahiwal (Punjabi language, Punjabi and ur, ), formerly known as Montgomery, is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the List of most populous cities in Pakistan, 21st largest city of Pakistan by population and the administrative capital of both ...
, Punjab, was renamed as
Zafar Ali Stadium
Zafar Ali Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Sahiwal, Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab, Pakistan. From 1955 until 1995, it was used for first-class cricket, first-class and List A cricket cricket matches.. The stadium has a capacity to house 10,000 pe ...
in his honour. It is used for football and cricket games. The stadium holds 10,000 people.
He served the
Pakistan Movement
The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the pe ...
It has been said of him:
"he was the father of Urdu journalism, … the
Zamindar
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
newspaper, when Zafar Ali Khan was the proprietor and editor, was the Urdu newspaper for the Muslims." Recognising Zafar Ali Khan's contributions to the
Pakistan Movement
The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the pe ...
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 ...
poems and articles published in different periodicals
*''K̲h̲amistān-i Ḥijāz'', poetry about
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
Essays
*''G̲h̲albah-yi Rūm : ek tārīk̲h̲ī tafsīr'', historical commentary of Sūrat ar-Rūm on the victory of Romans over the Persians and the Muslims over the Meccan polytheists as predicted by Koran in AD 615
*''Taqārīr-i Maulānā Ẓafar ʻAlī K̲h̲ān̲'', speeches of the author, especially in regard with the
Khilafat movement
The Khilafat Movement (1919–24), also known as the Caliphate movement or the Indian Muslim movement, was a pan-Islamist political protest campaign launched by Muslims of British India led by Shaukat Ali, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Hakim Ajma ...
*''Lat̤āʼifuladab'', on the relation between literature and Islam
*''Mʻaās̲h̲irat'', on the social sciences
*''Jamāluddīn Afg̲h̲ānī : yaʻnī itiḥād-i Islāmī ke muharrik-i aʻzīm, Misr, Ṭarkī, Īrān aur Hindūstān ke z̲arīʻah ʻalim-i Islām man̲'', biography of the Muslim reformer and independence fighter Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī
Plays
*''Jang-i Rus va Japān : yaʻnī ek tārīk̲h̲ī ḍrāmā'', a play on the Russian Japanese War, 1904–1905
Translations
*''Jangal buk'', Urdu translation from the English of
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work.
...
's ''
Jungle Book
''The Jungle Book'' (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, who ...
''
*''Al-Farooq : the life of Omar the Great'', English translation from the Urdu of
Shibli Nomani
Shibli Nomani ( ur, – ; 3 June 1857 – 18 November 1914) was an Islamic scholar from the Indian subcontinent during the British Raj. He was born at Bindwal in Azamgarh district of present-day Uttar Pradesh.Al-Farooq'', a biography of
Umar
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate o ...
See also
*
List of Pakistani journalists
This is a list of Pakistani journalists from print and electronic media.
A
*Amin Hafeez
*Ansar Abbasi
*Ayaz Amir
* Abdul Hameed Chapra
*Asma Chaudhry
*Ardeshir Cowasjee
*Altaf Husain
*Arshad Sharif
* Aasma Sherazi
*Abid Qaiyum Suleri
* Akh ...
*
List of people on the postage stamps of Pakistan
This is a list of people commemorated on postage stamps of Pakistan
Bahawalpur
A
* A. K. Fazlul Huq, 'Pioneers of Freedom' stamp series (1990)
* Abdul Sattar Edhi, 'Social Welfare Icon, Great Humanitarian' postage stamp series (2016)
* Pro ...
Notes
Maulana would never miss a chance to snub the British government and the Heavens had provided him ample opportunities to carry out his sacred mission. Shaheed Ghazi Ilam Din had killed a blasphemous person and was sent to gallows in the
Mianwali
Mianwali ( Punjabi/ ur, ) is the capital city of Mianwali District in Punjab, Pakistan. The 81st largest city of Pakistan, it is known for its diverse population of, Punjabi and Pashtun ethnicities.
History
Mianwali District was an agricu ...
jail. The government buried him in Mianwali which infuriated the Muslims in Punjab. They protested and made a unanimous demand to bring Shaeed's body to
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. ...
but no one was prepared to give coverage to their voice as Hindus dominated most of the newspapers in the old Punjab before 1947. A large procession led by Lal Din Qaiser reached the office of
Zamindar
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
in 1903 newspaper which was the only hope for the Muslims at that time and succeeded in getting newspaper coverage for their event.