Urdu poetry is a tradition of poetry and has many different forms. Today, it is an important part of the culture of India and Pakistan. According to Naseer Turabi there are five major poets of Urdu: Mir Taqi Mir (d.1810), Mirza Ghalib, Mir Anees (d.1874), Allama Iqbal and Josh Malihabadi (d.1982). The language of Urdu reached its pinnacle under the British Raj, and it received official status. All famous writers of Urdu language including Ghalib and Iqbal were given British scholarships. Following the Partition of India in 1947, it found major poets and scholars were divided along the nationalistic lines. However, Urdu poetry is cherished in both the nations. Both the Muslims and Hindus from across the border continue the tradition.
Faiz Ahmad Faiz was a Pakistani poet and author of Punjabi and Urdu literature. Faiz was one of the most celebrated, popular, and influential Urdu writers of his time and his works and ideas remain widely influential today in Pakistan and beyond. Outside of literature, he has been described as "a man of wide experience" having worked as a teacher, military officer, journalist, trade unionist, and broadcaster.
Urdu literature refers to the literature in the Urdu standard of the Hindostani 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 the short story, or afsana افسانہ. Urdu literature is mostly popular in Pakistan, where Urdu is the national language and India, where it is a recognized language.
Mehdi Hassan Khan 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 ghazal singing, Hassan is referred to as the "Shahenshah-e-Ghazal". Known for his "haunting" baritone voice, Hassan is credited with bringing ghazal singing to a worldwide audience. He is unique for his melodic patterns and maintaining integrity of the ragas in an innovative way.
Nazar Muhammad Rashed, commonly known as Noon Meem Rashed or N.M. Rashed, was a Pakistani poet of modern Urdu poetry.
Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi born Ahmad Shah Awan was an Urdu language Pakistani poet, journalist, literary critic, dramatist and short story author. He wrote 50 books on poetry, fiction, criticism, journalism and art. He was a major figure in contemporary Urdu literature. His poetry was distinguished by its humanism, and his Urdu afsana work is considered by some second only to Munshi Prem Chand in its depiction of rural culture. He was also the editor and publisher of the literary magazine Funoon for almost half a century. He received awards such as the Pride of Performance in 1968 and Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 1980 for his literary work.
Wazir Agha was a Pakistani Urdu language writer, poet, critic and essayist. He has written many poetry and prose books. He was also the editor and publisher of the literary magazine "Auraq" for many decades. He introduced many theories in Urdu literature. His most famous work is on Urdu humor. His books focus on modern Urdu poets, notably those who have written more poems instead of ghazals. Agha's poems have mostly an element of the story.
Mir Muhammad Taqi, known as Mir Taqi Mir, was an Urdu poet of the 18th century Mughal India and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu language itself. His father's name was Meer Muttaqi. After his father's death, his step-Brothers took control over his property. His step-uncle took care of him after he was orphaned and after the death of his step-uncle(paternal) his maternal step-uncle took care of him. The part of his poetry is the grief he expresses. He has expressed a lot of grief over the downfall of his city, Delhi. He was one of the principal poets of the Delhi School of the Urdu ghazal and is often remembered as one of the best poets of the Urdu language. His pen name (takhallus) was Mir. He spent the latter part of his life in the court of Asaf-ud-Daulah in Lucknow.
Mir Tanha Yousufi was a Pakistani Punjabi and Urdu writer, best known for his Punjabi literature. He produced two short story collections and five novels in Punjabi. Most of his work was transliterated in Gurumukhi script in Indian Punjab. Besides his Punjabi works, he was a well known Urdu and Punjabi poet.
Muzaffar Warsi was a Pakistani poet, essayist, lyricist, and a scholar of Urdu. He began writing more than five decades ago. He wrote a rich collection of na`ats, as well as several anthologies of ghazals and nazms, and his autobiography Gaye Dinon Ka Suraagh. He also wrote quatrains for Pakistan's daily newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt.
Nasir Raza Kazmi (Urdu: سید ناصِر رضا كاظمی was an Urdu poet from Pakistan. Kazmi was born on 8 December 1925 at Ambala, Punjab,.
Tina Sani is a Pakistani female singer famous for her classical and semi-classical Urdu Ghazals.
Seemab Akbarabadi born Aashiq Hussain Siddiqui was an Urdu poet from British India and Pakistan.
Waheed Qureshi was a Pakistani noted linguist, literary critic, writer, researcher, educationalist and scholar of Urdu literature and oriental languages. Waheed Qureshi was one of the foremost scholars who helped shape the mood and colour of research on oriental languages and literature.
Haider Qureshi ,Qureshi Ghulam Haider Arshad born on 1 September 1953 in Rabwah, Punjab, He is a Pakistani Urdu poet, short story writer, essayist, critic, editor and journalist. He writes in Urdu.
Sir Muhammad Iqbal, was a South Asian Muslim writer, philosopher, and politician, whose poetry in the Urdu language is considered among the greatest of the twentieth century, and whose vision of a cultural and political ideal for the Muslims of British-ruled India was to animate the impulse for Pakistan. He is commonly referred to by the honorific Allama.
Halqa-e Arbab-e Zauq is a Pakistani literary movement begun in Lahore, British Punjab, India on April 29, 1939.
Riaz-Ur-Rehman Saghar (Punjabi, Urdu: ریاض الرحمان ساغر, was a poet and a film song lyricist active in Pakistani cinema.
Sarmad Sehbai is a Pakistani poet, playwright, film and theatre director, worked in Urdu, Punjabi and English languages.
Zafar Iqbal is an Urdu poet based in Okara, Punjab, Pakistan in Arain family.
