Hindustani is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Deccan, Northern India and Pakistan, and used as a lingua franca in both countries. Hindustani is a pluricentric language with two standard registers, known as Hindi and Urdu. Thus, it is also called Hindi–Urdu. Colloquial registers of the language fall on a spectrum between these standards. In modern times, a third variety of Hindustani with significant English influences has also appeared which is sometimes called Hinglish.
The ghazal is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. Ghazals often deal with topics of spiritual and romantic love and may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation from the beloved and the beauty of love in spite of that pain.
Abu'l Hasan Yamīn ud-Dīn Khusrau, better known as Amīr Khusrau, was an Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar who lived during the period of the Delhi Sultanate.
Hindustani is one of the predominant languages of South Asia, with federal status in the republics of India and Pakistan in its standardized forms of Hindi and Urdu respectively. It is widely spoken and understood as a second language in Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Persian Gulf and as such is considered a lingua franca in the northern Indian subcontinent. It is also one of the most widely spoken languages in the world by total number of speakers. It developed in north India, principally during the Mughal Empire, when the Persian language exerted a strong influence on the Western Hindi languages of central India; this contact between the Hindu and Muslim cultures resulted in the core Indo-Aryan vocabulary of the Indian dialect of Hindi spoken in Delhi, whose earliest form is known as Old Hindi, being enriched with Persian loanwords. Rekhta, or "mixed" speech, which came to be known as Hindustani, Hindi, Hindavi, and Urdu, also locally known as Lashkari or Lashkari Zaban in long form, was thus created. This form was elevated to the status of a literary language, and after the partition of colonial India and independence this collection of dialects became the basis for modern standard Hindi and Urdu. Although these official languages are distinct registers with regards to their formal aspects, such as modern technical vocabulary, they continue to be all but indistinguishable in their vernacular form. From the colonial era onwards, Hindustani has also taken in many words from English, with an urban English-influenced variety emerging known as Hinglish.
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 signature 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.
Rekhta was the Hindustani language as its dialectal basis shifted to the Delhi dialect. This style evolved in both the Perso-Arabic and Devanagari scripts and is considered an early form of Urdu and Hindi. According to the Pakistani linguist and historian Tariq Rehman, Rekhta was a highly Persianized register of Hindustani, exclusively used by poets. It was not only the vocabulary that was Persianized, but also the poetic metaphors, inspired by Indian landscapes and seasons, were abandoned in favor of the Persian ones i.e bahaar (spring) replacing barsaat.
Bashir Badr is an Indian poet. He was teaching Urdu in Aligarh Muslim University. He primarily writes in Urdu language particularly ghazals. He also wrote a couplet titled Dushmani Jam Kar Karo in 1972 during Shimla Agreement that revolves around the partition of India. Badr's most of unpublished literary work, including uncertain poems was lost during the 1987 Meerut communal riots, and later he moved to Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
Zehra Nigah is a prominent Urdu poet and scriptwriter from Pakistan. She is fondly known as 'Zehra Apa' in the nation. Among the pioneers of poetry by women, Nigah was one of the first Urdu women poets to make their mark in the male dominated field. Nigah's accomplishments especially shone in the domain of mushaira, as she is considered the first female poet to fully participate and make a visible mark in such events. Zehra is an occasional songwriter and scriptwriter too.
Gopi Chand Narang 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, structuralism, post-structuralism, and Eastern poetics.
Sayyid Sirajuddin, commonly known as Siraj Aurangabadi (1715–1763), was an Indian mystic poet who initially wrote in Persian and later started writing in Urdu.
Aurangabad is one of the historical cities of the Deccan, India. It is well known for its literary and cultural traditions. As this city was the stronghold of the Mughals, a number of civil and military officers, men of letters, citizens, etc., from Delhi came here with the result that Aurangabad was so much influenced by the North Indian culture that it was considered to be the Delhi of the Deccan. Thus, till 1763, Aurangabad was the seat of Government and the capital of the Deccan. Afterwards when Hyderabad was made the capital, poets, literary men and learned people gradually left Aurangabad and this city lost its literary prominence. Still the city continued to produce men of literary genius well into the 20th century. Though, Aurangabad had gained its importance since the time of Malik Ambar, up to 1700 AD the literary achievements of that city in regard to the Urdu language are not traceable. The Urdu spoken in Aurangabad is Hyderabadi Urdu, which in itself is a form of Dakhini Urdu.
Moshtaque Ahmad Noori is an Indian Urdu short story writer and critic. His works include short stories, Ghazals and nazm.
Raza Naqvi Wahi was an Indian Urdu-language poet during his time. He used the takhallus of Wahi.
Rekhti, is a form of Urdu feminist poetry. A genre developed by male poets, it uses women's voices to talk about themselves. It was formed in 19th-century Lucknow, then part of the State of Awadh. The poet Saadat Yaar Khan Rangin is credited with its creation.
Rajendar Nath Rehbar was an Urdu Poet and Bollywood lyricist. He is the writer of the nazm Teri Khushboo Me Base Khat sung by ghazal singer Jagjit Singh. He is a disciple of the Urdu poet Ratan Pandoravi.
Jashn-e-Rekhta is the world's largest Urdu language literary festival. It is a three-day event held in New Delhi that celebrates the Urdu language. This event is flagship event of Rekhta Foundation. The festival showcases Urdu poetry, Urdu literature, Qawwali, Islamic calligraphy, with performances such as Ghazal, Sufi music, recitations, panel discussions, debates, conversations on films, and calligraphy workshops. It also includes shopping and a food festival. It provides a platform for Urdu lovers to share their poetry and stories in various open forums. The slogan of the festival is "Celebrating Urdu", and it is attended by a huge number of Urdu enthusiasts, especially people who are younger.
Quaiser Khalid is an officer of the Indian Police Service, currently working as Inspector General of Police, Motor Transport, Maharashtra State, Pune.
The Urdu ghazal is a literary form of the ghazal-poetry unique to the Indian subcontinent, written in the Urdu standard of the Hindostani language. It is commonly asserted that the ghazal spread to South Asia from the influence of Sufi mystics in the Delhi Sultanate.
Mohammad Nawaz Khan is an Indian Urdu language poet. He is also a Ghazal writer some of them are sung by famous Ghazal singer Jagjit Singh. He wrote the lyrics for the Ghazal album Amaanat released by singer Sachin Sharma in 2008.
Sanjiv Saraf is an Indian entrepreneur, philanthropist, and author. He is widely recognized as the visionary founder of the Rekhta Foundation an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Urdu literature. Under his leadership, the Rekhta Foundation has curated the Rekhta website, a comprehensive repository of Urdu literary works, and has been instrumental in hosting the prestigious annual event known as Jashn-e-Rekhta since 2015. Saraf is also an accomplished author, having penned notable books such as "Love Longing Loss" and "Nava-e-Sarosh." His literary contributions have made a significant impact on the world of Urdu literature and culture.
