Urdu poetry 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 Ghalib, Mir Anees, 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.
Javed Akhtar is an Indian poet, lyricist, screenwriter and political activist. Known for his work in Hindi cinema, he has won five National Film Awards, and received the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2007, two of India's highest civilian honours.
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 captivating 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.
Jan Nisar Akhtar was an Indian poet of Urdu ghazals and nazms, and a part of the Progressive Writers' Movement, who was also a lyricist for Bollywood.
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 Badr's most of unpublished literary work, including uncertain poems was lost during the 1987 Meerut communal riots, and later he moved to Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
Dilawar Figar, was a Pakistani humorist, poet. He was known as Shehansha-e-Zarafat and Akbar-e-Sani for his satire and humour.
Gopi Chand Narang is an Indian theorist, literary critic and scholar who writes in Urdu and English. His Urdu literary criticism has incorporated a range of modern theoretical frameworks including stylistics, structuralism, post-structuralism and Eastern poetics.
Wali Muhammad Wali (1667–1707), also known as Wali Dakhani, Wali Gujarati, and Wali Aurangabadi, was a classical Urdu poet from India.
Akhlaq Mohammad Khan, better known by his takhallusShahryar, was an Indian academician, and a doyen of Urdu poetry in India. As a Hindi film lyricist, he is best known for his lyrics in Gaman (1978) and Umrao Jaan (1981) directed by Muzaffar Ali. He retired as the head of Urdu Department at the Aligarh Muslim University, and thereafter he remained sought after name in mushairas or poetic gatherings, and also co-edited the literary magazine Sher-o-Hikmat.
Khaleel-Ur-Rehman Azmi, also known as Khalil al-Rehman Azmi, was an Urdu poet and literary critic who was born in the village Seedhan Sultanpur in the district of Azamgarh.
Mehr Lal Soni, 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 of Nawab Mirza Khan Daagh Dehlvi (1831–1905). He used the takhallus of Zia meaning "Light" on the suggestion of his teacher, Ghulaam Qadir Farkh Amritsari.
Iftikhar Hussain, known by his pen name Muztar Khairabadi, was an Indian Urdu poet.
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.
Naseer Turabi was a Pakistani poet. Playback singer Ahmed Rushdi played significant role in his success and also helped popularize his ghazals.
Kalim Aajiz was an Indian writer of Urdu literature and a poet. An academic educator and chairman of the Urdu Advisory Committee of the Government of Bihar. He was a recipient of the fourth highest Indian civilian honour of Padma Shri from the Government of India in 1989.
Raza Naqvi Wahi 19 January 1914 – 5 January 2002) was an Indian Urdu-language poet during his time. He used the takhallus of Wahi.
Shahid Kabir was an Urdu language poet and writer from Maharashtra, India. He was an active writer from 1952, writing poetry, short stories and articles. He was well-known mainly for his ghazals. His significant works include Kachchi Deewaren, Charon Aour and Pehchaan. He was recognised by the Maharashtra State Urdu Academy. His ghazals have been sung by several Indian singers including Jagjit Singh, Chitra Singh, Hariharan, Chandan Dass, Munni Begum Shishir Parkhie and Sabri brothers.
Zulfiqar Naqvi, born in Gursai village in Mendhar Tehsil near LoC in District Poonch of Jammu and Kashmir. He inherited literary taste and had great interest in Urdu Poetry even in his childhood. He started composing Urdu Poetry during his graduation. He graduated from Jammu University in 1992. He did his Masters in English language & Literature from Aligarh Muslim University in 1994. He did BIAMS in Alternative medicine from Kolkata. He worked as Casual Announcer in All India Radio Poonch from 1995 to 1999. He started his career as Teacher in Education Department of the Jammu and Kashmir Government in 1995. He got selected as Lecturer in English language in 2004 and was promoted as Senior Lecturer in 2011. He was promoted as Principal in the School Education Department of Jammu and Kashmir in 2022. He is a renowned Urdu poet and has authored Three Books, ZAAD-E-SAFAR in 2011, UJAALU'N KA SAFAR in 2013, DASHT-E-WAHSHAT in 2021. He has also written the Anthem of Govt Degree College Surankote. He is also the founder president of an international Literary Organisation known as Muntaha-e-Fikr. He is famous as a Phonetician of English language and as a master Urdu Poet.
Shehzad Ahmed, was a Pakistani Urdu poet, writer and director of Majlis-i-Taraqqi-i-Adab, an old book library of Pakistan. Shehzad's poetry collection comprise about thirty books and with several other publications on psychology. In 1990s, he earned a national recognition and was awarded Pride of Performance award by the Government of Pakistan. He is also credited for translating non-Urdu poems into Urdu language.
