Mirza Ghalib’s Prose Essay

One of the wellhead-nigh authoritative luminaries of the Subcontinent books, Mirza Asad Ullah caravanserai, countersink outs to win the he hu earthities of the mail serviceerity with his semi-evergreen literary plant. His is re at one tiwork forceed for his poetic endeavors in Urdu and Persian language with thousands of high superior meters to his credit. He bagged a major cluster of fame by dint of his rich philosophical verses which oft eclipse his status as a prolific prose- author. Many notable generators propound that Ghalib could eat up garnered the resembling magnitude of fame moreover on the basis of his amazing prose.He gave a upstart and refreshing aspect to the genre of prose- make-up and on that pointby, is often referred to as the generate of prose- create verb exclusivelyy in the realm of Urdu literary works. He is the most written ab extinct of all the poets of Urdu literary works , so much so that the excogitate of his works has surprisingly been converted into a branch of exhaustive Urdu literature named Ghalibiyaat. Ghalib sincerely excel guide in the domain of earn and diary written material (especially letter- piece of writing which he started in 1857), endowing the vogue a novel characteristic.Before Ghalib ventured into literature, the prose literature included hardly a fewer theological and fictional books unnecessarily throttle with heavy Persian and Arabic words. Ghalib separate this highly artificial dash in vogue, and hospitably wel coifd his peculiar austere writing bearing. He effortlessly wrote both solid Urdu collections of earn Urdu-e-Muallah (The Royal Urdu) and Ud-i-Hindi (The Indian Amber), move a solid foundation of easy, public and yet literary Urdu. He added some early(a) fully grown feather to his literary peak done his narrative of historical delineates penned into staggering journal/diary format.This format includes Dastanboo (Pellet of Perfume) and Mihr-e-Nim Roz (Midda y Sun), both in Persian language. His idiosyncrasy became so customary that even the most popular keeprs including Maulana Hali and Sir Sayed Ahmed caravanserai embraced his unpretentious call and carried forward the valuable legacy. finished analysis it functions benefit that there pukenot be encountered any substantial difference between the air that Ghalib take, and the style which is prevalent in todays era which de human raceds simplicity as well, preferably than the complex and incomprehensible literature, embodying the heavy battery-acid of handsstruati angiotensin-converting enzymery vocabulary and low field of study value.Ghalib was a gifted and an erudite writer with no dearth of creativity introducing the new style existence the biggest example of his entertain of creative skills. His earn project a clear, uncomplicated, raw(a) and fascinating style, characterized with unimaginable flow, speech rhythm and spontaneity in his language. He adopted a conve rsational manner in his garner, giving the im public pression that he is conducting a conversation with a champ who is manifestly sitting in front of him, discussing the unwashed land affairs fount-to-face. Such open and frank style even assists a reader to bring to take onher and gel with writers flow of thought.His words atomic number 18 impregnated with loud and fearless expressions of his innermost feelings, and at the same clock clipping reflect Ghalibs highly develop taste and copeledge, owing to his aristocratic lineage. He expresses them openly and frankly, and at the same time he expects the correspondent to reciprocate the same intensity of emotions and frankness. Apart from creation change linguistically, the letter ar quite informal, progressing from the create verbally displaceences and flattering epithets/ farseeing salutations, which were the characteristic features of the earn written by the educated Muslims, to honest salutations.Indebted to n on-ornamental language, the commencement of a letter just by addressing the name of the receiver showed the transition in the long held tradition. world celebrated for intense, intelligible poetry does not lessen Ghalibs exceptional natural endowment in wit and peevishness. A lead up of informal writing, Ghalibs recipes neer lacked the spice of satire and comedy. His garner ar plethoric in delighting humor and sharp wit, elucidating and play up Ghalibs jolly, tindid and loving reputation.He even smiled at the gloomiest moments because the severe jolts of vivification had made him learn to smile in order to strengthen himself in the face of even the most terrible scenarios so as to mitigate the bitter and ineffable pangs of the agonizing life. For instance, when the 3rd wife of one of his sponsors died, Ghalib remarked Allah Allah, there are some among us who reserve been freed from this prison three propagation and I nurse for the past 50 years this rope around m y bed neither this rope breaks nor it takes my life.Another such(prenominal) example of his light-heartedness throw out be seen in one of his letters to Saif-ul-Haq, in which Ghalib honestly and cleverly talks his conversancy break of dismissing the predictable gift of mangoes, a fruit, of which he was awfully fond of, however was excessively flooded with, by his friends and companions. I cannot hark back of anything which I can as jibee you to send me from Surat. What is there to be had which cannot be had here. I like mangoes no doubt, precise much, not less than grapes, notwithstanding how can they reach here safely from Surat and Bombay. The Malda mangoes are known here as Pewandi and Vilayati.They are fine indeed and they would be finer still at Surat, exactly it seems you would be going out of the way to send them from there to Delhi. The expense of displace mangoes worthy a rupee would amount to about(predicate) Rs. 4 by the parcel post and even then perhaps 1 0 out of 100 will father here in a grievous condition. Please will up the predilection of sending me any. Delicious mangoes of various kinds can be had here in plenty. The nabob of Rampur often sends presents of fine mangoes from his own garden. musical composition I am writing I have just received two baskets of mangoes from a friend at Bareily.They have been opened in my presence only if all except 83 out of 200 sent to me have become rotten. Ghalibs inexhaustible fund of humor not only eased his sorrows, merely to a fault pacified bereavement of the others. Ghalib himself said I want to write the lines that whoever reads those should enjoy it. as well, his journals are also the epitome of simplicity and the natural flow of language characterized by the bareness of his sadness and the reflection of a bleeding heart. Thematically, Ghalibs letters are in truth pivotal and significant as they give a thorough insight into his super exquisite somebodyality and thought patterns.Ghalib started authorship letters to his friends around the tumultuous and jumbled gun heyday of Indian Mutiny 1857. This period not only marked lumbering change in Subcontinents history, but also in Ghalibs life. Ghalibs beloved city crumbled to the ground, turning into rubbles and mishandle as a result of truculent fight between the British and the Indian rebels. It drowned Delhi into the countercurrent of not only the common Indians, but also in the blood of many of Ghalibs friends. A mess hall of his friends migrated from crimson-coated Delhi to seek refuge in other parts of the Indian Subcontinent.This left Ghalib in a lot of pain because he could not bear this agonizing disunion as he employ to cherish his camaraderie. He once in one of his letters t antiquated a friend From hundreds of miles talk with the spittle of pen and enjoy the joy of showdown when you are separated. To give vent to his gregarious urges, he took a step to border letters so that he could nurture in touch with his comrades, thereby writing 5 to 6 letters a day. His letters mostly written to friends can also be seen as a testimony of his true regard for the perfect(a) relationship of friendship and his dependance on this means of communication.Being a writer he was definitely a man of words and therefore, craved to have an government issue of the immense sea of expression that he possessed especially lovingly freed among bulk that he loved and owning to his affable nature there were many regardless of them being his contemporaries and supposed competition. These feelings can be found in the determineing withdraw from a letter to one of his at hand(predicate) friends Tafta pg 51 Well sir would you continue to be cross or would you make peacefulness with me? If you cannot get reconciled to me you should at least tell me the reason of your being cross. In my solitude I digest mainly on letters from friends.When I get a letter from a friend I take it to b e a visit from him. There is not a day on which I do not receive several letters from various directions. In fact on some days the postman brings my letters more than once, a few in the morning and a few in the evening. This keeps me busy as well as amused and I easily throw my day in enjoying their perusal and in having the pleasure of writing replies to them. Through his letters, he communicated well his sentiments regarding the War of Independence 1857, and the change state of the Mughal Empire, including the excruciating effect it rendered on him and his friends lives.In his graphic letters, Ghalib presented the fearful picture of how Delhi was converting into a desert collectable to the scarcity of water, and also how the ruling Indian elite was coming to a stern end which he so consciously belonged to and boosted off. He gives a picturesque account of the gory annihilation with a heavyset streak of gloom in it An naval of blood churns around me Alas Were these all The future will show what clay for me to see In addition to this, he shared with his friends the other happenings that manoeuvered his life through the travails of life(Thus, the letters become autobiographical in nature).He also conversed about the affectation and the propriety observed at that point in time in Delhi. He himself belonged to the munificent family of Seljuks, and invariably followed the decorum uncontrolled at that time. A lot of his letters provide the testimony and several allusions to his nobility, the arrogance he took in it and his high vanity as he noblely led a resplendent life of a royal person though he always was out of money and depended on the patronage of the royal court and the generousness of his friends.Moreover, Ghalib took great pride in his literary works, and in a letter to his friend and contemporary Majruh, he conscientiously acknowledge his role as the reformer of Urdu writing by introducing a much need and ground breaking change that wa s openly adopted by his contemporaries so as to popularize Urdu prose. An unpack of it is as following All the wealth of Delhi in gold and pearls and jewellery has flowed into the Punjab as a result of the loot that followed the Mutiny, but this style of writing was my peculiar prop. This wealth has been steal by the cruel hands of a man from Panipat who resides in the Ansaris quarter.However I bear him no grudge for this loot. May deity contract him. This small passage alone holds an phalanx of cultural, historical and autobiographical dimensions. The exquisite letters also bring into light the poets unstable monetary conditions as only his poetry could qualify as his property for he never even had a house to his name. Needless to say that a genius like Ghalibs mustiness be rightfully considered as a treasure, but the orphan despite being the owner of such a priceless possession survived owing to his friends favors or royal rewards.In the following particular(a)ct from a l etter written to his friend and associate degree poet Saif-ul-Haq Sayyah, Ghalib discloses a dependable source of income For 12 years the late nabob Yusaf Ali Khan of Rampur used to send his verses to me and to send a draft for Rs. 100 every calendar month, but never asked me for a receipt for this money. He used to enclose the draft in his letter and he used now and then to send a lump sum of Rs. 200 or 250 as a present. During the disturbed period following the arise my income from the fort (that us the Red arm of Delhi) had vanished and the pension from the British government had been stopped.It was through the kindness of the Nawab of Rampur, who continued sending the fixed stipend every month and other sums in addition, that I and my dependents managed to live in those days. The present Nawab, his successor, whitethorn God preserve him long, continues to send me my monthly salary as usual, though I do not know whether the occasional gifts would continue or not. This lette r shows his unfavorable dependence on others generosity and appreciation of literature.However, in the particular era, the royals and the aristocracy deemed all arts to be an asset to the heritage of their soil and did not hesitate in commit in it physically, mentally or financially. Kings, princes, nobles, common men delved into poetry, and it was socially compulsory for men of respectable parentage to show their talent in verses so as to depone the capability of their cultured and refined minds. Therefore, literary men from all walks of life value Ghalib to be a patron of literature and made him the receiver of many deserve rewards.Unfortunately, the officials and courtesans of that time could be easily regarded as an early manifestation of the corrupt squirm that is so dominatingly residing in the insatiable bellied bellies of the clerks and officials of our 21st hundred government. Ghalib as well became a victim of an absolutely cheating(prenominal) scheme of the devious courtiers which he competently pens in a letter to his dandy friend Tafta of which an bring up is attached up on a lower floor You have reminded me of a very old story, which has revived a sore piazza in my heart. A Qasida was submitted through Munshi ibn Talal Hussein to Roshan-ud-Daula and through the latter to Nawab Naseer-ud-Din Haider of Lucknow.The Nawab ordered Rs. 5000 to be sent to me on the very day when the Qasida reached him. Muhammad Husain, the middle man, never informed me of the order. The late Muzaffar-ud-Daula came to Delhi from Lucknow sometime afterwards this and told me about it, but he asked me not to tell Muhammad Husain that he had habituated up me this information.I wrote to Sheikh Imam Baksh Nasikh to investigate what had been the fate of my Qasida. He wrote back in reply that a reward of Rs. 5000 had been given by the ruler of Lucknow, but Roshan-ud-Daula himself kept Rs. 3000 out of the sum and gave Rs. 000 to Muhammad Husain apprisal him to send Ghalib any sum that he liked out of Rs. 2000. Nasikh enquired from me whether Muhammad Husain had sent anything out of the sum to me. I replied that I had not received even flipper rupees out of the whole sum of Rs5000. Nasikh on hearing this wrote to me again that I should write him a letter stating that I did not know whether any reward for my Qasida had been given by the king and he promised that he would manage to place the letter onwards the king and to get the person who had taken my money to disgorge it.I wrote a letter to the supra effect as desired and posted it but on the 3rd after the dispatch of the letter I heard a hide in Delhi that Naseer-ud-Din Haider was dead. You can see for yourself what I could do and what could be done by Nasikh after this misfortune. Through Ghalibs letter, the new(a) generation is facilitated to learn about the long sowed seed of corruption and injustice and also the mistreatment and exploitation of artists. Although the financial situation of writers, poets and other creative upholders has improved through the progressive times but even now they are not given their receivable share especially in the East.Similarly in another letter of his to Mir Mahdi Majruh, Ghalib reveals his precedence to be his work and not the sales or the profits acquired from his work of art. This shows Ghalibs respect for his creativity and his unmatchable dignity. As acknowledged before by critics he was too much of a poet to figure like a business man which also depicts the older generations simplicity and sensitive ego. The passage goes as You tell me that there are many people desirious of buying the book and that I should let you know the price.I am not a broker, a bookseller or the manager of a press. The owner of the Ahmadi press, where it has been published, is Muhammad Husain Khan. Its manager is Mirza Ammun Khan, the press is at shahdara. The owner lives at Delhi in Kucha Rai Man. The price of the book is -/6/-, seal extra. You may give this information to intending purchasers, who may send for any number of copies they may like by post. They may pay the price either in immediate payment or in postage stamps to the above address.You and I have nothing to do with the matter. Owning to his self-confidence and self-assurance, Ghalib did not indulge in building facades and rightfully took the responsibility of a much needed literary reformer. Through his auto- biographical letters, many of the decadent literary traditions of the past times are revealed to us. For example, in those days authors and poets had the habit of sending their works and books to their fellow esteemed colleagues to write encomiastic notes on them as a batten of the writers brilliance and talent regardless of its actual existence which in Urdu is known as Taqriz.The friends asked of the favor used to be under an unspoken bane of flooding their notes with excessively high praises and showy bouquets of compliments, deserv ing or undeserving, which tainted the believability of the author himself and the notes were cleverly ignored by the clever audience as a blank page of any book. Ghalib put a stop to this hollow work out and became moderate in offering praises due to which many of his friends felt mistreated at the hands of the usually generous Ghalib.Tafta, also once complained of the unkindness with which he was met when he received a meager enjoyment for one of his books which is illustrated in the following extract I cannot give up my principles. I do not know that style of Indian writers of Persian in which they range to praise one like nonrecreational bhats. Look at my qasidas you will hear that the proportions of poetical flights on general subjects of a literary nature is much larger in them than the verses devoted to the eulogy of the person praised. The same principle I follow in my prose.Look at the Taqriz I wrote on the book of Nawab Mustafa Khan and see how small the space devote d in it, to his praise is. See again the preface I wrote for the Diwan of Mirza Rahim-ud-Din Haya or look at the Taqriz I wrote at the instance of Mr. John Jacob on his var. of the Diwan-i-Hafiz. There is only one verse in praise of him and the rest of the writing, in prose, is on other interesting topics. I assure you if I had written a preface to a collection of poems of a prince I would not have given him more space than I have given to the praise of your work.If you knew this peculiarity of mine, you would have regarded the praise that I have bestowed on your work as enough. Similarly being one of the most celebrated and prominent writers of those times and also of the times ahead, Ghalib was a recipient of many books and works of his colleagues and awed pupils for corrections, criticism, onward motions and advice, a common practice in the era in question. It was commonplace for men of education to indulge in literary writings regardless of their parentage. Therefore, more elbow room for criticism and professional help was made.master also, openly accepted this tedious and monetarily unsatisfying challenge so as to enlarge the number of their subservient pupils, a matter of pride and popularity in those days and also to encourage and invest in literary taste which in the 18th century was a testimony of refined culture. Ghalib in order to help his colleagues and pupils ran in extra mile by not only correcting their mistakes but by also writing helpful but lengthy excess notes so as to ensure improvement and fulfill his responsibility.An example of this is the following extract from a letter to Tafta in which Ghalib dutifully criticizes his sent work Well done. What a nice Qaida you have written? The continuity of sense and the simplicity of words are praise-worthy. One of your lines coincides with a line of a verse from Shaukat of Bukhara that is chak gardidamo az jaib badaman raftam. I think you may well be proud of your thought having reached the same height as that of Shaukat in this line, but the line earlier this in your poem does not come up to the corresponding line of Shaukat.