Islamabad–Urdu’s great poet Mirza Asadullah Baig is being remembered on his 142nd death anniversary on Tuesday. According to a private news channel, Mirza Asadullah who is renowned with a pen-name Ghalib, was born on 27 December 1796 in the city of Akbarabad (present Agra) is an all time great classical Urdu and Persian poet of the Indian subcontinent.
Ghalib is noted for his versatility in ghazals, which have since been interpreted and sung in many different ways by different people. He is the most dominating poet of the Urdu language. After the death of his father and uncle during his early youth left Ghalib moved to Delhi.
“Ghalib” is one of the best of Urdu poets. He led a drastic revolution in Urdu poetry with his words. His full name was “Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan” and “Ghalib” was his pen name. His father Abdullah Baig Khan and Uncle Nasrullah Baig Khan were in Army. He was just five years old when become orphan and lived with his uncle for four years when his uncle too died. He was a classical Urdu and Persian poet from India during British colonial rule.
In South Asia he was considered to be one of the most popular and dominant poet of Urdu in past but he has equal popularity at present also. Still today Ghalib is popular between Urdu people not only in India and Pakistan but also in Diaspora communities around the world.
He started saying sher in Agra himself. He moved to Dehli after getting married with the daughter of Nawab Ilahi Baksh “Maaroof” and devoted his full concentration on poetry. Ghalib felt so much proud on his Persian poetry but his Urdu poetry like “Ghazals” are also much famous today.
He always lived from hand to mouth due to lack of money and after 1857 his support from Royal durbar stopped. He was suspected of supporting agitators so his pension from British government was ceased.
He traveled to Calcutta for pension to restart it but he could not avail it then he went to Nawab of Rampur, who promised him for Rs. 200 for living in Rampur but 100 for living any where else Rampur.
His pension was resumed after three years but at that time Ghalib got so many debts and this all amount was used for paying all old debts. This great literary legend passed away in 1869.
Source: Pakistan Observer
Date:2/16/2011
