Mir Babar Ali Anees ( ur, مير ببر على انيس) (1800–1874), also known as Mir Anees was an Indian

Urdu poet Urdu poetry ( ur, ) 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 ...

. He used his

pen-name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

(takhallus) of Anees (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Persian,

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

, and

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

words in his poetry. Anis wrote prolonged

Marsia A marsiya ( fa, مرثیه) is an elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and valour of Hussain ibn Ali and his comrades of the Karbala. Marsiyas are essentially religious. Background The word ''Marsiya'' is derived from the Arabic word ...

s, which was a custom of his times, but nowadays only selected sections are narrated even in

religious Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...

ceremonies A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin '' caerimonia''. Church and civil (secula ...

. He died in 1291

Hijra Hijra, Hijrah, Hegira, Hejira, Hijrat or Hijri may refer to: Islam * Hijrah (often written as ''Hejira'' in older texts), the migration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE * Migration to Abyssinia or First Hegira, of Muhammad's followers ...

, corresponding with 1874 CE.

Family

Mir Babar Ali Anis was born in 1803 CE at Faizabad. In his book ''Khandaan- e-Mir Anees ke Naamwar Sho’ara'' (Famous Poets from the family of Mir Anis), Zameer Naqvi lists 22 poets from Mir Anis’ family and their poetry. A

researcher Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness t ...

Urdu Literature Urdu literature ( ur, , ) is literature in the Urdu 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 ...

, Syed Taqi Abedi, has shown that Mir Anis's family has written poetic

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...

for three centuries, first in Persian and later in Urdu.''Daily Siasat''
Hyderabad (15 June 2013). Mir Anis was a fifth-generation poet, a fact he mentioned in the first stanza of "Namak-e-Khwaan-e-Takallum hai Fasaahat meri":

Education

Anis's mother appears to have been his greatest inspiration. He gained a traditional

Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mos ...

education. However, research by Nayyar Masood reveals that, while in Faizabad, Anis studied with two religious

scholars A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researche ...

; one was a

Scholar, Mir Najaf and the other was a Hanafi (

Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a dis ...

) Scholar, Haider Ali Faizabadi. Masood also notes that Anis was well versed in Persian as well as in

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

. Anis also had

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...

and gained a thorough knowledge of old and new

weapons A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...

.The life and works of Mir Anis
''The Dawn''. 30 April 2011

Life

Anis was invited to Lucknow where he reached the zenith of his reputation. He stayed in Lucknow because he believed that his art was not appreciated elsewhere. Yet, after the annexation of Oudh by the British, he was persuaded to visit

Azimabad Azimabad ( hi, अज़ीमाबाद, ur, ) was the name of modern-day Patna during the eighteenth century, prior to the British Raj. Today, Patna is the capital of Bihar, a state in North India. In ancient times, Patna was known as Pata ...

(

Patna Patna ( ), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...

), Dulhipur (

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern Indi ...

and

Allahabad Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the administra ...

."A History of Urdu Literature" by Ram Babu Saxena, Allahabad, 1927 In 1870 Nawab Tahwar Jung invited Anis to Hyderabad where he declined to be presented at the court of Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, the then Nizam of Hyderabad State. The Nizam himself went to the Majlis where the poet was to recite. While returning from Hyderabad, he sojourned at Allahabad in 1871 and recited his marsia in the Imambara of late Lala Beni Prasad Srivastava, Vakil, who was a devotee of Imam Husain. He died in 1874 CE and is buried at his own residence in Lucknow.

Work and contribution

According to Muhammad Hussain Azad, "The late Mīr Sahib must certainly have composed at least ten thousand elegies, and salāms beyond count. He composed as easily and casually as he spoke.". Mir-Anis-Poetry-Urdu-Hindi-1

In his essay "How to read Iqbal?" Shamsur Rahman Faruqi wrote: "

Iqbal Iqbal, Eqbal, Ikbal, or Eghbal may refer to: Geography Iran * ''Eqbal, Iran'', a village in West Azerbaijan Province *''Eqbaliyeh'', rural district in Iran * ''Eqbal-e Gharbi Rural District'', western provincial district in Qazvin, Iran * ''Eqbal- ...

was placed better because he had, among others, Bedil (1644–1720) in Persian and Mir Anis (1802–1874) in

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Marsiyas are the best premodern model in Urdu of narrative-historical, narrative-lyrical, and oral-dramatic poetry, and Iqbal’s

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meani ...

extends and exploits the possibilities created by Anis." Mir Anis was criticized for playing on religious sentiments giving his work a vertical appeal at the expense of poetic beauty. While Farhat Nadir Rizvi, in her research, has propounded that Anis was narrating recorded history and was therefore restricted in use of pure imagination and fantasy, yet he dexterously harnessed the art of

storytelling Storytelling is the social and cultural activity of sharing stories, sometimes with improvisation, theatrics or embellishment. Every culture has its own stories or narratives, which are shared as a means of entertainment, education, cultural pr ...

in his work and we cannot but accept that he was not only a Marsiya writer but also a successful storyteller. Anis has been compared with

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

. Shakespeare creates imaginary plots and characters so beautifully that they appear real to the reader; Anis narrates events and characters fossilized in history so vividly that they become alive in the eyes of his audience. Anis is also known as a pioneer in Rubai, an Urdu poetry branch, and enjoys status akin to that of Mirza Sauda, Khwaja Mir Dard and Dabeer. Besides being a master of the Marsia, Anis was also a specialist of the Rubai, the shortest complete poem in Urdu, containing only four lines. He enriched the contents of the Rubai, making it much more colorful and multi-dimensional. Anis introduced the tragic events of

Karbala Karbala or Kerbala ( ar, كَرْبَلَاء, Karbalāʾ , , also ;) is a city in central Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governor ...

and their moralistic effect to Rubai. Thus, he widened the scope of Rubai to unfathomable limits. The inclusion of Karbala resulted in the florescence of the Urdu Rubai. Thus, many internal and external aspects of our life found their echo in the Urdu Rubai.

Tribute to poet in Urdu literature

Seminars and symposiums

Dabir Academy in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

organised an International

Seminar A seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some parti ...

on "Position of Anis and Dabir in Urdu literature" on the occasion of bicentennial birthday celebrations of Mir Anis and Mirza Dabir. A seminar titled "Mir Anis our Adab-i-Aalia" was jointly held on 19 April 2001 by the Arts Council of Pakistan,

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

and Pak Arab Literary Society, with

Farman Fatehpuri Farman Fatehpuri ( ur, ) (born Syed Dildar Ali ( ur, ), 26 January 1926 – 3 August 2013) was an Urdu linguist, researcher, writer, critic and scholar of Pakistan. He is widely regarded as a leading authority on the life and work of ...

in the chair and Mehdi Masud as the chief guest. The Arts Council, Karachi, had also organized in April 2002 an evening to commemorate the second birth centenary of Mir Anis. In August 2003 there was a national seminar on "Mir Anis Ke Marsia Mein Jang ke Anasir" organized by

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Hyderabad Central University The University of Hyderabad (IAST: ''Hydarāvād visvavidyālayamu'') is a top ranking public central research university located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Founded in 1974, this mostly residential campus has more than 5,000 students a ...

Books on Mir Anis

* ''Marsiya Khawani Ka Funn'' and ''Marka-i-Anis-au-Dabir'' (Urdu) by Nayyar Masood * ''Urdu Marsiye K a Safar'' * ''Tajzia-i-Yadgar Marsia'', Research and compilation by Taqi Abedi * ''Intikhab-e-Kalam'' Compiled by Muhammad Reza Kazimi *''Rubaiyate-e-Anis'' Compiled By Mr. Mohammad Hasan Bilgrami and ''Anis Shakhsiyat Aur Fun'' by Mr. Fazl-e-Imam published by UP Urdu Akademi,

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. * Books by Syed Zameer Akhtar Naqvi ''Mir Anees Ki Shairi'' (in Urdu Language) & ''The poets in the family of Mir Anis'' (published in 1996) 2nd Book is about the life history of 22 family members of Mir Anis that were poets and their poetry. * ''The immortal poetry & Mir Anis'' (English) by Syed Ghulam Abbas. Published in 1983 by Majlis-e-Milli,

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

* ''The battle of Karbala'' 90 pages (Urdu) Translated by David Matthew () Original from the University of California Digitized 27 February 2008 Publisher of 2nd Edition: Rupa & Co., 1994 * ''Mir Anis Aur Qissa Goi Ka Fan'' 498 pages: By Farhat Nadir Rizvi ()

References

External links

Maqbara of Mir Anis

A website by Abu Talib Rizvi of India

* ttp://al-islam.org/history/history/marsiyya.html English translation of a marsiya by Anis
Master pieces of Urdu Rubaiyat by K C Kanda

A collection of Marsia by Anis

Marsiya collection of Mir Anis in Urdu.

* Mir Babar Ali "Anis" (1802–1874) jab qa:t kii masaafat-e shab aaftaab ne (his most famous marsiyah) C. M. Naim, ''The Art of the Urdu Marsiya'' (1983) – Teaching materials prepared at SOAS during the 1970s: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urdu/anis/index.html) {{DEFAULTSORT:Anis, Mir Babar Ali 1802 births 1874 deaths Urdu-language poets from India Indian male poets People from Faizabad Writers from Lucknow Indian Shia Muslims Urdu-language religious writers Urdu-language writers from British India 19th-century Urdu-language writers Urdu-language writers from Mughal India 19th-century Indian poets Poets from Delhi 19th-century Indian male writers