Syed Fazl-ul-Hasan (1 January 1875 – 13 May 1951), known by his

pen-name A pen name or nom-de-plume 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 name may be used to make the author's na ...

Hasrat Mohani, was an

Indian independence activist The Indian independence movement consisted of efforts by individuals and organizations from a wide spectrum of society to obtain political independence from the British, French and Portuguese rule through the use of many methods. This is a li ...

and a poet in

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

. .Together with Swami Kumaranand, he is regarded as the first person to demand complete independence for India in 1921 at the Ahmedabad Session of Congress. Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi supported the complete independence motion demanded by Hasrat Mohani. He wrote the

ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...

(love poem) "Chupke chupke raat din".

Biography

He was born in 1875 n many books it is written 1881 and 1880as Syed Fazl-ul-Hasan at Mohan, a town in the

Unnao district Unnao district is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in central India. The city of Unnao is the district headquarters. The district is part of Lucknow Division. As of the 2011 census, Unnao district has a population of 3,108,367, making it th ...

of United Provinces in

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

. Hasrat was his pen name (takhallus) that he used in his

Urdu poetry Urdu poetry ( ) is a tradition of poetry and has many different forms. Today, it is an important part of the culture of India and Pakistan. According to Naseer Turabi, there are five major poets of Urdu: Mir Taqi Mir (d. 1810), Mirza Ghalib (d. ...

whereas his last name 'Mohani' refers to Mohan, his birthplace. His ancestors migrated from

Nishapur Nishapur or Neyshabur (, also ) is a city in the Central District (Nishapur County), Central District of Nishapur County, Razavi Khorasan province, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Ni ...

, in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. Hasrat Mohani championed the freedom struggle. He also wrote verses expressing deep love for

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

, and often went to

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...

to celebrate

Krishna Janmashtami Krishna Janmashtami (), also known simply as Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. In certain Hindu texts, such as the '' Gita Govinda ...

Education

He received his primary education at

Kanpur Kanpur (Hindustani language, Hindustani: ), originally named Kanhapur and formerly anglicized as Cawnpore, is the second largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Uttar Pradesh after Lucknow. It was the primary ...

Vernacular Middle School in Fatehpur Haswah, a town near Kanpur. He achieved a top position in Grade 8 in Uttar Pradesh and then came first in mathematics in the Matric (Grade 10) exam. He received two scholarships, one from the government and the other from Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College. He completed his BA in 1903 at

Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College (, lit. "Science School for the Muslims of India") was founded in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, initially as a primary school, with the intention of turning it to a college level institution. It was inspired by t ...

which later became

Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh Muslim University is a Collegiate university, collegiate, Central university (India), central, and Research university, research university located in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Kh ...

but before that he had been expelled from the college on three occasions for his criticism of the British government. Some of his colleagues at Aligarh was Mohammad Ali Jouhar and

Shaukat Ali Shaukat Ali, also known as Shaukat Ali Khan, (3 May 1944 – 2 April 2021) was a Pakistani folk singer. Early life and career Born on 3 May 1944, into a family of artists in Malakwal, a town in District Gujrat (now falls in new District Mand ...

. His teachers in poetry were Tasleem Lucknawi and Naseem Dehlvi. To honor him, Aligarh Muslim University has a hostel named after him.

Academic

A few of his books are ''Kulliyat-e-Hasrat Mohani'' (Collection of Hasrat Mohani's poetry), ''Sharh-e-Kalam-e-Ghalib'' (Explanation of Ghalib's poetry), ''Nukaat-e-Sukhan'' ( Important aspects of poetry), ''Mushahidaat-e-Zindaan'' (Observations in Prison), etc. A very popular ghazal Chupke Chupke Raat Din sung by Ghulam Ali and 'Ghazal King'

Jagjit Singh Jagjit Singh (born Jagmohan Singh Dhiman; 8 February 1941 – 10 October 2011) was an Indian composer, singer and musician. He composed and sang in List of languages by number of native speakers in India, numerous languages and is credite ...

was penned by him. He was also featured in the film Nikaah (1982). The famous slogan of Indian freedom fighters Inquilab Zindabad was coined by Mohani in 1921.

Political

Mohani was a member of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

for many years and also joined the

All India Muslim League The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was a political party founded in 1906 in Dhaka, British India with the goal of securing Muslim interests in South Asia. Although initially espousing a united India with interfaith unity, the Muslim League lat ...

, serving as its president in 1919. He opposed the partition of India. After the declaration of the Partition Plan on 3 June 1947, Mohani resigned as a member of the All India Muslim League and when the division of the country occurred, he chose to live in independent India. He became a member of the

Constituent Assembly of India Constituent Assembly of India was partly elected and partly nominated body to frame the Constitution of India. It was elected by the Provincial assemblies of British India following the Provincial Assembly elections held in 1946 and nominated ...

which drafted the

Indian Constitution The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India, and the longest written national constitution in the world. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and ...

. To represent the remaining Indian Muslims on different platforms, Hasrat Mohani chose to live in India rather than migrate to Pakistan. He never accepted Government allowances or stayed at official residences. Instead, he stayed in

mosques A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were simple p ...

and used to go to the Parliament in a shared tonga. He was a religious practicing Muslim and led a simple life. Maulana had gone for

Hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...

(pilgrimage to

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

) several times. He used to travel in third-class railroad cars. When asked why he traveled third class, he quipped because there is no fourth class.

Struggle for Indian independence

Mohani participated in the struggle for Indian Independence (end of

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

); and was jailed in 1903 for many years by British authorities. At that time political prisoners were treated like common criminals and forced to do manual labor. In 1904, he joined the

Party. He was the first person in Indian History who demanded 'Complete Independence' (Azadi-e-Kaamil) in 1921 as he presided over an annual session of

All-India Muslim League The All-India Muslim League (AIML) was a political party founded in 1906 in Dhaka, British India with the goal of securing Muslims, Muslim interests in South Asia. Although initially espousing a united India with interfaith unity, the Muslim L ...

. In December 1929, his campaign for 'complete independence' resulted in the shape of

session in

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

. Mohani opposed the partition of India. After complete independence from the British rule, Maulana Hasrat Mohani wanted a confederal set-up on the pattern of Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). He wanted to see a confederal constitution in India after freedom from the British. His proposal had six federations: 1.

East Pakistan East Pakistan was the eastern province of Pakistan between 1955 and 1971, restructured and renamed from the province of East Bengal and covering the territory of the modern country of Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Burma, wit ...

; 2.

West Pakistan West Pakistan was the western province of Pakistan between One Unit, 1955 and Legal Framework Order, 1970, 1970, covering the territory of present-day Pakistan. Its land borders were with Afghanistan, India and Iran, with a maritime border wit ...

; 3. Central India; 4. South-eastern India; 5. South-western India; and 6. Hyderabad Deccan.

Urdu-e-Mualla

He was also imprisoned for promoting anti-British ideas, especially for publishing an article against British policies in Egypt, in his magazine 'Urdu-e-Mualla'. Afterward, unlike some Urdu poets like

Josh Malihabadi Josh Malihabadi (born Shabbir Hasan Khan; 5 December 1898 – 22 February 1982) popularly known as Shayar-e-Inqalab (poet of revolution) was Indian born Pakistani Urdu poet. Known for his liberal values and challenging the established o ...

and many Muslim leaders, he chose to live in India rather than move to

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

after independence (1947) to represent Indian Muslims on various platforms. In recognition for his efforts, he was made a member of the constituent assembly, which drafted the Indian constitution. But unlike other members, he never signed it.

Communist movement

He was among the founders of the

Communist Party of India The Communist Party of India (CPI) is a political party in India. The CPI considers the Foundation of the Communist Party of India, December 26, 1925 Cawnpore (Kanpur) conference as its foundation date. Between 1946 and 1951, the CPI led m ...

. He was deeply influenced by the Russian Revolution. His house in Kanpur was the center of preparations for the 1925 Kanpur Communist Conference, the first all-India Communist conference that was held in December 1925. K.N. Joglekar wrote in his reminiscences that he and the Bombay group came to know through VH Joshi, going to meet S. A. Dange in Kanpur jail, that Satya Bhakta, Hasrat Mohani and others were taking initiative to convene a communist conference in December 1925. The Bombay group extended full support. He was elected chairman of the Reception Committee (RC) of the conference. Hasrat Mohani was included in the Central Executive Committee elected at the conference. He was again included in CEC in the 1927 extended meeting. He later attended the foundation conference of Progressive Writers’ Association (PWA) in

Lucknow Lucknow () is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the largest city of the List of state and union territory capitals in India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is the administrative headquarters of the epon ...

in 1936.

Death and legacy

Maulana Hasrat Mohani died on May 13, 1951 in Lucknow, India. Hasrat Mohani Memorial Society was founded by Maulana Nusrat Mohani in 1951. In

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

, the Hasrat Mohani Memorial Library and Hall was established by the Hasrat Mohani Memorial Library and Hall Trust. Every year, on his death anniversary, a memorial meeting is conducted by this Trust as well as many other organizations in India and Pakistan. Also Hasrat Mohani Colony, at

Korangi Town Korangi Town () is an administrative subdivision or town within Karachi, Pakistan. It lies in the eastern part of the city that was named after the locality of Korangi. Korangi Town was re-organized as part of Karachi East District, before Koran ...

, was named after Maulana Hasrat Mohani. A famous road is named after him in the financial hub of

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

has one library with name of Hasrat Mohani near to Haider Chowk. There is a Street Named Maulana Hasrat Mohani in Kadar Palace, Mumbra, Dist: Thane, Maharashtra. Maulana Hasrat Mohani Hospital is situated in Chamanganj,

. There is also a road named Maulana Hasrat Mohani Street in Kanpur. Maulana Hasrat Mohani Gallery is situated at

Bithoor Bithoor or Bithur is a town in Kanpur district, 25 km (15mi) by road north of the centre of Kanpur city, in Uttar Pradesh, India. Bithoor is situated on the right bank of the River Ganges, and is a centre of Hindu pilgrimage. Bithoor is also ...

Museum. A hostel in Aligarh Muslim University is also named after him.

Publications

* Urdu-e-Moalla (magazine) (launched in July 1903) * Kulliyat-e-Hasrat Mohani (Collection of Hasrat Mohani's poetry) (Published in 1928 and 1943) * Sharh-e-Kalam-e-Ghalib (Explanation of Ghalib's poetry) * Nukaat-e-Sukhan (Important aspects of poetry) * Tazkira-tul-Shuara (Essays on the Poets) * Mushahidaat-e-Zindaan (Observations in the Prison)

References

External links

* http://www.hasratmohani.com * http://www.hasratmohanitrust.net
Urdu Poetry of Hasrat Mohani

Hasrat Mohani Ghazals

The Maulana Who Loved Krishna
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mohani, Hasrat All-India Muslim League politicians Indian independence activists Urdu-language poets Aligarh Muslim University alumni People from Lucknow People from Unnao district 1875 births 1951 deaths 19th-century Indian Muslims Members of the Constituent Assembly of India Poets from Uttar Pradesh 20th-century Indian poets 19th-century Indian poets Writers from Lucknow Politicians from Lucknow 19th-century Indian politicians Indian people of Iranian descent Muslim socialists