Mohsin Zaidi (10 July 1935 – 3 September 2003) was an Indian
Urdu poet
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. ...
who used the pen name 'Mohsin'. He is best known as a writer of
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 ...
s, who expressed new ideas with this traditional form.
Early life and education
Saiyed Mohsin Raza Zaidi () was born on 10 July 1935 in
Bahraich
Bahraich is a city and a municipal board in Bahraich district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Located on the Saryu River, a tributary of the Ghaghara river, Bahraich is north-east of Lucknow, the state capital. The districts of B ...
, a town in the Indian state of
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
. His parents were Saiyed Ali Raza Zaidi and Sughra Begum.
Zaidi attended the Islamia School in Pratapgarh, K. P. Hindu High School, and Government High School through the 1940s. He started writing Urdu poetry in 1950 at the age of 15 while in high school in Pratapgarh. He attended Maharaj Singh Inter College, Bahraich, from 1951 to 1952.
He received his
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree in English literature, history and economics from
Lucknow University
University of Lucknow (informally known as Lucknow University, and LU) is one of the oldest public state university based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. LU's main campus is located at Badshah Bagh, University Road area of the city with a second ...
in 1954, and a master's degree in economics from
Allahabad University
The University of Allahabad is a Central University located in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. It was established on 23 September 1887 by an act of Parliament and is recognised as an Institute of National Importance (INI). It is the 4th oldest mode ...
in 1956.
Bureaucratic career
Zaidi joined the
Indian Economic Service
The Indian Economic Service (abbreviated as IES, I.E.S.) is an inter-ministerial and inter-departmental central civil service under Group A of the executive branch of the Government of India. The unique aspect of the service is that the cadre ...
in 1956 and worked with the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...
until his retirement in 1993. He held positions with the
Central Government
A central government is the government that is a controlling power over a unitary state. Another distinct but sovereign political entity is a federal government, which may have distinct powers at various levels of government, authorized or deleg ...
in the ministries of chemicals and fertilizers, labour, agriculture, and in the Planning Commission. He retired as a senior economist in the Senior Administrative Grade of Joint Secretary. As part of government assignments, he toured Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Algeria.
Poetry
Zaidi was initially impressed by Nazish Pratapgarhi, yet his major inspiration came from
Mir Taqi Mir
Mir Muhammad Taqi (February 1723 – 20 September 1810), known as Mir Taqi Mir (also spelled Meer Taqi Meer), was an Urdu poetry, Urdu poet of the 18th century Mughal Empire, Mughal India and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu ...
,
Momin Khan Momin
Momin Khan Momin (; 1800 – 14 May 1852) was a late Mughal era poet known for his Urdu ghazals. A lesser-known contemporary of Ghalib and Zauq, he used "Momin" as his pen name. His grave is located in the Mehdiyan cemetery in Maulana Az ...
,
Mirza Ghalib
Mirza Asadullah Beg Khan (27 December 179715 February 1869), commonly known as Mirza Ghalib, was an Indian poet. Widely regarded as one of the greatest poets in the Urdu language, he also produced a significant body of work in Persian. Ghali ...
Mir Anis
Mir Babar Ali Anees (, 1800-1874), also known as Mir Anees was an Indian Urdu poet. He used his pen-name (takhallus) of Anees (Urdu: , ''Anees'' means "close friend, companion") in poetry. Anees used Persian, Urdu, Arabic, and Sanskrit words in h ...
,
Daagh Dehlvi
Nawab Mirza Khan (, 25 May 1831 – 17 March 1905), popularly known by his '' takhallus'' Dagh Dehlvi was an Indian poet known for his Urdu ''ghazals''. He belonged to the old Delhi school of Urdu poetry.Mir Dard. Among the neoclassical and modern poets his favourites were
Muhammad Iqbal
Muhammad Iqbal (9 November 187721 April 1938) was a South Asian Islamic philosopher, poet and politician. Quote: "In Persian, ... he published six volumes of mainly long poems between 1915 and 1936, ... more or less complete works on philoso ...
,
Firaq Gorakhpuri
Raghupati Sahay (28 August 1896 – 3 March 1982), also known by his pen name Firaq Gorakhpuri, was an Indian writer, critic, and, according to one commentator, one of the most noted contemporary Urdu poets from India. He established himself ...
,
Faiz Ahmad Faiz
Chaudhry Faiz Ahmad Faiz (13 February 1911 – 20 November 1984) was a Pakistani poet and author of Punjabi language, Punjabi and Urdu literature. Faiz was one of the most celebrated, popular, and influential Urdu writers of his time, and his ...
, and
Jigar Moradabadi
Ali Sikandar (6 April 1890 – 9 September 1960), known by his pen name as Jigar Moradabadi, was an Indian Urdu poet and ''ghazal'' writer. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1958 for his poetry collection "Atish-e-Gul", and was the seco ...
.
Zaidi was a writer of
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 ...
s, a traditional form of poetry utilizing specific diction and narration. The study of economics influenced Zaidi's poetry, which includes social commentary.
Kumar Pashi said that Zaidi was among the few poets who used traditional ghazal to express new ideas. Makhmoor Saeedi, a contemporary poet and Urdu critic, praised Zaidi's mastery at creating an impression while writing in simple and unadorned language.Foreword to ''Mataa-e-Aakhir-e-Shab'' by Makhmoor Saeedi, published in 1990 He noted Zaidi's themes: "integrity of character, opposition to all tyrannical powers, belief in retribution for one's actions, search for virtues in human nature, ndbelief in the victory of truth."
According to Shaarib Rudawlvi, Zaidi's work "had a freshness of thought, intense feelings, and dexterity of expression." He particularly noted the "spontaneity" of Zaidi's poetry which gracefully moved from one idea to another. He wrote that Zaidi's greatest quality was maintaining his unique style instead of bowing to the pressures of short-lived literary movements.Foreword to ''Jumbish-e-Nok-e-Qalam'' by Dr. Shaarib Rudawlvi, published in 2005
Shamsur Rahman Faruqi
Shamsur Rahman Faruqi (30 September 1935 – 25 December 2020) was an Indian Urdu language poet, author, critic, and theorist. He is known for ushering modernism to Urdu literature. He formulated fresh models of literary appreciation that comb ...