Saghar Nizami (1905–1983), also known as Samad Yar Khan, was an Indian poet, including 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 and ''
nazm
''Nazm'' () is a major part of Urdu and Sindhi poetry that is normally written in rhymed verse and also in modern prose-style poems. is a significant genre of Urdu and Sindhi poetry; the other one is known as ghazal.
is significantly written ...
''s 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 ...
.
He was one of the earliest disciples of
Seemab Akbarabadi (1882–1951) and was a recipient of the third-highest Indian honour of the
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...
, in 1969, for his contributions to literature.
Early life
Saghar Nizami was born in
Aligarh
Aligarh (; formerly known as Koil) is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Aligarh district and lies northwest of state capital Lucknow and approximately southeast of the capital, New Delhi. ...
on 21 December 1905. His father, Sardar Ahmed Yar Khan, was a medical doctor in the service of the
British government of 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 ...
.
Literary career
From 1923 to 1932, he edited ''Paimana'', a monthly magazine published by his teacher in
Agra
Agra ( ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the ...
.
In 1933, Nizami shifted to
Meerut
Meerut (, ISO 15919, ISO: ''Mēraṭh'') is a city in the western region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Located in the Meerut district, it is northeast of the national capital, New Delhi, and is ...
and founded Adabi Markaz, a publishing house which, in its very first year of operation, introduced
Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi
Mehr Lal Soni (9 February 1913 – 19 August 1986), better known as Zia Fatehabadi, was an Indian Urdu ghazal and nazm writer. He was a disciple (shaagird) of Syed Aashiq Hussain Siddiqui Seemab Akbarabadi (1882–1951), who was a disciple ...
to the Urdu literary world by publishing ''Tullu'' (''Dawn''), the latter's first collection of poems. Years later, Yusuf Hussain, editor of ''Nairang e Khayal'' was to class Nizami,
Ahsan Danish, and
Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi
Mehr Lal Soni (9 February 1913 – 19 August 1986), better known as Zia Fatehabadi, was an Indian Urdu ghazal and nazm writer. He was a disciple (shaagird) of Syed Aashiq Hussain Siddiqui Seemab Akbarabadi (1882–1951), who was a disciple ...
as the three bright stars (of Urdu poetry) of the modern era.
During his lifetime, he published six collections of ''ghazal''s and ''nazm''s: ''Subuhi'' (1934), ''Badah e mashriq'' (1934), ''Kahkashaan'' (1934), ''Rangmahal'' (1943), ''Mauj e saahil'' (1949) and ''Nehrunama'' (1967).
His collected works, ''Kuliat e Saghar Nizami'', were published in three volumes by
Modern Publishing House, Delhi, between 1999 and 2001.
An appraisal of Nizami's works, life and personality, titled ''Saghar Nizami — Fan aur shakhsiyat ma'a kalam'' and written by Zamir Ali Khan, was published in 1985; this book also contains his selected ''ghazal''s and ''nazm''s. In his article titled ''Two Anarkalis: Saghar Nizami's Dream Drama and the Deconstruction of the Parsi Theatre'', Afroz Taj compares Nizami's play ''Anarkali'' to the earlier play of the same name by
Imtiyaz Ali Taj.
Just as
Kundan Lal Saigal had done for
Seemab Akbarabadi so did
Master Madan (1923–1942) by singing ''Yoon na reh reh kar hamen tersaaiye'' and ''Hairat se tak raha hai jahan e wafa mujhe'', the two ''ghazal''s written by Saghar Nizami, made Saghar Nizami well known; the music for these ''ghazal''s was composed by Pandit
Amarnath.
Bibliography
* ''Subuhi'' (1934)
* ''Badah e Mashriq'' (1934)
* ''Kahkashaan'' (1934)
* ''Rangmahal'' (1943)
* ''Mauj e saahil'' (1949)
* ''Nehrunama'' (1967)
Honors
Nizami was a recipient of the
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...
Award (1969) and the
Ghalib Award (1982).
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nizami, Saghar
1905 births
1983 deaths
20th-century Indian journalists
20th-century Indian male writers
20th-century Indian Muslims
20th-century Indian poets
20th-century pseudonymous writers
Book publishing company founders
Ghazals
Indian company founders
Indian magazine editors
Indian male journalists
Indian male poets
Indian publishers (people)
Journalists from Delhi
Journalists from Uttar Pradesh
Muslim poets
Writers from Agra
People from Aligarh
People from Meerut
Poets from Delhi
Poets from Uttar Pradesh
Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education
Urdu-language poets from India