Seemab Akbarabadi
Encyclopedia
Seemab Akbarabadi (URDU: سیماب اکبرآبادی), born Aashiq Hussain Siddiqui, was a renowned Urdu poet belonging to the Daagh School. He hailed from Agra where his family had lived for nearly three hundred years.
. Seemab had said that his fore-father had migrated from Bukhara
sometime during the reign of the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir
and made Agra
his home, however, according to Mohan Lal his great grand father had migrated from Bokhara during Aurangzeb's reign. Seemab learnt Persian
, Arabic and logic from Jamaluddin Sarhadi and Rashid Ahmed Ganguli. The untimely demise of his father in 1897 forced Seemab to give up his studies and seek a livelihood first in Agra and then in Kanpur before joining Railways service at Ajmer from where he resigned in 1922 and returned to Agra. In the year 1923 he founded Qasr-ul-adab, a publishing house.He had 4 sons and 2 daughters and the youngest son MAZHAR SIDDIQUI continued his work in Karachi and published many unpublished books of Seemab Akbarabadi.
After founding " Qasr-ul-adab ", in the year 1923 with Saghar Nizami
as its editor he started publishing the Monthly " Paimana ". Thereafter, in the year 1929 he started the Weekly " Taj " and in 1930 the Monthly " Shair ". The publication of " Paimana " was stopped in 1932 when Saghar Nizami separated from Seemab and moved to Meerut. " Shair " continued to be published long after Seemab’s death, managed and edited (since 1935) by his son, Aijaz Siddiqi and wahi-e-manzoom published by his son Mazher Siddiqui in Karachi and get HIJRA AWARD by the president of Pakistan Genaral Zia-Ul-Haq on 27th of ramzan.
Seemab never enjoyed comfortable financial position. But though short in stature, he always appeared immaculately dressed in a neat sherwani and white wide payjama with a Turkish topi covering his head. He did not support a beard. Seemab wrote in all literary formats and on all social and political aspects; like Iqbal
and Hali
he too was a crusader who spoke from the heart. In 1948, he went to Lahore
and then to Karachi
in search of a publisher for his monumental work, " Wahi -e - Manzoom ", an Urdu translation in verse form of the Quran. He failed to find a publisher. Seemab did not return to Agra for in 1949 he suffered a massive paralytic stroke from which he never recovered and died on 31 January 1951. His translation of the Quran was published thirty years later.
. He wrote far more than what is contained in these books. He also wrote short stories, novels, dramas, biographies & critical appraisals and was acknowledged as a master of Urdu
, Persian
and Arabic language & grammar. According to one count there were 375 disciples of his, more prominent being Saghar Nizami
(1905–1983), Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi
(1913–1986), Raaz Chandpuri
(1892–1969), Bismil Saeedi(1902–1972), Altaf Mashhadi(1914–1991)), Zia Jalandhari(1923 - ), Nissar Itawi, Shifaa Gwaliori(1912–1968), Naazish Pratapgarhi(1924–1981) and Turfa Qureshi and Hafiz Mazhar ud din (1914-1981). Many of his unforgettable ghazals were put to music and sung by noted singers such as Kundan Lal Saigal
and continued to charm the listeners. Today, they are a part of Indian Light Classical music.
, 2)" Islah-ul-islah " by Abar Ahsani Ginnauri, 3)" Khumkhana-e-Javed " Vol 4 by Lala Sri Ram, 4) " Zikr-e-Seemab " and 5)" Seemab banaam Zia ", both by Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi
, 6)" Seemab Akbarabadi " by Dr.Manohar Sahai Anwar M.A.Ph.D., 7)" Rooh-e-Mukatib " by Saghar Nizami
, 8)" Seemab Ki Nazmiya " Shayari by Dr. Zarina Sani
M.A.PhD. and 9)" Seemab aur Dabistan-e- Seemab " by Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed Fakhar M.A.Ph.D., Former Head of Urdu and Persian Deptt.,M.J.College, Jalgaon. The last named two books are doctoral dissertations on Seemab Akbarabadi's life and works.
Early life
Seemab Akbarabadi, a descendant of Abu Bakr Siddiqui, the First Khalifa of Islam, was born in Imliwale makaan of Kakoo Gali, Nai Mandi, Agra, as the eldest son of Mohammad Hussain Siddiqui, who was himself a Urdu poet, author of several books, a disciple of Hakim Amiruldin Attaar Akbarabadi, and an employee of the Times of India Press, AjmerAjmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
. Seemab had said that his fore-father had migrated from Bukhara
Bukhara
Bukhara , from the Soghdian βuxārak , is the capital of the Bukhara Province of Uzbekistan. The nation's fifth-largest city, it has a population of 263,400 . The region around Bukhara has been inhabited for at least five millennia, and the city has existed for half that time...
sometime during the reign of the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir
Jahangir
Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death. The name Jahangir is from Persian جهانگیر,meaning "Conqueror of the World"...
and made Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
his home, however, according to Mohan Lal his great grand father had migrated from Bokhara during Aurangzeb's reign. Seemab learnt Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, Arabic and logic from Jamaluddin Sarhadi and Rashid Ahmed Ganguli. The untimely demise of his father in 1897 forced Seemab to give up his studies and seek a livelihood first in Agra and then in Kanpur before joining Railways service at Ajmer from where he resigned in 1922 and returned to Agra. In the year 1923 he founded Qasr-ul-adab, a publishing house.He had 4 sons and 2 daughters and the youngest son MAZHAR SIDDIQUI continued his work in Karachi and published many unpublished books of Seemab Akbarabadi.
Literary life
Seemab began ghazal writing in 1892 and in 1898 became a disciple of Nawab Mirza Khan Daagh Dehlawi (1831–1905) to whom he was personally introduced by Munshi Nazar Hussain Sakhaa Dehlawi at the Kanpur Railway StationAfter founding " Qasr-ul-adab ", in the year 1923 with Saghar Nizami
Saghar Nizami
Saghar Nizami or Samdayaar Khan was a renowned Urdu ghazal and nazm writer. He was one of the earliest disciples of Seemab Akbarabadi . He was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan Award and the 1982 Ghalib Award....
as its editor he started publishing the Monthly " Paimana ". Thereafter, in the year 1929 he started the Weekly " Taj " and in 1930 the Monthly " Shair ". The publication of " Paimana " was stopped in 1932 when Saghar Nizami separated from Seemab and moved to Meerut. " Shair " continued to be published long after Seemab’s death, managed and edited (since 1935) by his son, Aijaz Siddiqi and wahi-e-manzoom published by his son Mazher Siddiqui in Karachi and get HIJRA AWARD by the president of Pakistan Genaral Zia-Ul-Haq on 27th of ramzan.
Seemab never enjoyed comfortable financial position. But though short in stature, he always appeared immaculately dressed in a neat sherwani and white wide payjama with a Turkish topi covering his head. He did not support a beard. Seemab wrote in all literary formats and on all social and political aspects; like Iqbal
Muhammad Iqbal
Sir Muhammad Iqbal , commonly referred to as Allama Iqbal , was a poet and philosopher born in Sialkot, then in the Punjab Province of British India, now in Pakistan...
and Hali
Hali
Hali may refer to:*Hali I of the Maldives, the Sultan of Maldives from 1266 to 1268*Hali II of the Maldives, the Sultan of Maldives from 1278 to 1288*a medieval Latinisation of Arabic Ali...
he too was a crusader who spoke from the heart. In 1948, he went to Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
and then to Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
in search of a publisher for his monumental work, " Wahi -e - Manzoom ", an Urdu translation in verse form of the Quran. He failed to find a publisher. Seemab did not return to Agra for in 1949 he suffered a massive paralytic stroke from which he never recovered and died on 31 January 1951. His translation of the Quran was published thirty years later.
Works
Beginning with the publication of his first collection of poems," Naistaan ", in the year 1923,and up to 1982 in all seventy five books of Seemab Akbarabadi came to light, these included twenty two of poetry and " Loh-e-mahfooz " (1979)," Wahi manzoom " (1981) and " Saaz-e-hijaz " (1982) published long after his death.He is more known by his ghazals particularly by those sung by Kundan Lal SaigalKundan Lal Saigal
Kundan Lal Saigal was an Indian singer and actor who is considered the first superstar of the Hindi film industry, which was centered in Calcutta during Saigal's time, but is currently centered in Mumbai.-Early life:Saigal was born at Jammu where his father Amar Chand was a tehsildar at the...
. He wrote far more than what is contained in these books. He also wrote short stories, novels, dramas, biographies & critical appraisals and was acknowledged as a master of Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Arabic language & grammar. According to one count there were 375 disciples of his, more prominent being Saghar Nizami
Saghar Nizami
Saghar Nizami or Samdayaar Khan was a renowned Urdu ghazal and nazm writer. He was one of the earliest disciples of Seemab Akbarabadi . He was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan Award and the 1982 Ghalib Award....
(1905–1983), Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi
Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi
Zia Fatehabadi , born Mehr Lal Soni , was a renowned Urdu ghazal and nazm writer. He was a disciple of Syed Aashiq Hussain Siddiqui Seemab Akbarabadi who was a disciple of Nawab Mirza Khan Daagh Dehlawi...
(1913–1986), Raaz Chandpuri
Raaz Chandpuri
Raaz Chandpuri born Mohammad Sadiq was a renowned Urdu ghazal and nazm writer, he was also a much respected literary critic. He was amongst the earliest disciples of Seemab Akbarabadi and had soon attained the status of an Ustaad for himself...
(1892–1969), Bismil Saeedi(1902–1972), Altaf Mashhadi(1914–1991)), Zia Jalandhari(1923 - ), Nissar Itawi, Shifaa Gwaliori(1912–1968), Naazish Pratapgarhi(1924–1981) and Turfa Qureshi and Hafiz Mazhar ud din (1914-1981). Many of his unforgettable ghazals were put to music and sung by noted singers such as Kundan Lal Saigal
Kundan Lal Saigal
Kundan Lal Saigal was an Indian singer and actor who is considered the first superstar of the Hindi film industry, which was centered in Calcutta during Saigal's time, but is currently centered in Mumbai.-Early life:Saigal was born at Jammu where his father Amar Chand was a tehsildar at the...
and continued to charm the listeners. Today, they are a part of Indian Light Classical music.
Theses
A lot has been said and written about Seemab Akbarabadi. The most important works on his life and literary contribution are,- 1)" Dastan-e-chand " written by Raaz ChandpuriRaaz Chandpuri
Raaz Chandpuri born Mohammad Sadiq was a renowned Urdu ghazal and nazm writer, he was also a much respected literary critic. He was amongst the earliest disciples of Seemab Akbarabadi and had soon attained the status of an Ustaad for himself...
, 2)" Islah-ul-islah " by Abar Ahsani Ginnauri, 3)" Khumkhana-e-Javed " Vol 4 by Lala Sri Ram, 4) " Zikr-e-Seemab " and 5)" Seemab banaam Zia ", both by Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi
Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi
Zia Fatehabadi , born Mehr Lal Soni , was a renowned Urdu ghazal and nazm writer. He was a disciple of Syed Aashiq Hussain Siddiqui Seemab Akbarabadi who was a disciple of Nawab Mirza Khan Daagh Dehlawi...
, 6)" Seemab Akbarabadi " by Dr.Manohar Sahai Anwar M.A.Ph.D., 7)" Rooh-e-Mukatib " by Saghar Nizami
Saghar Nizami
Saghar Nizami or Samdayaar Khan was a renowned Urdu ghazal and nazm writer. He was one of the earliest disciples of Seemab Akbarabadi . He was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan Award and the 1982 Ghalib Award....
, 8)" Seemab Ki Nazmiya " Shayari by Dr. Zarina Sani
Zarina Sani
Zarina Sani was a renowned Indian Urdu poetess, writer and researcher.-Early life:Sani was born in Nagpur, Maharashtra. She obtained Master of Arts degrees in Urdu and Persian, and a Ph.D.-Career:...
M.A.PhD. and 9)" Seemab aur Dabistan-e- Seemab " by Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed Fakhar M.A.Ph.D., Former Head of Urdu and Persian Deptt.,M.J.College, Jalgaon. The last named two books are doctoral dissertations on Seemab Akbarabadi's life and works.