April 21, 2002

IQBAL, the poet and philosopher par excellence, has made incisive remarks or comments on economic and social issues in his poetry, philosophical writings and in the course of his discourses, as well as in some famous letters, particularly those written to the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. But these do not make Iqbal an economist. However, it will be of great interest to know that the very first published book by Iqbal related neither to poetry nor philosophy, but economics. It was written in Urdu. He also taught the subject to undergraduates and at the Masters level, even though he had not studied it as a student himself.

How did Iqbal come to be interested in economics in the first place? His first job was at the University Oriental College, Lahore. In the autobiographical note of his second published book, the doctoral dissertation submitted to Munich University, Iqbal wrote, “After my MA I was appointed McLeod Arabic Reader in Punjab University Oriental College where I lectured on history and political economy for about three years.”

Since he was also expected to translate books, Iqbal brought out an abridged Urdu version of the popular American textbook on political economy by Walker (1888). The Oriental College Report for 1901-02 confirms the translation of Walker’s book and mentions a new work on political economy which was under preparation.

The translation of Walker is not traceable. What has been traced is the book authored by Iqbal in Urdu, Ilmul iqtisad, (The science of economics). As the book does not give any date of publication, there has been some controversy, not among economists as they have been largely unaware of this work, but in Urdu literary and Iqbalist circles. On the cover, Iqbal’s position is shown as assistant lecturer, Government College, Lahore. Since he took up this post in May 1903, the year of publication was thought to be 1903, though now on the basis of reliable evidence, 1904 is the commonly agreed year of publication. Further, there is no dispute that Ilmul iqtisad is the first book authored and published by Iqbal. There is also broad agreement that it was among the first few books published in Urdu on economics.

Poetry came naturally to Iqbal. By 1904 he had became a well-known poet. He had also by then established himself in his chosen discipline of philosophy as a writer and a teacher. Ilmul iqtisad, by Iqbal’s own declaration in the preface of the book, is not a translation. It is, however written in a textbook style, and seems to have emerged out of the experience of lecturing regularly. He uses the available literature of the day to convey the essentials of the subject.

The book appears to have been commissioned. First, the encouragement to write the book came from T.W. Arnold, professor of philosophy at Government College, Iqbal’s favourite teacher and guide, who was also the acting principal of the Oriental College. Secondly, the book was dedicated to the director, Punjab education department. Thirdly, as an announcement in Makhzan indicated the Punjab textbook committee purchased 150 copies.

Commissioned or not, Iqbal’s interest in the book and its subject continued beyond its publication in 1904. He marketed the book himself. After he left for England in 1905, the book was sold by the Makhzan Agency. In England, he made two references to the book which are still available. In a letter from Cambridge to Atiya Fayzee on April 24, 1907, Iqbal wrote: “I am thinking of sending you a copy of my political economy in Urdu. But I am sorry I have not got one here, though it would not be difficult to get it from India.” Instead, “Iqbal presented his original MS of political economy to me” on July 16, 1907, wrote Atiya Fayzee. A week later, she handed over the MS to Professor Arnold for preservation.

The foreword written by Mumtaz Hassan to the second edition of Ilmul iqtisad in June 1961, states: “Iqbal himself told me that during the Cambridge days, he would from time to time develop the feeling that his concentration on philosophy had became unnecessarily high. In view of this feeling, therefore, he would occasionally attend lectures in economics at Cambridge university so as to keep a balance in his personality.”

During the stay in England, Iqbal also pondered quitting poetry under the utilitarian influences. He had observed, “Nations which are progressive and are doing constructive work attach no importance to poetry.” He was, however, persuaded against it by Sir Abdul Qadir and Professor Arnold. After his return from Europe in July 1908, there is only one reference to economics and Ilmul iqtisad by Iqbal, in a letter to Maharaja Sir Kishn Prashad of Hyderabad state in April 1917.

Iqbal did not reprint or bring out a second edition of Ilmul iqtisad during his lifetime. A second edition was published in 1961 with a foreword by Mumtaz Hassan, a one time Governor of the State Bank, and an introduction by Anwar Iqbal Qureshi, the then Economic Advisor. This was the first, and the last, time that any economist looked at Ilmul iqtisad.

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