August 29, 2004

Tareekh-e-Yusufi
By Yusuf Khan Kambalposh Reprinted by and available with Sang-e-Meel Publications, 25 Shahrah-i-Pakistan, Lahore
Tel: 042-7220100
Email: smp@sang-e-meel.com
ISBN 969-35-1599-4
488pp. Rs750

Travel accounts often make for interesting reading and the tradition is pretty old and established in literatures of most languages. Urdu is no exception, having lured many a soul from Yousuf Khan Kambalposh to Mustansar Hussain Tarar. Kambalposh is a legend in his own right, and the same can be said of his Tareekh-i-Yusufi, which, contrary to what the title might suggest, has nothing to do with history, but happens to be the first travelogue written in Urdu, published way back in 1847. It was perhaps this confusion in the title that made subsequent publishers change it to Ajaibaat-i-Farang which is more reflective of the theme.

Unlike most travellers of the time, Kambalposh was neither a government official nor a scholar, and therein lies the beauty and novelty of his narration. Kambalposh was a free spirit who wined and dined with the English and was fascinated by the “beauty of English fairies”, but at the same time had amazing arguments over religious beliefs with both Christians and Jews.

Even if a little beside the point, the reader would do well to remember that many of the modern travellers also do the same, but ignore either of the two activities while writing their accounts. Kambalposh has been frank on both counts. It is not without reason that in his brief note to the reprinted edition, Tarar has called him his guru, which basically makes Kambalposh a guru’s guru.

His observations of western society, coming as he did from early 19th century India, are understandable, but Kambalposh had enough sense not to sit in judgment over anything. The narration is lucid, and the flow is strong enough to carry the reader with it.

The debate is not yet settled as to who in the subcontinent actually wrote the first travelogue, but in view of all the research that has been carried out by noted scholars in this regard, Kambalposh’s exalted position as the first to do it in Urdu is almost undisputed.

There definitely were a handful available before he came up with his account, but they were in Persian, which was not just the official language of the Mughal court, but was also considered the language of scholarship in those days.

Interestingly, the distinction fell in Kambalposh’s lap for no deed of his own, as he had also written the original manuscript in Persian, which, for reasons not clearly known, was never published. Kambalposh himself translated it into Urdu and it was printed by the famed Navel Kishore Press in 1847, ten years after the trip. It probably had something to do with the declining influence of Persian in society, which, in turn, was indicative of the crumbling Mughal empire.

The original unadulterated edition, as is the case with a whole lot of other titles, was considered lost in the dustbin of history, but has now been dug out from the records of India Office Library by Mohammad Ikram Chughtai, who has given it a scholarly treatment to make it a pleasing experience for the modern reader. The publishers have also done well to dedicate the latter half of the book to a photo-print reproduction of the original to make the experience wholesome and worthwhile.

Prem Chand: Ghar Mein
By Shivrani Devi Prem Chand Translated into Urdu by Hasan Manzar
Reprinted by and available with Fazlee Sons Supermarket, Urdu Bazar, Karachi
Tel: 2212991
ISBN 969-441-049-5
360pp. Rs180

Prem Chand, the master story-teller, is known to us all, but what was he like as a person is something not known to at least the lay reader. In Prem Chand: Ghar Mein, Shivrani Devi tells the tale as only a wife could. It’s a true masterpiece about an undisputed legend of Urdu literature, encompassing the highs and lows of a rich life, and providing a rare peep into his personal domain.

Though a strong character herself, Shivrani Devi had no previous writing credentials to boast of, and, as such, the text has the innocence and beauty of everyday diction. In ways more than one, the book brings to mind the writings of Begum Hameeda Akhtar Hussain — Hamsafar (Daniyal, 1994) and Nayab Hain Hum (Daniyal, 1998) — in memory of her husband, Akhtar Hussain Raipuri.

Written in Hindi and published in 1944, some eight years after the death of Prem Chand, the biography has been brought to the readers of Urdu by Hasan Manzar whose introductory note is essential to what lies ahead in the book. Reasonably priced, the book is a wonderful bargain.

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