0
Modern Urdu poem, or ‘jadeed nazm’, is a genre that is comparatively young. It was born in 1874. In comparison, Urdu ghazal is as old as Urdu literature itself and Ameer Khusrau (who died in the year 1325) is credited for having composed the earliest of Urdu ghazals, notwithstanding the fact that Khusrau’s Urdu ghazal was heavily laden with Persian phrases and many of the couplets even had an entire line in Persian.
When Donald Mcleod was Punjab’s Lieutenant Governor he chanced upon some Urdu textbooks and found no poems in them. He asked Colonel Holroyd, director of Public Instruction, to review them. Sometime later, Holroyd summoned a meeting. It was April 19, 1874. Maulana Muhammad Hussain Azad was in the education department at that time. Azad made a speech and, stressing the changing times and citing the example of European poetry, favoured the inclusion of poems in curriculum. In a mushaira held on May 9, 1874, Azad recited his poem titled ‘Shab-e-qadr’, which is believed to be the first-ever modern Urdu poem. In those days, Anjuman-e-Punjab organised many mushairas of modern poem to popularise the concept.
Another personality that played an important role in the popularity of modern Urdu poem, by attacking the traditional ghazal, was Maulana Altaf Hussain Haali. Later, came along the progressive literary movement that favoured nazm. In the 20th century, those who opposed ghazal and supported nazm also included poets and scholars like Josh Maleehabadi and Andaleeb Shadani. But despite all those attacks Urdu ghazal did not only survive, but it still is the most popular genre of Urdu poetry. Although poem as a genre has now become much popular and is posing a potential threat to the popularity of ghazal, it is not easy for modern poem to make inroads into a society that is deeply seeded in traditional poetry and antiquated poetic themes.
Although nazm or poem did exist in the early periods, it was much different in form, theme, technique and imagery. Modern Urdu poem was born in the late 19th century, but it never looked back and quickly developed into a genre known for individualism, contemporary sensitivity and philosophic contents. Noon Meem Rashid, Mieeraji and Faiz Ahmed Faiz are considered among the poets who played a role in establishing modern Urdu poem. But Majeed Amjad too cannot be ignored when it comes to modern day Urdu poem and its imagery.
What lends Majeed Amjad credibility and individuality is the geographical background and cultural colour that oozes from his poetry. It is very strange that a few Urdu poets have truly depicted the sounds and scenes of the rustic background they come from. Although Urdu literature is not totally devoid of rural portrayal, most of it is dedicated to urban life and its problems. Majeed Amjad was born in Jhang, Punjab, on June 29, 1914. He spent most of his life in Jhang and Sahiwal. In understanding his poetry the geographical conditions, vocabulary and cultural milieu of these areas have great significance. The narrow streets, dark alleys, harrowing sand dunes, ravines, seasons, songs, folklores, rituals and rites of these areas played a role in shaping his personality and poetic parlance.
Majeed Amjad in his early poetic career was not as successful as in the later days.
Although he was accepted as a good poet, it was the poetry he composed after ‘Shab-e-rafta’, his first book that came in 1958, that established him as an important poet of modern Urdu poem, writes Dr Ziaul Hasan in his book ‘Jadeed Urdu nazm’.
The reason for his popularity was that he carved out a new style for himself which was quite different from that of Meeraji, Faiz and N. M. Rashid. But one reason for his late recognition was that despite having written a large number of poems he could not get his second collection of poetry published and died penniless, living a miserable life and struggling to get his official pension legally due to him.
It was Dr Khwaja Muhammad Zakariya who strived to get Majeed Amjad’s collected works published. After Majeed Amjad’s death, Dr Zakariya had to sift through a huge pile of literary magazines and Majeed Amjad’s personal papers. He traced, edited and compiled his entire poetry in chronological order. The result of his labour of love was ‘Kulliyaat-e-Majeed Amjad’. It was first published in 1988 and has recently been published in a revised edition by Al-Hamd publications, though some other publishers too have published it.
Majeed Amjad’s real name was Abdul Majeed Amjad. When he was three, his parents separated and Majeed Amjad was brought up by his paternal grandmother. This left an everlasting effect on his personality. Having passed BA from Lahore’s Islamia College in 1934, he returned to Jhang and got some petty jobs. Later, he landed a job in government’s Village Reform Department and after a while was appointed as editor of the department’s magazine ‘Urooj’. Once when he was away, his staff published a poem of his that protested against the British monarchy. Majeed Amjad’s arrest warrant was issued and he had to go through many hardships before his job was restored and he was transferred to District Board. But throughout his official career, he had to suffer from setbacks and was even demoted.
During this government job he was posted for the most time in Sahiwal, which was named Montgomery at that time. He retired from the services on June 29, 1972. His married life was far from satisfactory and it ended in a separation. His personal file was lost in the government offices and he could not get his pension issued. Once he fell in love with a German tourist girl and accompanied her to Quetta to see her off. His poem ‘Quette tak’ (to Quetta) is the reminiscent of that brief, one-sided, platonic love. According to Dr Vazeer Agha, Majeed Amjad could not forget that girl all his life and wrote letters to her. The word ‘snow’ in his poetry, says Agha Sahib, is an allusion to that white-complexioned girl, with a connotation of ‘coolness’.
Majeed Amjad died in Sahiwal on May 11, 1974.
