BOOKS do reflect the milestones the literature of a language has travelled beyond. But it is the literary journals that truly reveal the contemporary literary atmosphere and current literary and scholarly trends prevalent in the intellectual circles. And the literary journals devoted to promote research and critical writings are of special significance because they let you have a peep into the world that is taking shape and is soon to be.
Urdu research journals published by the Urdu departments of Pakistani universities provide the readers with a wonderful opportunity to have a look at not only the latest topics and trends of literary works but also the standard of research and the mindset of the researchers. Ever since the Higher Education Commission (HEC) introduced a research-oriented accreditation system both for the universities and their faculty members, the research activities have witnessed a quantum leap in the publication of research papers. Urdu research journals of the universities — about which this writer has penned quite a few pieces — are but a manifestation of the very research culture that HEC has been trying to promote.
When we look at Sindh’s universities working under the aegis of the government we have a pleasant feeling that they have been contributing to the overall progress of the Urdu language and its literature. Though Karachi University has been playing a leading role in this domain, too, today I would like to highlight the role Jamshoro’s Sindh University (SU) and Khairpur’s Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU) have been playing for Urdu research.
Aside from offering courses in Urdu right up to PhD, these universities have done a marvelous job for Urdu research. Sindh University, which was established in 1947 in Karachi and relocated to Hyderabad in 1951 and later moved to its new campus situated in Jamshoro on the banks of river Indus, set up its Urdu department in 1952. When Dr Ghulam Mustafa Khan, one of Urdu’s celebrated research scholars, took over as the head of Urdu department, his emphasis was on research. The journal ‘Sareer-i-khama’ brought out by the department in 1961 set an example to emulate as some of its issues — notably qaseeda number, naat number and qaumi shaeri number — are still referred to. When Shaikh Ayaz, the celebrated Sindhi writer, scholar and poet, became SU vice chancellor, he began publishing ‘Parakh’, a journal, both in Urdu and Sindhi. SU Urdu department added yet another feather in its cap with the launch of Urdu research journals ‘Tehqiq’ in 1987. It was the brainchild of Dr Najm-ul-Islam, the founder editor and the then head of the department. ‘Tehqiq’ showed the way to many of its successors in the Urdu departments of Pakistani universities and in fact was the first to address the burning issues of Urdu research, such as the ‘style sheet’ and the research methodology to be followed by Urdu research journals. With his death, the publication of ‘Tehqiq’ was disrupted for a few years but, luckily, following in his footsteps, his able disciple Dr Syed Javed Iqbal became the head of department and picked up the torch. With hard work and devotion, he made ‘Tehqiq’ a must for every scholar and student of Urdu research.
SU would be justified if it claims that today one of the best research journals of Urdu is published by its Urdu department.
Notwithstanding the tardiness that has now become the hallmark of almost all the research journals of Urdu, ‘Tehqiq’ has transformed itself into a biannual publication instead of annual and its two issues of 2010 have just come out. The two issues have some invaluable research material. For instance, a paper by late Prof Mukhtaruddin Ahmed on Salahuddin Khalil Bin Aibak As-Safdi, an Arab scholar of 8th century Hijri, offers rare information. Prof Ahmed passed away in June 2010 and it is perhaps his last research article. Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal, former chairman of the Urdu department and now the dean of faculty of Arts at Karachi University, has come up with an article on ‘Auraaq-i-gul’, a collection of biographical sketches and selected poetry of some of 20th century poets, published in 1944. Though comparatively recent, it serves as a very important source of information on literary and cultural traditions.
Some articles on Ameer Meenai (1829-1900), a well-known poet, scholar and lexicographer of Persian and Urdu, make a special section. It also includes ‘Kabooter nama’, a masnavi by Meenai hitherto unpublished, edited by Prof Zafar Iqbal. Some selected and unpublished Persian poetical works by Meenai have been compiled by Prof Habib Arshad.
A scholarly article by Dr Abrar Abdus Salam on the chronograms composed by Meenai yet again reaffirms my confidence in this young scholar. Dr Abrar is among the rising stars of Urdu research, just like Dr Baseera Ambreen.
The issues concerning textual criticism and compilation have been discussed by Prof Naseem Ahmed, chairman of department of Urdu, Banaras University, Varanasi, India. He has discussed the principles of compilation with a special reference to the collected works of Mirza Rafi Sauda. Some other important articles are by Dr Najeeb Jamal, Dr Rafaqat Ali Shahid, Dr Kulsoom Abul-Bashar, Ibn-i-Fareed (compiled by Dr Syed Javed Iqbal) and Dr Shah Anjum.
SALU is comparatively a younger university as it is going to celebrate its Silver Jubilee in 2012. SALU is also planning to hold an international Urdu conference as part of the celebrations. The Urdu department at the university was established in 1989 but it grew rapidly and today it offers even PhD programme in Urdu.
The quality of its PhD programme can be gauged from the fact that it recently held a public defence, also known as open defence, for two of its first PhD (Urdu) candidates who successfully defended their theses. One feels that this practice is a healthy one and removes doubt about the quality and genuineness of the research work as everybody is invited to join in the cross-questioning.
Among other research publications, SALU has to its credit an Urdu research journal ‘Almas’. Launched in1999, the annually published journal’s issue of 2010-11 has just come out. Edited by Prof Dr Muhammad Yousuf Khushk, the founder editor and chairman of the Urdu department, ‘Almas’ has been publishing some really worthwhile research articles over the years.
Considering the age of the university and the editor (both are pretty young), one feels that the university and its Urdu department, standing amidst the vast date farms in upper Sindh, are doing a wonderful job, serving the Urdu language and literature in a way many would not expect.
It is heartening to note that the latest issue of ‘Almas’ offers some articles by big names of today’s Urdu world and scholars of Urdu from all over the world have contributed. They include Dr Muhammad Ali Siddiqui, Dr Moinuddin Aqeel, Dr Shahubuddin Saqib (Aligarh University), Dr Rasheed Amjad, Dr Inam-ul-Haq Kausar, Partau Roheela, Dr Khalil Toker (Istanbul University), Dr Ali Biyaat (Tehran University) and Dr Muhammad Kumerci (Tehran University). The English section has papers by Dr Christina Oesterheld (Heidelberg University) and some other orientalists.
drrraufparekh@yahoo.com
