Urdu Literature - Novels

Novels

• Mirat-al-Urus (The Bride's Mirror)-1868–1869-is regarded as the first novel of Urdu by Deputy Nazeer Ahmed. After its release in 1869, within twenty years it was reprinted in editions totalling over 100,000 copies; and was also translated into Bengali, Braj, Kashmiri, Punjabi, and Gujarati. It has never been out of print in Urdu from that day of its first publication. In 1903 an English translation was published in London by G. E. Ward.

• Bina-tul-Nash- (The Daughters of the Bier, a name for the constellation Ursa Major),is another great Novel by Deputy Nazeer Ahmed. It was his 2nd novel after Mirat-tul-uroos. Like Mira-tul-Uroos, this novel is also on education of women and their character building.

• Zindagi (everything happens in life) 1933-1934- Chaudhry Afzal Haq earned a good name in Novels, historical truths, ups and downs of life for developing moral values and guidance of young generation. This book is specially for young people. Chaudhry Afzal Haq discussed every moment of life with historical truth and valuable memories. His entire work is full of teaching of moral values.

• Taubat-un-Nasuh (Repentance of Nasuh)1873-1874- Deputy Nazeer Ahmed earned a good name in writing novels for developing moral values and guidance of young generation. His entire work is full of teachings of moral values.

• Fasaana-e-Mubtalaa(1885)- another novel for developing moral values and guidance of young generation

• Umrao Jaan Ada
• Khuda Ki Basti (novel)
• Dil, Diya, Dehleez
• Raja Gidh
• Haasil Ghaat
• Makaan
• Khwabgazeeda

19th Century Urdu Novelists:

• Deputy Nazir Ahmad
• Pandit Ratan Nath Sarshar
• Maulana Abdul Halim Sharar
• Maulana Rashid-ul-Khairi
• Mirza Hadi Ruswa
• Premchand
• Qazi Abdul Gaffar
• Krishan Chander
• Aziz Ahmed
• Balwant Singh

20th Century Urdu Novelists:

• Chaudhry Afzal Haq
• Qurratul-ain Haider
• Mirza Ather Baig
• Abdullah Hussain
• Rizwana Syed Ali
• Bano Qudsia
• Bushra Rahman
• Ashfaq Ahmed
• Abdaal Bela
• Shaukat Thanvi
• Abdullah Hussain
• Fatima Surayya Bajia
• Shaukat Siddiqui
• Paigham Afaqui
• Mustansar Hussein Tarar
• Hasan Manzar
• Muhammad Asim Butt
• Muhammad Ilyas
• Umera Ahmad

In respect of themes the Urdu novel initially undertook social life, followed by widening its scope with rural social life. It also covered the changing times under progressive writing movement under inspiration by Sajjad Zaheer. However the horror of partition had great impact and the novel remained under serious grip of questions of identity and migration as can be seen in the major works of Abdullah Hussain & Quratul Ain Haider. Towards the end of the last century the novel took a serious turn towards the contemporary life and realities of the young generations of India. The most significant novels of the current generation of Indian novelists in Urdu demonstre a new confidence in contemporary life are MAKAAN by Paigham Afaqui, Do Gaz Zameen by Abdus Samad, PANI by Ghazanfer. These Urdu novels, specially Makaan brought the Urdu novel out of the prevailing themes of partition and identity issues and took it into the realm of modern day realities and issues of life in India. In fact the impact of Makaan had an impact on many English writers such as Vikram Seth, who turned to novel writing. These Urdu novels impacted the writing of Urdu novels in such a way that a large number of novels have been written ever since some of which like Andhere Pag by Sarwat Khan, Numberdar Ka Neela by S M Ashraf and Fire Area by Ilyas Ahmed Gaddi have come to significantly contribute to urdu fiction. MAKAAN translated in English is a widely known novel for pre-eminence of a female character in novel and considered to be the best feminist novel in Urdu and probably the first one.