Naseem Hijazi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The neutrality of this article is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.

Naseem Hijazi (Urdu: نسیم حجازی) is a Pakistani Urdu writer who is famous for his Urdu history novels. He was born in Pre-Partition India and migrated to Pakistan after the Independence from the British Rule. He lived most of his life in Pakistan and died in March 1996.

1 The Writer
2 Comparison
3 Work
4 Theme of the Work
5 Impact and Influence
6 Naseem Hijazi on Screen
7 Novels/Books by Naseem Hijazi
8 External links

[edit] The Writer

As a novel writer Naseem Hijazi is regarded as one of the finest writers of Urdu language especially in the later 20th Century. Among his popular contemporaries were Ibn-e-Safi, Saadat Hasan Manto, and Shafiq Ur Rehman. All having their particular line of literature.

Naseem Hijazi is popular because of his potent and romantic description of history. There are only two writers in Urdu prior to Hijazi who wrote history novels i.e. Abdul Haleem Sharar and Sadiq Sardhunwi. But Hijazi's writing is most credible in terms of history description, whatever he has written is backed by research of historical evidence and the novels are always aided with footnotes and references.

He creates a blend of fairytale romanticism and thoroughly researched Historical events. The story usually goes around fantasy lead characters who were related to, and shown present, at the actual historical event.

[edit] Comparison

It would be worthwhile if Naseem Hijazi is compared to Walter Scott in terms of reviving romanticism of the past while describing long gone histories. While Walter Scott is much criticised for his controversial work and lack of historical references, Naseem Hijazi is much praised for his thorough knowledge of History while beautifully creating a novel around facts with all type of fictatious lead characters. However, his works are considered historical fiction, are marketed as works of fiction, and do not hold any historical bearing except for being based on a few historical facts that have been intensely romanticised.

One such evidence of purity of his work would come by reading one of his novels about great Islamic general of early 8th Century, Muhammad Bin Qasim who conquered Sindh. Naseem Hijazi has clearly avoided the love tale of the wife of Raja Dahir, Ruler of Sindh, and Muhammad Bin Qasim which in reality has no historical background.

[edit] Work

Naseem Hijazi's work is mostly about islamic history. He has shown both sides of Islamic history i.e. The Rise and The Fall from grace. His novels like Muhammad Bin Qasim, Akhri Maarka, Qaiser O Qisra (Ceaser of Rome and Qisra of Persia) and Qafla-e-Hijaz describe the era of Islam's rise to political, military, economic and educational power.

While Yousuf Bin Tashfin, Shaheen[1], Kaleesa Aur Aag (Church and Fire), and Andheri Raat Ke Musafir describe the period of Spanish Reconquista. In one of these novels (Kaleesa Aur Aag) he has painfully, yet truthfully, mirrored the infamous Inquisition that targeted Jews in the start and Moriscos or Muslims later.

In Akhri Chataan, he describes the Central Asian conquests of Genghis Khan and his destruction of Khwarizm Sultanate. The novel is beautifully executed that shows the brutal conquests of the Mongols, the military geniuses of Genghis Khan, the undying will power of Sultan Jalad ad Din Khwarzim Shah and the unworthy condition of Abbassid Caliphate of Baghdad.

He wrote two sequential novels on British conquest of India, and wonderfully describes the ills of India after the collapse of Mughal Empire. The story, Muazzam Ali, starts a little before the Battle of Plassey. The lead character, Muazzam Ali joins the freedom fight against the British in Siraj ud Daula's army. The story goes around as the character moves from one place of India to another in search of the lost glory and freedom. He takes part in the third war of Panipat and finally settles in Srirangapattana that was growing in power under the towering personality of Haider Ali. The book ends almost around the death of Haider Ali. The second book, Aur Talwar Toot Gayee (And the Sword is Broken) is more about Haider's son Tipu Sultan where the same character is finding his dreams being fulfilled in Tipu's valiant endeavors against the British East India Company. The end of the book is said to have made its readers cry on the martyrdom of Sultan Fateh Ali Tipu. Such was the magnificence and brilliance of Naseem Hijazi's writing.

He also has written a novel on Independence of Pakistan named Khak Aur Khoon. Many believed that the novel was his own story.

[edit] Theme of the Work

This writer seems to have been inspired mostly by Allama Muhammad Iqbal's poetry. He tries to remind his readers of the lost glory of the Muslims and in a way inspire them to work committedly to achieve lost glory in all walks of life. He portrays Islamic tolerance, the will to fight to protect the weak, and the love for arts and knowledge. His readers believe that he has best illustrated Allaha Muhammad Iqbal's Islamic philosophical ideal of "Khudi" in Urdu prose, where in a way he is justifiably imparted the message in Iqbal's "Political Reconstruction of Islam".

One such little example is that Hijazi's famous sequel novels on British Conquest of India have its theme based on Iqbal's verse:

Jaa'far az Bangal Wa Sadiq az Deccan -- Nung-e-Qom, Nung-e-Deen, Nung-e-Watan

Meaning: Mir Jafar of Bengal and Mir Sadiq of Deccan are a shame for the Nation, the Riligion and the country.

[edit] Impact and Influence

Naseem Hijazi has immensely influenced his readers both in and out of Pakistan. He has been one of the key source of Islamist ideologies in Pakistan and has worked as a key ideology and valour upgrade during the Afghan-Soviet Jehad. Many Pakistani educated youngsters throughout 1950s till today are believed to be emotionally and ideologically inspired by his writings. Even after his death, he enjoys a very large reader base.

Benazir Bhutto former Prime Minister of Pakistan stated on Naseem Hijazi's death that "he (Naseem Hijazi) has turned many Pakistani youth into Jihadis"". Such was the scale of his impact.

[edit] Naseem Hijazi on Screen

Three of Naseem Hijazi's novels have been dramatised. Akhri Chataan and Shaheen were dramatised in 1980s and were telecasted on Pakistan Television Corporation as independent Drama Serials. Akhri Chataan is considered to be the greatest Historic attempt ever made by PTV. The theme songs of the Drama and the profound acting of Salim Nasir as Sultan Jalal ad Din won all round applause. The drama touches viewers heart in the end when desperate Sultan leaves for oblivion and the background song "Main Khawab Tha Bikhar Gaya" (I was a dream now shattered).

The Novel Khak Aur Khoon was dramatised into a movie with the same name and is one of few block buster movies that Lollywood or Lahore film industry ever produced.

It is believed that many of his novels, if provided with production facilities of Hollywood, will produce movies equal in gradeur to Ben-Hur, Braveheart and The Patriot. Such is the beauty of his wonderful and detailed writing abilities. But due to the lack of required attention, a great work of literary art is untouched by the filming icons.