Wali Mohammed Wali

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Wali Muhammad Wali
Born 1667
Aurangabad
Died 1707 (aged 40)
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Pen name Wali Deccani, Wali Aurangabadi, Wali Gujarati
Occupation Poet
Nationality Indian
Genres Ghazal, masnavi, qasida, mukhammas
Subjects Love

Wali Muhammad Wali (1667–1707), (also known as Wali Deccani, Urdu: ولی دکنی, Wali Gujarati and Wali Aurangabadi) was a classical Urdu poet from India. He is the first established poet to have composed Ghazals in Urdu language[1] and compiled a divan (a collection of ghazals where the entire alphabet is used at least once as the last letter to define the rhyme pattern).

Before Wali, Indian Ghazal was being composed in Persian – almost being replicated in thought and style from the original Persian masters like Saa'di, Jami and Khaqani. Wali began using not only an Indian language, but Indian themes, idioms and imagery in his ghazals. It is said that his visit to Delhi in 1700, along with his divan of Urdu ghazals created a ripple in the literary circles of the north, inspiring them to produce stalwarts like Zauq, Sauda and Mir.

Early life

Born in 1667 at Aurangabad, an important town in the present Maharashtra State. He loved travelling, which he regarded as a means of education. He visited Delhi, Surat, Burhanpur & also undertook pilgrimage to Mecca & Medina.

Career

Wali Mohammed Wali's visit to Delhi in 1700 is considered to be of great significance for Urdu Gazals. His simple, sensuous and melodious poems in Urdu, awakened the Persian loving poets of Delhi to the beauty and capability of "Rekhta" (the old name for Urdu) as a medium of poetic expression. His visit thus stimulated the growth and development of Urdu Ghazal in Delhi.

Wali died in Ahmedabad in 1707 in what is now state of Gujarat, and was buried in the same city.[1]

Genre

Although Wali tried his hand at a variety of verse forms including the masnavi, qasida, mukhammas, and the rubai., the ghazal is his speciality. He wrote 473 ghazals containing 3,225 couplets[2] (Ashaar). His poems were simple, sensuous & melodious.

It is believed that Wali started to have established the tradition of writing ghazals in Urdu and also influencing the other writers when he visited Delhi. Before that, preferred language for ghazals was Persian.[1]

Themes

His favorite theme was love – both mystical and earthy – and his characteristic tone was one of cheerful affirmation and acceptance, rather than of melancholy grumbling. He was the first Urdu poet to have started the practice of expressing love from the man's point of view, as against the prevailing convention of impersonating as a woman.

If, on the one hand, Wali unraveled the beauty and richness of the native language as a poetic medium, on the other, he was alive to the vigor and verve of Persian diction and imagery which he successfully incorporated into the body of his verse. He may thus be called the architect of the modern poetic language, which is a skillful blend of Hindi and Persian vocabulary.

Memorials

Wali's tomb in Shahibaug locality of Ahmedabad was damaged in 2002 riots and later lost when road was widened.[1][3] However, after protests from citizens and literary class of city, who demanded to re-build the tomb, it is likely that memorial may be re built as per orders of Gujarat High Court.[1] Meanwhile, Gujarat government has as a recognition of Wali's genius has instituted an award and an academy in his name.[1]

Further, in 2010 a widely acclaimed short film on Wali's life was made by a film-maker Gopal K. Annam.[3]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Wali Gujarati's tomb may be rebuilt following HC directions". The Times Of India (Ahmedabad). Feb 10, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2013. 
  2. ↑ Kanda, K.C. (1992). Masterpieces of Urdu Ghazal from the 17th to the 20th Century. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. p18. ISBN 9788120711952. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Wali Gujarati rediscovered". Times of India. 18 December 2010. Retrieved 30 September 2013. 

See also

External links

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