Ghalib, Bhopal and the story of an April Fools prank gone too far

Mirza Ghalib is an exceptionally kaleidoscopic personality of Urdu and Persian literature, Even after a century of continuous writings about his life and poetry, there is much left to comprehend and discover. As we keep reading between the lines, we keep discovering new shades and innovative meanings in his work. Ghalib didn’t just dominate the literary landscape in his times but is considered to be one of the most towering figures to ever write in Urdu, more than a century after his demise. This is why his work had reached far and wide beyond the boundaries of Delhi in his own life. Even in a distant city like Bhopal, there was a large number of admirers of Ghalib.

The Bhopal Riyasat is known to be the connoisseur of Literature since its formation. Especially, Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan’s reign is considered to be the golden age of literature. People reciting the poetry of Meer, Mushafi, Ghalib, and Momin was a common sight. His work had reached and became popular when Ghalib was at the frontier of his youth. It is said that Ghalib was invited by Nawab Sikandar Jahan Begum to visit Bhopal after the atrocities of 1857. Delhi was in ruins, and Ghalib had fallen prey to extreme mental and financial unrest like the majority of people living in Delhi. There is no evidence that the Nawabs of Bhopal invited Ghalib in an official or personal manner, but two manuscripts of his Diwan are present in Bhopal, one of which was present in Nawab Faujdar Muhammad Khan’s personal library with his stamp. It was re-discovered by Abdurrahman Bijnori in the first decade of the twentieth century. He decided to publish it, but couldn’t due to his untimely demise. It was later published by Maulvi Anvarul-Haq under the title of ‘Nuskha-e-Hameediya.’ A lot has been written in relation to this manuscript, and now the entire manuscript has been published in its original form too. Apart from this manuscript, Professor Abdulqavi Dasnavi has compiled a book under the title, Bhopal Aur Ghalib. This book is of utmost importance and an influential resource for understanding Ghalib’s relationship with the Bhopal Riyasat.

In an article about Nawab’s invitation to Ghalib in the same book, Abdulqavi Dasnavi reveals that Sikander Jahan Begum often sent financial aid to Ghalib through his maternal uncle, Nawab Faujdar Muhammad Khan. Professor Abdulqavi Dasnavi has also compiled a list of eleven disciples of Ghalib as follows:

Maulana Mohammad Abbas Rif'at Sherwani

Nawab Yaar Muhammad Khan Shaukat

Hafiz Mohammad Khan Shaheer, Rampuri

Munshi Irshad Ahmad Maykash Dehlvi

Hakim Muhammad Mashuq Ali Khan Jauhar Shahjahanpuri

Hakim Ashfaq Hussain Zaki Marharvi

Mirza Yusuf Ali Khan Aziz Banarasi

Syed Ahmed Hasan Arshi Kannauji

Mohd Hussain Tamanna Moradabadi

Vilayat Ali Khan Aziz Safipuri

Sharif Hassan Dehlvi

A few names were added later to this list by other scholars.

Nothing can be said with certainty in this connection that how many disciples of Ghalib were actually in Bhopal, but there is no doubt that apart from the disciples, a circle of his appreciators were also present there who influenced later generations as well, an example of which is Suha Mujaddadi, who not only wrote ghazals in Ghalib's “Zameens” but also wrote an explanation of Ghalib’s verses, Matalib-ul-Ghalib, which is still considered important by scholars of Ghalib.

Here I would like to specially mention a ghazal that was actually composed by Maulvi Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil and deluded even the most prolific scholars of Ghalib. In 1937, Maulvi Muhammad Ibrahim Khalil, the headmaster of Model School, Bhopal composed a Ghazal and published it in the school magazine, ‘Gauhar-e-Taleem.’ The ghazal was published under the heading “April-Fool” with the following footnote:

“Taken from the library of Nawab Faujdar Muhammad Khan. This unpublished ghazal of Ghalib was found in worn-out pages and is being presented as one of the last relics.”

The same Ghazal was then published in the magazine Deen-o-Duniya, Delhi with the following preamble:

“A ghazal of the Fasih-ul-Mulk, Khuda-e-Sukhan Nawab Mirza Asadullah Khan Rahmatullah Alaih which isn’t present in any of his published Diwans or other collections. It is specially taken from the library of Ameer-ul-Umra Nawab Muhammad Yaar Khan Marhoom for publication in Deen-o-Duniya”. Then in April 1939, Humayun, Lahore published this ghazal. And from this pamphlet, Malik Ram, A distinguished scholar of Ghalib copied and used the Ghazal’s Maqta in the second and third editions of his book, “Zikr-e-Ghalib”. He also incorporated this Ghazal in the Diwan-e-Ghalib he compiled. Later, it came to light that Ghazal wasn’t penned by Ghalib but instead in an April fools prank that had the most prominent scholars like Malik Ram and Imtiyaz Ali Arshi scratching their heads. This fact was uncovered by Dr. Gyan Chand in his article “Ghalib aur Bhopal” (Urdu-e-Mualla, Delhi. Ghalib Number).

The Ghazal in the discussion here is:

Bhoole se kaash wo idhar aayein to shaam ho

Kya lutf ho jo ablaq-e-dauraan bhi raam ho

Ta-gardish-e-falak se yunhi subh-o-shaam ho

Saaqi ki chashm-e-mast ho aur daur-e-jaam ho

Be-taab hoon bala se, kan-ankhiyon se dekh lien

Ai khush-naseeb, kaash qaza ka payaam ho

Kya sharm hai, hareem hai, mahram hai raaz-daar

Main sar-ba-kaf hoon, tegh-e-ada be-niyaam ho

Main chhedne ko kaash, use ghoor loon kahin

Phir shokh-deeda bar-sar-e-sad-intiqam ho

Wo din kahan ki harf-e-tamanna ho lab-shanas

Na-kaam, bad-naseeb, kabhi shaad-kaam ho

Ghul-mil ke chashm-e-shauq qadam-bos hi sahi

Wo bazm-e-ghair hi mein hon, par izdiham ho

Itni piyoon ki hashr mein sarshaar hi uthoon

Mujh par jo chashm-e-saqi-e-bait-ul-haraam ho

Peerana-saal maikash-e-‘Ghalib’ karega kya?

Bhopal mein mazeed jo do din qayaam ho

Speaking of this Ghazal, Dr. Abu Muhammad Sahar, a well-known scholar, said that “if someone asks me what is the most admonitory incident in the history of Urdu Research, My answer will be the inclusion of a Ghazal in Deewan-e-Ghalib compiled by Malik Ram with the Maqta:

Peerana-saal maikash-e-‘Ghalib’ karega kya?

Bhopal mein mazeed jo do din qayaam ho”.

However, looking aside the joke, this incident revealed how sometimes even our minor playfulness or ingenuity greatly affects Scholarship, and how some fallacies become the truth of the day. In this context, I would like to state that whatever Ghalib's relation with Bhopal was, there is scope for further investigation and that the door of the investigation never closes.

Mirza Ghalib is an exceptionally kaleidoscopic personality of Urdu and Persian literature, Even after a century of continuous writings about his life and poetry, there is much left to comprehend and discover. As we keep reading between the lines, we keep discovering new shades and innovative meanings in his work. Ghalib didn’t just dominate the literary landscape in his times but is considered to be one of the most towering figures to ever write in Urdu, more than a century after his demise. This is why his work had reached far and wide beyond the boundaries of Delhi in his own life. Even in a distant city like Bhopal, there was a large number of admirers of Ghalib.

The Bhopal Riyasat is known to be the connoisseur of Literature since its formation. Especially, Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khan’s reign is considered to be the golden age of literature. People reciting the poetry of Meer, Mushafi, Ghalib, and Momin was a common sight. His work had reached and became popular when Ghalib was at the frontier of his youth. It is said that Ghalib was invited by Nawab Sikandar Jahan Begum to visit Bhopal after the atrocities of 1857. Delhi was in ruins, and Ghalib had fallen prey to extreme mental and financial unrest like the majority of people living in Delhi. There is no evidence that the Nawabs of Bhopal invited Ghalib in an official or personal manner, but two manuscripts of his Diwan are present in Bhopal, one of which was present in Nawab Faujdar Muhammad Khan’s personal library with his stamp. It was re-discovered by Abdurrahman Bijnori in the first decade of the twentieth century. He decided to publish it, but couldn’t due to his untimely demise. It was later published by Maulvi Anvarul-Haq under the title of ‘Nuskha-e-Hameediya.’ A lot has been written in relation to this manuscript, and now the entire manuscript has been published in its original form too. Apart from this manuscript, Professor Abdulqavi Dasnavi has compiled a book under the title, Bhopal Aur Ghalib. This book is of utmost importance and an influential resource for understanding Ghalib’s relationship with the Bhopal Riyasat.

In an article about Nawab’s invitation to Ghalib in the same book, Abdulqavi Dasnavi reveals that Sikander Jahan Begum often sent financial aid to Ghalib through his maternal uncle, Nawab Faujdar Muhammad Khan. Professor Abdulqavi Dasnavi has also compiled a list of eleven disciples of Ghalib as follows:

Maulana Mohammad Abbas Rif'at Sherwani

Nawab Yaar Muhammad Khan Shaukat

Hafiz Mohammad Khan Shaheer, Rampuri

Munshi Irshad Ahmad Maykash Dehlvi

Hakim Muhammad Mashuq Ali Khan Jauhar Shahjahanpuri

Hakim Ashfaq Hussain Zaki Marharvi

Mirza Yusuf Ali Khan Aziz Banarasi

Syed Ahmed Hasan Arshi Kannauji

Mohd Hussain Tamanna Moradabadi

Vilayat Ali Khan Aziz Safipuri

Sharif Hassan Dehlvi

A few names were added later to this list by other scholars.

Nothing can be said with certainty in this connection that how many disciples of Ghalib were actually in Bhopal, but there is no doubt that apart from the disciples, a circle of his appreciators were also present there who influenced later generations as well, an example of which is Suha Mujaddadi, who not only wrote ghazals in Ghalib's “Zameens” but also wrote an explanation of Ghalib’s verses, Matalib-ul-Ghalib, which is still considered important by scholars of Ghalib.

Here I would like to specially mention a ghazal that was actually composed by Maulvi Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil and deluded even the most prolific scholars of Ghalib. In 1937, Maulvi Muhammad Ibrahim Khalil, the headmaster of Model School, Bhopal composed a Ghazal and published it in the school magazine, ‘Gauhar-e-Taleem.’ The ghazal was published under the heading “April-Fool” with the following footnote:

“Taken from the library of Nawab Faujdar Muhammad Khan. This unpublished ghazal of Ghalib was found in worn-out pages and is being presented as one of the last relics.”

The same Ghazal was then published in the magazine Deen-o-Duniya, Delhi with the following preamble:

“A ghazal of the Fasih-ul-Mulk, Khuda-e-Sukhan Nawab Mirza Asadullah Khan Rahmatullah Alaih which isn’t present in any of his published Diwans or other collections. It is specially taken from the library of Ameer-ul-Umra Nawab Muhammad Yaar Khan Marhoom for publication in Deen-o-Duniya”. Then in April 1939, Humayun, Lahore published this ghazal. And from this pamphlet, Malik Ram, A distinguished scholar of Ghalib copied and used the Ghazal’s Maqta in the second and third editions of his book, “Zikr-e-Ghalib”. He also incorporated this Ghazal in the Diwan-e-Ghalib he compiled. Later, it came to light that Ghazal wasn’t penned by Ghalib but instead in an April fools prank that had the most prominent scholars like Malik Ram and Imtiyaz Ali Arshi scratching their heads. This fact was uncovered by Dr. Gyan Chand in his article “Ghalib aur Bhopal” (Urdu-e-Mualla, Delhi. Ghalib Number).

The Ghazal in the discussion here is:

Bhoole se kaash wo idhar aayein to shaam ho

Kya lutf ho jo ablaq-e-dauraan bhi raam ho

Ta-gardish-e-falak se yunhi subh-o-shaam ho

Saaqi ki chashm-e-mast ho aur daur-e-jaam ho

Be-taab hoon bala se, kan-ankhiyon se dekh lien

Ai khush-naseeb, kaash qaza ka payaam ho

Kya sharm hai, hareem hai, mahram hai raaz-daar

Main sar-ba-kaf hoon, tegh-e-ada be-niyaam ho

Main chhedne ko kaash, use ghoor loon kahin

Phir shokh-deeda bar-sar-e-sad-intiqam ho

Wo din kahan ki harf-e-tamanna ho lab-shanas

Na-kaam, bad-naseeb, kabhi shaad-kaam ho

Ghul-mil ke chashm-e-shauq qadam-bos hi sahi

Wo bazm-e-ghair hi mein hon, par izdiham ho

Itni piyoon ki hashr mein sarshaar hi uthoon

Mujh par jo chashm-e-saqi-e-bait-ul-haraam ho

Peerana-saal maikash-e-‘Ghalib’ karega kya?

Bhopal mein mazeed jo do din qayaam ho

Speaking of this Ghazal, Dr. Abu Muhammad Sahar, a well-known scholar, said that “if someone asks me what is the most admonitory incident in the history of Urdu Research, My answer will be the inclusion of a Ghazal in Deewan-e-Ghalib compiled by Malik Ram with the Maqta:

Peerana-saal maikash-e-‘Ghalib’ karega kya?

Bhopal mein mazeed jo do din qayaam ho”.

However, looking aside the joke, this incident revealed how sometimes even our minor playfulness or ingenuity greatly affects Scholarship, and how some fallacies become the truth of the day. In this context, I would like to state that whatever Ghalib's relation with Bhopal was, there is scope for further investigation and that the door of the investigation never closes.