Mohammed Umr Shaukat Thanvi was a versatile genius poet, a journalist, and a story-writer. But he was primarily a humorist as is indicated by the titles of his famous literary works: Mauj-e-Tabassum, Bahr-e-Tabassum, Sail-e-Tabassum, and Toofaan-e-Tabassum. Historically speaking, Shaukat stands between the old and new schools of poetry. He combines in his humorous and satirical verse the wit and brilliance of the Avadh Panch with the sobriety and shrewdness of the new age. He uses his weapons of wit and humor, not only to provoke laughter and provide amusement but to expose the faults and foibles of society. This is particularly true of the poems included in this anthology-Shaair ki Beewi, Khwab-e-Azadi, Family Planning, and Aata, which are intended to focus, respectively, on the social and economic poverty of the poets and writers, dangers of confusing liberty with license, the problem of overpopulation, and the greed and hypocrisy of the business class.


Shaukat Thanvi was born in Thana Bhawan (Uttar Pradesh), India, but migrated to Pakistan after the partition. After working for ten years at Pakistan Radio, he moved to Karachi where he joined the editorial board of the newspaper, Jang, of which he also became the editor. He also wrote for several other literary journals such as Sar Panch, Hamdam, Lucknow, Millat, etc. Shaukat Thanvi died in Lahore on 4 May 1963.