MARCH 8 marks International Women’s Day. So let us celebrate the achievements of women who have illuminated horizon of Urdu’s literary research and criticism with their writings.
Though women’s contribution to Urdu’s creative literature has largely been acknowledged and women writers of Urdu who penned short stories, novels, autobiographies and poetry have been recognised as established writers, the role that women critics and researcher have played usually goes unnoticed.
It is a fact that even male critics and researchers rarely get the spotlight that creative writers and poets enjoy, let alone women in a male-dominated society. The reason is criticism and research is generally perceived as something dry and drab (used by some insomniacs as tranquillising drugs). An askew view is that women are less likely to engage themselves to criticism and research. The fact is women critics and researchers have been putting in their share alongside their male counterparts since long, albeit they may not outnumber them for certain societal restrictions. In the present era, a large number of women researchers and critics are enriching Urdu literature both in India and Pakistan.
Many names come to one’s mind when we think of women researchers and critics who are held in high esteem because of the high-standard work they have carried out on Urdu language and literature in recent past and not-so-recent past. For instance, Begum Shaista Ikramullah (1915-2000) is credited with being the first woman researcher to have earned a PhD on Urdu literature. Her dissertation was titled A Critical Survey of Development of Urdu Novel and Short Story and London University conferred a doctorate on her in early 1940s. In fact, it was one of the earliest PhDs awarded in Urdu.
As mentioned by Dr Uzma Farman and Ahmed Piracha in their separate works on Urdu’s women researchers and critics, Dr Maimoona Ansari did her PhD on Mirza Hadi Ruswa from Aligarh University and it was published in 1963.
Dr Aamna Khatoon (1915-1983) was head of Urdu department at Bangalore University, as mentioned on the title page of one of her books. She did some real research work on Dakani language, Urdu orthography, Urdu grammar, Insha Allah Khan Insha and edited some classical texts. Her books include Riyasat Mysore Mein Urdu, Dakani Ki Ibtida, Tehqeeqi Navaadir, Lataaif-us-Sa’adat and some others. Though her books are not available in Pakistan, they are treasure troves of rare information and insightful critical views.
Dr Syeda Jafer (1934-2016) is known for her research works on Urdu that she carried out for about 50 years. An authority on Dakani language and literature, list of her publications is simply too long to be quoted here.
Dr Maimoona Dalvi is another women scholar from India who has done some commendable work on Urdu. Aside from her famous work Bambai mein Urdu (Urdu in ‘Bombay’, now Mumbai), which was published in book form in 1970, she has to her credit other works such as Mumbai Aur Dakan Ke Lok Geet (2001).
Dr Habib Zia (yes, she is a woman) wrote Dakani Zaban Ki Qavaaed. Umm-e-Hani Ashraf has done research on qaseeda (panegyric ode) and marsia (elegy). She has also compiled a glossary of qasaaedas. Some other well-known women researcher and critics from across the border are: Sualiha Abid Husain, Rafi’a Sultana, Surayya Husain, Zeenat Sajida, Ubaida Begum, Himaira Jalil, Rakhshanda Jalil, to name but a few.
On this side of the border, Mumtaz Shireen (1924-1973) stirred quite a sensation with Mey’aaer(1959), a collection of her critical essays on Urdu fiction. Aside from collections of short stories and translations, her critical works include Manto, Noori Na Naari.
M. Sultana Bakhsh is a veteran researcher and has done research on dastan and Urdu research itself. Her two-volume collection of articles on research methodology by well-known scholars is a must for every student of research. Her works on Ismat Chughtai and Parveen Shakir have earned kudos from critics. She edited Divan-i-Turaab meticulously, a proof of her erudition and a keen eye for details as well as historical perspective.
Saqiba Rahimuddin’s articles have deep sense of cultural belonging and a leaning towards Islamic civilisation. Razia Noor Mohammad had written a detailed thesis on works done by orientalists on Urdu.
Some other Pakistani women scholars are: Rubeena Tareen, Fatema Hasan, Yasmeen Hameed, Shaheen Mufti, Firdous Anwer Qazi, Farzana Kausar, Shahida Begum, Naheed Qasmi, Rubeena Shaheen, Rubeen Shehnaz, Salma Shaheen, Tanzeem-ul-Firdous, Uzma Farman, Baseera Ambreen, Soofia Lodhi, Tahira Iqbal, Fareeda Hafeez, Najeeba Arif, Rukhsana Saba, Fauzia Chaudhry, Naheed Kausar, Bimillah Niza, Fehmeeda Husain, Shazra Husain, Ambreen H. Amber and many, many others.
Interestingly, Dr Kulsoom Abul Bashar, a scholar from Bangladesh, is known for her research works on Urdu. It is regretted that for want of space many names could not be mentioned here.
It proves that women have always fared well in academic research, but they are not appreciated the way they should be.
Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2023
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.