DOST Muhammad Kamil (1915-1981) enjoys a special status among the literary giants of Pushto literature. Born on September 16, 1915 in Qazi Khel Mohalla, Peshawar, he received his early education from a local school.

His father, Faujun Khan, was a civil judge who used to be transferred from one location to another in connection with his employment; consequently Dost Muhammad also had to keep changing schools.

He did his matriculation from GHS Mardan in 1932 and later qualified for intermediate and graduation from Islamia College, Peshawar and Edward's College, Peshawar in 1934 and 1936 respectively.

Declining an offer from Governor Griffith to join the provincial service in British India, he gained admission to Aligarh Muslim University from where he completed his masters in philosophy in 1938 and his LLB in 1939.

On his return to Peshawar the same year, Dost Muhammad served as pleader in the court of the district judge in Peshawar. He proved his mettle both in civil and criminal cases but he preferred civil cases and would charge a nominal fee.

From an early age he developed a taste for reading, writing, research and horticulture and he was only in grade 8 when his maiden poem, written in Persian, was published on the title page of the daily Zamindar. He had learnt the translation of the Holy Quran from Maulana Ghulam Muhammad Ghaus Hazarvi.

Despite being a busy lawyer, Dost made an effort to take time out for his literary pursuits. He rediscovered Khushhal Khan and Rahman Baba by conducting research on these two giants of Pushto literature. He also paved the way for practical criticism and serious pursuits that were rare in Pushto before him.

He, along with Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari (1907-1994) and Kakaji Sanobar Hussain (1897-1965), founded the famous literary organisation Ulasi Adabi Jirga (UAJ) in 1950 for the promotion of Pushto language and literature.

This literary forum produced great writers such as Ajmal Khattak, Qalandar Momand, Saifur Rahman Salim, Hamish Khalil, Mir Mehdi Shah Mehdi, Qamar Rahi, Abdul Rahim Majzoob and Latif Wehmi. The UAJ also introduced new literary genres in Pushto.

This book contains prefaces that Dost Muhammad had written to the works of Qalandar Momand, Hamza Baba, Khushhal Khan Khattak, Dr Mohammad Azam and Hamish Khalil and to the works of some classical poets. Prof Dr Zubair has collected these invaluable prefaces from various sources and compiled them into book form.

*****

Abdul Akbar Khan (1899-1977) was a reputed freedom fighter and Pushto poet affiliated with the Khuhdai Khidmatgar Tehrik led by Bacha Khan. The year 1917 proved to be an eventful one in his life; his father passed away, the Russian Revolution took place, Germany was defeated in the Great War and the Ottoman Empire fell apart; all these events left an indelible mark on his mind.

His literary career embarked after a Bengali teacher at the Islamia College in Peshawar taunted him to publish something in his own mother tongue. This propelled Akbar Khan to bring out the Pushto journal Warz (Day) in 1919.

It was his first literary venture, he then returned to his native village to mobilise the Pakhtoon against the British Raj.

Akbar Khan joined the Hijrat movement to Afghanistan where he stayed with Bacha Khan and a few others in a rented room in Kabul. He made contacts with Maulana Obaidullah Sindhi and many other great scholars.

He, along with various prominent Indian freedom fighters, went to Russian Turkmenistan and penned an eventful account of his journey. He was imprisoned many a times as a result of his radical views. He wrote the first ever Pushto stage drama titled 'Dray Yatemaan' (Three Orphans) in 1924 in which late Khan Abdul Wali Khan and Abdul Ghani Khan played two of the three orphans.

Wali Khan acted so well that an old man from the audience came up to the stage and patted him on his head while wiping away tears. He offered two rupees to the young Wali Khan and consoled him, 'Don't be so distressed son! Buy some flour for yourself with this money.'

He and Fazal Mahmood Makhfi (1884-1946) are considered the pioneers of revolutionary poetry in Pushto. Both changed the course of Pushto poetry and ignited the spirit of freedom in Pushto literature.

The author of several books, Akbar Khan was responsible for introducing progressive ideas into Pushto poetry.

Abaseen Yousafzai is a young poet and researcher who has edited this revealing autobiographical account which will serve as a valuable document for serious researchers.

Adabi Muqaddame
By Dost Muhammad Kamil
Researched and edited by Prof Dr Zubair Hasrat
Al-Makkah Printing Press, Peshawar
286pp. Rs150
Da Bar-i-Sagheer- Pak-o-hind Pa Azadeey Ke Da Pukhtanu Barkhah (Share of Pakhtoons in the liberation of Indo-Pak)
By Abdul Akbar Khan Akbar
Edited by Abaseen Yousafzai
University Publishers, Peshawar
380pp. Rs300