Maulana Hali and the Art of Ghazal

Abstract

Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali is undoubtedly the founder of modern
literature. He dedicated genres like criticism, poetry and biography
with the taste of freshness. Muqadama Shair O Shairi is the first
reliable example of theoretical criticism in Urdu. During his tenure
in Lahore, he laid the foundation stone of the modern poetry
movement along with Maulana Muhammad Hussain Azad.
Although he was educated under the shadow of Eastern literature,
he soon got tired of its monotony. Western literature began to feel
close to his heart. He loved the utilitarian aspect of literature.
Ghazal, which is the most representative genre in Eastern literature,
became a target of his criticism. It is generally believed that he was
opposed to the ghazal genre, but the fact is that he disliked ghazal
due to the homogeneity of the themes of the ghazal. He was opposed
to excessive unnatural color in the ghazal. Hali was a practical
person, so he wrote ghazals according to his ideas, which were not
liked by a large section of Urdu literature and his ghazals were
called unhealthy poetry. There is no doubt that Hali made Ghazal a
subject of criticism for the first time like other poetry genres. His
influence had a far-reaching impact on Ghazal. This article
examines Maulana Hali's views on Ghazal.