FORMS OF URDU POETRY

Urdu, the language we recognize today, originated from the local dialects spoken in and around Delhi known as Dehalvi. It emerged during the 13th and 14th centuries by incorporating vocabulary from Turkish, Arabic, and Persian. The language underwent several transformations and was referred to by various names such as Hindavi, Dehalvi, Gujri, Dakhini, and Rekhta. Over time, it evolved into the contemporary languages of Hindi and Urdu.

The first writer to popularize Hindavi, which he referred to as Dehalvi, was the prolific and wondrous Ameer Khusrau who is credited as being the father of Hindi and Urdu. 

As late as the 18th century, Mir Taqi Mir referred to the spoken language as Rekhta or Hindi. The terms Hindi and Rekhta were interchangeable until the 19th century in reference to the spoken language. It was Mushafi (1750-1824) who first used the word Urdu, signifying a language, in his initial Divan. Prior to that, it was commonly known as Hindavi and Rekhta.
The term Urdu is derived from the Turkish word ‘ordu’ (meaning army), which is also the origin of the English word ‘horde.’ In the context of India, Urdu poetry or Shayari surprisingly originated in the Deccan with Quli Qutub Shah (1565-1611). He stands as the first poet to have a significant body of work in Urdu. Following in his esteemed footsteps, Wali Deccani (1635-1707) and Siraj Aurangabadi (1715-1763) continued to contribute to the development of Urdu poetry.

Three prominent schools of Urdu Shayari exist in India: Deccan, Delhi, and Lucknow, each succeeding the other. In the 18th century, Mir Taqi Mir (1722-1810) and Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797-1869) emerged, marking a significant era for romantic poetry or ghazal, particularly in Delhi where it reached its zenith under their influence. Other noteworthy poets from the Delhi school included Mirza Mohammad Rafi Sauda (1713-80), Khwaja Mir Dard (1721-85), and Nawab Mirza Khan Dagh (1831-1905).

After the sack of Delhi by Nadir Shah in 1739, Ahmed Shah in 1769, and the First War of Independence in 1857, Delhi witnessed a decline in significance, leading to Lucknow emerging as the new cultural capital. During this transition, poets thrived under the patronage of the Awadh Nawabs, including Ghulam Hamdani Mushafi (1725-1824), Inshallah Khan Insha (1757-1817), Khwaja Haidar Ali Atish (1778-1846), Iman Baksh Nasikh (1787-1838), Mir Babr Ali Anis (1802-74), and Mirza Salamat Ali Dabir (1803-1875).
In this cultural era, while Mir and Ghalib were acknowledged masters of Ghazal, known as Rekhta in those days, Sauda gained recognition for Qasida writing, Masnawi flourished with Mir Hasan, and Marsiya found its expression through Anis and Dabir.

For those unfamiliar with these terms, an explanation follows:

1. Ghazal or Rekhta

It’s an Arabic word that means “conversing with the beloved.” It developed in Persia in the 10th century AD from the Arabic verse form qasida. A Qasida (Ballad) is a long poem in Urdu, Persian or Arabic which usually describes battles or written in praise of kings; princes or the poet’s patron.

The ghazal made its way to the Indian subcontinent in the 12th century, introduced by Sufi mystics and the sultanates, flourishing in both Persian and later in Urdu. Ameer Khusrau is credited with composing the first ghazal in Urdu, titled "ze-hāl-e-miskīñ."
Traditionally a Ghazal contains minimum 5 couplets and goes up to 15, but typically most Ghazals have around 7 couplets. A sher or couplet in a ghazal is independent from the rest of the couplets in the same Ghazal and can be read alone. The Ghazal, however, may have a common refrain, which provides a link between the couplets.
It's important to remember that just having independent couplets doesn't make any poem a Ghazal. Ghazals have specific characteristics that set them apart in the world of poetry. The ghazal must have a certain structure.

A ghazal should consist of a minimum of 5 couplets or sher. The meter or bahr of each sher within the ghazal should remain consistent. In the first couplet, both verses (misra) should have qaafiya and radeef. In the following couplets, only the second verse contains qaafiya and radeef. The last couplet of the ghazal is called maqta and may contain the pen name (takhallus) of the poet.

2. Nazm

A Nazm is a well-organized and logically evolving poem with a central theme, where each verse is intricately related to the other. It can be composed in rhymed verse, unrhymed verse, or even in free verse. During the 20th century, poets of the Progressive Writers Association favored the Nazm as a means to disseminate their message of freedom and equality. Shining examples of this style include Sahir Ludhianvi and Ali Sardar Jafri.

kabhi kabhi mere dil mein KHayal aata hai
ki zindagi teri zulfon ki narm chhanw mein
guzarne pati to shadab ho bhi sakti thi

by Sahir Ludhyanvi

3. Qita

It is a collection on 2 couplets (four verses) that are interconnected and linked to each other. It presents a particular thought or idea in a sequential manner. 

4. Qasida

It is a poem praising a king, noble person, or benefactor. It starts with a rhyming couplet, similar to a ghazal, and this rhyme is repeated in the second line of each following verse. A Qasida can be as long as 50 lines.

5. Marsiya

The term 'Marsiya' originates from the Arabic word 'Risa,' signifying a profound tragedy or lamentation for a departed soul. It serves as an elegy, a poetic expression of mourning, and has become closely linked with the tragedy of Karbala. Typically, Marsiya is composed of six-line units, featuring a rhyming quatrain followed by a couplet with a different rhyme. Rekhta has published a comprehensive blog on the Components of Marsiya, providing detailed explanations of each element. Marsiya is characterized by six-line verses in an AA, AA and BB rhyme scheme.

6. Masnawi

A long narrative poem - much longer than the ghazal - embodying religious, romantic or didactic stories. It is written in rhyming couplets, with each couplet having a different rhyme and radeef.

7. Rubaii

A self-sufficient quatrain, rhyming (a, a, b, a) and dealing generally with a single idea

Rekhta has preserved 33 different types of Urdu poetry. Visit Rekhta Explorer to discover more poetry types.