Identity: Eminent Journalist, Novelist, Short Story Writer, Translator, and Former General Secretary of Anjuman Taraqqi-e-Urdu

Qazi Abdul Ghaffar was born in December 1889 in the Tambaku Walan locality of Moradabad. He belonged to a scholarly and religious family; his grandfather, Ghazi Hamid Ali, served as the chief qazi of Moradabad, and his father, Qazi Abrar Ahmad, was among the respected figures of his time. He received his early education in Moradabad and passed high school in 1905, later completing his intermediate education at Aligarh Muslim University (then the Aligarh educational institution).

At his father’s insistence, he entered government service and was appointed as a tehsildar, but finding official service unsuited to his temperament, he soon resigned and returned to Moradabad, where he turned to journalism. He received his journalistic training under the guidance of the renowned nationalist leader and journalist Mohammad Ali Jauhar, who was leading Urdu journalism through his newspaper Hamdard.

In 1921, he traveled to London as a member of the Khilafat Committee delegation. Owing to his versatile temperament, he also ran a utensils business in Moradabad for some time, though unsuccessfully. From 1928 to 1930, he served as Chairman of the Moradabad Municipal Board. In 1934, he moved to Hyderabad, where he worked in the Information Department, and later moved to Lucknow and then Delhi.

After the Partition of India, he was appointed General Secretary of Anjuman Taraqqi-e-Urdu in 1947 at the behest of Abul Kalam Azad. He reorganized the institution, revived its branches across the country, established new chapters, and restored its vitality.

Qazi Abdul Ghaffar was a versatile literary figure. His notable works include:

Laila ke Khutoot — A powerful portrayal of a courtesan’s emotions and the exploitation of women

Majnun ki Diary — A reformative work focused on the mental and moral orientation of youth

Teen Paise ki Chhokri — A collection of short stories

Pindar ka Sanam Kada — A drama against caste discrimination and social inequality

Naqsh-e-Farang — A satirical and informative travelogue of Europe

Asar-e-Jamaluddin Afghani

Asar-e-Abul Kalam Azad

Hayat-e-Ajmal

Urdu translation of The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran under the title Us Ne Kaha

Translation of a novel by John Galsworthy titled Saib ka Darakht

His prose is marked by romanticism, psychological insight, social awareness, and satirical sharpness. Themes such as women’s exploitation, class disparity, religious hypocrisy, and social pretension occupy a central place in his writings.

Death: He passed away in Aligarh on 17 January 1956.