Makhzan, Lahore

"Makhzan" was a scholarly and literary journal published from Lahore during British India, with its first issue released in April 1901. The magazine was founded and edited by Sir Sheikh Abdul Qadir, a renowned lawyer, a leader of Indian Muslims, and the former Chief Judge of the Bahawalpur State. In the first editorial of Makhzan, he condemned imitative tendencies, spoke out against artificiality in writing, and encouraged writers and poets to create in the language of nature. One of Makhzan’s primary objectives was to serve Urdu literature independently, without aligning with religious or political groups. By adopting a distinct literary approach, focusing on emotion and expression in an ethereal language, Makhzan attracted a new generation of writers, making it a significant literary platform of its time.