24 Ghalib and His Poetic Thought

Dr. Mrinmoy Pramanick and Mr. Pratim Das

About the chapter:

This module is about world-famous Indian poet Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib and his thoughts on poetry. Here we will discuss about the themes in Ghalib poems, his time and his other writings to understand his poetic thoughts. Ghalib’s poetic contribution is one of major contribution in Indian literary theory. Extreme richness of literary theories is Sanskrit was only succeeded by the contribution of the Persian literary figures. The lineage is continued in the modern India by the poets like Ghalib. He is one of the major contributor in this field in modern India and one of the pioneering figures in modern Indian poetic thought.

Introduction

Mirza Ghalib was born in 1797 and was died in 1869. He is one of the most loving poets in Indian Literature and widely translated in most of the major Indian languages. His heavenly talent was expressed in his construction of beauty in poetry. He is received in Indian Literature and also talked as a poet of World Literature as Kalidasa and Tagore is received by other languages in abroad. He was the poet of fall of Mughal Empire. He saw his city Delhi was declining in 1857. Glalib has influenced in numerous number of poets in India and outside also through his poetry and poetic thoughts which were expressed in his letters. The poetic thought or poetics what we would like to call, is mainly expressed through his letters. And this poetics is significant in Indian poetic thought as, it added excellence in the tradition of high thought on poetics which was started with the Sanskrit rhetoricians. These letters one side reflect Ghalib’s thought on poetry and the other side these vividly describe the socio-politico and cultural reality of his time within which his poetry took birth. His attitude as an excellent critic and reader of poetry also has been expressed through such writings. He believed that poetry is a way of life and poetry is ultimate freedom for human being.

He was great fan of Firdausi, Hasan Basri, and myth of Laila Majnu, Saadi and Hafiz. In the time when Mughal Empire was declining and he saw his love, Delhi getting destroyed, he felt that a man needs a little happiness. He said, “To live one’s life one requires just a little happiness; philosophy, empires, poetry are all nonsense”. And there is no doubt, he, at the end of the day found his happiness in his poetry and in the poetry of his ancestors.

Ganesh Devy would like to see Ghalib as a proponent of the concept of poetry as a medium of freedom. In his Indian Literary Criticism: Theory and Interpretation, Ganesh Devy elaborated this claim with the selective pieces from Ghalib’s letters.

Byjameela Siddiqi’s comment on Ghalib locate Ghalib within the very essence of Urdu poetry and in his wide reception.

“Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797-1869), alias Mirza Nawshah, is the best known and the most widely read Indo-Persian poet of his time. His many well-known ghazals have been sung and recorded by numerous performers in India as well as in Pakistan. Since Urdu poetry relies heavily on oral tradition and rhythmic recitation, catch-phrases from various Urdu poets have made their way into everyday Urdu speech in a way which is unparalleled in any other language. This is particularly true with regard to Ghalib’s poetry where his use of the Urdu language, drawing heavily on its classical Persian parent tradition, is almost unmatched by any other Urdu poet.”

Ghalib and Urdu Literature

The second half of the nineteenth century had been a remarkable period of Urdu Literature. This time witnessed the advent of some of the brightest stars of Urdu literature. Urdu literature made a special momentum in their hands. Mirza Ghalib was the brightest among them. Mirza Asadullah Beg Khan was the real name of Ghalib. He appeared in a time when the glory of the Mughal Empire was eclipsed. The last emperor of the Mughals in Delhi became a puppet in the hand of the British. In such a political stalemate, Ghalib appeared. When great poets like Mir, Sauda had forced to leave Delhi in such political turmoil.

Although Bahadur Shah came forward in this stalemate. He patronized Urdu poetry and has a major role in the revival of Urdu poetry. Besides, Bahadur Shah himself was a great Urdu poet and wrote under the title of Zafar. So there was not much of a problem for Ghalib to get his patronage.

But Ghalib was more influenced by Persian poets than Urdu poets. Firdausi, Hafiz, Saadi and Hasan Basri made a special impression on Ghalib. He was deeply influenced by them. During his lifetime he penned several ghazals, which remains equally popular even after his death. He is considered one of the most influential poets of Urdu Literature.

But it would be wrong to think that the contribution of the Ghalib was limited to only Ghazal. Not only Urdu Poetry but prose will also be indebted to Mirza Ghalib. His letters had a significant contribution in giving foundation to colloquial Urdu. Most of his letters were written in such a way that he was in conversation with the reader.His poetic thought is mainly expressed through these letters. These letters express Ghalib’s view on poetry, which clearly describes the socio-political and cultural reality of this era, through which his poems are born. Through his poetry and poetic thought, Ghalib influenced many poets and thinkers in India and outside. Let’s first look at his ghazals.

Ghalib and Ghazal

Ghazal is a short poem or it can be said that it is a poetic form with refrain1, which contains less than five or more than twelve couplets. In his early career, Ghalib had no plan in writing Urdu Ghazal as he had concentrated on writing in Persian. But his writing was more popular in Urdu Ghazals. However, some literary critics praised his Persian Ghazals too. Even Ghalib himself did not want to be judged by his Urdu verses only. He mentions,

“Farsi bin ta bi bini naagshahi rang rang

Biguzar az majmua-i-Urdu ki berang-i-mansat”

(Read my Persian verses in order to see pictures of various hues. Overlook the Urdu collection which is colourless).

(Kadir, Sir Abdul;)

Maulavi Altaf Husain Hali in his book Yadgar-i Ghalib went one step further and strongly conveys his appreciative criticism of Ghalib’s Persian Ghazals. However, his Urdu Ghazals are not inferior. In fact, his Urdu Ghazals made him popular to his reader. These Ghazals are also remarkable in their literary merit than the previous poetry of Urdu Literature.

Though the ranges of themes are very different in Ghazals, from the last quarter of the seventeenth century the theme of “love” dominates the Ghazal. As the word ghazal means ”talking to women” or ”talking to love” in Arabian. The ghazals are essentially a song which consists of various subjects such as complaining about separation or longing for union etc.Ghalib’s poetry is a fine example of this. Ghalib was able to cross his predecessors in his diverse range of thought and his unique style of presentation which is quite brilliant.

Ghalib’s ghazal offers a keen observation on life that foresees the doubt, infidelity, and angst of the modern age. M Shahid Alam in his article “Intimations of Ghalib” says-

“For all these qualities, his ability to memorialise the varied moods of a lover, the breadth of his vision, his deep humanity, the unforgettable music of his lines, his use of new imagery and new uses of old imagery, all the nuances of meaning captured in his dictions, his wit and playfulness, and the multiple layers of meaning in his ghazals – and notwithstanding the difficulty of his diction and syntax – Ghalib remains the poet of poets as well as the common man. He is quoted by politicians and housewives, and his ghazals have been set to music by the best singers and music composers of the last few generations.”

(Alam, M Shahid)

character in fronts of us, such as his strong sense of independence and self-respect as well as an unsentimental observation of man, God, and the universe.

Though Ghalib’s verses are full of deep philosophical truth, the theme of love is prevalent in his ghazals. Besides there are a significant amount of poetry can be seen which is dealing with suffering and separation. As Ghalib understood suffering very well from his own life of experience. Even though he was a child of an elite family, he saw poverty at an early age. He saw the death of his children at the stage of infancy. His only brother went mad and his relationship with his wife was tumultuous. The idea of life that it is a continuous suffering and struggle is one of the major themes of his ghazals.

One of the most important features of the Galiib’s Gazal is his representation of love in an unusual manner. The love, his ghazals speak of is ‘illicit love’. As Rakesh Kumar in his article “Urdu Poetry and Prose: Mirza Ghalib” says,

”The poet’s beloved may be someone’s fiancée or wife or a courtesan or a handsome boy. Such type of love and lovers were frowned upon in the medieval Indian society (of which ghazal itself was a product) and such lovers invariably entailed suffering and distress. Another dimension of love, depicted in these ghazals is that the beloved (she or he) may not be a human beloved at all. The poet may express love for God or for any ideal in life to which he may commit or surrender completely.”

(Kumar, Rakesh;)

Ghalib was far more ahead than his time. Like other great poets of the world Ghalib also took enough courage to express himself fearlessly without having any bias. Love to him was an inclusive love. It was not regressive or it was not gender biased. Love to him was most common, most pure and most valuable human feeling what could be offered to anybody or anything exists in the material world or mind.

Ghalib and Religion

Ghalib’s view or his ideas on religion were not traditional at all. He was a supporter of radical thought in this regard. Although he was a close friend of Fazl-i-Haq, who was a follower of traditional thinking of religion. But his ideology failed to influence Ghalib. According to Dr. K Tejaswini, “Ghalib was a spiritualist who believed that the quest for God in oneself would elevate a man from the narrow confines of religion. His poetic views reflect the love and mysticism of Sufi philosophy”.

He lived his life by his own terms which are extremely opposite of traditional thinking of religion. In his ghazals, we get the mention of some words that are contrary to Islamic ideology such as reference of wine, Saqi, and the tavern etc. Moreover, Ghalib believed that God is not available in the temple or in the mosque. In truth, this kind of narrow classification cannot be restricted spirituality. In one of his couplets, Ghalib said,

Zakir Sharab Peene De Masjid Mein Beth

Ker,

Ya Wo Jagah Bata Jahan Khuda Nahi.

(Translation: O, Pious Man!  Allow me to sit and drink in/ the mosque / Or show me a place where God doesn’t exist) (Tejaswini, K;)

Even he did not follow the customs of Islam in his own life and he was brave enough to admit it. Rather, whenever he has improved his financial condition, he has immersed himself in extreme luxury. And in order to ridicule the traditionalist, he used to admit his vices in public.

Sufism and satire were tool of Ghalib to emphasize the universal existence of the creator. Dr. K Tejaswini pointed out,

“Ghalib is a staunch believer of Islam and it is revealed by his poetic approach. Ghalib’s themes seem to be surrounded by Imaniyat (related to God) and risalath (worldly – philosophical, sufiyana and satire). Ghalib’s many hamds reveal his absolute submission to Allah.

Consciously or unconsciously his ghazals covered the themes of Sufism (mystical dimension of Islam) like existence of God, absolute surrender to the Almighty and Necessity of existence – Creation of Universe”

(Tejaswini, K;).

The fact which is clearly evident from Ghalib’s verses that he revolted against customs of Islam religion. However, he made an attempt to explain the true meaning of religion through his ghazals.The basis of his religious ideology was the complete surrender to the almighty not the blind imitation of religious practices.

Ghalib’s Letter

Ghalib’s literary creation was not only limited to Ghazals only. His Urdu letters add a new dimension in Urdu prose literature. Urdu letters written by Ghalib have long been a topic of discussion to literary critics. In the subcontinent most of the letters that were written before Ghalib were written in Persian and the language was decorative. But Ghalib entirely changed this format of writing ornamental letters in Persian. Though these letters are written in Urdu, it has a certain spontaneity and the language was candid, as if he is having a conversation with his readers. With this new style of writing letters, Ghalib introduced a new method of writing in quite an informal way.

Ganesh Devy mainly focuses on Ghalib’s letters to understand the poetics of Ghalib or his literary thoughts. His letters to Tufta, Mehr, Shiv Narain ‘Aram’, and Majrooh (Devy, Ganesh;). Because these letters and Ghalib’s Dastamboo, can be considered as the chronicle of his time. One side there is wide reflection of time and in other side Ghalib’s mind and his poetic thought.

Rauf Parekh in his article named “Ghalib’s letters: an important historical and biographical source”, pointed out the fact,

“Ghalib himself claimed that he had turned ‘murasla’ (letter-writing) into ‘mukalma’ (dialogue). It was a departure from formal, classical style of Urdu prose that favored more formal and ornamental expressions”

(Parekh, Rauf).

Ghalib’s letters are some of the finest specimens of Urdu prose. His letters made popular Urdu prose literature. In early times Urdu poetry was used to be popular among readers.Ghalib’s changed the whole process of writing an ornamental and artificial letter.He took a simple and natural method for writing letters in Urdu. Which is quite revolutionary. His contribution to the evolution of Urdu prose was remarkable. Hali in his Yadgar-I-Galib remarked about his letters,

“Wherever one looks, Ghalib’s fame throughout India owes more to the publication of his Urdu prose (i.e. his letters) than it does to his Urdu verse or to his Persian verse or prose”.

Even Ghalib himself once told one of his friends about his new style of writing letter-

“I have invented a new style through which correspondence has become the conversation. From a distance of a thousand miles, you can speak through your pen, and enjoy company despite the separation”

(Kumar, Rakesh).

Ghalib’s wit and a keen sense of humour are clearly evident in this letter. It is one of his major innovation in the field of Urdu literature. Urdu-i-Hindi and Urdu-i-Mualla are his two famous books of Collection of Letters.

Besides, introducing a new conversational style of letter writing, these letters have a great role to learn about the life of Ghalib. It enables us to look at the happenings of Ghalib’s life. Most of these letters are written to his friends or shagrids. Apart from these aspiring writers also used to communicate with him through letters. He used to reply to them and sometimes gave a comment about their writing through the letter. Naturally, these letters are an invaluable document to know about the life of Ghalib.

These letters contained the vivid description of political situation of that time. The revolution of 1857 and the fall of Mughal all these events are subject of his letters.

Rauf Parekh very correctly points out that Ghalib’s letters are source of his contemporary history. One side his philosophical ideas and poetic thoughts were reflected in his poems and the other side his letters carries the history of his own time. In Parekh’s words,

“Some of his letters are an invaluable source of contemporary historical events, especially the 1857 war of freedom and its aftermath. Some letters reflect his anguish over the demolition of some of Delhi’s buildings at the hands of the triumphant British troops”

(Parekh, Rauf).

He gave an example of an incident in his article-

In one of his letters addressed to Mir Mehdi Majrooh he announces the death of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar with these words: “On Friday, November 7, this year, Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Bahadur Shah’s soul was freed from the British prison as well as from the bodily prison”

(Parekh, Rauf).

Ghalib becomes true chronicler of his time. Literature created by him also appears as the history of the falling of the Mughal Empire. Ghalib’s letters do not describe the happenings of a poet’s life only. Ghalib was a living witness of the terrifying times he lived in. During his lifetime he saw the fall of the Mughal Empire, and also the bloody consequences of a revolt of 1857. These letters are a live testimony of that troubled time since they provide details of the life and times of Delhi during that time. Rakesh Kumar has aptly said,

“Ghalib’s letters, especially those after the revolt and recapture of Delhi by the British, reveal the poignant pain and agony of a man who sees his city and also his way of life that he so loved and admired, brutally ravaged and destroyed by the British”

(Kumar, Rakesh).

In this manner his letters are invaluable historical documents of the British rule.

The “Godless” Lover

Byjameela Siddiqi begins his article on Ghalib, named “Mirza Ghalib: The “Godless” Lover”, with a poem by Ghalib,

“When there was nothing, there was God

If nothing had been, God would have been

My very being has been my downfall

If I hadn’t been, what would it have mattered?”

(Siddiqi, Byjameela )

Siddiqi pointed out the characteristics of Ghalib’s concept of ‘God’. According to Ghalib it does not matter whether there is difference between God and devotee. Only the creation matters. The creation brings the duality of existence and it divides between the creation and the creator. The creator always will be there. The creation always exits within the creator and therefore the man will be there within the creator and the man will be the creator. Creator is even helpless and cannot interfere in the act of the man or his creation. Ghalib says,

Life’s leisure is a mirror

Of the hundred, hues of self-adoration

And night and day, the great dismay

Of the onlooker of this scene”

(Siddiqi, Byjameela;)

According to Ghalib love can only be true when it is without any reason or cause. In this aspect he has philosophical similarity with the Vaisnavite philosophy, as Vaisnavite philosophy talks about Ahaituki Prem or love without any reason.

Ghalib as a Modern Poet

“Ghalib lived through an age characterized by the ending of an old order and the emergence of a new one. Symbolically he became a bridge between the two. … His poetic sentiments have stood the test of time insofar as the human condition remains ridden “with uncertainty about the future, yet hazy about the past. And in Ghalib’s own words, “who lives long enough to tell the tale?

A compelling style of poetry

Was all I had in life

It was appreciated by none,

So I just wrote my verse and put it away.

If that is how my life is spent

Then, 0’Ghalib how will I say —

Or even remember, that I, too,

Had once possessed God.”

(Siddiqi, Byjameela;)

Here he talks about the style of poetry what actually inherited from his life and the practices he had throughout his living. Style was major tool of his creation and style in his poetry carries the signs of his time and his philosophy. His philosophy of existence, reality, truth and love well reflected through his works. Hence his poetry and his letters appear as the source of his philosophical thoughts.

Ghalib was the bridge of two India. He was bridge among two civilisations. Culture and thoughts, one is the Mughal India and the other is the British India. He symbol of time in transition in modern India. His letters, Dastamboo and poems reflects that history. His all the works were his response to the time, humanity, divinity and love. He is the one of the most original Indian poetry whose work was not influenced by the European literary thoughts and ideas.

Postmodernism says that truth is not an absolute concept; we are building it with the help of language to meet our cultural needs. Similarly, the world where we live is largely incompatible, where everything holds its invincible form, therefore it refers to futility and inertia. Interestingly Ghalib realized this fact two centuries ago. “For him, faith denotes an unending puzzle whether it heals or festers the poet is not sure”.

Gopi Chand Narang in his book Ghalib’s Thought, Dialectical Poetics and the Indian Mind, has pointed out this fact. The book is divided into twelve chapters. Shafey Kidwai wrote about the book,

“Narang marshals unflinching evidence to assert that Ghalib’s much-talked about poetry hardly weaves a pathos-filled sensitive narrative around overwhelming sense of loss, unreciprocated love, human frailties and despair but it creatively concentrates on human psyche that causes dreams and desires, essentially express itself in ways beyond rationalising. His verses simultaneously mirror the paradoxical shadow lines of truth and existence and reveal what ideologies conceal. The book offers a nuanced refreshing perspective on reading Ghalib and it is an invaluable gift for those who want to understand the intellectual and cultural milieu of India, not told by the colonial historians”.

(Kidwai, Shafey)

Conclusion

In Ghalib’s philosophy of poetry, poetry is a medium of freedom of expression. Poetry is free voice. He simultaneously deals with the question of god and godlessness, romanticism, question of existence and truth, love and through all these themes he reflects his own time. His poetics is the poetics of own time, poetics of freedom of speech and poetics of counter colonial narrative.

His  most   significant  contribution  is   he  is   the   bridge  between   two  cultures   or civilisations like the Mughal Indian and the British India. And he is also a sign of transition in India’s literary, political and cultural history. Hence the time of transition also reflected in his poems. So, poems become art-narrative of 19th  century history under the transition of the empires.

References

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• Devy, Ganesh;. “Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib.” Indian Literary Criticism. Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan, 2010. 134-136. Print.
• Kadir, Sir Abdul;. Famous Urdu Poets and Writers. Seemant Prakashan, 1977. Web.<https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.59034/2015.59034.Famous-Urdu-Potes-And-Writers_djvu.txt>.
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• Tejaswini, K;. “Ghazals and Ghalib’s Religion.” Journal of English Language and Literature 2.1 (2015). <http://joell.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/GHAZALS-AND-GHALIB-RELIGION..pdf>.