Many of the best-known names in Urdu literature studied at Aligarh. Hasrat Mohani graduated from the MAO College in 1903, Majaz wrote the AMU Tarana as a student in the 1930s, and two Jnanpith winners, Ali Sardar Jafri and Shahryar, studied at AMU. Others include Ismat Chughtai, Jan Nisar Akhtar, Moin Ahsan Jazbi, Rahi Masoom Raza and, briefly, Saadat Hasan Manto.
Poets and writers from AMU at a glance
| Writer | AMU link | Best-known for |
|---|---|---|
| Hasrat Mohani | BA, MAO College, 1903 | “Chupke Chupke Raat Din” |
| Asrar-ul-Haq Majaz | BA, 1936 | The AMU Tarana |
| Ali Sardar Jafri | Student, 1933 to 1936 | Jnanpith Award |
| Jan Nisar Akhtar | BA (Hons), MA | Khaak-e-Dil |
| Saadat Hasan Manto | Student, 1934 to 1935 | Toba Tek Singh |
| Moin Ahsan Jazbi | MA, PhD; taught Urdu | Ghalib Award, 1975 |
| Shakeel Badayuni | BA, joined 1936 | Mughal-e-Azam songs |
| Ismat Chughtai | Women’s College; BEd | Lihaaf |
| Akhtarul Iman | MA Urdu | Yadein |
| Khaleel-ur-Rehman Azmi | BA, MA, PhD; taught Urdu | Naya Ahad Nama |
| Rahi Masoom Raza | PhD; taught Urdu | Aadha Gaon, Mahabharat |
| Shahryar | BA, MA, PhD; professor | Jnanpith Award, 2008 |
1. Hasrat Mohani
Hasrat Mohani took his BA from the MAO College, the institution that became AMU, in 1903. He wrote the ghazal “Chupke Chupke Raat Din” and coined the slogan “Inquilab Zindabad” in 1921. India Post issued a stamp in his honour on 25 February 2014.
2. Asrar-ul-Haq Majaz
Majaz graduated from AMU in 1936 with philosophy, economics and Urdu. His poem “Ye Mera Chaman” became the AMU Tarana, sung at every Sir Syed Day. His first collection, Aahang, came out in 1938. Read the full story in who wrote the AMU Tarana.
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3. Ali Sardar Jafri
Ali Sardar Jafri was admitted to AMU in 1933 and expelled in 1936 for his political activity. AMU later gave him an honorary D.Litt. He received the Padma Shri in 1967 and the Jnanpith Award for 1997.
4. Jan Nisar Akhtar
Jan Nisar Akhtar joined AMU in 1930 and completed both his BA (Hons) and MA there. His collection Khaak-e-Dil won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1976. He also wrote songs for Hindi films.
5. Saadat Hasan Manto
Manto joined AMU in July 1934 but left after about nine months because of tuberculosis. He became one of the most important short story writers in Urdu, with stories such as Toba Tek Singh and Thanda Gosht. Pakistan awarded him the Nishan-e-Imtiaz posthumously in 2012.
6. Moin Ahsan Jazbi
Jazbi took his MA from AMU in 1934 and later his PhD. He joined the university’s Urdu Department in 1945 and taught there until 1974. His collections include Firozaan and Gudaaz-e-Shab, and he won the Ghalib Award in 1975.
7. Shakeel Badayuni
Shakeel Badayuni joined AMU in 1936 for his BA. He is remembered for the songs of Baiju Bawra and Mughal-e-Azam, and won the Filmfare award for Best Lyricist in 1961, 1962 and 1963. See our list of AMU alumni in Bollywood.
8. Ismat Chughtai
Ismat Chughtai studied at the AMU Women’s College as a girl and returned for her BEd around 1941. Her story Lihaaf (1942) led to an obscenity trial in Lahore in 1945, where she was cleared. She received the Padma Shri in 1976.
9. Akhtarul Iman
Akhtarul Iman did his MA in Urdu at AMU. His collection Yadein won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1962, and he wrote the screenplay of Yash Chopra’s Waqt.
10. Khaleel-ur-Rehman Azmi
Khaleel-ur-Rehman Azmi took his BA from AMU in 1948, followed by an MA in Urdu and a PhD in 1957. He taught at AMU from 1952. His collections include Kaghzi Pairahan (1953) and Naya Ahad Nama (1965). He died in Aligarh on 1 June 1978.
11. Rahi Masoom Raza
Rahi Masoom Raza did his doctorate in Hindustani literature at AMU and taught Urdu there. He wrote the novel Aadha Gaon, the TV serial Neem Ka Ped, and the screenplay and dialogues of Mahabharat (1988).
12. Shahryar
Akhlaq Mohammed Khan, known as Shahryar, studied at AMU from his BA in 1958 to his PhD, joined as a lecturer in 1966 and retired as head of the Urdu Department in 1996. His collection Khwab Ke Dar Band Hain won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1987, and he received the Jnanpith Award in 2008. He also wrote the songs of Umrao Jaan (1981).
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote the AMU Tarana?
Asrar-ul-Haq Majaz wrote the AMU Tarana, “Ye Mera Chaman”, while he was a student at AMU in the 1930s. He graduated in 1936.
Which Jnanpith Award winners studied at AMU?
Ali Sardar Jafri (Jnanpith for 1997) and Shahryar (Jnanpith 2008) both studied at AMU. Shahryar also taught there for 30 years.
Did Saadat Hasan Manto study at Aligarh Muslim University?
Yes, briefly. Manto joined AMU in July 1934 and left after about nine months because of tuberculosis.
Which Urdu poets taught at AMU?
Moin Ahsan Jazbi, Khaleel-ur-Rehman Azmi, Rahi Masoom Raza and Shahryar all taught Urdu at AMU after studying there.
AMU’s Maulana Azad Library holds a large collection of Urdu manuscripts and rare books for anyone who wants to read further.
Sources: Wikipedia biographies of Hasrat Mohani, Majaz, Ali Sardar Jafri, Jan Nisar Akhtar, Saadat Hasan Manto, Moin Ahsan Jazbi, Ismat Chughtai, Akhtarul Iman, Khaleel-ur-Rehman Azmi, Rahi Masoom Raza and Shahryar.
