Home › Exam notes › OSSC RHT — Regular High School Teacher › Urdu prose and literary history

Urdu prose and literary history

Urdu — Subject Knowledge (130 marks) · Urdu prose and literary history

Useful for: OSSC RHT — Regular High School Teacher

Overview

Urdu literature grew from Deccani and North Indian poetry to modern prose shaped by Fort William College, reformers and progressive writers.

Key points

Amir Khusrau is linked with the early development of Hindavi/Urdu.
Fort William College (Calcutta, 1800) under John Gilchrist promoted Urdu prose; Mir Amman wrote "Bagh-o-Bahar".
Ghalib’s letters are celebrated as early modern Urdu prose.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s journal "Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq" promoted reform.
Premchand wrote early fiction in Urdu before Hindi.
The Progressive Writers’ Movement (1936) shaped modern Urdu literature.

Explanation

Deccani Urdu flourished in the Bahmani and Qutb Shahi courts.
Urdu journalism played a role in the freedom struggle.
Saadat Hasan Manto and Ismat Chughtai are major short-story writers.
Timeline study helps answer questions.
Link writers with their works.

Step by step

Place the writer in the timeline.
Recall the work.
Eliminate wrong periods.

Examples

"Bagh-o-Bahar" → Mir Amman (Fort William College).
Journal "Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq" → Sir Syed.
Progressive Writers’ Movement → 1936.

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Wrong Fort William year.
Trap: Mixing Manto and Premchand.
Trap: Ignoring Deccani Urdu.

Quick revision

Fort William 1800; Gilchrist.
Sir Syed; Ghalib’s letters.
PWM 1936.

Practice MCQs

Wali Deccani is often called the
1. father of Urdu poetry
2. founder of Urdu prose
3. first Urdu novelist
4. first Urdu journalist
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (a) father of Urdu poetry. He made Rekhta poetry popular in the north.
Bagh-o-Bahar by Mir Amman was written at
1. Delhi College
2. Aligarh
3. Lucknow University
4. Fort William College, Calcutta
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (d) Fort William College, Calcutta. The college promoted simple Urdu prose around 1800.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan started the journal
1. Avadh Punch
2. Al-Hilal
3. Zamindar
4. Tahzeeb-ul-Akhlaq
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (d) Tahzeeb-ul-Akhlaq. It promoted social reform and modern ideas.
'Saare Jahan Se Achha' was written by
1. Mir Taqi Mir
2. Mirza Ghalib
3. Faiz Ahmad Faiz
4. Allama Iqbal
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (d) Allama Iqbal. It was written in 1904.
Mirza Ghalib is also admired for his
1. novels
2. letters, which are classics of Urdu prose
3. newspapers
4. plays
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (b) letters, which are classics of Urdu prose. His letters are informal and lively.
Mir Taqi Mir is honoured with the title
1. Malik-ush-Shuara
2. Shayar-e-Mashriq
3. Baba-e-Urdu
4. Khuda-e-Sukhan
Read chapter notes · Similar questions
Show answer
Answer: (d) Khuda-e-Sukhan. Shayar-e-Mashriq refers to Iqbal.

Notes and questions are written by Kundali IQ for practice. They are not official papers; always check the latest official notification for the syllabus and pattern.