The 75th death anniversary of renowned Urdu poet, freedom fighter and political activist Hasrat Mohani is being observed today, with literary and academic circles paying tribute to his contributions to Urdu poetry and the independence movement.
Born as Syed Fazl-ul-Hasan on October 4, 1875, in Mohan town of India’s Unnao district, Hasrat Mohani adopted “Hasrat” as his poetic pen name. His father’s name was Syed Azhar Hussain.
He received his early education at home before completing a Bachelor’s degree from Aligarh in 1903. He studied Arabic under Maulana Syed Zahoor-ul-Islam Fatehpuri and learned Persian from Muhammad Ameer Khan, father of noted scholar Niaz Fatehpuri.
Hasrat Mohani was among the supporters of the Swadeshi Movement and remained committed to a simple lifestyle throughout his life. He developed an interest in poetry at a young age and initially shared his work with poet Tasneem Lakhnavi for guidance.
In 1903, he launched the literary journal Urdu-e-Mualla from Aligarh and also began compiling collections of classical Urdu poets. Alongside his literary work, he actively participated in political and nationalist movements.
He was first imprisoned in 1907 for publishing an article considered controversial by British authorities. Between then and 1947, he was repeatedly jailed due to his political activism. Despite severe financial hardships, closure of his journal and repeated imprisonments, he continued his literary pursuits with determination.
Hasrat Mohani was widely known by the title “Rais-ul-Mutaghazzileen” for his mastery in ghazal poetry. He was also among the founding members of the Communist Party of India.
A deeply spiritual individual, he performed Hajj 13 times, with his first pilgrimage in 1933 and his last in 1950. During his travels, he also visited Egypt, Iraq and Iran.
The legendary poet passed away in Lucknow on May 13, 1951, at the age of 76 years, 7 months and 9 days, leaving behind a lasting literary and political legacy.