Talking about the history of Urdu literature, the first novel in Urdu language is 'Marat-ul-Aros' written in 1869 by Viceroy Nazir Ahmed. Most of our critics do not classify it as a novel and consider Ratnath Sarsar's 'Fasana Azad' as Sarsar's first novel which openly depicts the society of Lucknow.

Then began a series of historical novels by Abdul Halim Sharar. Allama Rashid Al-Khairy also wrote a reformist novel. 'Amra Ujaan Ada' by Mirza Hadi Raswan is said to be the first full-length novel in Urdu literature where the inner and psychological layers of a person are depicted in a coherent plot. After 'Rasawa', Premchand wrote 13 novels. Then 'Beya', 'Bazar-e-Hasan' and 'Midan-i-Amal' became famous. Then Sajjad Zaher, Kazi Abdul Gaffar, Krishan Chandra, Aziz Ahmed, Ismat Chaghatai etc. famous novelist passed.


On January 14, when the presentation of the best novel of world literature was presented, comments and inbox were criticized and requested that even one Urdu literary novel should not be considered in the list of world literature. Literature should mean a novel written in a foreign language. Here is a list of top 10 best Urdu novels by friends. It's important to note that Ahr's choices are more than critics' opinions when compiling the list, so you don't have to agree with all the novels on this list.

Free speech

Although the lack of a real plot and its size hindered its popularity, critics disagreed about the works of Russian literature, War and Peace and The Brothers Kramozov. Similar to Fasana Azad's rich description of Lucknow culture. Comic character Fasana Azad Hoji can be considered as one of the best comic characters in Urdu literature.

Amrao Jan Ada

This work of Mirza Hadi Raswan must be read again and again. Aap Baiti is the story of Lucknow Jalepe, where it shows you the social and cultural events of 19th century Lucknow in an interesting way. Published in 1899 by Amrao Jan Ada.

Guodan

This novel by Munshi Premchand was published in 1936. It is considered as Premchand's best novel. This novel depicts the miserable life of oppressed farmers in India. Premchand dared to map the oppression of the state inflicted on farmers. Gau Dan was first written in Devanagari script and later adapted to Urdu language by Iqbal Bahadur Verma Sahir.

 A River of fire

After reading it, we will understand why it is called the greatest novel in Urdu language. Aag Ka Darya, by the famous writer Karat-ul-Ain Haider, created some controversy when it was released in 1957. The objection raised by some critics was that River of Fire originated from Virginia Woolf's autobiographical novel Orlando.

The story told in this novel spans 300 years. Garaatul Ain Haidar was also tortured by this novel. The River of Fire tells the history of the subcontinent for two and a half thousand years. This novel covers four periods of the subcontinent, classical, medieval, colonial and modern, through four characters, namely Gautam, Champa, Kamal and Cyril.

Sad Races

Abdullah Hussain's novel is one of the great novelists. Garaat-ul-Ain Haidar accused the novel of plagiarism and claimed that he stole style and paragraphs from Abdullah Hussain's novel Aag Ka Darya. But despite these accusations, Sad Generations can be considered one of the best post-independence novels. Village life in the countryside between Delhi and Punjab, inhabited by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, is vividly depicted. After the death of Abdullah Hussain, the novel gained popularity again and sold 2 editions.

Abode of God

Shaukat Siddiqui's novel is one of the famous and best selling Urdu literary novels. More than 55 editions of Khuda ki Basti have been published so far and translated into 20 languages ​​of the world. Khuda ki Basti shows the Karachi of 50 people where the poor of Karachi, the elite and politicians compete for survival and greed. Pakistani television has also produced dramas based on novels that have become very popular.

There were many moons in the sky

After Aag Ka Darya, if any novel has been called the best debut novel in Urdu literature, it is undoubtedly Shamsoor Rehman Farooqui's Kai Chand Tai Sar-i Asman. This epic novel by Shamsoor Rehman Farooqui begins in 18th century Rajputana and ends in the Red Fort of Delhi. The decline of Islamic civilization in the subcontinent and the misunderstanding of British politics is the theme of this novel. Shamsoor Rehman Farooqui in the words of Wazir Khanum clearly shows the decline of the Mughal empire, the status of the word Ghalib in Urdu-Persian poetry, the weakness of India and British oppression.

For months, Sar-e-Asman's protagonist was Wazir Khanum, Hasan's character. He has the ability to impress every powerful person with his pure personality, elegant manner and way of speaking. Wazir Hanum is depicted as the mother of the famous poet Dag Dehlvi in ​​this novel. The role of Wazir Hanum can be described as the most timeless female role in Urdu literature. Shamsoor Rehman Farooqui's perfection in language, storytelling and dialogue in this novel is unparalleled in Urdu literature before or after it. It is better for the reader not to consider himself as a reader of Urdu literature without reading this novel and to enjoy the language this novel should be read consecutively and twice.

 

flow

Mustanasir Hussain Tarar is famous as a travel writer and TV presenter, but Bahau is a novel that has had a special place in Urdu literature since its publication. This stream represents an ancient civilization after the Indus River reached its peak thousands of years ago.

A small village on the banks of the river Gagra and some of the village's characters are described in such a simple way that the reader remains enthralled. Mustansar Hasan Tarr said in an interview that he spent 12 years researching to write the stream. After reading the stream, Bano Qudsia said there is no need for Tarar to write anything after this novel. This one novel is enough to keep him alive.

Desert sous

Desert Sauce is my favorite novel. One of the reasons I recently read this novel and another is that I was very impressed with the language presented in this novel. This popular historical novel by Jamila Hashmi was released in 1983. This novel is about the life of Husayn bin Mansur Hallaj, a dervish and Sufi from Baghdad, and we reveal the details of his life. Important political, social and religious events in the 10th century Abbasid are described bravely in novels by historians.

Gulam Bagh

Another novel like Kulam Bagh has hardly been written in the last 3 decades. In the history of Urdu novel writing, figurative and abstract literature has been written less. But Mirza Athar Beg's Ghulam Bagh is the only novel in Urdu literature that covers multiple genres at the same time.

Gulam Bagh is symbolic, real, abstract and anti-romantic. The main idea of ​​the novel can be known from the quote of the main character Kabir Mehdi 'There is no time, only illusion'. Each character in this novel is an intellectual in his own right, and each person's perspective on life is very different from everyone else's.

In Urdu literature, novels written before Ghulam Bagh are full of tradition and heterogeneity. The characters of Mirza Athar Beg in Ghulam Bagh, and the characterization of these characters, is a unique experience in Urdu literature. Ghulam Bagh moves the plot through the characters talking to themselves instead of through narration and dialogue. When the lovers of Urdu literature start reading this novel, they should prepare mentally from the first page that they are going to read an untouched and unique novel.