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{{Other|Shuja{{!}}Shuja}}
{{Short description|Urdu and Persian poet of Lahore}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Hakim Ahmad Shuja
| birth_name = Ahmad Shuja
| birth_date = 4 November 1893
| birth_place = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab Province (British India)]], now [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]
| death_date = 4 January 1969 (aged 76)<ref name=TNS>{{cite web|url=http://tns.thenews.com.pk/family-tradition/#_ |author=Sarwat Ali|title=A family tradition: Remembering Hakim Ahmad Shuja and his contributions for theatre, radio and film|date=8 January 2017|publisher=The News International (newspaper)|access-date=18 April 2018}}</ref>
| death_place = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]
| relatives = Father of [[Anwar Kamal Pasha]],<ref name=TNS/> pioneer film producer/director of Pakistan
| resting_place = [[Miani Sahib Graveyard]], [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]
}}

'''Hakim Ahmad Shuja''' [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|MBE]] ({{Lang-ur|{{nq|حکیم احمد شجاع}}}}; sometimes written as 'Hakeem Ahmed Shujah' and 'Hakim Ahmad Shuja Pasha') (4 November 1893 – 4 January 1969), was a famous [[Urdu]] and [[Persian people|Persian]] poet, playwright, writer, film writer and lyricist, scholar and mystic, from former [[British India]], later [[Pakistan]].<ref name=TNS/><ref>[https://www.dawn.com/news/1063034 Not Irfana's latest, surely?] Dawn (newspaper), Published 27 April 2002, Retrieved 18 April 2018</ref>

== Background==
Hakim Ahmad Shuja belonged to an old and prominent family of [[mysticism|mystics]] and [[Islamic]] religious scholars, who had migrated from [[Arabia]], {{Dubious|date=January 2020}}[[Afghanistan]] and [[Turkey]] to [[India]], between the 10th-12th centuries AD.<ref>Hakim Ahmad Shuja, ''Khoon-Baha'' (Urdu: Memoirs), Lahore, 1962, pp. 12-17. Also see for detailed and authentic family pedigree : (a) Syed N.A. Mujadedi 'Khanwada i Hai jasta Lahor' (Persian: Notable families of Lahore), pub. Lahore: Oriental Press, 1912, np;
and R.L. Lazard 'Lahore, The Mogul City' pub Nottingham: Stubbs & Co, 1928, p 208</ref><ref>From his paternal side, he was a direct descendant of Shaykh [[Abdul-Qadir Gilani]], [[Abu Ayyub al-Ansari]] and Shaykh [[Abdul Wahid bin Zaid]] and from his maternal side, of the [[Sadozai (Pashtun tribe)]] which at one time ruled [[Afghanistan]]. See Memoirs, p 12; also Lazard, above</ref> During the times of the Sultans of [[Delhi]], the family came to prominence as religious divines and ''Hakims'' i.e. practitioners of the traditional ''Hikmat'' (the ''Unani'', or Greek system of medicine) and by the time of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] Emperor [[Akbar the Great]] (c.1542-1605) they were established as Court Physicians at [[Lahore]], in the [[Bhati Gate]] area of the Old City. Later, family members served as Chief [[Qadi|Qazis]] (or [[Qadi]]s) at Lahore and [[Kashmir]] under [[Afghanistan|Afghan]] ([[Durrani]]) rule, and a branch were ministers during [[Ranjit Singh]]'s [[Sikh]] rule.<ref>The Hakim family, or 'Hakim-Khana' of Old Lahore were mostly [[Sunni]] [[Muslims]] but during the 18th and 19th centuries a branch the 'Fakir-Khana', became [[Shia]]s. See Syed Ghayasuddin Ahmed, ICS, "Essays and Memories", Lahore, 1981, p. 9; also, article by Prof. Dr Riffat Hasan in the daily ''Dawn'', 7 November 2002, at [http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00islamlinks/txt_riffat_hasan.html/ Columbia University Note]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Please note that neither the Hakimkhana nor the Fakirkhana family have any relation to the notorious and disreputable Lt.Gen. [[Ahmed Shujaa Pasha]], and any resemblance of names is purely coincidental.</ref><ref>For further information on the [[Fakir Khana]] Museum and the Fakirkhana or Fakir family of Lahore also see [http://fakirkhanamuseum.blogspot.com/ Fakir Khana Home] and [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3839579.stm/ BBC Intro to Fakir Khana], In addition to the above, also pl see article on [[Wazir Khan Mosque]] for information about another relative of this family who built the famous mosque at Lahore</ref> Ahmad Shuja's father, Hakim Shuja-ed-din, was a [[Sufi]] mystic of the [[Chishtiya]] Order and one of the early pioneers of the Urdu literary press in Lahore, bringing out the famous ''Shor-i-Mahshar'' [[Literary magazine|journal]] and participating actively in the work of the [[Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam]] and ''Anjuman i Punjab'' associations.<ref>Hakim Ahmad Shuja, "Lahore ka Chelsea" (Urdu/Memories of Old Lahore), Lahore, 1967; reprinted Lahore, Packages Ltd, 1989.</ref><ref>For more details of the 'Anjuman-i-Punjab' please see the articles on Sir [[Roper Lethbridge]] and Dr [[Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner]] on Wikipedia</ref><ref>Please also see List of families of Lahore</ref>

==Early life and career==
Hakim Ahmad Shuja was the only son of his parents, who both died when he was still a minor<ref>Hakim Ahmad Shuja, "Khoon-Baha" (Urdu/Memoirs), Lahore, c 1962</ref> and he was brought up largely by an elder cousin, Hakim Amin-ed-din, [[Barrister]]. After a basic education in [[Arabic]] and [[Quranic]] studies at home, and initial Sufic training under various notable mystics in both Chishti and [[Qadiriyya|Qadiri]] systems, he was then admitted for 'English education' to the old [[Central Model School, Lahore]] and later went to the famous [[Aligarh Muslim University]], from where he graduated with honours.<ref name=TNS/><ref>Memoirs</ref>
For some time, Hakim Ahmad Shuja then worked as a [[lecturer]] at the [[Osmania University]] in Hyderabad state ([[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]]) but was not happy and returned to Lahore to seek employment there. After several journalistic and academic ventures,<ref>During which time he also remained Editor of the famous Urdu literary journal, "Hazar Dastaan" in 1922-23; see https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/su/southasia/urdujournals.html</ref> he eventually settled down to regular service in the secretariat of the [[Punjab Legislative Assembly]], finally retiring as Secretary to the Punjab Assembly in the 1950s.

==Writings==
Hakim Ahmad Shuja was a very prolific and versatile writer indeed, producing several collections of Urdu and Persian poetry, countless essays and ''belles-lettres'' published in newspapers and journals throughout India (and later Pakistan), one of the earliest translations of the [[Quran]] in [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] language, several dramatic works in collaboration with [[Imtiaz Ali Taj]], [[Agha Hashar Kashmiri]] and other theatrical producers, and, later on, screenplays and lyrics for the early Indo-Pakistan cinema.<ref>One of the first Indian film societies was in fact established in Lahore, in March 1931 and later on became the base for the Lahore-based film production studios. See Mushtaq Gazdar "Pakistani Cinema: Fifty Years, 1947-1997", Karachi: Oxford University Press, 1997, for a detailed background and a fine exposition of its development</ref>
However, his fame today rests chiefly on these noted works: "Lahore ka Chelsea" (1967; 1989 reprint), a collection of memoirs of Old Lahore;<ref>Please see further at [http://www.sajjanlahore.org/corners/zim/lastman/part1/chelseaoflahore.htm/ Textual references and note on Lahore ka Chelsea]</ref> "Khoon-Baha" (1962), some of his other personal memoirs; "Gard-i-Karvan" (1950s; reprint 1960), a collection of poems and essays in praise of the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]] and the 'Ahl i Bayt' (members of the Prophet's family) as exemplars of the 'Ideal' [[Muslim]] character; and his lovely, [[lyric poetry|lyrical]] poems, some of which were later successfully adapted for film songs.<ref>see [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0795634/ Songs and Lyrics by Shuja] and [http://smashits.com/hakim-ahmed-shuja/songs/lyricist-7284-page-1.htm/ Some lyrics by Hakim Ahmad Shuja] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307140708/http://smashits.com/hakim-ahmed-shuja/songs/lyricist-7284-page-1.htm/ |date=7 March 2012 }}</ref> These works reflect his idealism and humane and deeply mystical faith and a [[Romanticism]] which reflects both the typical Urdu and Persian poetic traditions, as well as the influence of [[Western world|Western]] writers such as [[Percy Bysshe Shelley|Shelley]], [[Thomas Carlyle]], [[Goethe]] and [[Victor Hugo]].<ref>See Prof. Dr M.Sadiq, Interview, "The Pakistan Times", 1969; and for more general details his book "A History of Urdu Literature", Karachi: Oxford University Press, 1964; and revised edition of 1984, {{ISBN|0-19-577600-3}}</ref>

==Later life and legacy==
Hakim Ahmad Shuja continued to write even until the time of his death in 1969. Between the 1950s and 1960s, he became especially interested in the potentialities of film-making and [[Film|cinema]].<ref>Perhaps because of the involvement of his son [[Anwar Kamal Pasha]], one of South Asia's early and most renowned film directors, in this ''genre''. Most of the very famous lyrics and songs of his super-hit films, such as ''Tu Laakh challay ri Gori'' and ''Ham bhi Parrhay hain Rahon mein'' etc, were in fact written originally as poems by Hakim-sahib and later adapted by him and his team of assistants for film. Some of these songs/lyrics are at times ''wrongly'' ascribed to some of these assistants, such as poet [[Qateel Shifai]]. On this topic, please see Prof. Gillani Kamran, Interview, "The Frontier Post", Lahore and Peshawar, 30 September 1988. Also, for details of the Pakistani film 'Sarfarosh', for which he wrote the story see [http://mazhar.dk/film/db/details.php?pid=89 Brief introduction about Pakistani super hit movie Sarfarosh] December 2015</ref><ref>However, that Hakim sahib had already been involved to a lesser extent in writing songs/lyrics and also stories for Urdu/Hindi cinema even earlier, is borne by his early lyrics for the song "Hairaat-e-Nazzaraa Aakir", sung by the famous actor-singer [[Kundan Lal Saigal]], see [http://www.kundanlalsaigal.com/ Lyrics by Shuja for KL Saigol Song] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216181737/http://www.kundanlalsaigal.com/ |date=16 December 2007 }} in Songs Index in the Comprehensive Saigal Fans Website, and also his writing of the storylines of the Indian Bollywood films like [[Behram Khan]] (released 1945-46, starring and directed by [[Gajanan Jagirdar]]) and [[Sheesh Mahal (1950 film)]], directed by [[Sohrab Modi]], as well as [[Shahida (film)]], the early Pakistani hit from 1949</ref> In many ways, thus, he had a direct influence and bearing upon the development of both early Indian and Pakistani literature and cinema.<ref>For his influence on some other famous Urdu writers like Ahmed Shah Bokhari ([[Patras Bokhari]]), and thereby [[Faiz Ahmad Faiz]], [[Noon Meem Rashid]] and others, see a very interesting history of the [[Government College, Lahore]] Dramatics Society at [http://www.gcu.edu.pk/drasoci.htm/ GCU Dramatic Society History]</ref> In addition, he also made a significant contribution to the early development of Urdu language, [[linguistics]] and [[etymology]] as permanent secretary and one of the main compilers/editors of Pakistan's Official Language Committee, 1949, responsible for the standardization of official and court terms, from [[English language|English]] to Urdu.<ref>See Anwar S. Adil "Linguistic Studies in Pakistan" in Thomas Albert Sebeok (Ed.)''Current Trends in Linguistics No 5: Linguistics in South Asia'', Pub. The Netherlands: Mouton & Co, 1970, p.697. Library of Congress Catalog Card No: 64-3663</ref>

Hakim Ahmad Shuja was a contemporary of and associated with people like [[Agha Hashar Kashmiri]], [[Imtiaz Ali Taj]], [[Abul Kalam Azad]], [[Allama Iqbal]], [[Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan]], [[Hakim Ajmal Khan]], [[Sohrab Modi]], and [[Muhammad Ali Jauhar]].<ref name=TNS/>

==See also==
*[[Ghaus-e-Azam]]
*[[Khwaja Abdullah Ansari]]
*[[Urdu literature]]
*[[Anwar Kamal Pasha]]
*[[Riffat Hassan]]
*[[Yawar Hayat Khan]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18xu99_tu-lakh-chalay-ri-gori-film-gumnaam-sings-iqbal-bano_music Video of Hakim Ahmad Shuja's poem, as adapted for the song from the 1954 Pakistani hit movie 'Gumnaam'], sung by [[Iqbal Bano]] and directed by Anwar Kamal Pasha
*[http://tns.thenews.com.pk/family-tradition/#_ The News on Sunday article about Hakim Ahmad Shuja 8 January 2017]
*[http://hindi-movies-songs.com/joomla/images/filmpict4504/Film%20PIctorial%20194504_Page_22.jpg Film poster announcing the movie Behram Khan/Bairam Khan 1945]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shuja, Hakim Ahmad}}
[[Category:1893 births]]
[[Category:1969 deaths]]
[[Category:Poets in British India]]
[[Category:Pakistani poets]]
[[Category:Urdu-language poets]]
[[Category:20th-century British poets]]
[[Category:Pakistani dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Central Model School, Lahore alumni]]

Hakim Ahmad Shuja - Revision history

imported>Gowhk8 at 23:03, 27 July 2021