https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Hijab_Imtiaz_AliHijab Imtiaz Ali - Revision history2026-07-31T17:29:29ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Hijab_Imtiaz_Ali&diff=502707&oldid=prevPaulineBarwell2 at 23:11, 22 January 20262026-01-22T23:11:39Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indo-Pakistani writer and pilot (1908-1999)}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}<br />
{{Use Pakistani English|date=March 2023}}<br />
{{Infobox person<br />
| name = Hijab Imtiaz Ali<br />
| image = Imtiaz_Ali 1937.jpg<br />
| birth_date = 1908<br />
| birth_place = [[Hyderabad]], [[Hyderabad State]], [[British India]] <br> (now Hyderabad, India)<br />
| death_date = 19 March 1999 at age 90 or 91<br />
| death_place = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]<br />
| occupation = Writer, editor, pilot<br />
| spouse = [[Imtiaz Ali Taj]]<br />
| children = [[Yasmeen Tahir]] (daughter)<br />
| relatives = [[Naeem Tahir]] (son-in-law)<br>[[Faran Tahir]] (grandson)<br>[[Ali Tahir]] (grandson)<br />
}}<br />
'''Hijab Imtiaz Ali''' (1908–1999) was a Pakistani writer, editor and diarist. She is a well known name in [[Urdu literature]] and a pioneer of romanticism in Urdu.<ref name=TheNation/><ref name=DailyTimes>{{Cite news|date=2016-01-15|title=The 'Taj' remains intact|url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/95967/the-taj-remains-intact/|access-date=2025-10-19|newspaper=Daily Times newspaper|language=en-US|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 March 2022|author=Muhammad Ali|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220310191511/https://dailytimes.com.pk/95967/the-taj-remains-intact/}}</ref> She is also considered as the first female Muslim pilot after she obtained her official pilot license in 1936, although [[Zuleykha Seyidmammadova]] from [[Soviet Azerbaijan]] had qualified as a pilot two years earlier, in 1934.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gilded Letters - Asymptote|url=https://www.asymptotejournal.com/poetry/hijab-imtiaz-ali-gilded-letters/|access-date=2025-10-19|website=asymptotejournal.com|language=en}}</ref><ref name=ARYNEWS>{{Cite web|date=2015-04-13|title=World's first ever Muslim female pilot – Hijab Imtiaz Ali|url=https://arynews.tv/en/worlds-first-muslim-female-pilot-hijab-imtiaz/|access-date=2025-10-19|website=ARY TV NEWS website|language=en-US|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 August 2015|author=Shahjahan Khurram|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150802194853/https://arynews.tv/en/worlds-first-muslim-female-pilot-hijab-imtiaz/}}</ref><br />
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== Personal life ==<br />
Hijab was born in 1908 in [[Chennai|Madras]], British India.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=ʿAlī |first1=Ḥijāb Imtiyāz |title=Belles-lettres: writings of Hijab Imtiaz Ali |last2=Akhtar |first2=Sascha Aurora |date=2022 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-013264-4 |location=New Delhi}}</ref> She was from an aristocratic family of the princely state of Hyderabad [[Deccan sultanates|Deccan]].<ref name=TheNation/> Her mother, Abbasi Begum, was a writer who wrote for [[Tehzeeb-e-Niswan]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1-djAAAAMAAJ&q=Abbasi+Begum |title=Parwaaz: A Selection of Urdu Short Stories by Women |page=3 |translator1=Ṣug̲h̲rā Mahdī |translator2=Syeda Saiyidain Hameed |publisher=Kali for Women |date=1996 |isbn=9788185107400 }}</ref> <br />
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Hijab is a notable name in Urdu literature. She started writing at a very young age.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Farooqi |first=Mehr Afshan |title=The Oxford India Anthology of Modern Urdu Literature |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-19-567639-6 |location=New Delhi |pages=29 |language=en}}</ref> One of her best-known works "Meri Natamam Mohabbat", which is considered one of the best love stories ever written in Urdu literature, was written at the age of twelve.<ref name=TheNation>{{Cite news|date=2015-12-07|title=Hijab Imtiaz Ali: The Queen of Urdu Romanticism|url=https://nation.com.pk/07-Dec-2015/hijab-imtiaz-ali-the-queen-of-urdu-romanticism|access-date=2025-10-19|newspaper=The Nation newspaper|language=en|archive-date=27 October 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027064256/https://nation.com.pk/07-Dec-2015/hijab-imtiaz-ali-the-queen-of-urdu-romanticism|author=Haroon Ashraf}}</ref> <br />
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In the 1930s, Hijab married [[Imtiaz Ali Taj]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-05-18|title=Website launched to acquaint people with works of Urdu dramatist Imtiaz Ali Taj -|url=https://theindiaobserver.com/website-launched-to-acquaint-people-with-works-of-urdu-dramatist-imtiaz-ali-taj/|access-date=2020-11-12|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=TheNation/> a well-known writer and journalist who wrote for many films, dramas and radio channels. She moved to [[Lahore]] with him. Hijab had one daughter, [[Yasmeen Tahir]] who went on to become a notable voice for [[Radio Pakistan]]. Hijab's grandsons, [[Faran Tahir]] and [[Ali Tahir]] are well-known actors.<ref name=TheNation/><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-11|title=Ali Tahir opens up on being part of an illustrious family|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/2135094/ali-tahir-opens-part-illustrious-family|access-date=2020-11-12|website=The Express Tribune|language=en}}</ref><br />
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== Career ==<br />
=== Pilot ===<br />
Hijab was passionate about flying. She trained at the Lahore Flying Club and also took part in many competitions organised by the club. Hijab obtained her pilot's license in 1936. In 1939, ''The International Women’s News'' reported that Hijab had become the first Muslim woman in the [[British Empire]] to obtain an ‘A’ license as an air pilot.<ref name=ARYNEWS/> [[Sarla Thukral|Sarla Thakral]], is often claimed as the first Indian pilot, however, both Sarla and Hijab obtained the license around the same time but Hijab was the first to do so.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Salim|first=Saquib|title=Begum Hijab Imtiaz Ali: The First Indian Muslim Pilot|url=http://heritagetimes.in/begum-hijab-imtiaz-ali-the-first-indian-muslim-pilot/|access-date=2020-11-12|website=HeritageTimes|date=13 September 2020 |language=en-GB}}</ref><br />
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=== Writer ===<br />
Hijab, whose writing career spans more than 60 years, is known for her romantic stories in Urdu literature. Her stories revolve around romance, women, nature and psychology. Her writing was often related to reality and contained a lot of imagery of life. Her repeated use of words and a unique construction of sentences, stands out in her writing. Hijab's stories used the same characters in different stories and scenarios. Some of the famous and memorable characters from her novels are Dr Gaar, Sir Harley, Dadi Zubeida, and Habshan Zonash.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|title=International Journal Of Eurasia Social Sciences|url=http://www.ijoess.com/DergiTamDetay.aspx?ID=1958&Detay=Ozet|access-date=2020-11-12|website=www.ijoess.com|volume=8|issue=28|last1=Şahbaz|first1=Davut|archive-date=4 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804060018/http://www.ijoess.com/DergiTamDetay.aspx?ID=1958&Detay=Ozet|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
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Hijab became an author at an early age. She published her first short story at the age of 9. Her story was published in '[[Tehzeeb-e-Niswan]]' and was well received by the readers. Her stories were published by two popular magazines of the era, namely ‘Tehzeeb-e-Nizwaan’ and ‘Phool’. She also worked as an editor for both the magazines. At the age of 12, Hijab wrote her first novel "Meri Natamam Mohabbat" which is considered one of the best love stories written in the Urdu language. Some of her other famous works include ''Lail-o-Nehar'', ''Sanober Kay Saey Mein'' and ''Tasveer-e-Butaa’n''. She is considered the first woman in the Indian subcontinent to publish short stories that gained recognition.<ref name=DailyTimes/><br />
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She published a few short story collections and also translated [[Louisa May Alcott|Louisa May Alcott's]] famous novel ''[[Little Women]]'' in Urdu.<br />
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Hijab was also a diarist.<ref name=TheNation/> Her diaries were published in magazines and some of them were also published as books. One of her novels, ''Mombatti ke Samne (''In Front of the Candle) was based on her experiences in Lahore during the 1965 [[Indo-Pakistani war of 1965|Indo-Pak war]]. The name came because Hijab used to write the diary in candlelight during the war blackouts. Her experience of the war also inspired her to write her award-winning novel ''Pagal Khana'' (Madhouse), which was also her last novel.<br />
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Hijab studied [[Sigmund Freud|Sigmund Freud's]] work in detail and was fascinated by his concept of the [[subconscious mind]]. Freud's work provided background material for another of her great novels ''Andhera Khwab'' (Dark Dream).<ref name=TheNation/><br />
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== Publications ==<br />
Some of her well-known publications are:<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Hijab Imtiaz Ali|url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6387271.Hijab_Imtiaz_Ali|access-date=2020-11-12|website=www.goodreads.com}}</ref><br />
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* ''Zalim Muhabbat''<ref name=TheNation/><ref name=DailyTimes/><br />
* ''Lail-o-Nehar''<br />
* ''Sanober Kay Saey Mein''<ref name=DailyTimes/><br />
* ''Adab-e-Zerin, İhtiyat-e-Aşk''<br />
* ''Pagal Khana'' (Mad House)<ref name=TheNation/><br />
* ''Tasveer-e-Butaa’n''<br />
* ''Voh Baharin, Yeh Khizayan''<br />
* ''Andhera Khwab'' (Dark Dream)<ref name=TheNation/><br />
* ''Meri Na Tamam Mohabbat''<ref name=TheNation/><ref name=DailyTimes/><br />
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== Death ==<br />
Hijab Imtiaz Ali died at her home in [[Model Town, Lahore]] on 19 March 1999 at age 90 or 91.<ref name=TheNation/><ref name=Samaa>{{Cite web|title=Urdu writer Hijab Imtiaz being remembered today|url=https://www.samaa.tv/culture/2012/03/urdu-writer-hijab-imtiaz-being-remembered-today/|access-date=19 October 2025|website=Samaa TV website|language=en-US|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112193505/https://www.samaa.tv/culture/2012/03/urdu-writer-hijab-imtiaz-being-remembered-today/}}</ref><br />
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== See also ==<br />
* [[Qurratulain Hyder]]<br />
* [[Ismat Chughtai|Ismat Chughtayi]]<br />
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== References ==<br />
<references /><br />
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== External links ==<br />
* [https://www.rekhta.org/authors/imtiyaz-ali-taj/profile Imtiyaz Ali biography]<br />
* [https://www.rekhta.org/authors/hijab-imtiyaz-ali/ebooks Hijab Imtiaz Ali books]<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ali, Hijab Imtiaz}}<br />
[[Category:1908 births]]<br />
[[Category:1999 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian women writers]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Pakistani women writers]]<br />
[[Category:Indian women aviators]]<br />
[[Category:Pakistani women aviators]]<br />
[[Category:People from Hyderabad, India]]<br />
[[Category:Pakistani people of Hyderabadi descent]]<br />
[[Category:Writers from Lahore]]<br />
[[Category:Urdu-language Pakistani writers]]<br />
[[Category:Urdu-language writers from British India]]</div>PaulineBarwell2