Draft:Abul Faiz Usmani

Abul Faiz Usmani was born in 1936, at a time when you could count the number of just post graduate degree holders on your hands. When he died in 2020, you needed more than two dozen hands to count the numbers of Doctorates, Thesis written by him, authored by him, guided by him and done on him.

It could be said that this was expected of him, as he was born in a very highly educated and eminently qualified family of Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Citizenship:

Abul Faiz Usmani was an Indian Citizen by dint of his being born in British India; and remained a proud citizen of India.

Early Life and education

He was born on January 21, 1936, in Jaipur, the capital of Jaipur State, and passed away on April 22, 2020, in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, at the age of 84.

His father, Mr. Ehtramuddin “Shaghil” Usmani, served as a senior police officer in Jaipur State and was a noted scholar of Urdu and Persian, authoring over 32 books in Urdu literature.

His grandfather, Mr. Aheteshamuddin “Shaukat” Usmani, held the position of Advocate General in Jaipur State during the 1920s and was also a distinguished scholar of Urdu and Persian, with more than 13 books to his credit in Urdu and Persian literature.

Abul Faiz Usmani was married to Abeda Masarrat Usmani and had six children: Seema Sohail, PhD (daughter); Arshad Saleem Usmani, B.Com, M.Com, PGBM, DCA, DCP (son); Farhana Tanveer, BA & MA (Sociology) (daughter); Aslam Rasheed Usmani, BA, PG in Marketing Management & PG in Personnel Management (son); and Afshan Tanveer, BA & MA (Urdu Literature) (daughter).

Abul Faiz Usmani earned his Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Bachelor of Education, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from various universities including Punjab University, Rajasthan University, Aligarh Muslim University, and Rajasthan University respectively.

His doctoral research focused on "The Services of Non-Muslim Scholars on Urdu Language and Culture in Rajasthan," marking him as the first PhD holder in Urdu research and literature from Rajasthan.

In 1960, he began his career as a Lecturer appointed by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission, subsequently holding positions as Professor and Principal at several postgraduate colleges in Rajasthan.

From 1987 to 1992, he served as the Secretary of the Rajasthan Urdu Academy.

Great Achievements:

Abul Faiz Usmani guided dozens of scholars in their doctoral and theses works in and on Urdu.

Abul Faiz Usmani was especially keen on girls’ education amongst the Muslims. In spite of resistance from the families at that time in Tonk, Rajasthan against this work of his, he continued with a dogged determination, and often with folded hands getting Muslim girls to learn the three Rs.

He has donated more than 6,000 books, including 3,200 rare and hand-written ones, from his personal and family collection to the APRI, the Arabic Persian Research Institute of India, Tonk, Rajasthan, a Government of Rajasthan body. This was done as the “Shaghil Collection”,  named after his father, Mr Ehtramuddeen Shaghil Usmani.

He is the author of more than 25 books and 300 articles. He also wrote Nazms and Ghazals in with his Takhallus (Pen Name), “Kamil.”

Awards & Honours:

The Mirza Ghalib Urdu Academy, Jaipur had organised a 3-Day International Seminar, “Jash-e-Usmani” in 2012.

Abul Faiz Usmani was conferred with the Abul Haq Award for Urdu Literature and Language in 2016, by the Urdu Development Organisation, New Delhi.

Since 2021, this Organisation also gives an award every year, in his name, the “Abul Faiz Usmani Award”, to Scholars of Urdu & Persian.

But the crowning achievement was the title of Baba-e-Urdu, Rajasthan conferred on Abul Faiz Usmani in 2012 by the Mirza Ghalib Academy, Jaipur. This translates as “Father of Urdu in Rajasthan”.

A Few of the Books Witten by Abul Faiz Usmani:

1.      Tarraqi Pazeer Rajasthan, 1963.

2.      Qalam ki Talwarai’n. [The Swords of the Pen], 1964.

3.      Rajasthan may Urdu Zabaan-o-Adab kay liya Ghair Muslim Hazarat ki Khidmaat (PhD). [The Services of Non-Muslims for Urdu Language and Culture in Rajasthan], 1970.

4.      Rajasthan ki Nasari Tasaneef, 1972.

5.      Rajasthan may Farsi Zabaan-o-Adab kay liya Ghair Muslim Hazarat ki Khidmaat. [The Services of Non-Muslims for Persian Language and Culture in Rajasthan], 1985.

6.      Pahli Awaaz. [First Voice], 1987.

7.      Takhleqat, 1987.

8.      Rubaiyat-e-Umar Khayyam ka Urdu Tarjuma, 1978.

9.      Rajasthan Mai Urdu. [Urdu in Rajasthan], 1978.

10.   Rajasthan Main Urdu Zabaan-o-Adab 1857 Tak. [Urdu Language and Culture in Rajasthan till 1857], 1992.

11.   Urdu Main Ilaqaee Tahqeeq ki Zarurat aur Ahmiyat, 2000.

12.   Rajasthan Main Urdu ki Ala Taaleem aur Tahqeeq – Azadi kay Baad. [Higher Urdu Education and Research in Rajasthan, after Independence], 2000.

13.   Tahriraat – Mazameen aur Maqalaat to Majmuaa, 2001.

14.   Rayasat Tonk Main Farsi aur Urdu Zabaan-o-Adab to Tareekh to Irtiqai Khaka, 2002.

15.   Jaipur May Fan-e-Khattati, 2005.

16.   Mashriqee Rajputana kay Qadeemi aur Adabi Maraqiz Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur. 2006. 

17.   Rajasthan ki Adabi Tareeqh kay Chand Urdu Marakhiz, 2007.

18.   Adabi Marakhiz: Alwar, Bharatpur aur Dholpur, 2008.

19.   Nahsriyaat – Nasri Radiayee Taqareer ka Majmuaa, 2008

20.   Kaffiyat - collection (Diwan) of his poetry, 2009.

21.   Urdu Natak Awadh say Rajputana tak. [Urdu Drama from Awadh to Rajputana], 2010.

22.   Sabiq Rayasat Jaipur may Urdu Shair-o-Adab ka Irtiqa, 2013.

References

1.      PhD thesis by Abul Faiz Usmani : Rajasthan may Urdu Zabaan-o-Adab kay liya Ghair Muslim Hazraat ki Khidmaat, University of Rajasthan, 1970

2.      PhD thesis on Abul Faiz Usmani, titled Abul Faiz Usmani: Hayat and Elmi and Adabi Khidmat by Shagufta Nasreen, Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati University, Ajmer, Rajasthan, 2009.

3.      https://www.rekhta.org/authors/abul-faiz-usmani/all

4.      Arabic and Persian Research Institute (APRI), Government of India, Rajasthan.

5.      Book “Jashn-e-Usmani”, three days celebration organized by Mirza Ghalib Society on contribution and achievements of Abul Faiz Usmani, Jaipur, 2012.

6.      Mohaqiq-e-Rajasthan Article by Habeeb-ur-Rehman Niyazi, 2012.

7.      Islaf ki Adabi Waris key Muhafiz Abul Faiz Usmani, Article by Azizullah Sheerani. 2013.

8.      Abul Faiz Usmani, Rajasthan Main Urdu Tehqeeq Kay Meer-e-Karwan, Article by Qamar Jahan.

9.      Abul Faiz Usmani: Sawaneh Hayat Aur Elmi Aur Adabi Khidmat, Article by Shagufta Nasreen.

10.   Aik Be Misaal Adabi Shakhsiyat Abul Faiz Usmani, Article by Zeba Zeenat, 2013.

11.   Abul Faiz Usmani Shkhsiayt, Adabi Aur Qaumi Khidmat, Article by Husn Ara, 2021.

12.   Baba-e-Urdu Rajasthan, Article Sayed Sajid Ali, 2022.