Waheed Allahabadi

We all have heard about Akbar Allahabadi, the great poet who went on to become a session judge in the Allahabad high court. Allahabadi used humour and satire to highlight the plight of Muslims and had his own take on the trend of Westernisation in Muslim society. His teacher was Waheed Allahabadi another poet of eminence and a resident of Allahabad.

I am not sure if there are any works of Waheed Allahabadi that is available in the market. Which is why I was thrilled to discover this website http://usmaninetwork.com/main.htm.

It apparently belongs to the family of Waheed Allahabadi who have put up some work of the poet with his photo (which I have used here) on the website. The site also has a copy of a letter written to the poet by the Viceroy of India, though it does not open completely. It will be interesting to know what the letter says.

India has produced several poets, some forgotten and many who have slipped away from the collective memory of society. It is website like these that help keep alive the memories and the work of eminent men and their contribution to the society.

If the Viceroy of India wrote a letter to Waheed Allahabadi, then he must be a man of considerable prestige and intellect of his time. Sadly, chroniclers and historians seem to have left out many such men of learning and talent, who remain lesser known even though a study of their life might throw light on several matters and issues.

I hope Urdu academicians write and research more about Waheed Allahabadi, rather then just describing him as Akbar Allahabadi's teacher. Or perhaps I need guidance by someone to any book or periodical that contain details of Waheed Allahabadi's life.