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  Maulana Zafar Ali Khan [1873-1956]
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Contributed by Iqbal Ahmad Rashid on Saturday, March 06, 2004


Zafar Ali Khan was so much pleased with this correction that he continued to publish it with his eulogistic remarks in his newspaper for many a day. Besides his prolific poetry and outstanding contribution to journalism, he was a dauntless politician. Most of his life was spent in political activities. He eagerly supported Quaid-i-Azam and the Pakistan Movement. On March 23, 1940, the Lahore Resolution was seconded also by Maulana Zafar Ali Khan along with many others from Punjab. He was one of those intellectuals of Aligarh University who proved that the pen is mightier than the sword and headed powerful movements and dominated the public stage. His love and devotion for the Quaid was above board. Being a great champion of the Muslim cause, he wrote intrepidly against the policies of the British and was a stern critic of the Congress and its leaders. Once when the city of Lahore was visited by Gandhi, he did not spare him and wrote a wonderful poem starting from the lines:









When Sir Sikander Hayat was elected as Chief Minister to the Punjab, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan wrote the following line:

(Before long will come here again the regime of Emperor Akbar [the Great] with Sikander as Abul Fazl and Manoharlal as Todarmal.)







None could emulate him in writing verses extemporaneously. A few pieces of his poetry will show how adeptly he embellished his verses with the most seemly, pleasant and refined words:

























The fact is that it was difficult to differentiate whether he was a great writer, a great political figure or a great journalist. He had equal command over English, Urdu, Persian and Arabic. He translated the work of Allama Shibli Nu'mani, al-Farooq so nicely under the title of “Life of Umar the Great, Second Caliph of Islam” in two volumes. Allama Iqbal paid rich tribute to Maulana Zafar Ali Khan and at oft-times loved to call on him and listen to his na’atia poetry. Zafar Ali Khan started several movements like Tehreek Ittehad-i-Millat and Neeli Posh Tehreek under adverse circumstances. He gave a new life to freedom loving people. The Englishmen were strong in the sub-continent but he erased fear of the British from the minds of people. Maulana Zafar Ali Khan wrote a series of articles entitled Sarzamin-i-beyaain (The Land Without Law) dealing with the people of N.W.F.P. having some special grievances against the British administration since their civil liberties were acutely curtailed and the government officers had assumed complete autocratic powers.

After a protracted illness, he expired in 1956 and was buried in Karamabad near Wazirabad.

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