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Fasana-e-Azad

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Fasana-e-Azad
Title page of Fasana-e-Azad Vol. 3, 4th ed. (1899), published by Nawal Kishore Press
AuthorRatan Nath Dhar Sarshar
Original titleفسانۂ آزاد
LanguageUrdu
GenrePicaresque novel
Set inLucknow and an imaginary Middle East during the late 19th century
PublisherNawal Kishore Press
Publication date
  • Volume 1: 1881
  • Volume 2: 1882
  • Volume 3: 1883
  • Volume 4: 1883
Publication placeBritish India
891.4393

Fasana-e-Azad (Urdu: فسانۂ آزاد) (transl. The Adventures of Azad), sometimes spelled Fasana-i-Azad, is an Urdu novel by Ratan Nath Dhar Sarshar. It was serialized in Avadh Akhbar between 1878 to 1883 before it was published in four large volumes by the Nawal Kishore Press. The story follows a wandering character named Azad and his companion, Khoji, from the streets of late-nineteenth-century Lucknow to the battlefields of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) in Constantinople and Russia. Although the work is not technically a novel,[why?] it is considered by most scholars to be one of the first novels in Urdu or a proto-novel.

Sarshar conceived of writing Fasana-e-Azad after the success of the articles he contributed to Avadh Akhbar under the title "Zarafat" ("Wit and Humour"). Perennially popular, Fasana-e-Azad has been a subject of study by literary critics as the first Urdu novel and for its influence on the literary form's later development. It is noted for its colourful descriptions of Lucknow, its people, and its culture.

Background

A mustachioed Ratan Nath Dhar Sarshar, wearing a fez
Ratan Nath Dhar Sarshar (1846 or 1847 – 1903)

Sarshar, a teacher in Kheri District of Uttar Pradesh, joined the Nawal Kishore Press (founded by Munshi Newal Kishore) in Lucknow as an editor of Avadh Akhbar. He wrote a column for the magazine about Lucknow's feudal culture, which inspired him to write Fasana-e-Azad.[1]

On 8 August 1878, Sarshar was appointed editor of Avadh Akhbar.[2] His "Zarafat" series appeared regularly after the first column was published in the 13 August 1878 issue.[3] The column, whose title refers to writing characterized by wit and humour, was an immediate success; its popularity led Sarsharr to write Fasana-e-Azad, which included some of the articles.[3] In one piece, published on 23 September, Sarshar explained his reasons for writing the series.[4] He said that their intention was to use humour to allow Avadh Akhbar's readers to familiarize themselves with a social culture, characterized by proper conversational style and idiomatic fluency suited to a variety of social occasions, which could be used in a variety of social gatherings. Sarshar believed that such an education would improve the country and its people; pleasure in reading humorous articles would encourage refinement and higher thought.[4][a]

The novel evolved as it was published. Fasana-e-Azad satirizes urban life for about its first 500 pages, usually centering on a wandering figure such as Azad or a minor character.[5] This was in keeping with the influence of Charles Dickens's The Pickwick Papers and Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote on Sarshar.[6] As the story progressed and became popular, he decided to serialize the narrative from 1878 to 1883.[5]

Characters

Fasana-e-Azad's main characters are:[7]

  • Azad – the protagonist. He wanders around Lucknow, meets people from all classes with a variety of ideas, and attends the festivals of Eid, Shab Barart, Maharram and Basant.
  • Husn Ara – a beautiful girl, from an aristocratic family, whom Azad loves
  • Sihpahr Ara – Husn Ara's younger sister
  • Khoji – a dwarf who is Azad's companion

Plot

The novel is set in Lucknow and an imaginary Middle East during the late 19th century.[7] Its theme follows the pattern of Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote, with Azad modeled on Don Quixote. Azad's faithful friend, Khoji, echoes Sancho Panza.[8]

Azad, with no family history, wanders around the city; he encounters all kinds of people and observes Lucknow's changing urban milieu. He has a keen eye for female beauty. Azad meets two sisters and falls in love with Husna Ara, the older sister. Although she loves him too, she sets a condition for their marriage: Azad must go to Turkey and fight with the Turks in their war with the Russians. Azad leaves for Turkey with Khoji, his sidekick, a dwarf with a fondness for opium and delusions about his handsomeness and martial prowess. They have a number of adventures in Turkey and Russia; several noblewomen fall love with Azad, who remains more-or-less true to Husn Ara.[7]

Azad, Khoji, and two female European admirers return to India in triumph. Azad marries Husna Ara, and the two European women become social workers.[7] He becomes the father of twins and is well-known and respected, devoting a great deal of time to the propagation of new ideas, education, commerce and industry. When war breaks out against Afghanistan, Azad is asked by the government to aid the war effort. He goes to war, again proving himself a valiant soldier. Azad then returns home and lives a happy, useful life devoted to the advancement of his country.[9] Fasana-e-Azad has a number of sub-plots, including the story of Husna Ara's sister, Sipahr Ara; her lover, prince Humayun Far; and the Shahsawar, his mysterious rival,.[7]

Publication history

Fasana-e-Azad consists of four volumes, spanning about 3,000 pages running to roughly two and a quarter million words.[3] The publication history involved multiple formats over the years.[10]

Volume 1 came out serially in Avadh Akhbar from August 1878 to 5 January 1880 (all instalments appearing under the title Zarafat), and was issued in book form in January 1881 under the imprint of the Nawal Kishore Press, which would also publish the rest of the volumes in the quadrilogy. The first instalment of Volume 2 appeared in the magazine on 1 July 1880, and it was here that the title of Fasana-e-Azad was first used. After 30 July, further instalments were published as special monthly supplements to Avadh Akhbar which were sold by subscription and separately priced. The book edition appeared in July 1882. The third volume was serialized monthly from February 1882 to January 1883, and was issued in a book format, with an initial print run of 200 copies at 3 rupees each, in June 1883. Whether the final volume was serialized or not is unknown, but the fourth book came out in 1883.[11][12]

Further edition

A chapter of Fasana-e-Azad of over 15 pages was separately published by Nawal Kishore Press in 1906 under the title Range Siyar. A new edition of the book appeared in 1934.[1]

The character of Khoji became so popular that Muhammad Ahsan Farooqi collected the excerpts about Khoji from the novel, compiled them as a book under the title Khoji, and published in 1952 from Raja Ram Kumar Press, a successor of Nawal Kishore Press. New Delhi based Jamia Book Dept. published abridged version in 1970 under the title Fasana-e-Azad (Talkhis). Saraswati Press of Banaras published an abridged Hindi version in 1947, covering 550 pages.[1]

Scholarship

The scholarship on Fasana-e-Azad began after Sarshar's death with the publication of the articles by two of the contemporaries of Sarshar: Brij Narayan Chakbast and Bishan Narayan Dar.[13]

The scholarship on Fasana-e-Azad has focused largely on its uncertain status as a novel. Sarshar declared his work a 'novel' in 1879. Almost all the scholars, including Ralph Russell and Vaqar Azim, have considered it an early novel, or if not the first novel proper, a significant work that introduced some of the novel's elements into Urdu.[14]

The main criteria that Urdu scholars used to disqualify Fasana-e-Azad from novel status were plot and character. The main problem with its plot, according to the scholars, was that it consisted of too many subplots and storylines, with little attention to the relation between these stories and the overall construction.[15] Muhammad Ahsan Farooqi attributed this to Sarshar's 'carelessness', commenting, "Sarshar had no plan and stuffed in any story wherever he wanted and ended it whenever the mood struck."[15][16] He finds that the love between Azad and Husn Ara is the only thread running through the work from beginning to end.[16] Bishan Narayan Dar wrote: "Fasana-e-Azad is not a proper novel, since its plot was not conceived according to any plan. It has neither beginning, nor middle, nor end; rather, it is a collection of unconnected snapshots of the society and culture in which Sarshar lived."[17]

Chakbast questioned how Azad's character, which he decried as "uncontrollable, carefree, itinerant, and sometimes even sinful man", could suddenly become "so chaste and refined". He found this progression of protagonist to be abrupt and "against the law of nature".[18]

The author Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah finds the plot of the novel 'extremely poor', and observes that 'the events are very loosely knit and contribute nothing towards the Dénouement'. She remarks that the character also do not develop consistently; they act and re-act in an unexpected manner.[19]

Reception

Fasana-e-Azad was the first serialized Urdu fiction to be successfully introduced in an Urdu newspaper. It became a landmark in modern Urdu fiction, and met with an unprecedented public interest.[20] It helped Avadh Akhbar to solidify its reputation as one of the first commercially viable Urdu daily in South Asia.[5] During and after the publication of the novel, Sarshar became one of the most popular figures of the day.[21]

The novel is regarded as one of the first modern Urdu novels,[22] or an immediate precursor to the novel.[23] Firoz Hissain notes that the success of Fasana-e-Azad is legendary in the history of Urdu literature; it was read and enjoyed by every section of society.[24] Since its publication, Fasana-e-Azad serves as an encyclopedia of culture of Lucknow.[1]

The scholars praised Fasana-e-Azad for its portrayals of Lucknow's marketplaces, fairs, cultural settings, and diverse social classes, all presented with a liveliness and accuracy that they claimed was unprecedented in Urdu literature.[25] The historian Ram Babu Saksena also noted the novel for its realistic depiction of Lucknow's life. He considers the "faithful and vivid portrayal of life and manners of Lucknow society" and Sarshar's "brilliants humour" as the outstanding features of Fasana-e-Azad.[26] He calls Sarshar's humour "full-blooded, healthy and unrestrained", and argue that none of his contemporaries excel him or even approach him in his "fund of humour".[27]

Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah calls the character of 'Khoji' Sarshar's remarkable achievement. According to her Khoji is amongst the immortal characters of Urdu fiction.[28] Ram Babu Saksena describes Khoji as "an unique character in the whole range of Urdu literature" and as "the most original and wonderful creation of humorous art".[29]

In 1984, a television series Wah Janaab was adapted after this novel on DD National.[30]

Notes

  1. ^ This is an English paraphrase of the original statement in Urdu: اس سے اصلی مقصد ہمارا یہ ہے ناظرین اودھ اخبار بہ پیرایۂ ظرافت تعلیم مذاق و بول چال اور موقع مناسب کے محاورات اور ہر قسم کی صحبتوں کی کیفیت و طرز معاشرت کلیہ واقفیت تامہ حاصل کریں ..... کہ مجامع انسان کی جو حالتیں ہیں اور جس قدر اثر صحبت زمانہ کا ہے اس سے ہمارے ملک کو فائدہ عظیم پہنچے تاکہ نیک خیالات اخلاق حسنہ سے لوگوں کے دل منور اور خیالات فاسدہ اور خصائل رزیلہ کی تاریکی سے پاک ہوں اور ٰٰکامل فیض ایک معقول تربیت سے راستی پسند طبیعیتوں کو ہو۔ ان کو پڑھ کر بلحاظ زباندانی اور بخیال عمدہ مقاصد لطف و مذاق زندہ دلی حاصل کریں۔

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Jain 1988, pp. 1264–1265.
  2. ^ Dubrow 2011, pp. 58–59.
  3. ^ a b c Husain 1964, p. 114.
  4. ^ a b Husain 1964, p. 115.
  5. ^ a b c Dubrow 2018, pp. 35–36.
  6. ^ Asaduddin 2001, p. 84.
  7. ^ a b c d e George 1997, pp. 1518–1520.
  8. ^ Sud 1977, p. 124.
  9. ^ Husain 1964, p. 125.
  10. ^ Dubrow 2011, p. 45.
  11. ^ Husain 1964, p. 117.
  12. ^ Dubrow 2017, p. 408.
  13. ^ Dubrow 2011, p. 26.
  14. ^ Dubrow 2011, p. 27.
  15. ^ a b Dubrow 2011, p. 29.
  16. ^ a b Dubrow 2011, p. 30.
  17. ^ Dubrow 2011, p. 31.
  18. ^ Dubrow 2011, pp. 96–97.
  19. ^ Ikramullah 1945, p. 32.
  20. ^ Stark 2007, p. 364.
  21. ^ Mohammed 1995, p. 418.
  22. ^ Oldenburg, Sharar & Llewellyn-Jones 2001, p. 201.
  23. ^ Dubrow 2016, p. 296.
  24. ^ Husain 1964, p. 14.
  25. ^ Dubrow 2011, p. 34.
  26. ^ Saksena 1990, p. 329.
  27. ^ Saksena 1990, p. 330.
  28. ^ Ikramullah 1945, p. 37.
  29. ^ Saksena 1990, p. 331.
  30. ^ MOIAB Annual Report 1985.

Sources

Excerpts from Fasana-e-Azad:

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