Founded at Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh in India, in 1903 Type Urdu Literary Organization Legal status Non-Government Organization (NGO) Purpose To promote the Urdu language Location Shifted to Aurangabad, then called Hyderabad State in 1913,
Shifted to Delhi in 1938,
Shifted to Karachi, Pakistan in 1949 Key people (Founders and Pioneers)
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan
Allama Shibli Nomani
Maulvi Abdul Haq (Baba-i-Urdu) | ||
Anjuman Taraqqī-yi-Urdū (Urdu: انجُمن ترقئ اُردو) is a premier organization working for the promotion and dissemination of Urdu language, literature and culture in Pakistan and India. "The Anjuman-i Taraqqi- Urdu (henceforth called, the Anjuman) is the largest Urdu scholarly promotional association in South Asia."
Contents
History of the organization
The organization owes its origin to the All India Muslim Educational Conference, set up by the great social reformer and educationist Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in 1886, with the assistance of Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk. The basic objective of the above-mentioned Conference was to encourage Indian Muslims to adopt modern education, and for this purpose, establish schools and colleges along the lines of the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College (later known as Aligarh Muslim University).
The Conference had three sections: Women’s Education, Educational Census and Schools. In a later Conference held in 1903, three more branches were added: Social Reform, Shoba-yi-Taraqqī-yi-Urdū and Miscellaneous. It is to the Shoba-yi-Taraqqī-yi-Urdū that the current Anjuman traces its origins. Incidentally, Thomas Walker Arnold was the first elected President of the Shoba-yi-Taraqqī-yi-Urdū and the noted writer Allama Shibli Nomani was the first Secretary. These were some of the renowned personalities that worked so hard to create the Anjuman and people continue to draw inspiration from them even today.
In British India
Baba-e-Urdu (Father of Urdu) Maulavi Abdul Haq became the Secretary of the organization in 1912, and the base was shifted to the modern day Aurangabad district, Maharashtra in 1913, where he was employed by the then Nizam of Hyderabad. Then the Anjuman shifted its base to Delhi in 1938 where it functioned until 1949 with Maulavi Abdul Haq as its head.
In Pakistan after 1947
In 1947, when the British left India, and India and Pakistan were created as two newly independent nations. Maulvi Abdul Haq supervised the relocation of the Anjuman base from Delhi to Karachi, Pakistan in 1949, fulfilling the wishes of Qāʾid-i Aʻz̤am Muhammad Ali Jinnah who had died in 1948. Maulvi Abdul Haq, himself migrated to Karachi along with the base of the Anjuman. He worked as the head of the Anjuman there till his death on 16 August 1961 in Karachi. The Anjuman played a decisive role in the creation of Pakistan. Baba-e-Urdu Maulavi Abdul Haq was succeeded by the Pakistani renowned scholar Jamiluddin Aali who handed over the office to Dr. Fatema Hassan in 2014.
Dr Fatema Hassan is currently the Honorary Secretary of Anjuman Taraqqī-yi-Urdū Pakistan. The membership of the organisation was re-opened after 50 years on the occasion of the 53rd death anniversary of Maulvi Abdul Haq. According to the feelings expressed by some prominent Urdu-language scholars on the 53rd death anniversary event held in Karachi in 2014, "The Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Urdu played a decisive part in the creation of Pakistan."
The organisation publishes journals and books, and supports research and creative work in Urdu linguistics and literature. Prominent Urdu poet Josh Malihabadi (1894-1982) had also worked towards the progress of the organization in his lifetime.
In 2014, current president is Dr Sadiq-ur-Rahman Kidwai and the current general secretary is Dr Ather Farouqui.