انگریزی زبان میں اردو ادب کی تاریخ لکھنے والے مورخین کی نظر میں دکنی ادب کا جائزہ

AN EVALUATION OF DAKHNI LITERATURE IN THE VIEWS OF HISTORIANS OF URDU LITERATURE WRITING IN ENGLISH

Abstract

Dakkni literature has long remained a subject of debate among historians of Urdu literature, with some scholars recognizing its significance and others paying comparatively little attention to it. The treatment of Dakkni literature by historians writing in English reflects these differing perspectives. Ram Babu Saksena, the first historian of Urdu literature in English, did not accord substantial importance to the nearly three centuries of Dakkni literary production. In contrast, Graham Bailey made a remarkable effort to provide a detailed account of this literary tradition in his A History of Urdu Literature, including information about several writers whose works were no longer available. Muhammad Sadiq largely followed Saksena’s approach and contributed little new information regarding Dakkni literature, while Ralph Russell omitted this period altogether from his historical narrative. Ali Jawad Zaidi, however, sought to offer a more comprehensive assessment and claimed to explore previously neglected aspects of Dakkni literary history. Although his work enriches the understanding of the field, he also incorporated the literature of Gujarat into his discussion of Dakkni literature, a decision that arguably required separate treatment. This study critically examines the views of major English-language historians of Urdu literature and analyzes their varying approaches to the representation and evaluation of Dakkni literature.