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Most Controversial Urdu poet
Jafar Zatalli
About the man who wrote Gandu Nama and much more
Delhis poets and writers have contributed immensely to the development of Persian,
Urdu and Hindi, their combinations and dialects. Many have found historical
prominence, and many more likely remain unknown. Jafar Zatalli, who wrote during the
decline of the Mughal era, is largely ignored, with the exception of handful of linguists
and historians. Yet Zatallis writing was revolutionary not to mention shocking for a
number of reasons. In conversation with Ali Javed, reader in Delhi Universitys Urdu
Department, who is one of the few people to have studied the iconoclastic poet.
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Tell us about Zatallis early life?
Zatalli was born in 1658 in Narnaul, a village near Delhi, now in Haryana. He was
named Mir Muhammad Jafar and later added Zatalli as his pen name. Zatalli literally
means one who talks nonsense; this reveals how the poet consciously positioned
himself. Born into a Sayyed family, Zatalli lived most of his life in and around Delhi,
writing about the socio-political environment of the Mughal era and critiquing the
monarchy. A well-educated man, Zatalli enjoyed brilliant command over Persian, Hindi
as well as Rekhta. He wrote in protest, with anger, and fearlessly. Zatalli died in 1713,
after he was given a death sentence by Emporer Farrukhsiyar for roundly criticising him
in his Sikka [usually laudatory verse commemorating the minting of a new coin].
What was the atmosphere he was writing in?
It is important to understand the socio-political situation at the time. Zatalli became a
writer during the reign of Aurangzeb, with whom he shared a love-hate relationship.
Though he criticised Aurangzeb bluntly, he also spoke well of the kings administrative
skills. The period after Aurangzebs death was of transition and turmoil. So Zattali found
enough fodder. He picked on the failures of the [ensuing] rulers and thrashed them
without hesitation.
In terms of language, there was a lot of experimentation going on at the time. New
words were making their place in both spoken and written language. While Persian was
the language of the elite, a handful of poets and writers had begun to experiment,
mixing Hindi and Persian and writing in what was called Rekhta. Urdu had not yet
developed fully as an acceptable and sophisticated language. Zatalli describes this
dynamic in his own words here:
Agarche huma kudao karkartast
Bahindi Dashindi Zuban
Va lekin kisi ne bhali yeh kahi
Jise piyu chahe, suhagan wahi
[Although it seems like garbage/ This Hindi language/ As the saying goes/ The one the
man loves most becomes his wife]
What makes Zatallis work significant?
The most significant thing about Zatallis work is his pioneering use of language.
Zatallis writing questions the claim that Urdu came to India with Wali Deccanis ghazals,
since Zatallis compositions showed his mastery of Urdu much before Deccanis arrival
[around 1700]. Zatalli also mixed Persian and Urdu in a brilliant and unique manner,
using words from both in the same couplet. Both his prose and poetry are fine examples
of Urdu writing, though the language got this name only later. His skill in the language
were remarkable and brilliant, which was hard to dismiss despite his absurdist style. His
contribution to the linguistic evolution of Urdu is significant.
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Why did he use foul and vulgar language? Was this a norm at the time, or was it a
political choice?
While there was a tradition of satire, as well as erotic writing, in Persian, Urdu had still
not found that recognition and was still used casually or informally. I think when
someone feels deeply angered by a situation and feels helpless, its a natural reaction
to turn violent. For a man whose sword is his pen, what can he do but abuse in his
writing when he feels deeply offended and provoked? Jab gussa had par kar jaye, toh
aadmi galiya hi bakta hai [When a man reaches the limits of his anger, hell
start babbling curses].
In his early days, during the rule of Aurangzeb, despite feeling angry and disapproving
of the ruler's ways, Zatalli did appreciate the rulers administrative skills. After
Aurangzebs death, there was no redeeming factor for Zatalli. He disapproved of
Aurangzebs descendants. For example, for Bahadur Shah I, Zatalli wrote in his
infamous Gandunama:
Badshahi hai Bahadur Shah ki Ban banakar, gand marawa Kheliye
Pir se baap se, ustad se chup chupakar gand marawa Kheliye
[Its the reign of Bahadur Shah/ Get ready to get screwed/ From the priest, the father,
the teacher/ hide away, get ready to get screwed]
Zatalli wrote fearlessly. He used such strong words to highlight the intensity of
oppression, which grew with time. His work was political, not pornographic or erotic.
And his language, which seemed to be made of the crudeness of street lingo, meant
much more than familiar gaalis. He was blunt and rude, but did it with a sense of
frivolousness and humour.
How was his work received by the people, his peers and the royalty?
Its possible that Zatalli was popular amongst the masses. Unlike the Persian poets, he
used common mans language, not restricting his work to the elite. His thoughts echoed
the feeling of the oppressed public, so people could easily connect with this work. The
royalty on the other hand had to deal with Zatalli carefully. With Aurangzeb, he shared a
mutual admiration at some level. He was a tricky fellow. Simply dismissing him would
provoke him to write against that, something perhaps the kings feared. An angry Zatalli
could be nasty. Zatalli did enjoy some respect. Padhe likhe aadmiyon ki izzat toh mili
usse, jaise ek sar phira intellectual ho [he got the respect of learned men, as if he were
a crazy intellectual]. However, he never got his dues as a writer in the literary circuits.
And eventually as we know, his writing cost him his life. So clearly, it was not well
received each time.
How did you discover Zatalli?
My work on Jafar Zatalli was part of my MPhil thesis at JNU in 1979. Before starting my
MPhil, like most students, I was lost and was looking for interesting subjects. My
teacher Mohmd Hasan suggested I work on Zatalli, since no one had explored this
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subject. Frankly, I had not even heard of this name, leave alone knowing anything about
his work. From what my guide told me, I was totally fascinated. MPhil in those days
was not such a big deal, I would not account my work as accomplished in that sense
there is much more that I could further explore.
You look at Zatalli as a poet of protest. Historians like Shamsur Rahman Faruqi
argue that this ignores a lot of other work by Zatalli.
Yes, while my thesis looks at the protest poetry of Zatalli, by no means could I limit him
as just that. I do believe he was a very aware poet and wrote in response to the world
around him but his poetry is beyond protest or political. He wrote a number of couplets
about weddings and samdhi-samdhan teasing each other, for instance. But a large body
of his work is clearly political and social satire. Zatalli did, I think, think of himself as a
protest poet. He was, in his own way, shouting and screaming, bringing to light the
injustices of his rulers, questioning their power, like protesters do, and was ultimately
muted, like protestors sometimes are.
Could you give us some representive examples of Zatallis work?
The following lines showcase Zatallis anger and disappointment with the times. He
connects the larger picture to everyday lives of normal people and how the oppressive
state impacts them.
Gaya ikhlas alam se, ajab ye daur aaya hai
Dare hay khalak zalim se, ajab ye daur aaya hai
Na yaron mein rahi yaari Na bhaiyon mein wafadari
Mohabbat uth gayi sari Ajab yeh daur aaya hai
Sipahi haq nahi paven Ni uth-uth chaukiyan javein
Karz baniyon se le khawen Ajab yeh daur aaya hai
[Honesty and loyalty have vanished, these times are strange/ People are scared of the
oppressor, these times are strange/ There is no friendship between friends/ Nor loyalty
among brothers/ All love is lost/ These times are strange/ Soldiers dont get their due/
And restlessly they run/ To moneylenders to feed themselves/ These times are strange.]
Where can one find his writing?
Unfortunately, there are no translations, not even in Devanagari. One will need to know
Urdu. With that too, there are few manuscripts. I had to order microfilm from England for
my research. JNU library may have preserved those. The Delhi University library had
manuscripts too, but they went missing some years ago. Allahabad University has some
manuscripts too. Ive been thinking of doing some translations and consolidating the
work hopefully I can find some time and funding. I am happy to know that the work of
Jafar Zatalli is generating interest.
