غزلیاتِ آصف الدَّولَہ: تدوین و تعارف

Abstract

Lucknow had become an important center of Urdu poetry in north India in the late 18th century. Among the many other political cum socio-cultural reasons, patronage by the court of Awadh was also a major reason for the promotion of the poetic tradition at Lucknow. Nawab Vizier Shuja-ul-Doulah and after him, his son and successor Nawab Vizier Asaf-ul-Doulah patronized many prominent poets e.g. Mirza Sauda, Mir Taqi Mir, Mir Soz, Mir Hasan, etc. Asaf-ul-Doulah was also a poet. Many contemporary sources evidenced that his Diwan and Kulliyat had been compiled in his life but his works are still unpublished. Copies of his poetic works are found in different libraries. One of the copies is part of the British Library’s manuscript section in London, UK. This manuscript seems contemporary to him and contains remarkable selections from his poetry.
This article presents Asaf-ul-Doulah as a poet, introduces the of above-said Diwan of him and produces the editing of his Ghazals.