History Of Ghazal

Ghazal originated in Iran in the 10th century A.D. Italways opens with a rhyming couplet called matla.
grew from the Persian qasida, which in verseThe rhyme of the opening couplet is repeated at
form had come to Iran from Arabia. The qasidathe end of second line in each succeeding verse,
was a panegyric written in praise of the emperorso that the rhyming pattern may be represented
or his noblemen. The part of the qasida calledas AA, BA, CA, DA, and so on. In addition to the
tashbib got detached and developed in due courserestriction of rhyme, the ghazal also observes the
of time into the ghazal. Whereas the qasidaconvention of radif. Radif demands that a portion
sometimes ran into as many as 100 couplets orof the first line - comprising not more than two or
more in monorhyme, the ghazal seldom exceededthree words - immediately preceding the
twelve, and settled down to an average of seven.rhyme-word at the end, should rhyme with its
Because of its comparative brevity andcounterpart in the second line of the opening
concentration, its thematic variety and richcouplet, and afterwards alternately throughout the
suggestiveness, the ghazal soon eclipsed thepoem. The opening couplet of the ghazal is always
qasida and became the most popular form ofa representative couplet: it sets the mood and
poetry in Iran.tone of the poem and prepares us for its proper
The ghazal came to India with the advent andappreciation. The last couplet of the ghazal called
extension of the Muslim influence from the 12thmakta often includes the pen-name of the poet,
century onwards. The Moghuls brought along withand is more personal than general in its tone and
them Iranian culture and civilization, including Iranianintent. Here the poet may express his own state
poetry and literature. When Persian gave way toof mind, or describe his religious faith, or pray for
Urdu as the language of poetry and culture inhis beloved, or indulge in poetic self-praise. The
India, the ghazal, the fruit of Indo-Iranian culture,different couplets of the ghazal are not bound by
found its opportunity to grow and develop.the unity and consistency of thought. Each couplet
Although the ghazal is said to have begun withis a self-sufficient unit, detachable and quotable,
Amir Khusro (1253-1325) in Northern India, Deccangenerally containing the complete expression of an
in the South was its real home in the early stages.idea.
It was nursed and trained in the courts ofSome poets including Hasrat, Iqbal and Josh have
Golconda and Bijapur under the patronage ofwritten ghazals in the style of a nazm, based on a
Muslim rulers. Mohd. Quli Qutab Shah, Wajhi,single theme, properly developed and concluded.
Hashmi, Nusrati and Wali may be counted amongBut such ghazals are an exception rather than a
its pioneers. Of these, Wali Deccany (1667-1707)rule, and the traditional ghazal still holds sway.
may be called the Chaucer of Urdu poetry. Wali'sHowever, we do come across, off and on, even
visit to Delhi made in 1700 acquires a historicin the works of classical poets, ghazals exhibiting
significance. This visit was instrumental incontinuity of theme or, more often, a set of
synthesizing the poetic streams of the South andverses connected in theme and thought. Such a
the North. Wali's poetry awakened the minds ofthematic group is called a qita, and is presumably
the Persian-loving North to the beauty andresorted to when a poet is confronted with an
richness of Urdu language, and introduced them toelaborate thought difficult to be condensed in a
the true flavor of ghazal, thus encouraging itssingle verse. Although the ghazal deals with the
rapid growth and popularity.whole spectrum of human experience, its central
In its form, the ghazal is a short poem rarely ofconcern is love. Ghazal is an Arabic word which
more than a dozen couplets in the same metre. Itliterally means talking to women.