Qurratulain Hyder on the Move

Syed Akbar Hyder, Ph.D. (2000), Harvard University, is Director of the South Asia Institute and Associate Professor of Asian Studies and Islamic Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of Reliving Karbala: Martyrdom in South Asian Memory (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006).

“Tapping into the rarely mined reportages of Qurratulain Hyder, Syed Akbar Hyder crosses the River of Fire with grace to bring us a gift of interconnected histories, astute political commentaries, and ecumenical spiritual assemblies. This riveting book with its vibrant lyrical tapestry is a ticket to join Qurratulain Hyder as she travels and takes on the world, defying the borders between fiction and non-fiction, between prose and poetry, and most importantly, between the languages, ideologies, and histories that divide us.”Muzaffar Alam, George V. Bobrinsky Professor at the University of Chicago“The first serious study of a major Indian writer to appear in English, S. Akbar Hyder’s splendid book represents a milestone in the literary history of South Asia. His subject is not so much an important woman writer of the twentieth century, but the way in which she was able to rethink both the history of India and through it that of the world in startlingly novel ways. A real achievement.”Faisal Devji, Professor of Indian History, University of Oxford“Among the most acclaimed Urdu writers of the 20th century, Qurratulain Hyder’s electrifying personality comes alive in this illuminating study of her vast literary corpus and the myriad influences that informed her enlightened world view. A skilled and imaginative reader of Indo-Persianate literature, Syed Akbar Hyder’s probing analysis of Qurratulain’s writings, notably her autobiography and Urdu “reportage” makes for an engaging and instructive read. Enthusiasts of Urdu literature and her many admirers the world over will find a profusion of insights here into the life and work of a dynamic, innovative, and fiercely independent woman who has left her mark on the history of Urdu literature.”Ayesha Jalal, Mary Richardson Professor of History at Tufts University and the recipient of the 1998 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship“Many of us think we know Qurratulain's work, but all too often that comes down to little more than knowing Āg kā Daryā. The present study elegantly refocuses our attention by instead taking her ‘reportages’ as her ‘historical and ideological coordinates’ over time. Among these, she seems most notably to have invented a powerfully marṡiyah-like genre called an 'ālam āshob that can truly be said to live up to its name. She also makes subtle use of the Iqbalian concept of harjāʾī, which the study unpacks for us in a particularly revelatory way. In short, if you want to deepen your understanding of Qurratulain and her work, this excellent study is an ideal guide.”Frances Pritchett, Professor Emeritus, Columbia University

• AcknowledgementsList of FiguresA Note on TransliterationIntroduction1 Qurratulain Hyder’s Third Eye: From a Meeting to a Study2 Structure of the Book1 The Dance of a Spark1 Hyder’s Upbringing, Family Legacy, and Colonial Context2 The All-Conquering Ġhālib3 Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan and Religious Reform4 Iqbal and the Harjāʾī’s Journey5 Women in Hyder’s World of Words6 Defying “Divided Loyalties” of Religion and Language7 Hyder Enters the Literary Stage8 Partition and Move to Pakistan (1947–1959)9 Āg kā Daryā (1959)10 Conclusion2 Hyder’s London and Reflections of Home1 “London Letter”2 Revisiting “London Letter” in “La Ronde”3 “Siñghārdān”: Reflecting on London and Loss4 Conclusion3 When the Prisoners Were Freed, Times Had Changed1 The Andaman Islands, ca. early 1930s2 Karachi, ca.19573 Delhi, 19594 Calcutta, 19615 Context and Analysis6 Conclusion: Hyder and the Changing Times4 Tumult Rises in the Prison: An ʿĀlam Āshob1 Locating the ʿĀlam Āshob within the Marṡiyah2 The Vision of the ʿĀlam Āshob: Death to the Narrator, Long Live the Witnesses3 Intertexts of the ʿĀlam Āshob4 ConclusionEpilogue: From a Spark to a ConstellationBibliographyIndex