The Call of the Caravan Bell

THE CALL OF THE CARAVAN BELL with the highest intellectual achievements. Sheikh PREFACE Muhammad Iqbal studied many Persian books during his stay in Europe and published the results By of his studies in the form of a research publication, which should be considered a short history of the Sir `Abd Al‐Qadir, Barrister At Law, Persian philosophy. The Germans conferred upon Editor Makhzan Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal the degree of PhD on the No one knew that after the late Ghalib, someone basis of this book. The British Government, which would rise in India who would again inspire Urdu does not have adequate direct access to the oriental poetry with a new spirit and through whom the languages and learning, took a long time to realize matchless imagination and the rare imagery of the universal appreciation of Iqbal’s poetry, but Ghalib would be created anew and would lead to eventually patronized him by conferring the exalted the glorification of the Urdu literature. However, honour of knighthood. Though he is now known as Urdu was fortunate in getting a poet of Iqbal’s Dr. Sir Muhammad Iqbal which has the fortunate calibre, the superiority of whose literary elegance quality of being the real as well the pen name, is has impressed the Urdu knowing people of the better known and liked than his doctorate and whole of India and whose reputation has spread to knighthood. Iran, Asia Minor and even to Europe. There is a college in Sialkot where a renowned Ghalib and Iqbal share many common scholar, Maulvi Saiyyid Mir Hasan, who is characteristics. If I were a believer in the memorable heir to and a follower of the oriental transmigration of soul I would have certainly said scholars of former times, teaches oriental learning. that the love which Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib Recently he has been honoured by the Government had for Urdu and Persian poetry did not allow his with the title of Shams al ‘Ulema. The characteristic soul to rest in peace even in the Elysium and quality of his teaching is creation of the right taste compelled him to re‐appear in another material for Persian and Arabic in the personality of his form to render service to poetry, and was re‐born in pupils. Iqbal was also fortunate in getting a teacher a corner of Punjab, called Sialkot and was called like Saiyyid Mir Hasan in his youth. Iqbal’s Muhammad Iqbal. temperament had a natural inclination for literature. The respected father and the affectionate mother Learning Persian and Arabic from such a teacher of Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal must have proposed his added to its elegance. He started writing poetry as name at a very auspicious time, as the name given early as his school age. By then Urdu had become so by them proved to be appropriate in all its popular in Punjab that the language and its poetry connotations, and their successful son proceeded to had spread to more or less every city. During the England after completing his education in India. On student days of Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal a small achieving his educational goals at Cambridge he musha’irah used to be convened in Sialkot for which went to Germany and returned home, equipped Iqbal began writing ghazals occasionally. Nawab 124 Collected Poetical Works of Iqbal Mirza Khan Sahib Dagh of Delhi had gained much perceptions of his friend, the late Maulana Shibli renown as an Urdu poet in those days, and this during the period of his professorship at the Aligarh increased considerably when he became the tutor of College. Now he discovered another gem to convert the Nizam of Deccan. Those who could not go to which into a shining star became his heart‐felt him would establish tutorial relationship from afar desire. The mutual friendship and affection created by mail. Ghazals were sent to him by mail and he in the heart of the teacher and his pupil in the very returned them the same way after correction. In the beginning ultimately resulted in the latter olden days when such a mailing service did not exist proceeding to England in the wake of his teacher. a poet could not get so many pupils. With this This relationship was further strengthened there and facility hundreds of people had established has endured till the present day. Arnold is happy at discipleship with him in absentia and he had to the fruition of his labor and at his pupil being a maintain a department with staff for this purpose. source of pride and fame for him in the intellectual Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal also established world. Iqbal acknowledges that the perceptions communication with him and sent some ghazals for created by Saiyyid Mir Hasan, and advanced in the correction. In this way Iqbal established a interim by the in absentia mutual acquaintance with relationship in Urdu with a littérateur who, in his Dagh, attained their climax with the affectionate days, was considered unique in the art of linguistic guidance of Arnold. excellence in the field of ghazal. Though Iqbal’s Iqbal got very good guides in passing through ghazals of that early period did not have the his intellectual journey, and became acquainted with attributes which made his later works very famous, several renowned scholars. Distinguished among Dagh discerned the beginning of an extra‐ordinary these are Drs. McTaggart, Brown, Nicholson and writer in this student from a remote Punjab district. Sorley of the University of Cambridge. Professor Very soon he pronounced his verdict that Iqbal did Nicholson deserves our special gratitude for his not need any further coaching in the arty of poetry. efforts at introducing Iqbal to Europe and America Hence this tutorial relationship did not last long but by translating his famous Persian book, Asrar‐i‐ its memories remained on both sides. Dagh’s name Khudi (The Secrets of the Self) into English and for is so prominent in Urdu poetry that Iqbal has respect providing a preface and commentary to the same.1 even for this short period and in absentia In the same way Iqbal maintained liaison through relationship; and Iqbal had attained that high correspondence and personal contact with all the approbation even in the life‐time of Dagh that the shining stars of India’s intellectual horizon at that latter was proud of considering Iqbal among the time, such as Maulana Shibli, Maulana Hali and people whose poetry he had corrected. I had the Akbar. They continued influencing Iqbal’s writings good fortune of meeting Dagh in Deccan and I am a and Iqbal continued influencing their thought. witness to such expressions of pride by him. Maulana Shibli, in his many letters, and the revered As the Sialkot College was up to the F.A. Sheikh Akbar, in his letters as well as in poems have Muhammad Iqbal had to move to Lahore for his acknowledged Iqbal’s accomplishments. Similarly, B.A. He wanted to study philosophy and he got a Iqbal has eulogized these eminent personalities in very affectionate professor among those at Lahore, his works. who discerned Iqbal’s inclination towards Discounting the period of early practice Iqbal’s philosophy and started taking special interest in his Urdu poetry starts a little before the commencement education. Professor Arnold who is now(1924) Sir of the twentieth century. I saw him first in a Thomas Arnold and is in England, is a man of extra‐ musha’irah in Lahore two or three years before 1901. ordinary capabilities, is a proficient writer and is He had been prevailed upon by some of his well‐versed in the new methods of academic class‐mates to participate in this musha’irah and investigation and research. He wanted to impart his recite a ghazal. People of Lahore had not known perceptions and procedures to his pupil and he succeeded in this to a very large extent. Earlier, he 1 Nicholson’s translation is included in the present had been able to create maturity in the intellectual volume. The Call of the Marching Bell 125 Iqbal till then. The ghazal was a short one with Lahore. He spent his time continuously in simple words and thought but had humour and intellectual company and academic pursuits. With a spontaneity due to which it was much appreciated. surging intellect and extreme inspiration, when He participated in this musha’irah two or three times inclined towards versification, he could produce again and people discerned in him the makings of a innumerable verses in a single sitting. Absorbed in promising poet. However, this fame at first his thoughts he would pour out verses, and his remained confined to the students of the colleges of friends and some students who might be nearby, Lahore and those engaged in educational pursuits. would write them down with paper and pencil. In Meanwhile a literary association had been those days I never saw him with pen and paper in established which was attended by celebrities, and linguistic pursuits. Writing poetry looked like a created a demand for prose as well as poetry. Sheikh surging river or a bubbling spring of appropriate Muhammad Iqbal recited his poem addressing the words with a unique condition of ecstatic softness Himalayas, called ‘Himala’ in one of its meetings. engulfing him. He would himself recite his verses This poem combined the English thought with the melodiously, would become ecstatic himself as well Persian elegance of style, and had the added beauty as would turn others ecstatic. He is remarkably of the flavour of nationalism. As it conformed with singular in having such a memory that all the verses the tastes and the needs of the times it was widely constituting a continuous poem would be safe in his appreciated, and requests for its publication started memory in the same order at another time and on pouring in.

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