Ahmad Siddiq "Majnu Gorakhpuri" was an eminent and leading Urdu short story (Afsana) writer and literary critic of his time. He was born in 1904 in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, the-then United Provinces. He was educated at Allahbad University and became close friend and associate of Firaq Gorakhpuri who also hailed from Gorakhpur and was now settled in Allahbad   Firaq himself recalls, "Majnun Gorakhpuri came to Allahabad those days and got admitted to a college. He was staying with me and his company dispelled my loneliness a little..."  "In those days I used to spend a good deal of my time in the company of Majnun Gorakhpuri and Munshi Premchand. Their company helped to awaken my poetic instincts and kindle my thoughts..."  Here he became associated withProgressive Writers Movement since its inception.

 

His early education took place in Gorakhpur and he went to Allahbad University for higher education. He earned his MA in English fromAgra University and thereafter earned an MA in Urdu from the University of Calcutta

He taught at different colleges and universities throughout his life including Aligarh Muslim University, Gorakhpur University and theUniversity of Karachi. He taught at Aligarh Muslim University in the department of Urdu. He was one of the luminaries to have been associated with the department at AMU, but migrated to Pakistan in late 1960s and went on to live in Karachi and taught at Karachi University till his last years of life.

 

 Literary Work and Contribution

 

Majnoon Gorakhpuri was a multi-faceted personality who besides his collection of short stories and 35 books on Urdu literature, left a score of forewords, critical analyses etc. as his memory and legacy.

 

He was one of the builders of progressive literary campaign and Anjuman Taraqqi Pasand Musannafeen. His works may be divided into his collections of short stories and compilations of his research and literary criticism of writers in Urdu.

 

Literary Criticism

 

Adab aur zindagi: Majnun Gorakhpuri ki chand tanqidat ka majmu'ah, tarmim-o-izafah ke sath (1944)

Iqbal: Ijmali tabsirah (1945)

Tanqidi hashi'e: Tanqidi mazamin ka majmu'ah (1945)

Nuqūsh-O-Afkār [1955]

Sher Aur Ghaazal [1962]

Adab Aur Zindagī ; Majnoon, Ahmad Siddiq [1964]

Ghazal Sara(1964)

Ghālib : Shakhs Aur Shāir, (Karāchī : Maktabah-i Arbāb-i Qalam, 1974)

Armaghān-I-Majnūn-1980-1984-A book on progressive literature in two volumes by Majnoon Gorakhpuri 'Adab aur zindagi compiled in the writer's life, was a very useful book for all those who were interested in the study of literature and Majnun Gorakhpuri.

 

Jamaliat (aesthetics)

 

Masnavi-i-Zahr-i ishq, Mirza Shauq : tabsire by Majnun Gorakhpuri and Mohsin Faruqi; (digar rumani dastanen, Mohsin Faruqi tazkirah va tanqid) Criticism and interpretation on Zahr-i-ishq, poetical work written in 1855 by Mirzā Shauq; includes criticism on different folk tales by Mohsin Fārūqī.

 

Pardesi ke Khutut

 

Collections of Short stories

 

Zaidi Ka Hashr a novel influenced by Hardy dealing with human tragic situation but not related with contemporary social situation.

 

Khvab-o-khayal aur dusare afsane(1943)

 

Saman posh aur dusre afsane, jin ka ta'alluq ruhaniyat se hai (1971)

 

Translations:

 

King Lear by Shakespeare into Urdu

 

Shamshoun Mubariz (Samson Agonistes by John Milton)

 

He also edited 'Aivan' literary journal/magazine from Gorakhpur 1931-35. Majnun Gorakhpuri, along with Ehtesham Husain, Ale Ahmed Suroor, Akhtar Ansari and Hasan Askari was leading Urdu critic of pre-Independence era. He contributed immensely to Urdu literary criticism, short story and novel.

 

He was Presidential Medal Tamgha-E-Imtiaz winner in Pakistan which he accepted reluctantly by then President of Pakistan General Zia Ul Haque, for he was totally against dictatorship and so called Islamic Rule by force in Pakistan, but at the time, his Son-In-Law Iqbal Ahmad was working for Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and his eldest son Zafar Alam was in Telecommunication and Telegraph (T&T) of Pakistan and they both were instrumental in him accepting the award.

 

His whole world revolved around his eldest grandson Kamran whom he always called Sohrab ji, as his only daughter was named Tahmina and Tahmina's son was Sohrab in classical Persian literature and mythology. Further readings on Sohrab and Tahmina are available in Shahnameh by Firdausi.

 

“Majnoon Gorakhpuri-Life and Art” written by Dr. Abdul Sattar Niazi

Armughan-E-Majnoon Vol I Published by Majnoon Academy Karachi

 

Armughan-E-Majnoon Vol II Published by Majnoon Academy Karachi

 

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