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داستانِ امیر حمزہ [Dastan-e Amir Hamza]
داستانِ امیر حمزہ کا شمار اردو ادبِ عالیہ (کلاسیک) میں ہوتا ہے جسے کئی مصنفین نے اپنے اپنے انداز میں بیان کیا۔ یہ داستان فارسی ادب سے اردو ادب میں منتقل ہوئی لیکن اسے اردو میں کہیں زیادہ مقبولیت حاصل ہوئی۔
غالب لکھنوی کی تحریر کردہ داستانِ امیر حمزہ پہلی بار 1855ء میں شایع ہوئی اور حالیہ تحقیق کے مطابق دوبارہ کبھی شایع نہ ہوسکی۔ داستانِ امیر حمزہ کے نسخوں میں غالب لکھنوی کے نسخے کو امتیازی مقام حاصل ہے۔ اوکسفرڈ یونیورسٹی پریس پاکستان نے سلسلہ ’’اردو کلاسیک‘‘ کے تحت اس نادر و نایاب کتاب کو ایک بار پھر شایع کیا ہے۔
داستانِ امیر حمزہ مسلمانوں کے آخری نبی حضرت محمد (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) کے چچا حضرت حمزہ کی شجاعت و بہادری کی داستان ہے، تاہم اس کے بیشتر واقعات من گھڑت اور فرضی ہیں۔
غالب لکھنوی کی تحریر کردہ داستانِ امیر حمزہ پہلی بار 1855ء میں شایع ہوئی اور حالیہ تحقیق کے مطابق دوبارہ کبھی شایع نہ ہوسکی۔ داستانِ امیر حمزہ کے نسخوں میں غالب لکھنوی کے نسخے کو امتیازی مقام حاصل ہے۔ اوکسفرڈ یونیورسٹی پریس پاکستان نے سلسلہ ’’اردو کلاسیک‘‘ کے تحت اس نادر و نایاب کتاب کو ایک بار پھر شایع کیا ہے۔
داستانِ امیر حمزہ مسلمانوں کے آخری نبی حضرت محمد (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) کے چچا حضرت حمزہ کی شجاعت و بہادری کی داستان ہے، تاہم اس کے بیشتر واقعات من گھڑت اور فرضی ہیں۔
- GenresFiction
552 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2011
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July 23, 2020It is an Urdu Game of Thrones,a fantasy epic.It was part of the tradition of oral storytelling in India a few centuries ago,and was patronised by Mughal emperors.
When I was a kid,its simplified version became some of my earliest reading.Relatively recently,it has also been translated in English.
The central character is Ameer Hamza,who was an actual figure in early Islamic history.However,all the adventures are entirely fictitious.
I read Maqbool Jahangir's simplified ten volume version during my childhood.Ameer Hamza battles a series of evil villains and defeats kings,socerers and monsters.
Though seemingly not a powerful man,he can defeat the mightiest foes in hand to hand combat.He even goes to Qoh Qaf (land of the fairies) and rescues fairies from evil monsters.
His dearest friends are Umro Ayyar and Muqbil Wafadar,who were born the same day as him.Umro Ayyar is the craftiest trickster there ever was.He outwits everyone and whenever Ameer Hamza gets into trouble,he rescues him.
But there are also times when the two don't see eye to eye.
Ameer Hamza marries King Nosherwan's daughter,Princess Meher Nigar.But Nosherwan always betrays Ameer Hamza and sends him on dangerous military campaigns to try and get rid of him.
But Ameer Hamza either slays all his foes or they get so impressed by him that they join his army for its further adventures and conquests,even forsaking their own kingdoms.
Things get repetitive,the military campaigns never seem to end and no sooner is one villain eliminated,that another one pops up.
As for the original version,I still want to take a look at it,though the language used in it is nearly obsolete.
When I was a kid,its simplified version became some of my earliest reading.Relatively recently,it has also been translated in English.
The central character is Ameer Hamza,who was an actual figure in early Islamic history.However,all the adventures are entirely fictitious.
I read Maqbool Jahangir's simplified ten volume version during my childhood.Ameer Hamza battles a series of evil villains and defeats kings,socerers and monsters.
Though seemingly not a powerful man,he can defeat the mightiest foes in hand to hand combat.He even goes to Qoh Qaf (land of the fairies) and rescues fairies from evil monsters.
His dearest friends are Umro Ayyar and Muqbil Wafadar,who were born the same day as him.Umro Ayyar is the craftiest trickster there ever was.He outwits everyone and whenever Ameer Hamza gets into trouble,he rescues him.
But there are also times when the two don't see eye to eye.
Ameer Hamza marries King Nosherwan's daughter,Princess Meher Nigar.But Nosherwan always betrays Ameer Hamza and sends him on dangerous military campaigns to try and get rid of him.
But Ameer Hamza either slays all his foes or they get so impressed by him that they join his army for its further adventures and conquests,even forsaking their own kingdoms.
Things get repetitive,the military campaigns never seem to end and no sooner is one villain eliminated,that another one pops up.
As for the original version,I still want to take a look at it,though the language used in it is nearly obsolete.
July 29, 2020
Like all truly sublime literature the epic of Amir Hamza creates a world that stays vibrant and alive somewhere in the remotest recesses of our consciousness, long after we have read it. And the story is never really over. On any given day one can part the pages, re-enter the realm and look on as another ferocious day of combat unfolds under the blazing sun. Warrior after ferocious warrior arrives in the battlefield and throws the gauntlet - each one more vainglorious, more haughtily named than the other and wielding a heavier mace. Then follows the well known ritual of the fight. First the mace, then the spear, then the sword followed by the lasso and finally the wrestling till one lifts the other over his head and smashes him to the ground. More gruesome outcomes, however, are not uncommon. The metal of the armor glints brightly, the hearts of the cowards quiver with terror, the champions of both armies prepare to meet destiny and a thousand sounds, colors, sights, sentiments and sensations unravel to construct the marvelous spectacle. Then Amir Hamza arrives. Invariably his sight provokes derision from his infidel challenger. For he is ordinary of height and build, unassuming, gallant but reserved. No bravado. No razzmatazz. But supreme self-confidence, ever-ready supply of Divine assistance and a habit of overcoming the most fearsome of foes. The legend comes. The legend triumphs. The legend prevails.
I find this a common feature in the great classics. That they can be crystalized in a moment. And that moment can be relived again and again. Whether it is the Gentleman of La Mancha on his loyal steed, looking on at dusty road, awaiting the next foe to take on and prove his chivalry to the fair Dulcinea del Toboso. Or noble Odysseus staring at the wine-red sea in despair and wondering if he will ever return to rocky Ithaca and his loyal Penelope. So does one imagine Amir Hamza, a steely resolve in his eyes as he confronts ferocious man or dev, his matchless steeds Siah Qeetas or Ashqar Deozad by his side, as he listens patiently to his opponents taunts before putting an end to all the noise with a deft single stroke of his sword. These eternal protagonists perpetually going through the heroic episodes of their epic lives.
Depending on where you open the book the other usual sight is that of his bosom body and the unparalleled King of Tricksters Amar Ayyar - him of the strange appearance and garb, multiplicity of gadgets and tools of trade, unsurpassable speed, outstanding wit and unquenchable greed, more resourcefulness than a kingdom full of inventors, greater cunning than a skulk of foxes, more melodious than any diva born or dead, and of course amongst other things, owner of the Zambil or the magical satchel that can swallow up the weath of entire courtrooms and offer them up again when needed. While Amir Hamza is an archetypical hero, an Islamic Odysseus with some distinctive features, and conventional in his high character, dignity and code of chivalry, Amar is remarkably unique. Full of paradoxes one what is consistent about him is his loyalty and devotion for Amir Hamza and the will to fight for his cause. In a world of gigantic men, fearsome warriors and the occasional magic, he survives - nay he dominates - by his wits, his skills, his stratagems and the aid of the special Holy gifts. For eighteen years while Hamza is away in Mount Qaf, Amr leads his army and protects his betrothed Meher-Nigar by outsmarting one castellan after another, taking refuge in the captured castle and evading the army sent to vanquish them by the ever fickle and pathetic Persian King Naushervan, led by his inept sons Hurmuz and Framurz and advised by the diabolical Bakhtak and at times his devilish son Bakhtiarak. In all of literature there is no character like Amer Ayyar.
Ghalib Lakhnavi's 1855 classic is of course his condensation of an oral epic said to run into over 40 volumes adding up to over 50,000 pages - traditionally narrated by professional storytellers and transferred from generation to generation. His language is absolutely delightful and such an amazing amalgamation of Arabic, Persian and Hindustani - giving a flavor of all three as well as creating something new. It is fascinating to see how women of the court are named and described through Persian styles and terms and yet when they converse they appear to be Lakhnawi ladies. The adventures also span a landscape that stretches from Arabia and Iran all the way to Sirandip or Sri Lanka and Hamza's closest allies and friends demonstrate this diversity - the gallant and mighty Khusro-e-Hind Landhoor from Sri Lanka, the steadfast and courageous Khaqan-e-Cheen Bahram Gard from China, the enormous glutton Aadi Pehelwan who is of Arab stock, and so many more. Then there is Hamza's other childhood friend the master archer Muqbil Wafadar and the saintly sage and astrologer Buzurjmehr who has always overseen Hamza's welfare and worked wonders for him - a precursor to all future Gandalfs - and so many additional strong characters that make the narrative compelling. The women are essentially in secondary roles but it would be unfair to ignore what strong leaders and warriors are Hamza's spouse in Kaf from the fairy folk Queen Aasman Pari, their daughter Quraisha, the mysterious masked orange clad warrior par excellence called Naqabdar Naranji Posh who comes to Amar's army's aid with her troops every time they are in trouble, amongst others.
Djinns, Ifrits, Devs, Ghouls, and Perizads are the dwellers of Mount Qaf where Hamza vanquishes one demon after another and unravels many a Tilism. At the same time, he is thwarted in his every attempt to return home by the jealously possessive Aasman Pari. So we have two parallel stories continue with hamza taking on the fantastical creatures of Kaf while Amar facing up to more conventional ones back in the deserts, wildernesses, castle towns and jungles of Arabia and Iran. Of course when at a later stage in the Dastan Amar follows a lost Prince to another realm - that of Tilism-e-Hoshruba- that in turn leads to an entirely new Dastaan where magic plays a prominent role and sorcery and necromancy can be countered largely by Amar and his tricksters and sorcery coming to the aid of him and his men. That delightful Dastan has its own unique flavor and is considered by many as the most lustrous gem in the Crown of the Amir Hamza epic.
It is remarkable to see how Dastan-e-Amir Hamza marries history, myth and fantasy and makes use of poetic license, exaggeration and outright fabrication of events a mere couple of hundred years ago that would be unimaginable today - of course these germinate from many centuries earlier when this cycle of stories was first told. It is refreshing to see the more relaxed attitudes towards many themes - something rather surprising if seen from the vantage point of this age of hardened attitudes. The conventional gaze would find many flaws in the story in terms of technique - its repetitiousness, predictability of certain events, the uni-dimensionality of certain characters, the stereotypes of gender and at times races, the othering of the non-believers and plenty more - but it is unfair and always a mistake to view such works purely from these contemporary lenses. At its heart it is a classic tussle between good and evil, justice and injustice, benevolent rule and tyranny and truth and perfidy and Amir Hamza is not just built, presented and extolled as the ultimate warrior but also a superior human with multiple glowing qualities.
I need to mention again that Ghalib Lakhnavi's language is simply exquisite. One realizes the richness of Urdu and how many possibilities it offers for the expression of the same idea or phenomenon and nuances thereof. The book is full of wit and often light-hearted and also celebrates the romantic and amorous. Fair damsels in wondrous walled gardens in the middle of a wilderness are more numerous than one thought and an exchange of fond glances can soon lead to the marriage contract. I thought often how fortunate one was to know and appreciate this grand and majestic language and how the epic is lent so much of its charm and quality by the language itself. There is admittedly repetition as is the case in most dastaans but Ghalib Lakhnavi moves at a fair clip, often summarizes and ensures steady flow - at times the pace is actually too fast. But despite the occasional ornate descriptions the story is largely told engagingly and with great style and flair - many descriptive passages such as the ones that describes the varying moods of the heroes and the cowards in the army camps on the eve of the battles are absolutely brilliant.
This is a book I shall keep going back to just for the beauty of its language. Introduced to it through the children's version when I was young and having read Musharraf Ali Farooqi's very accomplished translation, the Ghalib Lakhnavi original brought about great nostalgia but also a new and sublime reading experience.
I find this a common feature in the great classics. That they can be crystalized in a moment. And that moment can be relived again and again. Whether it is the Gentleman of La Mancha on his loyal steed, looking on at dusty road, awaiting the next foe to take on and prove his chivalry to the fair Dulcinea del Toboso. Or noble Odysseus staring at the wine-red sea in despair and wondering if he will ever return to rocky Ithaca and his loyal Penelope. So does one imagine Amir Hamza, a steely resolve in his eyes as he confronts ferocious man or dev, his matchless steeds Siah Qeetas or Ashqar Deozad by his side, as he listens patiently to his opponents taunts before putting an end to all the noise with a deft single stroke of his sword. These eternal protagonists perpetually going through the heroic episodes of their epic lives.
Depending on where you open the book the other usual sight is that of his bosom body and the unparalleled King of Tricksters Amar Ayyar - him of the strange appearance and garb, multiplicity of gadgets and tools of trade, unsurpassable speed, outstanding wit and unquenchable greed, more resourcefulness than a kingdom full of inventors, greater cunning than a skulk of foxes, more melodious than any diva born or dead, and of course amongst other things, owner of the Zambil or the magical satchel that can swallow up the weath of entire courtrooms and offer them up again when needed. While Amir Hamza is an archetypical hero, an Islamic Odysseus with some distinctive features, and conventional in his high character, dignity and code of chivalry, Amar is remarkably unique. Full of paradoxes one what is consistent about him is his loyalty and devotion for Amir Hamza and the will to fight for his cause. In a world of gigantic men, fearsome warriors and the occasional magic, he survives - nay he dominates - by his wits, his skills, his stratagems and the aid of the special Holy gifts. For eighteen years while Hamza is away in Mount Qaf, Amr leads his army and protects his betrothed Meher-Nigar by outsmarting one castellan after another, taking refuge in the captured castle and evading the army sent to vanquish them by the ever fickle and pathetic Persian King Naushervan, led by his inept sons Hurmuz and Framurz and advised by the diabolical Bakhtak and at times his devilish son Bakhtiarak. In all of literature there is no character like Amer Ayyar.
Ghalib Lakhnavi's 1855 classic is of course his condensation of an oral epic said to run into over 40 volumes adding up to over 50,000 pages - traditionally narrated by professional storytellers and transferred from generation to generation. His language is absolutely delightful and such an amazing amalgamation of Arabic, Persian and Hindustani - giving a flavor of all three as well as creating something new. It is fascinating to see how women of the court are named and described through Persian styles and terms and yet when they converse they appear to be Lakhnawi ladies. The adventures also span a landscape that stretches from Arabia and Iran all the way to Sirandip or Sri Lanka and Hamza's closest allies and friends demonstrate this diversity - the gallant and mighty Khusro-e-Hind Landhoor from Sri Lanka, the steadfast and courageous Khaqan-e-Cheen Bahram Gard from China, the enormous glutton Aadi Pehelwan who is of Arab stock, and so many more. Then there is Hamza's other childhood friend the master archer Muqbil Wafadar and the saintly sage and astrologer Buzurjmehr who has always overseen Hamza's welfare and worked wonders for him - a precursor to all future Gandalfs - and so many additional strong characters that make the narrative compelling. The women are essentially in secondary roles but it would be unfair to ignore what strong leaders and warriors are Hamza's spouse in Kaf from the fairy folk Queen Aasman Pari, their daughter Quraisha, the mysterious masked orange clad warrior par excellence called Naqabdar Naranji Posh who comes to Amar's army's aid with her troops every time they are in trouble, amongst others.
Djinns, Ifrits, Devs, Ghouls, and Perizads are the dwellers of Mount Qaf where Hamza vanquishes one demon after another and unravels many a Tilism. At the same time, he is thwarted in his every attempt to return home by the jealously possessive Aasman Pari. So we have two parallel stories continue with hamza taking on the fantastical creatures of Kaf while Amar facing up to more conventional ones back in the deserts, wildernesses, castle towns and jungles of Arabia and Iran. Of course when at a later stage in the Dastan Amar follows a lost Prince to another realm - that of Tilism-e-Hoshruba- that in turn leads to an entirely new Dastaan where magic plays a prominent role and sorcery and necromancy can be countered largely by Amar and his tricksters and sorcery coming to the aid of him and his men. That delightful Dastan has its own unique flavor and is considered by many as the most lustrous gem in the Crown of the Amir Hamza epic.
It is remarkable to see how Dastan-e-Amir Hamza marries history, myth and fantasy and makes use of poetic license, exaggeration and outright fabrication of events a mere couple of hundred years ago that would be unimaginable today - of course these germinate from many centuries earlier when this cycle of stories was first told. It is refreshing to see the more relaxed attitudes towards many themes - something rather surprising if seen from the vantage point of this age of hardened attitudes. The conventional gaze would find many flaws in the story in terms of technique - its repetitiousness, predictability of certain events, the uni-dimensionality of certain characters, the stereotypes of gender and at times races, the othering of the non-believers and plenty more - but it is unfair and always a mistake to view such works purely from these contemporary lenses. At its heart it is a classic tussle between good and evil, justice and injustice, benevolent rule and tyranny and truth and perfidy and Amir Hamza is not just built, presented and extolled as the ultimate warrior but also a superior human with multiple glowing qualities.
I need to mention again that Ghalib Lakhnavi's language is simply exquisite. One realizes the richness of Urdu and how many possibilities it offers for the expression of the same idea or phenomenon and nuances thereof. The book is full of wit and often light-hearted and also celebrates the romantic and amorous. Fair damsels in wondrous walled gardens in the middle of a wilderness are more numerous than one thought and an exchange of fond glances can soon lead to the marriage contract. I thought often how fortunate one was to know and appreciate this grand and majestic language and how the epic is lent so much of its charm and quality by the language itself. There is admittedly repetition as is the case in most dastaans but Ghalib Lakhnavi moves at a fair clip, often summarizes and ensures steady flow - at times the pace is actually too fast. But despite the occasional ornate descriptions the story is largely told engagingly and with great style and flair - many descriptive passages such as the ones that describes the varying moods of the heroes and the cowards in the army camps on the eve of the battles are absolutely brilliant.
This is a book I shall keep going back to just for the beauty of its language. Introduced to it through the children's version when I was young and having read Musharraf Ali Farooqi's very accomplished translation, the Ghalib Lakhnavi original brought about great nostalgia but also a new and sublime reading experience.
April 3, 2019
Let's talk about my first experience of reading one of Musharraf Ali Farooqi's translations. It took me 3 weeks to finish this book and a lot of effort to bear the extraneous influences which kept me away from reading and posting reviews. 😒
About the book- Hamzanama or Dastan-e- Amir Hamza
Here is what you should know about the Manuscript:
'Most of the characters of the Hamzanama are fictitious. In the West the work is best known for the enormous illustrated manuscript commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbarin about 1562. The Hamzanama contains 46 volumes and has approximately 48000 pages. It is said that Dastaan Ameer Hamza was written in the era of Mahmud of Ghazni.' Here you go with my review of the book:
This litetary rollicking epic, filled with lyrical resonance, will keep you captivated throughout its chapters. The story is based on a heroic odyssey of Amir Hamza, uncle to prophet Muhammad (SAW), who in rendering services to Noshervan, a Persian emperor, defeats the enemies & converts many infidels to True Faith. In doing so he falls in love with his first love, Mehr Angez, daughter of Nosherwan.
Amir's ordeal starts when he has to stay away from Mehr Angez for 18 years in Qaf and there he becomes espoused to Asman Peri, daughter of king of kings of Qaf, Shahpal. Amir falls in love with many women but his ardour and love for Princess Mehr Angez stays unquestionably true-hearted and indispensable.
Guided by a clairvoyant and his loyal friend and an ingenious trickster Amar, Amir defeats an array of opponents and spreads the True Faith rapidly.
While reading this adventurous tale one can not help but to keep reading in order to unveil the mystery and suspense.
So glad to have this masterpiece on my bookshelf!
About the book- Hamzanama or Dastan-e- Amir Hamza
Here is what you should know about the Manuscript:
'Most of the characters of the Hamzanama are fictitious. In the West the work is best known for the enormous illustrated manuscript commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbarin about 1562. The Hamzanama contains 46 volumes and has approximately 48000 pages. It is said that Dastaan Ameer Hamza was written in the era of Mahmud of Ghazni.' Here you go with my review of the book:
This litetary rollicking epic, filled with lyrical resonance, will keep you captivated throughout its chapters. The story is based on a heroic odyssey of Amir Hamza, uncle to prophet Muhammad (SAW), who in rendering services to Noshervan, a Persian emperor, defeats the enemies & converts many infidels to True Faith. In doing so he falls in love with his first love, Mehr Angez, daughter of Nosherwan.
Amir's ordeal starts when he has to stay away from Mehr Angez for 18 years in Qaf and there he becomes espoused to Asman Peri, daughter of king of kings of Qaf, Shahpal. Amir falls in love with many women but his ardour and love for Princess Mehr Angez stays unquestionably true-hearted and indispensable.
Guided by a clairvoyant and his loyal friend and an ingenious trickster Amar, Amir defeats an array of opponents and spreads the True Faith rapidly.
While reading this adventurous tale one can not help but to keep reading in order to unveil the mystery and suspense.
So glad to have this masterpiece on my bookshelf!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2022
Read almost 5 volumes and believe me it hooks you good. Whenever you wanna venture on an adventurous journey into the unknown, can consider this as an option.
January 17, 2023
Fictionalized adventures of an Arab super hero from 6th century, translated into Urdu, probably summarized from 52 volumes of the original story. It is so beautiful to read and imagine the exaggerations of events, characters of people, beauty of a person by a mile long list of adverbs and pronouns.
Surely a different style of writing as compared to the current era. So many repetitive themes but all add up to the main thread. Age of characters is often amusing, or probably the method of calculating age of characters in folktales is different. A nine year having maturity and skills of a 20 year old, is probably different scale of calculations.
Surely a different style of writing as compared to the current era. So many repetitive themes but all add up to the main thread. Age of characters is often amusing, or probably the method of calculating age of characters in folktales is different. A nine year having maturity and skills of a 20 year old, is probably different scale of calculations.
September 22, 2015
Might have been fun if I read it in my early teens. But wait - no, not really. *Just being honest*
Read
February 20, 2018Language very difficult. Need to be read at complete leisure with no distraction
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews