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THE HISTORY TEACHER OF LAHORE - A NOVEL
From Sialkot to Lahore, Arif Ali makes the journey to realize his dream of being
a history teacher. In Lahore, his life is upended by dramatic events unfolding in
light of a General wielding far-right power after the ruthless assassination of a
Prime Minister. As a teacher, he resists the decree to teach a false history, and as
a poet, articulates his emotions on unrequited love and the turbulent political
atmosphere.
Arif’s impotent rage towards the increasing religious intolerance around
him compels him to join Kamal and Nadira in their cloak-and-dagger acts of
resistance. And, while he presciently awaits the dreaded storm of sectarian
violence to break, in the wake of the General’s legacy of a brutal military rule,
he finds love that hitherto he could only imagine through Urdu poetry.
With Roohi by his side, Arif finds his muse, but watches with deep frustration
the public floggings, persecution of minorities, and the societal divide created
by increasing fundamentalism. When a student in his class is falsely accused
of blasphemy, he decides to save him from being arrested and embarks on a
dangerous mission that lands him in the middle of sectarian clashes. Will he
succeed in saving the boy and making it out alive, to live the life he dreamt of as
a history teacher in Lahore?
Tahira Naqvi recreates Lahore of the 1980s in this moving political novel,
showing eloquently the struggle between a besieged democracy on the one hand
and thriving cultural traditions of Urdu poetry on the other.
a history teacher. In Lahore, his life is upended by dramatic events unfolding in
light of a General wielding far-right power after the ruthless assassination of a
Prime Minister. As a teacher, he resists the decree to teach a false history, and as
a poet, articulates his emotions on unrequited love and the turbulent political
atmosphere.
Arif’s impotent rage towards the increasing religious intolerance around
him compels him to join Kamal and Nadira in their cloak-and-dagger acts of
resistance. And, while he presciently awaits the dreaded storm of sectarian
violence to break, in the wake of the General’s legacy of a brutal military rule,
he finds love that hitherto he could only imagine through Urdu poetry.
With Roohi by his side, Arif finds his muse, but watches with deep frustration
the public floggings, persecution of minorities, and the societal divide created
by increasing fundamentalism. When a student in his class is falsely accused
of blasphemy, he decides to save him from being arrested and embarks on a
dangerous mission that lands him in the middle of sectarian clashes. Will he
succeed in saving the boy and making it out alive, to live the life he dreamt of as
a history teacher in Lahore?
Tahira Naqvi recreates Lahore of the 1980s in this moving political novel,
showing eloquently the struggle between a besieged democracy on the one hand
and thriving cultural traditions of Urdu poetry on the other.
293 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 27, 2024
While searching for more translations of Tahira Naqvi, I discovered that she has also written a novel. This one, 'The History Teacher of Lahore'. I was so excited and couldn't resist getting it.
Arif is a history teacher in a school in Lahore. It is the '80s, the general is in power, and things are hard for the people. People are persecuted by the government if someone complains against them. Arif bumps into an old friend, with whom he has lost touch, who was like a mentor to him. This friend does underground stuff which helps in saving innocent people who are persecuted, but because of this the law is always pursuing him. What happens after this – how Arif's teaching goes at school, how his colleagues react to the political situation, how he collaborates with his friend to save innocent people and how by doing that he risks his own life, how a beautiful woman walks into his life and what happens between them – all these form the rest of the story.
The book brings back the Lahore of the '80s and '90s alive. It is beautiful, and we can feel the spirit of the city, see the scenes, hear the sounds, experience the smells. One of the beautiful parts of the book is the poetry. Arif writes Urdu poems and he shares it with friends. Sometimes they ask him to recite them and he does that. Some of the other characters quote poetry to describe a situation, especially during tense moments, and it is charming and beautiful. The author Tahira Naqvi says that she has used her dad's poems in the book – she has taken the original Urdu poems and has translated them into English and made them into Arif's poems. I loved that story. Wish the author had included the original Urdu versions too. Would have loved to read them.
Another of the beautiful parts of the book is this. There is a delicate love story woven into the book. (There are actually two love stories, but if you read the book, you'll know which one I'm talking about.) It starts very beautifully and the way it progresses, and how the two lovers try to keep the delicate flame burning and what happens when the outside world threatens it in real and imaginary ways – this is all so beautifully described. This was one of my favourite parts of the book. I hoped and prayed that the two lovers get together in the end. I'm not going to tell you what happened. You have to read the book to find out.
I loved most of the characters in the book. Arif, his mentor Kamal, his friend Salman, then the wonderful Roohi, Zehra, Nadira. I loved them all. Roohi was one of the most beautiful characters in the story. Nadira was one of the most fascinating characters in the story. The author gives us clues to her mysterious past, but I feel that she deserves a book of her own.
One more thing I loved about the book was the cover. So beautiful, isn't it?
I loved 'The History Teacher of Lahore'. It is one of my favourite reads of the year. These days, translators, after a while, write their own novels. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Tahira Naqvi is a veteran translator and she has been translating Urdu works into English for many years. She has single-handedly managed to put the works of Ismat Chughtai into the hands of a wider reading audience through her translations. So I wondered how her own first novel would be. I needn't have worried. It was beautiful and exceptional. I hope this is not just a one-off effort, that Tahira Naqvi did for fun. I hope she writes more novels. I'd love to read them. As the old saying goes, 'Dil Maange More' ('The heart demands more').
Have you read 'The History Teacher of Lahore'? What to you think about it?
Arif is a history teacher in a school in Lahore. It is the '80s, the general is in power, and things are hard for the people. People are persecuted by the government if someone complains against them. Arif bumps into an old friend, with whom he has lost touch, who was like a mentor to him. This friend does underground stuff which helps in saving innocent people who are persecuted, but because of this the law is always pursuing him. What happens after this – how Arif's teaching goes at school, how his colleagues react to the political situation, how he collaborates with his friend to save innocent people and how by doing that he risks his own life, how a beautiful woman walks into his life and what happens between them – all these form the rest of the story.
The book brings back the Lahore of the '80s and '90s alive. It is beautiful, and we can feel the spirit of the city, see the scenes, hear the sounds, experience the smells. One of the beautiful parts of the book is the poetry. Arif writes Urdu poems and he shares it with friends. Sometimes they ask him to recite them and he does that. Some of the other characters quote poetry to describe a situation, especially during tense moments, and it is charming and beautiful. The author Tahira Naqvi says that she has used her dad's poems in the book – she has taken the original Urdu poems and has translated them into English and made them into Arif's poems. I loved that story. Wish the author had included the original Urdu versions too. Would have loved to read them.
Another of the beautiful parts of the book is this. There is a delicate love story woven into the book. (There are actually two love stories, but if you read the book, you'll know which one I'm talking about.) It starts very beautifully and the way it progresses, and how the two lovers try to keep the delicate flame burning and what happens when the outside world threatens it in real and imaginary ways – this is all so beautifully described. This was one of my favourite parts of the book. I hoped and prayed that the two lovers get together in the end. I'm not going to tell you what happened. You have to read the book to find out.
I loved most of the characters in the book. Arif, his mentor Kamal, his friend Salman, then the wonderful Roohi, Zehra, Nadira. I loved them all. Roohi was one of the most beautiful characters in the story. Nadira was one of the most fascinating characters in the story. The author gives us clues to her mysterious past, but I feel that she deserves a book of her own.
One more thing I loved about the book was the cover. So beautiful, isn't it?
I loved 'The History Teacher of Lahore'. It is one of my favourite reads of the year. These days, translators, after a while, write their own novels. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Tahira Naqvi is a veteran translator and she has been translating Urdu works into English for many years. She has single-handedly managed to put the works of Ismat Chughtai into the hands of a wider reading audience through her translations. So I wondered how her own first novel would be. I needn't have worried. It was beautiful and exceptional. I hope this is not just a one-off effort, that Tahira Naqvi did for fun. I hope she writes more novels. I'd love to read them. As the old saying goes, 'Dil Maange More' ('The heart demands more').
Have you read 'The History Teacher of Lahore'? What to you think about it?
May 5, 2025
Tahira Naqvi’s debut novel is a poignant tapestry of political turmoil, poetic beauty and human resilience. The plot is set against the backdrop of 1980s Pakistan. Arif Ali, an idealistic history teacher and aspiring poet navigates life in a Lahore stifled by authoritarian rule. Forced to teach sanitized versions of history Arif’s quiet rebellion takes shape through his efforts to rescue persecuted innocents.
The author’s prose breathes life into Lahore’s streets evoking the city’s vibrant culture and simmering tensions with vivid sensory detail. The narrative is enriched by Urdu poetry translated from her father’s original verses. A tender, secretive romance with Roohi conducted through letters adds emotional depth. The secondary characters like the resilient Nadira and pragmatic Salman illuminate the era’s sectarian divides and ideological clashes.
The novel deftly critiques the rise of religious extremism, juxtaposing Lahore’s artistic soul against state-sanctioned oppression. Each chapter opens with thought-provoking epigraphs underscoring themes of resistance and existential struggle. While the story culminates in tragedy, it leaves a lingering tribute to courage and the enduring power of art.
Overall, the novel is not just a political drama but a love letter to a city and its people. A must read for those drawn to layered historical fiction. A stellar debut that promises more brilliance to come.
The author’s prose breathes life into Lahore’s streets evoking the city’s vibrant culture and simmering tensions with vivid sensory detail. The narrative is enriched by Urdu poetry translated from her father’s original verses. A tender, secretive romance with Roohi conducted through letters adds emotional depth. The secondary characters like the resilient Nadira and pragmatic Salman illuminate the era’s sectarian divides and ideological clashes.
The novel deftly critiques the rise of religious extremism, juxtaposing Lahore’s artistic soul against state-sanctioned oppression. Each chapter opens with thought-provoking epigraphs underscoring themes of resistance and existential struggle. While the story culminates in tragedy, it leaves a lingering tribute to courage and the enduring power of art.
Overall, the novel is not just a political drama but a love letter to a city and its people. A must read for those drawn to layered historical fiction. A stellar debut that promises more brilliance to come.
September 2, 2025
The History Teacher Of Lahore is set in a time when Pakistan was under a dictatorship and religious extremism was rising. The protagonist, Arif Ali, the history teacher, is torn between living his life and staying true to his principles. He sees the change in the fabric of society brought on by the strict emphasis on Sharia laws and the misuse of blasphemy laws. He knows what is happening is morally wrong, but unfortunately, he lacks the resources and the power to do more than token protests. Though the book is a slow read, but one cannot help but draw a parallel between the book and India of current times. The whole issue of supremacy of one type of religion can sow discord and rend the fabric of a nation. The politicians do it for their gain, and the brainwashed people, unfortunately, cannot see the damage until it is too late.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews