Imtiaz Ali Taj facts for kids

Anarkali as she was shown on the cover of Imtiaz Ali Taj's book in 1922

Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj (Urdu: سیّد امتیاز علی تاؔج; Sayyid Imtiyāz ʿAlī Tāj; 1900–1970) was a famous writer from Pakistan. He wrote plays in the Urdu language. He is best known for his play Anarkali, written in 1922. This play was performed many times. It was also made into popular movies in India and Pakistan, like the Indian film Mughal-e-Azam (1960).

About Imtiaz Ali Taj

Syed Imtiaz Ali was born in Lahore on October 13, 1900. At that time, Lahore was part of India. His father, Sayyid Mumtaz Ali, was also a well-known writer. People called his father Shams-ul-Ulema, which means "Sun of the Scholars". This was because his father helped a lot to start Urdu plays. Imtiaz's mother, Muhammadi Begum, lovingly called him 'Mera Taj', meaning 'my crown'.

His family moved to Lahore after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 in Delhi. When Imtiaz started writing, he chose the name "Taj". As a student, he showed great writing talent. He translated and directed many English plays. Sometimes, he even acted in female roles. This was at a time when girls were not allowed to act on stage.

After finishing his studies, he first worked at his father's publishing company. It was called Dar-ul-Ishaat Punjab, which means "Punjab publishing house".

His Early Writings

Imtiaz Ali Taj also wrote for children's magazines. He contributed to Phool, which his father started in 1909. He also wrote for Tahzeeb-e-Niswan, a magazine for women. He worked with other famous writers like Ghulam Abbas Ahmed.

He also helped start a literary magazine called Kehkashan. Besides his own plays, he translated many of Shakespeare's plays into Urdu. One example is A Midsummer Night's Dream, which he called Sawan Rain Ka Sapna. His most famous original plays are Anarkali and Chacha Chakkan. People still perform these plays today.

The Story of Anarkali

Anarkali is a romantic play written in 1922. It is based on an old legend. The story is about a beautiful slave girl named Anarkali. She falls in love with Prince Salim. But their love story has a sad ending.

Anarkali's real name was Nadira Begum or Sharf-un-Nissa. She came to Lahore from Iran when she was young. The Mughal Emperor Akbar gave her the name 'Anarkali'. This means 'Bud of Pomegranate' because she was very beautiful.

It is interesting that Emperor Jahangir (Akbar's son) never wrote about Anarkali in his own book. Other historians of that time also did not mention their love story. This might be because they feared Emperor Akbar. But the sad love story became a popular folktale among people.

The first mention of Anarkali in history comes from a British traveler. His name was William Finch (merchant). He visited Lahore between 1608 and 1611. Finch wrote that Anarkali was one of Emperor Akbar's wives. He said Akbar suspected she was also in love with his son Jahangir. Because of this, Akbar had her buried alive in a wall in Lahore Fort in 1599. Finch also wrote that Emperor Jahangir built a tomb for Anarkali in Lahore in 1615. This was after his father died and he became emperor.

Imtiaz Ali Taj's play Anarkali (published in 1922) was very important for Urdu plays. It made the tragic love story famous in Urdu literature. He changed the play in 1930. This new version was written in a popular modern style. It became the basis for many films in India and Pakistan.

Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore

Whether the Anarkali story is true or not, it is very famous in Pakistan and India. The popular Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore is named after her. Her tomb in Lahore also suggests she existed.

Imtiaz Ali Taj helped connect older playwrights like Agha Hashar Kashmiri with new Pakistani writers. Agha Hashar was known as the "Shakespeare of India". Taj was one of the first writers in a group that influenced theater in cities like Bombay and Calcutta. After Agha Hashar, Taj was seen as the best playwright of his time.

Anarkali Films

The film Anarkali (1953) was based on Taj's play. It had a sad ending, just like his play. Later, the play was used for the very successful Indian film Mughal-e-Azam (1960). In this film, the story had a different, happy ending. Emperor Akbar finally showed kindness to Anarkali.

Imtiaz Ali Taj said that the film was not historically accurate. But he still gave some historical facts in his book. In his 1931 book, he mentioned Anarkali's existence during the time of Emperor Akbar (1556–1605). He also mentioned his son Prince Salim (who later became Emperor Jahangir). Taj also wrote about a Persian poem on Anarkali's tomb in Agra. Prince Salim, who became Emperor Jahangir, dedicated it to her.

The poem says: "Ah! could I behold the face of my love once more, I would give thanks to my God until the day of resurrection."

When Taj wrote Anarkali, he wanted to show something deeper. A critic named Balwant Gargi said Taj wanted to show how strict fathers could be. He showed this through the relationship between Prince Salim and his father, Emperor Akbar. Taj showed their relationship as strong and complex. It had both love and hate.

His Magazine and Other Works

In 1918, Taj also started a monthly magazine called Kahkashan. He owned the publishing company that printed it. Another famous writer, Munshi Premchand, wrote stories for this magazine. Once, Premchand sent an article that was similar to a story Taj was writing. Taj decided to publish Premchand's article instead of his own.

Taj also helped promote the Lahore Arts School. He worked with many other theater artists in Lahore. They promoted arts through a theater and an art gallery.

Chacha Chakan (1926) is another famous work by Imtiaz Ali Taj. It is a funny play for children. It uses humor and satire. Chacha Chakkan is known as the funniest character in Urdu plays. Some say the character is based on Uncle Podger from a book by Jerome K. Jerome.

Imtiaz Ali Taj also wrote short stories, novels, and screenplays for movies. From 1958, he led a translation group called "Majlis". He republished many Urdu literature works through this group. He was also active in theater as an actor and director.

Work at Radio Pakistan

After Pakistan became independent in 1947, he hosted a daily radio show. It was called Pakistan Hamara Hai (Pakistan is ours) on Radio Pakistan. This show was very popular for many years.

His Death

Imtiaz Ali Taj passed away on April 19, 1970. He was murdered in his bed by unknown attackers. His wife, Hijab Imitiaz Ali, was badly hurt when she tried to save him.

Hijab (1908–1999) was also a well-known Urdu poet and writer. She was also the first Muslim woman pilot in India in 1936.

Awards and Recognition

• He received the Pride of Performance Award in 1965. This award was given by the President of Pakistan.
• On October 13, 2001, Pakistan Post released a special postage stamp to honor him. It was part of their 'Men Of Letters' series.