Shaukat Siddiqui facts for kids
Shaukat Siddiqi (Urdu: شوکت صدیقی; born March 20, 1923 – died December 18, 2006) was a famous Pakistani writer. He wrote stories and novels in the Urdu language. Many people know him best for his important novels, Khuda Ki Basti (which means God's Village) and Jangloos.
Early Life and Career
Shaukat Siddiqi was born on March 20, 1923, in Lucknow, which was then part of British India. His family loved reading and writing. He studied in his hometown, earning his first university degree in 1944 and a master's degree in Political Science in 1944.
After the partition of India in 1947, when India and Pakistan became separate countries, he moved to Pakistan in 1950. He first lived in Lahore but soon settled permanently in Karachi. When he first arrived in Pakistan, he faced some money problems and political challenges. However, he worked hard and overcame these difficulties.
Shaukat Siddiqi was an active member of the Pakistan Writers' Guild. He was also part of the Progressive Writers Association, which is a group within the larger Progressive Writers Movement in India and Pakistan. He worked at several newspapers in Karachi, including Times, Pakistan Standard, and Morning News. Later, he became the editor of the Urdu newspapers Daily Anjaam, Weekly Al-Fatah, and Daily Musawat. He stopped working in journalism in 1984.
Literary Works
Shaukat Siddiqi's first short story was called "Kaun Kisi Ka." It appeared in a magazine named Weekly Khayyam in Lahore. In 1952, his first collection of short stories, Teesra Admi, was published and became very popular. He later released more short story collections, including Andhere Dur Andhere (1955), Raaton Ka Shehar (1956), and Keemya Gar (1984).
His most famous work is the novel Khuda Ki Basti (God's Village). This book has been printed over 50 times and translated into 26 different languages! It has also been turned into plays and TV shows many times. A professor from London University, David Mathews, translated it into English.
Other important novels he wrote include Kamin Gah (1956), Jangloos (which came out in three parts, with the first part in 1978), and Char Deewari (1990). Char Deewari tells fictional stories based on his own childhood in Lucknow, India.
There's an interesting story about his novel Jangloos. The first part of Jangloos was published in September 1978. About a year later, a TV drama series called Waaris started airing in December 1979. Many people noticed that the main story and characters of Waaris were very similar to those in Shaukat Siddiqi's novel Jangloos. However, the writer of Waaris, Amjad Islam Amjad, never said that his TV show was based on Shaukat Siddiqi's novel.
List of Works
- Teesra Admi (1952) - A collection of short stories.
- Andhere Dur Andhere (1955) - Another collection of short stories.
- Raaton Ka Shehar (1956) - A collection of short stories.
- Kamingah (1956) - A novel.
- Khuda Ki Basti (1957) - His most famous novel.
- Keemyagar (1984) - A collection of short stories.
- Jangloos (First part published in 1978) - A multi-volume novel.
- Char Deewari (1990) - A novel.
Awards and Recognition
Shaukat Siddiqi received several important awards for his writing:
- The 'Kamal-i-Fun' (Lifetime Achievement) Award in literature in 2003. This is a very high honor given by the Government of Pakistan and the Pakistan Academy of Letters.
- The Adamjee Literary Award in 1960.
Death and Legacy
Shaukat Siddiqi passed away on December 18, 2006, in Karachi. He was 83 years old and died from a heart attack. He left behind his wife, two sons, and three daughters.
Shaukat Siddiqi was known for a special way of writing called "socialist realism." This means he wrote about real-life problems, especially those faced by poor people in cities like Karachi. But he didn't just show sadness; he also tried to inspire his characters to take action and change their lives for the better. He believed in the power of truth and in people's ability to shape their own future, and these ideas guided him throughout his writing career.
