Maulvi Abdul Haq
| Maulvi Abdul Haq | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 April 1870 Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, now India |
| Died | 16 August 1961 Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Occupation | Researcher, scholar and a literary critic |
| Era | 20th century |
| Known for | Compiling a Standard English-Urdu Dictionary and a lifetime dedication to the promotion of Urdu language |
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Maulvi Abdul Haq (Urdu: مولوی عبد الحق) (20 April 1870 – 16 August 1961) was a scholar and a linguist, who is also regarded as Baba-e-Urdu (Urdu: بابائے اردو) (Father of Urdu). Amir Khusrow (1253-1325) was one of the earliest and the most eminent poets to use Urdu language in poetry. Maulvi Abdul Haq is often called the father of the Urdu language. Abdul Haq was a champion of the Urdu language and the demand for it to be made the national language of Pakistan.
Abdul Haq was born on 20 April 1870 in Hapur city in Meerut district (now Hapur district, Uttar Pradesh) in India. He developed an affinity for the Urdu, Deccani, Persian and Arabic languages. He obtained a B.A. degree from Aligarh Muslim University in 1894 where he was in the company of some upcoming politicians/ scholars of that time including, Shibli Nomani, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Ross Masood, Mohsin-ul-Mulk, Syed Mahmood, Professor T. W. Arnold, and Babu Mukharjee. After graduation, Abdul Haq went to Hyderabad Deccan and dedicated himself to learning, teaching, translating and upgrading Urdu. Abdul Haq was deeply influenced by Sir Syed's political and social views, and, following his wishes, learned English and scientific subjects. Like Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Abdul Haq saw Urdu as a major cultural and political influence on the life and identity of the Muslims of India. He founded the Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Urdu in 1903 in Aligarh. Professor Arnold became its first president and Shibli Nomani the first secretary. Abdul Haq joined the Indian Civil Service under the British Raj, and worked as a chief translator at the Home Department in Delhi, before being appointed as the provincial inspector of schools at Aurangabad in the then called Central Provinces. In the same year, he was appointed secretary of the All India Muhammadan Educational Conference, which had been founded by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in 1886 for the promotion of education and intellectualism in Muslim society. He became Principal of Osmania College (Aurangabad) and retired from that position in 1930.
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