Fasahat Lucknowi

Lucknow's classical voice — the son of Inder Sabha's author, and eloquence itself. Fasahat Lucknowi (1857–1930), born Syed Abbas Hasan in Lucknow in 1857, was a representative of Lucknow's classical poetic tradition — and the elder son of the man who made Lucknow's name in Urdu letters. His father, Agha Hasan Amanat, wrote Inder Sabha, the first stage play in Urdu, and died in 1858, when Fasahat was still a small child. His upbringing and education were taken up by his elder brother, Syed Hasan Latafat, in whose literary company his own gift for verse was refined. In a short time he made his name as a poet of originality, refined and elegant language, and strong craftsmanship — the delicacy, vibrancy and subtle elegance of Lucknow's literary culture, kept alive in his ghazals. His poetry was first published under various names, so few readers knew it was his; it was later gathered and arranged as Diwan-e-Fasahat, with a preface by Abdul Halim Sharar and tributes from his contemporaries and students. He had a considerable circle of disciples, and he is counted among the prominent poets of his era. He died in Lucknow in 1930.