Akbar Allahabadi – The Fearless Poet And A Gem To The Crown Of Allahabad

Akbar Allahabadi was a fearless poet and a gem to the crown of Allahabad. He has been an inspiring poet and his piece of work is inspiring people since ages . He had seen the political movement in British India with his sharp eyes . Even after the ban of being a government official , what he wrote was not only impeccable act but also it was unthinkable for other poets.

Syed Hussain Akbar Allahabadi was born on 16^th November 1846 in Bara village . His ancestors came from Naishapur ,Iran. His great grandfather was a subedar in the army. His grandfather Syed Fazal Mahmood was a great scholar. He was given a jagir by the Nawab of Awadh , Asaf -Ud – Daula. The father of Akbar Allahabadi was Syed Tafazzul Hussain Naib Tehsildar.

He left the world in 1888. His mother was from Gaya district of Bihar. Akbar’s early education took place at the Jamuna Mission School in Allahabad. In 1859 he left the school.

He was fond of reading and writing since childhood . He mastered himself on his own to read ,write and speak English . Akbar wandered to a great extent in search of a job . During the construction of Gaughat bridge , he was appointed as the scribe of the measurement of stones ,  not only here, he has also worked in railway in the goods warehouse and he has also worked in court for a few days. It is also been said that he was youngest among all the candidates. Once his application written on a small paper went missing , so the next day he brought the application on a very large paper.

He later got a job as a copywriter . He left this job too soon. In 1867 he became Naib Tehsildar. He resigned  from it and later worked in the High Court as ‘Misilkhwan’. After passing the examination of advocacy in 1873 he practiced in Allahabad , Agra and Gonda for seven years. He became Munsif in 1880 . His hard work paid him off as he reached the post of District Judge .

On the retirement of Justice Aikman’s , Akbar Allahabadi was also decided to be a Judge in High Court , but only then his eyesight began to decline and that became the reason of his early retirement. After that he took his pension before time and went to his majestic mansion “Ishrat Manzil” behind the police station. He left for his heavenly abode on 9^th September 1921 at the age of 75. His only son was Ishrat Hussain who retired from the post of District Judge . He died around 1950 . Akbar Allahabadi’s last rites were performed in the “Kaladanda” cemetery. His two grandson Aqeel and Muslim went to Pakistan.

“Kulliyate Akbar’’ was published in three volumes during the life time of Akbar Allahabadi. The fourth volume was published from Karachi in 1946. Many books were written on him in which the books of Syed Talib Ali , Paras Nath Sinha , Syed Ejaz Hussain and Raghuraj Kishore Vatan were prominent . There were false allegations on Akbar Allahabadi for being narrow and reactionary. He accentuated biggest political personalities and the social system. Some of his remarkable verses are –

मजहबी बहस मैंने की ही नहीं, फालतू अक्ल मुझमें थी ही नहीं।

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है यही बेहतर अलीगढ़ जाके सैयद से कहूँ,

मुझसे चंदा लीजिये, मुझको मुसलमां कीजिये ।

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हो मुबारक हुजूर को गांधी, ऐसे दुश्मन नसीब हैं किसको, कि पिटें खूब और सर न उठायें, और खिसक जायें जब कहें खिसको ॥

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इंकलाब आया, नई दुनिया, नया हंगामा है,

शाहनामा हो चुका अब वक्ते गांधीनामा है।

दुनिया न अब दुरुस्त है कायम न दीन है, जर की तलब में शेख भी कौड़ी का तीन है।

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फरमा गये हैं ये खूब भाई घूरन,  दुनिया रोटी है और मजहब चूरन ।

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चोर के भाई गिरहकट तो सुना करते थे, अब ये सुनते हैं एडीटर के बिरादर लीडर।

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जहाँ तुम्हारे दर्शन हों वहीं धूनी रमाऊँगा, इलाहाबाद का कैदी न पाबन्दे बनारस हूँ ।

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यह गलत है कि मुल्के इस्लाम है हिन्द

यह झूठ कि मुल्के लक्षमन-ओ-राम है हिन्द ।

हम सब हैं मुती ओ खैरख्वाहे इंग्लिश,

योरप के लिये बस एक गोदाम है हिन्द ॥

After the demise of his beloved son Hashim in 1903 , Akbar restrained himself but joking became his nature . Around 1920 , he hosted Nasiri, Professor of Arabic and Persian at Mayur Central College , at his home. In response to the invitations Professor Nasiri said that he was suffering from dysentery , so he would not be able to attend the feast . Akbar replied to him by saying “you will have something , have it at my place . I will call people of your own interest.

In the evening when Prof. Nasiri reached Akbar’s house , he saw different types of people were present there . Seeing him surprised Akbar laughed and said – “These people are of your community and they are part of feast. I have enquired from most of the doctors of city about the patients suffering from dysentery and I have collected them here for feast. They will help you out in all possible way. Prof. Nasiri was forced to laugh then.

Akbar Allahabadi has turn the heads of people of his time and  he has left a deep impact on the people even today.