For language as vital and as spread in the subcontinent of India and Pakistan – now also in so many parts of the world – Urdu has had surprisingly little exposure.

Written by experts for the general reader, this short book explains why Urdu literature continues to exert its special fascination for those who can enjoy its beauties in the original. Those unable to do so will now find a vivid description of the rich heritage of poetry first created in the declining years of the Mughal empire, which was adapted to meet the challenge posed by the British Raj, then transformed to express the people’s aspirations during the fight for independence and its aftermath.

This major literature at last receives the concise and vigorous treatment in English it has long deserved. The authors hope it will prove as enjoyable to read as it was to write.

David Matthews was formerly Senior Lecturer in Urdu and Nepali at the school of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He has published a number of works relating to Urdu literature, including many translations of significant classical Urdu works. One of his major interests has been the poetry of the Deccan .

Christopher Shackle is Professor of the Modern Languages of South Asia at the School of Oriental and African Studies, university of London. In addition to studies of various aspects of Urdu Literature, he had published a number of works on the Sikhs and their scriptures, and on the regional languages and literatures of Pakistan.

Shahrukh Husain has long and varied journalistic experience, and has written several books on aspects of both European and Asian culture. Coming from a prominent South Asian background, she maintains a particular interest in the Urdu poetry of the twentieth century.