Autobiographical accounts of legendary literary figure...
[lefrt]Autobiographical accounts of legendary literary figure Abdul Akbar Khan Akbar (1899-1977) publishedTuesday, 08 September 2009
By Sher Alam Shinwari
PESHAWAR: Abdul Akbar Khan born at village Utmanzai, district Charsadda in 1899 a reputed freedom fighter, poet and popular proponent of Khuhdai Khidmatgar Tehrik received his early education at his village Maktab and then sent to Islamia School Peshawar city in 1906. He did his matriculation from Islamia Collegiate School, Peshawar in 1916. Akbar took admission to Islamia College Peshawar but 1917 proved a landmark in his life, his father passed away, Red revolution took place in Russia, Germany lost the war and Ottoman Empire fell apart, all these events cast indelible marks on his mind.
Once Prof Day a Bengali teacher in Islamia Collage taunted him to publish something in his own mother tongue which forced Akbar to bring out a Pashto journal Warz (Day) in 1919. Being a curious student he switched over to Jamia millia Delhi, there he worked for the cause of independence, after receiving honorary degrees he came back to his native village to mobilize Pashtuns against the British raj.
On his return from Delhi, Abdul Akbar Khan joined the grand Hijrat movement to Afghanistan where he stayed with Bacha Khan and few others in a rented room in Kabul. He made contacts with Maulana Obaidullah Sindhi and many other great scholars and journalists who were fighting against the British raj. From Kabul he along with some other prominent Indian freedom fighters travelled to Russian Turkistan and penned down an eventful account of his journey in Pashto.
He suffered imprisonment many a times for his radical views. He wanted Pashtuns to prosperous and get freedom from the British slavery. In addition to being a staunch political activist Abdul Akbar Khan was a prolific writer. He was the first playwright to write the first Pashto stage drama titled ‘ Dray Yatemaan- three orphans’ in 1924 in which late Khan Abdul Wali Khan and Abdul Ghani Khan played two of the orphans. Wali Khan acted so perfectly well that an old man from the audience came up to the stage and patted him on his back while still wiping his tears, he offered two rupees to young Wali Khan consoling him “ Don’t be so distressed son! Take flour for yourself with this money” One can imagine the value of two rupees in the early 1930s.
He and Fazal Mahmood Makhfi are considered the pioneer of revolutionary poetry in Pashto. Maskhfi sahib was the teacher of Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan. Both changed the course of Pashto poetry and ignited the spirit of freedom in Pashto literature. Akbar’s poetry is simple, fluent and picturesque writes Dr Fazal Rahim Marwat. Inspired by Bolshevik revolution Abdul Akbar Khan Akbar introduced new ideas in Pashtun politics and literature after he returned from Moscow.
He served as General Secretary and President of Anjuman-e- Islahul Afghani in 1923 and 1929 respectively for his humanism and patriotism. Author of several books Akbar Khan was a great luminary who broke the traditional barriers of feudalism and tribalism despite being landed gentry himself. He preferred pen to sword, as he was responsible for pushing forward progressive ideas in Pashto literature.
He immensely contributed to Pashto literature. Abaseen Yousafzai should be credited for taking pains to go through this present very important autobiographical accounts of Abdul Akbar Khan Akbar published under the auspices of Colonel Lieutenant (retd) Sher Shah. The book is a revealing account of the legendary Khan who truthfully describes the share of Pashtuns in the freedom of the Indo-Pak from the British raj. He has picked up those events that closely related to his life .The subtitle of the book suggests that events are a first hand knowledge gathered through his personal observations and experiences. Abdul Akbar Khan Akbar had passed away in October 19 77 at the age of 78.
Book: Da Bar-e-Sagheer- Pak-o- hind Pa Azadeey Ke Da Pukhtanu Barkhah (Share of Pashtuns in the liberation of Indo-Pak.
Zama Da Zsuand Sara Tarali Halaat (Events related to my life)
Author: Abdul Akbar Khan Akbar
Pp380Price Rs without hardcover 300
University Publishers, Afghan Market Qissa Khwani Bazar Peshawr
- Pakhtun E-Magazin, The Khyberwatch - 
بېرته شاته
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