Mirat-ul-Uroos

Mirat-ul-Uroos (Urdu: مراۃ العروس, The bride's mirror) is an Urdu language novel written by Indian author Nazir Ahmad Dehlvi (b. 1830, d. 1912) and published in 1869.^[1] The novel contains themes promoting the cause of female education in Muslim and Indian society, and is credited for giving birth to an entire genre of fictional works promoting female literacy in Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Kashmiri and other languages of the Indian subcontinent.^[1] The book sold over 100,000 copies within a few years of its initial publishing.^[2]

Plot

The story contrasts the lives of two Muslim sisters from Delhi, Akbari and Asghari. The first part of the book describes the life of Akbari, who is raised in privilege. She is depicted as lazy and poorly educated. When she moves to her husband's house after her marriage, she has a very difficult time and brings all manner of unhappiness upon herself by her poor judgment and behavior. The book's second part is centered on Asghari, who is modest, hardworking and educated well in a school. She despises idle chatter and is the beloved of all in her mohalla (neighborhood). When she is married, she too undergoes a difficult transition, but through her hard-work, winsome manners and good education is able to form solid bonds with her husband's family and the people of her new mohalla. The story goes through a number of twists and turns that describes the experiences of the two women at various stages in their lives.^[3]

Sequel

In 1873, "Banat-un-Nash" (بنات النعش, Daughters of the bier which is also the Arabic name for the constellation Ursa Major) was published as a sequel to Mirat-ul-Uroos. It depicted Asghari running a girls' school in her mohalla.^[3]

TV Drama

Mirat-ul-Uroos was also adapted in Television Drama Serial by PTV Pakistan Television Corporation under the same name, the lead role of "Asghari" was played by Arifa Siddiqui.

In 2011 , this story has once again been adapted into a comedy television drama airing on Hum Tv by the name of Akbari Asghari , in which the lead role of Akbari has been played by Sanam Baloch and Asghari by Humaima Malik along with Imran Abbas & Fawad Afzal Khan playing the male leads. The shooting of this commenced in Pakistan and Turkey & it has started telecast from the 28th of May 2011.

See also

• Deputy Nazir Ahmad Dehlvi

External links

• Complete online text of Mirat ul-Uroos

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Meenakshi Mukherjee, Early novels in India, Sahitya Akademi, 2002, ISBN 9788126013425, http://books.google.com/books?id=VPJ7jqVSl34C, "... Deputy Nazir Ahmad ... was in deep sympathy with Sir Syed Ahmad Khan's movement for social reform through educational uplift ... female education ... published in 1869 ..." 
2. ^ Naẕīr Aḥmad, G. E. Ward, Frances W. Pritchett (2001), The Bride's Mirror, Prints Asia, ISBN 8178240211, http://books.google.com/books?id=UPJ9L7wojp0C&pg=PP4, "... Asghari and Akbari two sisters married to brothers in Delhi, circa 1860. In this gripping tale, one sister has every advantage – and sees her life collapse around her. The other faces great difficulties – but eventually comes to dominate her world ... Mirat ul-‘Arus sold over 100,000 copies with a few years of its release in 1869 ..." 
3. ^ ^{a b} Thomas Welbourne Clark, University of London. School of Oriental and African Studies, Asia Society. Asian Literature Program, The Novel in India: its birth and development, University of California Press, 1970, ISBN 9780520017252, http://books.google.com/books?id=esji8DgSMbQC, "... the first a cautionary tale of a girl named Akbari and the second ... the story of her model sister Asghari ..."