Growth and development of autobiography in Indian arabic literature with special reference to Mudakkirathi of Sheikh Salman al Huseini al Nadwi

Abstract

This study, Entitled “Growth And Development Of Autobiography In Indian Arabic Literature: WithSpecial Reference To “Mudakkirathi” Of Sheikh Salman Al Huseini Al Nadwi” examines theemergence and development of autobiographical writing in India, where many works were composed inenglish and Urdu and later translated into Arabic.The research aims to highlight the status of autobiography in Arabic literature and todemonstrate India’s contribution to this field, with special focus on the autobiography“Mudakkirathi” By Sheikh Salman Al Huseini Al Nadwi as a distinguished example of anoriginal Arabic autobiography written in India.The thesis begins by defining autobiography and explaining its importance in Arabic literature.It also refers to the efforts of several scholars who have studied this genre and discusses majorexamples of modern Arabic autobiographical works, such as Al-Ayyām by Taha Hussein,Hayātī by Ahmad Amin, and Sab‘ūn by Mikhail Naimy, among others that contributed to thedevelopment of this literary form.The study then examines the condition of autobiographical writing in India. Most Indianautobiographies were originally written in Urdu or English and later translated into Arabic.Notable examples include The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi,translated by Munir Baalbaki; India Wins Freedom by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, translatedby Dr. Nabila Yusuf Al-Zawawi; My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions; and Wingsof Fire, the autobiography of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, translated by Dr. Suhaib.Original autobiographies written directly in Arabic in India are very few and are often brief,usually written by the authors themselves within a limited number of pages. Among thesefigures are Abdul Hayy al-Laknawi and Siddiq Hasan Khan. Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khanincluded autobiographical details in several of his works, such as Abjad al-‘Ulūm, Al-Hittah,Fihris al-Fahāris, Al-Tāj al-Mukallal, and Al-Far‘ al-Nāmī fī al-Aṣl al-Sāmī. Similarly, AbuMahfuz al-Ma‘sumi presented his autobiography under the title “The Author’s Biography inHis Own Hand” within his book Buhūth wa Tanbīhāt. Others also contributed directly to thefield of autobiographical writing.The thesis dedicates a chapter to an analytical study of “Mudakkirathi” examining its style,chronological structure, themes, Arabic language, and its scholarly and reformist dimensions.It argues that this work represents an advanced stage in the development of Arabicautobiographical writing in India due to its clarity, organization, and refined presentation.The study concludes that autobiographical literature in Indian Arabic writing has witnessednoticeable development, and that “Mudakkirathi” stands as a significant example of thisprogress, contributing to the expansion of Arabic literature beyond its traditional geographicalboundaries.