Ehsan Danish

Danish was born in maulanan मोलानान Kandhla, a small town in the Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh, India. He belonged to a poor family and he could not continue his study due to financial reasons but still learned the Arabic and Persian languages on his own.[1] Later he migrated to Lahore and settled there permanently. He struggled very hard to earn his living. He worked as an ordinary labourer for years in odd jobs,[1] finally becoming a poet of excellence. His autobiography, Jahan-i-Danish, is a classic and has inspired many people.[1] Danish has written more than 80 books and hundreds of articles[1] about and including poetry, prose, linguistics, philology, autobiographies and the famous interpretation of "Diwan-e-Ghalib". Much of his literary work is still unpublished.[1]

He passed away on 22 March 1982 in Lahore, Pakistan.[1]

Ehsan Danish was a prolific prose writer and had contributed hundred of articles, essays and books in the domain of Urdu prose. Ehsan Danish autobiography "Jahan-e-danish" is a splendid masterpiece in Urdu literature. Jahan-e-Danish was first published in 1973 by Ehsan Danish in Lahore, Pakistan and duly received Adam Ji literary award in recognition of its literary value and linguistic stature. The language, diction, realism, sincerity and above all a unique classical flavor of language and literature elevates this autobiography at the highest position in the realm of Urdu autobiographies.

Maulvi Saeed talks of Ehsan Danish, the poet. He recalls:

"In 1928, when we lived in Mozang I happened to be present at a gathering in the street adjoining ours where a short-statured but a well-built darkish young man recited a naat in a voice which kept the audience spell-bound. The poet was Ehsan-bin-Danish (now Ehsan Danish, for 'bin' though in Arabic stood for 'son of', in Hindi meant 'without'). The poet had come from across the Yamuna in search of employment – and perhaps recognition, too. Lahore gave him both; employment which hardly did any credit to this city, recognition, of course, which it never held back.

Ehsan was seen in the evening at the mushairas; in the morning, at the building sites with a brush in one hand and the lime-bucket in the other; or doing a gardener's job on the Simla Hill. He has recorded the experiences of his early days in a fascinating autobiography – Jahan-e-Danish. In the realm of poetry, he was not a mere labourer, but a master architect."[4]

• Sitara-e-Imtiaz, received 22 March 1978 from the government of Pakistan.

• Jahan-i-Danish, his autobiography.
• Jahan-i Diger
• Tazkir-o-Tanis
• Iblagh-i-Danish
• Tashrih-i-Ghalib
• Awaz sy Alfaz tk
• Fasl-i-Salasil
• Zanjir-i-Baharan
• Abr-i-Naisan
• Miras-i-Momin
• Urdu Mutaradifaat
• Derd-i-Zindagi
• Hadis-i-Adab
• Lughat-ul-Islah
• Nafir-i-Fitrat

Ehsan Danish was titled Poet-Laborer (Shair-e-Mazdoor) due to his revolutionary, passionate and novel poems for the laborers, the poor people and the oppressed. He had presented stark realities about the labor class in a powerful and unique style.

• List of Pakistani poets
• List of Urdu poets
• Naz Khialvi

*The official website of Ehsan Danish. Personality, literary works, poetry, prose and much more of Ehsan Danish

• The e-books of Ehsan Danish available online.
• An article describing him
• Govt. of India Link
• His books
• google video
• An article by Dr Rauf Parekh on Ehsan Danish, published in The Dawn Pakistan.