Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer

Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer Biography

Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer was a leading Urdu poet from Delhi who lived in the 19^th century. He was also an exponent of Marsiya writing and regarded as the greatest name of this art, aside Mir Anis. Anis - Dabeer rivalry is one of the most talked and discussed matter of Urdu literature, even now. Paida Shua-E-Mehar Ki Miqraaz Jab Huee, Kis sher ki Amad hai ki Run kaanp raha hai, Jab Chaley Yasrab Se Sibte Mustafa, Bilqees paasbaan hai ye kiski janaab hai and Dast-e-Khuda Ka Quwat-e-Bazoo Husain hai are his Marsiya writings. He was also a great scholar of his times.

Mirza Dabeer was born in 1803 in Delhi. He started reading marsiya at a younger age at religious gatherings. He was a great scholar at his younger age and started writing under the tutelage of Mir Muzaffar Husain Zameer. Later he moved to Lucknow where he continued with his poetry and marsiya writing skills. He lived in Lucknow throughout his life and died in 1875 aged 72. He wrote more than three thousand elegies throughout his lifetime. He also used salaam and rubai writing styles for Urdu poetry.

Mir Babar Ali Anis was his contemporary who lived almost in the same period (1802-1874). They had a striking chronological closeness in terms of their birth and death. Mirza Dabeer was born exactly one year after Anis’ birth and he died exactly one year after Anis’ death as well. Both lived for 72 years! The healthy rivalry between these two led to the development of two distinct styles of writings of Marsiya - "Aneesiya" and "Dabeeriya". Yet both the writers paid due respect to the other person.

Published: N/A

Updated: September 05, 2014