Brij Narayan Chakbast

Brij Narayan Chakbast Biography

Brij Narayan Chakbast was an Urdu poet who lived in British India during 1882-1926. He is also referred to as Brij Narain Chakbast. He authored poetry most, apart from some prose works. Though he worked most with poetry, his prose is also considered at par with his poetry. Chakbast was primarily a nazm poet, who was influenced by great poets Ghalib, Mir Anis and Aatish. Apart from verses, he authored mathnavi, a play, and about 50 ghazals. Kulliyate-Chakbast and Maqalaat-e-Chakbast is the complete collection of Chakbast's works in poetry and prose, published posthumously in 1983. He died at a comparatively young age of only 44 when he collapsed at Rae Bareli railway station and died a few hours later.

Brij Narain Chakbast was born on 19 January 1882 in Faizabad, United Provinces of British India. Now his birthplace is a part of Uttar Pradesh state. His father Pandit Udit Narayan Chakbast was originally from Lucknow, and was a poet and deputy collector, one of the highest administrative positions in British India. His early education was done in Faizabad. Following the death of his father in 1887, he along with other family members moved to his ancestral home at Lucknow in Kashmiri Mohalla, where he stayed and continued with his education. Chakbast completed his law studies and became a successful lawyer.

Chakbast married first in 1905 and a child was born to him next year. But both of them died soon and Chakbast remarried in 1907. By that time he had already started practising as a lawyer in Lucknow. He started his writing in 1894. He started off with nazms and later tried other versions of poetry and prose works as well. Subh-e Watan, Kulliyate-Chakbast and Maqalaat-e-Chakbast are among the collection of his works. He had a premature death in 1926 aged 44.

Published: December 13, 2018

Updated: December 13, 2018