Mirza Hadi Ruswa
Author
Shafiq Naz
Editor
Umrao Jan Ada – Urdu
With Pronunciation
Introduction to Umrao Jan Ada. This book is in Urdu
First published in 1899, Umrao Jan Ada by Mirza Hadi Ruswa stands as a landmark in Urdu literary history — widely regarded as the first truly modern Urdu novel. Set in the richly textured world of 19th-century Lucknow, the narrative blends autobiography, fiction, social commentary, and psychological insight with remarkable finesse. In the character of Umrao Jan — a courtesan, poet, and survivor — Ruswa created one of the most enduring and complex female figures in Urdu prose.
The novel is more than a tale of personal loss and longing; it is also an elegy for a fading world. Through its vivid portrayal of Lucknow’s kothas, salons, and by-lanes, it captures the moral ambiguities and cultural richness of a society caught between tradition and modernity. Ruswa’s narrative style — restrained, idiomatic, often ironic — anticipates many techniques of the modern novel, including interior monologue, unreliable narration, and subtle shifts in perspective.
In a time when the courtesan was either romanticized or reviled, Umrao Jan Ada gave her voice, agency, and dignity. It remains an important early example of gendered storytelling in South Asian fiction. More than a century later, the novel continues to resonate with readers for its emotional nuance, historical depth, and quiet rebellion against social and literary conventions.
This new edition presents Umrao Jan Ada not only as a foundational text of the Urdu novel, but as a living literary work that still speaks — with beauty, complexity, and compassion — to the human condition. The full text is presented with complete diacritics (zer, zabar, pesh, tashdeed), allowing for accurate pronunciation and improved understanding of the language’s phonetic structure.
Bibliography
Publisher : Alhamra Publishing
Published : July 15, 2025
Language : Urdu
ISBN : 978-90-835-4060-3
Format : Hardback – Paperback
Pages : N/A
Dimensions : 140 x 215 mm
