Fani Badayuni

Fani Badayuni

Fani Badayuni born Shaukat Ali Khan (1879 - 27 August 1961) (Urdu شوکت علی خان فانی بدایونی ) was a noted Urdu poet. He was the second most celebrated son of the sleepy Awadh town.

Early life

Shaukat Ali Khan Fani Badayuni was born in Islamnagar, Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, (then United Provinces) to Shujath Ali Khan, a Zamindar and later with the police as Thanedar (SHO). His great grandfather, Nawab Akbar Ali Khan, had lost his property during the Indian Mutiny. He was schooled at Government Height School and graduated from Barreilly College in 1901, studied law at Aligarh Muslim University, earning L.L.B.degree in 1906.
Career

Fani started composing poetry around twenty years of age. He translated works of Shakespeare and Milton in Urdu. He practiced law in Bareilly and Lucknow and later at Civil courts in Agra, but could not make much success. He published a Urdu magazine but closed in 1931.
In Hyderabad Deccan

He migrated to Hyderabad Deccan after The Nizam's Diwan Maharaja Kishan Prasad 'Shad', an Urdu lover and poet, got Fani appointed in the department of Education.

He was initially offered to join as a munsif (Judge)as he was a Law Graduate. But Fani did not accept it since he was moving from the city. He later accepted the post of a school head master in Hyderabad. During the day, fani would attend school and at night would attend Moazzam Jah's court till early hours. These late nights did not give him enough time to continue at school as head master, he would sleep at the office chair. News spread that he was removed from the post.

Fani was associated with the Junior Prince Moazzam Jah's nocturnal court throughout his life in Hyderabad. With him at the court were Josh Malihabadi, Sadiq Jaisi, Maher Ul Quadri and others.
Style

Fani belonged to the Ghalib's tradition of Urdu poetry. It will be more appropriate to place Fani in the category of what is known in Urdu as Sahib-e-gham because he was a poet of pathos. This tradition in Urdu poetry is headed by Mir Taqi Mir, hence he belongs to Mir's tradition as well.

He wrote poems after death of his beloved daughter. Fani was a highly emotional and he loved Hyderabad and the society and lived there till his death in 1941.
Bibliography

His first collection of poems was published in 1917 from Badaun by Naqib Press. His other published works are:-

Baqiyat-e-Fani (1926) published by Maktab-e-Agra

Irfaniyat-e-Fani (1938) published by Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu

Fani ki nadir tahriren: Havashi, tasrihat aur tanqidi ja'ize ke sath by Shaukat Ali Khan Fani Badayuni (1968)

Intikhab-i Fani (Silsilah-yi matbu°at) by Shaukat °Ali Khan Fani Badayuni

Irfaniyat-i-Fani: Ya'ni Janab Shaukat Ali Khan Sahib Fani Badayuni ke qadim-o-jadid kalam ka mukammal majmu'ah (Silsilah-e-Anjuman-e

Taraqqi Urdu) by Shaukat Ali Khan Fani Badayuni (1939)

Kulliyat-i Fani (Silsilah-e-matbu'at) by Shaukat Ali Khan Fani Badayuni (1992)