Ibn-e-Insha


Sher Muhammad Khan, better known by his pen name Ibn-e-Insha, was a Pakistani Urdu poet, humorist, travelogue writer and newspaper columnist.
Along with his poetry, he was regarded as one of the best humorists of Urdu. His poetry has a distinctive diction laced with language reminiscent of Amir Khusro in its use of words and construction that is usually heard in the more earthy dialects of the Hindi-Urdu complex of languages, and his forms and poetic style have influenced generations of young poets.

Biography

Insha was born in Phillaur tehsil of Jalandhar District, Punjab, British India. His father hailed from Rajasthan. In 1946, he received his B.A. degree from Punjab University and subsequently, his M.A. from University of Karachi in 1953. He was associated with various governmental services including Radio Pakistan, the Ministry of Culture and the National Book Centre of Pakistan.
He also served the UN for some time and this enabled him to visit many places, all of which served to inspire the travelogues he would then pen. His journeys took him to Japan, Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, France, UK and the United States. His teachers included Habibullah Ghazenfar Amrohvi, Ghulam Mustafa Khan. In the late 1940s, in his youth, Ibn-e-Insha had also lived along with the renowned film poet Sahir Ludhianvi in Lahore for a short period. He was also active in the Progressive Writers Movement.

Death and legacy

Ibn-e-Insha spent the remainder of his life in Karachi before he died of Hodgkin's Lymphoma on 11 January 1978, while he was in London. He was buried in Karachi, Pakistan. His son, Roomi Insha was a Pakistani filmmaker, who died on 16 October 2017.
Veteran and noted Pakistani writer and humorist Anwar Maqsood says about him, "Ibn-e-Insha was my hero. Writers learned writing by reading his books. Nobody could put pen to paper with the humorous aesthetics that he only, possessed. Today's generation should leave the internet browsing and read Ibn-e-Insha".
Another noted Pakistani playwright Bano Qudsia said about him, "Nobody can write or speak like Ibn-e-Insha. There is a gaping hole in our literary world without him. He wrote from his heart, which made him unique".

Literary career

Insha is considered to be one of the best poets and writers of his generation. His most famous ghazal Insha Ji Uttho Ab Kooch Karo is an influential classic ghazal first popularised by the classical music singer Amanat Ali Khan in 1974. Ibn-e-Insha had written several travelogues, showcasing his sense of humor and his work has been appreciated by both Urdu writers and critics. He also translated a collection of Chinese poems into Urdu in 1960.

Popular poems

Travelogue
  • Awara Gard Ki Diary آوارہ گرد کی ڈائری
  • Dunya Gol Hey دنیا گول ہے
  • Ibn Battuta Kay Taqub Mein
  • Chaltay Ho To Cheen Ko Chaliye چلتے ھو تو چِین کو چلیے
  • Nagri Nagri Phira Musafar نگری نگری پِھرا مسافر
Humor
  • Urdu Ki Aakhri Kitab اردو کی آخری کتاب
  • Khat Insha Jee Kay خط انشّا جی کے Collection of letters
  • Khumar e Gandum خمارِگندم
  • Aap se kya Parda آپ سے کیا پردہ
  • Batain Insha ji ki
  • Dakhl Dar Ma'qulaat
Translations