اردو افسانے کی روایت آغاز سےترقی پسند تحریک تک

THE TRADITION OF URDU SHORT STORIES BEGINNING TO THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT

Abstract

When the term "afsana" (short story) is mentioned in literature, it generally refers to prose. It is said that the world's earliest stories originated in ancient Egypt. The stories were being written as early as 1000 BCE. Sacred scriptures also contain stories. In the Quran, some narratives are used to instill fear of wrongdoing, while others inspire action through recounting events. In Urdu, the word "kahani" (story) derives from the verb "kehna" (to tell). In English, the term "tale" is used, originating from the verb "tell." What began as simple storytelling gradually evolved into more complex and intricate forms, eventually taking the shape of the "dastaan" (epic tale). Initially, these epic tales comprised short anecdotes. Prose narratives place great importance on the "qissa" (anecdote), as the length of a story determines its classification—whether it becomes a epic story, novel, novella or short story. In India, the Urdu short story emerged in the 20th century. However, its roots can be traced back to the dastaan tradition, as seen in works like Fasana-e-Azad and Bagh-o-Bahar, where early traces of the short story form can be identified. The Urdu short story as a formal genre began by following the Western model of the "short story." In Urdu literature, Sajjad Haider Yaldaram and Prem Chand are credited as pioneers of short story writing. Some scholars regard Allama Rashid-ul-Khairi’s story “Nasir aur Khadija” as Urdu’s first short story.