ISLAMI TARIKH O TAHZEEB

About the book:

The personality of the late Bari Alig needs no introduction. He had achieved such fame in the very early stages of his practical life that most writers rarely achieve even after living a full life. The late Bari Alig had a deep interest in various sciences, but as far as I have been able to guess, the study of history was the real basis of his interest in various sciences and history was actually the special subject of his writing and thinking. He wanted to present the lessons he had learned from the study of history in different forms and styles so that they could become a means of moving all the companions towards the right destination. The manuscript that is coming to the fore in book form contains the story of different periods of Islamic history. It is my sincere wish that this image of the late Bari reaches as many hands as possible and finds a place in as many hearts as possible.

Maulana Ghulam Rasool Mehr

Some about the author:

Ghulam Bari (1907 - 1949), known by the pen name Bari Alig, was an important Urdu writer and historian, a polyglot, born in the Kalanoor tehsil of Gurdaspur district in British India. Before the partition, his family settled in Lyallpur, where he studied till college. Later, he went to Aligarh University and his talents came to the fore. Despite the hardships of British colonialism, Bari Alig, despite the opposition of his family, did not apply for a government job and secretly came to Lahore and started working in a newspaper under the pen name Bari Alig, however, due to anti-government articles, the newspaper owners soon fired him. Even marriage could not convince him to take any job and he continued working for various newspapers in Lahore, Amritsar, and Rangoon. When communism rose, he turned to it because he felt that communism was in line with his anti-imperialist views. All the histories of India written during the British rule held the British as the champions of progress and prosperity in India. Bari Alig opposed this view and tried to write a correct history of British India in the light of facts. He wrote 13 books on history, of which “Company Government”, “Islamic History and Civilization”, “What is History”, “Study of History”, “French Revolution” became more famous. When the third edition of “Company Government” was published in 1945, very important amendments and additions were made. This modern edition has been published by “Book Corner” with great care. After a long study of world history, Bari Alig planned to present a comprehensive critical review of world history and civilization of all periods under the title of “History and Civilization” and had completed a lot of work, but due to his untimely death in 1949, not only could this plan not be completed, but a large part of the completed work was also lost. The middle part of the manuscript titled “Islamic History and Civilization” was somehow preserved, which first came to light in 1970. Reading this short book helps in understanding the amazing and most important chapter of world history more correctly. Bari Alig influenced the thinking of many writers of his time. Saadat Hasan Manto called Bari Alig his guide and teacher. Bari Alig’s books later played an important role in paving the way for the progressive movement in India. He died of a heart attack at the age of 42. He is buried in Faisalabad. On December 10, 1999, in recognition of Bari Alig's literary contributions, Pakistan Post issued a commemorative stamp on the occasion of his 50th death anniversary.