Best Famous Urdu Poets of All-time

Dr. Daud Kamal was a professor of English literature at the National University of Pakistan, Peshawar. Kamal was educated at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Kamal began writing poetry when he was in his twenties. He went on to become one of the leading English language poets in Pakistan. He won three gold medals from Triton college for his poetry. His poems were also recorded for the library of congress, Washington DC USA. His anthologies are 'Remote Beginnings' and 'A Selection Of Verse’. He also translated Ghalib's classic Urdu poem into English.

Alamgir Hashmi (Urdu: ) (also known as Aurangzeb Alamgir Hashmi) (born November 15, 1951) is a major English poet of Pakistani origin in the latter half of the 20th century. Considered avant-garde, both his early and later works were published to universal critical acclaim and widespread influence. His was a remarkable new voice since the 1970s; each of his successive books attested to an expanding world of cultural discernment and harmony, which he created in poems of peerless beauty.. English poet of Pakistani origin

Sachal Sarmast (1739–1829) (Sindhi : , Urdu) was a Sufi poet from Sindh, of what is today Pakistan, during the Talpur era. He was born in Daraza near Ranipur, Sindh. His real name was Abdul Wahab Farouqi and "Sachal" or "Sachoo" were his nicknames. He also used it in his own poetry. Sachu means truthful in Sindhi while Sarmast means mystic in Sindhi and Urdu. Sachal Sarmast literally means 'truthful mystic' or can be translated as Ecstatic Saint of Truth. His father died when he was a young child, and Abdul Wahab was raised by his uncle, who also became his spiritual master. He married, but the young woman died two years later. He never remarried. Sarmast lived a humble, ascetic life, preferring solitude, simple meals of daal and yogurt. It is said that he never left Daraza, the village of his birth.

One of the best-known Urdu poets of all times, Mirza Ghalib is a name that is synonymous with Urdu poetry. Born Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan, Ghalib was a pen name he adopted. It is like a pseudonym that most poets and writers adopt in the literary world. The life history of Ghalib is truly interesting and Ghalib biography indeed makes a good read. Ghalib was born in Agra, India in Turkish aristocratic ancestry on 27th December 1796.

Kishwar Naheed (Urdu) (born 1940) is a feminist Urdu poet from Pakistan. She has written several poetry books. She has also received awards including Sitara-e-Imtiaz for her literary contribution towards Urdu literature.

Pritish Nandy (born 15 January 1951) is an Indian poet, painter, journalist, politician, media and television personality, animal activist and film producer. He was member of Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament representing Maharashtra based party Shiv Sena. He has published a number of poetry books in English and translated poems by other writers from Bengali and Urdu into English.

Gunturu Seshendra Sarma B.A. BL (October 20, 1927 – May 30, 2007), also known as Yuga Kavi, was a Telugu poet, critic and litterateur. He is well known for his works Naa Desam, Naa Prajalu (Telugu : , ) and Kaala Rekha (Telugu). He authored over fifty works which have been translated into English, Kannada, Urdu, Bengali, Hindi, Nepali and Greek.

Ram Prasad Bismil   pronunciation   (help · info ) (11 June 1897 – 19 December 1927) was an Indian revolutionary who participated in Mainpuri Conspiracy of 1918, and the Kakori conspiracy of 1925, both against British Empire. As well as being a freedom fighter, he was also a patriotic poet and wrote in Hindi and Urdu using the pen names Ram, Agyat and Bismil. But, he became popular with the last name "Bismil" only. He was associated with Arya Samaj where he got inspiration from Satyarth Prakash, a book written by Swami Dayanand Saraswati. He also had a confidential connection with Lala Har Dayal through his guru Swami Somdev, a preacher of Arya Samaj.

Pandit Harichand Akhtar (1901-1958), (urdu)(hindi) was a well-known journalist who was also a renowned Urdu Ghazal poet. He was born in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, on 15 April 1901. He was fluent in the use of Urdu, Persian and English languages. Having passed the Munshi Fazil Examination soon after Matriculation, he obtained M.A. (English) degree from the Punjab University, Lahore. He spent a greater part of his life in Lahore writing for Paras, Lahore, the Newspaper that was then owned and edited by Lala Karam Chand; he was also employed in the office of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. After the formation of Pakistan he shifted to Delhi where he died on 1 January 1958.

Zamir Jafri (Urdu) (January 1, 1916 – May 12, 1999) was a Pakistani poet born in Dina Jhelum. He became famous for his Urdu humorous poetry and also wrote humorous columns in the newspapers and periodicals. After graduating from Punjab University, he joined the army’s public relation department during World War II and retired as a major. One of his sons is a three-star general, Gen Syed Ehtasham Zamir and serving in Pakistan army while another lives in the U.S. He published more than 50 books in Urdu. His actions showed his simplicity and honesty which he carried forth throughout his life. He gradually embarked on a mission to work for the people of Pakistan, and began reaching out to these people from all spheres of life - devoting his time to carry on social work so as to create harmony and well-being in the society. Now his son Gen Syed Ehtasham Zamir and his grandson Syed Ali Ehtasham(Journalist/Entrepreneur)are determined to continue and carry out the legacy he left behind.They are Operating a Non Profit foundation(Syed Zamir Jafri Foundation)which provides: health services, educational means and awareness, legal aid, development of the literary institution and other miscellaneous structures to strengthen the underprivileged communities of Pakistan and also Mata-e-Zamir an archive of his books and contributions. He graduated from Islamia College, Lahore.

Akbar Hussain Rizvi, popularly known as Akbar Allahabadi (Urdu: ) (October, 1846 ; 15 February 1921), was an Indian Urdu poet.

Born as Akhtar Hussain Rizvi in a family of landlords of a small town of Uttar Pradesh, Kaifi Azmi was a very renowned Urdu poet of India. Though his father, Syed Fateh Hussain Rizvi was a landlord, he also worked as a Tehsildar in a small state in Uttar Pradesh. Urdu

Gulzar was born Sampooran Singh at Deena in Pakistan in the year 1934. After partition in 1947, he came to Delhi. Gulzar started his career as an assistant to celebrated director Bimal Roy and Hrishikesh Mukherjee. He started his career as a lyricist with Bimal Roy's 'Bandini'. Urdu