Meer Hasan

Biography

Meer Hasan, born as Mir Ghulam Hasan in Delhi, grew up in a literary household. His father, Mir Zahik, was himself a poet and ensured that the young Hasan grew up in an environment filled with verses and learning.

During his early years, Delhi went through turbulence after invasions and political decline. His family eventually relocated to Faizabad, and later Hasan himself settled in Lucknow. Both these cities were rising as cultural hubs, and Hasan found a vibrant audience there.

Hasan began writing poetry in his youth and took the pen name “Hasan.” He was admired for his ability to write fluently in both Urdu and Persian. Early in his career, he even sought guidance from the renowned poet Khwaja Mir Dard, who refined some of his early verses.

His most celebrated work, the masnavi Sehr-ul-Bayan, remains a landmark in Urdu literature. It is admired for its lyrical storytelling and imaginative beauty. Alongside this, his Diwan of ghazals and the Persian biographical collection Tazkira-i-Shuara-i-Urdu further strengthened his reputation as both a poet and literary chronicler.

On the personal front, Hasan had four sons, three of whom carried forward his poetic legacy. Although historical records about his private life are limited, the fact that his children became poets suggests that poetry was not just his profession but a tradition within the family.

Meer Hasan passed away in Lucknow on October 24, 1786. He left behind a legacy that placed him among the most respected poets of his time. Even today, he is remembered as a master of the masnavi form and as a poet who gave Urdu literature enduring elegance and emotional richness.