Ibn-e-Insha, Sher Muhammad Khan

 Ibn-e-Insha, Sher Muhammad Khan

Ibn-e-Insha’s (ابن انشاء) birth name was "Sher Muhammad Khan"  (شیر محمد خان) and he was born on 15 June 1927 in the town of Moza Thala, Tehsil Phalur, Jalandhar. His father's name was “Chaudhry Munshi Khan” (چوہدری منشی علی خان) and mother's name was Maryam. You passed the matriculation examination from Ludhiana High School in first class in 1942.  After completing his matriculation, he was recruited as a clerk in military accounts in Anbala Cantonment (انبالہ چھاؤنی). In spite of low income, domestic muddle and office responsibilities, he did not let his education be interrupted, so he passed the "Munshi Fazil" examination in 1944. After the creation of Pakistan, he did his Masters from Karachi University in 1953.

Ibn-e-Insha (ابن انشاء) counted among the important writers of Urdu literature who have raised their flags of excellence in both the fields of poetry and prose. A poet, a columnist, a children's writer also make their presence felt in his omnipresent and versatile personality, travel writer and translator are also found. The reason is that they are a different school in every class of literature and they are both the originator and the end of their own style.

Ibn-e-Insha’s (ابن انشاء) original name was “Sher Muhammad Khan”.  Ibn-e-Insha’s (ابن انشاء) used to say that my real name includes the name of a tiger (lion), so I chose a pen name (Ibn-e-Insha) instead of my real name in order to avoid resemblance with animals.

Jameel-ud-Din Ali referred to Ibn-e-Insha as "Insha ji" due to which Ibn-e-Insha became "Insha ji". It is an undeniable fact that in the literary circles he is more famous by his pen name than by his real name, but the truth is that there are few people who are fond of Urdu poetry and literature who are aware of his real name.

Ibn-e-Insha’s (ابن انشاء)  had started poetry from his school days, but his real development came when he settled in Lahore after the partition of the country.Lahore was the cradle of knowledge and literature at that time and a large number of progressive writers and poets were present there. In which the names of Hameed Akhtar (حمید اختر), Ibrahim Jalis (ابراھیم جلیس), Sabat-e-Hassan (سبت حسن), Ahmad Rahi (احمد راھی), Hajra Masroor (Hajra Mansoor), Khadija Mastoor (خدیجہ مستور) and Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi (احمد ندیم قاسمی) are prominent, there were weekly literary meetings where stories, essays, ghazals and poems were read and vigorously discussed. These sittings have played a very important role in determining the literary trends of this period. The progressive movement was at its peak, so how could Ibn-e-Insha have escaped it even though he has maintained his individuality even here.

Four years after the death of “Amanat Ali Khan”, the poet of this ghazal, Ibn-e-Insha also passed away. After a long illness, Ibn Insha passed away at the age of 51 on January 11, 1978 in a hospital in London. He was laid to rest on January 13 at the Paposh Nigar graveyard in Karachi. He had been under treatment in London since 1977 due to a battle with cancer. Insha ji sent many letters to his close friends from his hospital bed. In one such letter, he wrote that he was surprised at the success of "Insha Ji Utho" (انشاء جی اٹھو) and the death of “Amanat Ali Khan” (استاد امانت علی خان).

Ibn-e-Insha's last travelogue 'Nagri Nagri Phira Musafar' (نگری نگری پھرا مسافر) was published many years after his death.

Read Books of Ibn-e-Insha in Urdu