Early life: Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad Mahjoor was born as Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad Shah to Peer Abdullah Shah and Ms Sayeedah Begum as their only surviving child after their second son, Mubarak Shah, had died in 1907. Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad Shah was born on 11 August 1887 at Mitrigam, a picturesque hamlet in what is now a district, Pulwama, which in those days was only a Tehsil headquarter. There is no authentic evidence available that Peer Abdullah Shah and Sayeedah Bagum had any other children. Both of Mahjoor’s parents were scholars of Arabic and Persian in their own right. The father, Peer Abdullah Shah, was a great scholar of Arabic and Persian, besides being a skilled calligrapher. His native place was Nobug, Chadoora (in Budgam District). Mahjoor’s father had gone matrilocally to Mitrigam where he was married to Sayeedah Begum and where he ultimately settled. Peer Abdullah Shah was a professional Molvi in the area and therefore wielded a lot of respect from people.
Mahjoor’s mother, Sayeedah Beagum, who died when Mahjoor was two years old had a great lineage. She was the granddaughter (from daughter’s side) of Baba Huzoorullah who, besides being a scholar and calligrapher, was the court writer to Kashmir’s Sikh Governor, Mahan Singh. His handwritten manuscript of Shahnama Firdousi is unavailable. An important pillar of knowledge and scholarship in Sayeedah Begaum’s family was Mulla Ashraf Deeri who wrote a complete khamsah (Quinary) in response to five Persian mathnavis or punj gunj (‘Five Treasures’) of Nizami Gunjavi. He also for the first time versified in Persian Kashmir’s half-mythical and historical folklore ‘heemaal’. With this background, Sayeedah Begum had attained a good knowledge of Persian and Arabic which is evident from her copying ai’tiqad nama jami and her exhaustive notes on it so that, later on, her son took help from them. It is not therefore difficult to imagine that she had a good interest in poetry. After her death, Mahjoor went into the care of his maternal grandmother (mom’s mom), Aziza Begum.
Education: Mahjoor received his early education at his home. In 1898, at the age of 11, he went to Tral, a neighbourhood town, to receive further education from Abdul Ali Ganai Ashiq. This was a common way of education those days in almost entire Subcontinent. In 1901 when Mahjoor was 14, he took formal admission at the Nusratul Islam School in Srinagar. It was at the annual function of this school that Mahjoor as a student recited his first Kashmiri poem in 1905. It was in 1905 itself that Mahjoor went to the Punjab and with this a difficult but an active journey of his life began. The Punjab was those days an humming centre of cultural and literary activities. This helped Mahjoor to meet eminent scholars and poets there. It was during this time that he met with Molvi Abdullah Bismil Amritsari, a master in prose and poetry. It was through him that Mahjoor visited Qadyan and worked there as a copyist and editor in some important newspapers. Mahjoor got introduced to the scholars and poets of the Punjab through Bismil. He recited his poetry at a function in Ludhiana that was presided over by Shibli Nomani. A famous incident is attributed to this function. When Shibli asked him the reason for adopting Mahjoor as his nom de plume, Mahjoor replied that he was away from home which is why he is Mahjoor (migrant). When he (Shibli) again asked him what he would be after returning home, the witty Mahjoor responded that then he would be away from him (Shibli). As he had developed interest in poetry from his boyhood days, it got a flip by associating himself with the literary circles in the Punjab. He adopted Mahjoor as his nom de plume and regularly began to write poetry.
Back Home: After spending two years in the Punjab, Mahjoor returned home in 1907 when his maternal grandmother, Aziza Begum, died of cholera which was a great blow to Mahjoor. The same year, Mahjoor’s ancestral house built by his father and where Mahjoor had opened his eyes and spent some years of his childhood got devastated in a fire. There was no shelter left for him except his father’s protection. History repeated itself and this family—father and son—had to go back to Nobug, the birthplace of Mahjoor’s father. His father had no source of income other than what his disciples would pay him. In the meantime, Mahjoor got closer, through a friend, to a great spiritual leader, Peer Ghayasuddin from Yar-i-Kalan, Tehsil Chadoora. The latter had a great fan-following and would appreciate scholars. When he learned about Mahjoor’s education, he appointed him as the mentor of his three children. This way, Peer Ghayasuddin’s daughter, Mehtab Begum, got married to him, and Mahjoor lived with the family in a matrilocal pattern.
Livelihood: Mahjoor was from the beginning against his parental Peer-Disciple occupation. In this regard he himself writes, “What right does a hale and hearty Peerzadah have to accept alms and donations? What substitute would a poor disciple get from serving his Peer? After all, what name would be given to the income that comes without any labour? I relinquish for ever this free eating.” For this reason, he became fond of earning by himself, and through the good offices of a poet Chaudhary Khushi Mohammad ‘Naazir’ who was Wazir Wazarat (Deputy Commissioner) of Baltistan, was sent to Ladakh as a Patwari in the Revenue Department in 1908 on six rupees a moth salary. TN Kaul writes (in Poems of Mahjoor. Delhi: Sahitya Akademic. 1988: 13):
Shortly after his return to Kashmir, Mahjoor got a job as a Patwari in the Revenue Department through the good offices of Chaudhri Khushi Mohammad ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''Nazir'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''', ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''well-known Urdu poet and Wazir Wazarat (Deputy Commissioner) of Ladakh. He was deputed to Leh to work under Nazir. He spent nearly two years in the frontier region of Baltistan where he had enough leisure to study old masters like Mahmood Gami, Wali Ullah Mattu, Peer Maqbool Shah Kralawari, Wahab Parey, Aziz Darwesh and Wahab Khar.
In 1910, when Mahjoor was in Kargil, he got a letter from his uncle Peer Mohammad Shah mentioning that his father Peer Abdullah Shah had died on 3 July 1910 after illness. At the time of death, one rupee was recovered from his pocket from which eight Anas (an old coin) were spent on his burial and other eight Anas on his Fatihah. This letter shook Mahjoor. The thread of old relations that had tied Mahjoor to Kashmir had suddenly broken. After taking leave, he arrived in Kashmir. However, because of his domestic compulsions, he couldn’t return to Kargil and was dismissed from service. On the one hand, the loss of his father and, on the other hand, dismissal from service and then, shouldering his domestic responsibilities entangled Mahjoor in a such a way that he went into sorrow and despair. During these days, through relatives from in-laws, he met with a Sufi-saint, Qalander Safapuri, along with his wife, Mehtab Begum. They had a discussion. This man of vision insisted on hard work and search, “Allah will ease out!” he said. During this period, he was so much entangled in financial troubles that up to 1931 he had to visit the Punjab several times. Till then he was appointed as Patwari. In spite of this job, Mahjoor didn’t remain safe from the atrocities of the feudal system which Shah Abdur Rahim had already predicted. He was suspended thrice from service between 1913 and 1920. And, at last, when he was transferred to Hajan as a Patwari, he got some solace.
Touring Kashmir: As a Patwari, Mahjoor got ample opportunities of touring the Kashmir valley, observe the social and economic life of various areas and the people there, especially the villagers and their lifestyle. He got enough time to closely study the agrarian and financial life of the people and wherever he went because of his sincerity, affection and good talking he won people’s love. He lived at Awantipora, Hajan, Handwara and Arigam where he spent fourteen long years. This is the time when Mahjoor’s poetic talent matured, and he engaged himself in literary activities and creative pursuits. This journey, due to the Government employment, ultimately ended in 1944 when Mahjoor superannuated as a Patwari and returned to Mitrigam to live there permanently and engaged himself in creative and research work.
Mahjoor was a people’s poet and with his pen he instilled patriotism and self-confidence in Kashmiris. People reciprocated him with their love for the poet and his poetry. In recognition of his contribution, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir favoured him with pension till he lived. The then Director Education, Mr Assadullah Kazmi, conveyed the acknowledgement of the Government to Mahjoor in the following words:
Today, the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet took a decision that the great poet of the Kashmiri language shall be paid a pension of 100 rupees per month till he is living. The Kashmiri language and its poetry have got a national status today. For this, the more the lovers of its language and culture feel proud about it, the less it is.
It was the first fully-fledged acknowledgement by the Government of the Kashmiri culture and lifestyle, language and literature, especially, of the power and beauty of the Kashmiri poetry. However, this happiness was cut short and turned into an unexpected sorrow.
Last Journey: Mahjoor had already been feeling unwell. He went to Pulwama from Mitirgam to collect the first installment of the Government pension on 8 April 1952. He got the pension from the Treasury, but as soon as he came out, he had a stroke. He was taken to his home at Mitrigam where this bard of Kashmir breathed his last on the morning of 9 April. The next day he was buried at Mitrigam itself, but the Government of the time decided to bury him at Athwajan at Habba Khatoon’s graveyard. His body was exhumed on 11 April 1952 and brought from Mitrigam to Khwankahi Mo’alla at Srinagar. From there, it was taken in a procession with full state honours to Athwajan where it was buried amidst the bursts of 21 cannons. TN Kaul writes (in Poems of Mahjoor. Delhi: Sahitya Akadmi. 1988: 11):
APRIL 9, 1952, was an unusually sad day in the annals of Kashmir. Birds were dumbfounded with anguish. Flowers turned pale and woebegone. The lofty trees stood in mourning, silent and helpless. Insects retired in disgust. Mountain peaks trembled, lakes were in turmoil and the moon hid behind the clouds. Boatmen sat on their oars, peasants and workers called it a day and children stopped frolicking.
The man who had established an unsnappable communion with all of them, eulogised them in his poems and loved them from the core of his heart was no more. The Wordsworth of Kashmir had passed into history.
With the death of Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''Mahjoor'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ended the romantic era in Kashmiri literature. Undoubtedly the greatest and most popular poet of Kashmir, he strode the twentieth century stage like a Colossus and inspired generations of men and women with his sweet strains, composed in the people''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s language, using their idiom and diction. He was the foremost champion of the cultural renaissance which followed the political awakening in the state; nay, he too played a prominent role in bringing about that awakening. His love of God and man was surpassed only by his love of Nature. No wonder that he became a legend in his lifetime and lakhs of admirers both in and outside Kashmir mourned his death.
Mahjoor was survived by his son, Mohammad Amin, alias ‘ibne Mahjoor’ who worked in the Jammu and Kashmir Research and Publication Department. He was an eminent scholar having diversified knowledge of different fields related to Kashmir. He had a deep knowledge of Kashmir history. One of his illustrious sons, Abdal Mahjoor, a renowned broadcaster who worked at the erstwhile Radio Kashmir and BBC, London, before superannuating has taken up the task of publishing Mahjoor’s unpublished works and raise awareness among local and outsiders about his grandfather’s contribution to the Kashmiri literature and language. Abdal Mahjoor has founded an organisation called the Mahjoor Foundation that is working towards making Mahjoor known to the outside world. Under the auspices of the Foundation a three-monthly journal ‘gaash’ is being published which actually was a newspaper that Mahjoor had himself started bringing out in 1940.
Literary Career: It has already been stated that the Punjab visit of 1905, honed Mahjoor’s literary skills and, especially, is association with Maulana ‘Bismil’, Allama ‘Shibli’ and Afat Ludhianvi, he tried his hand in Urdu versification. In this regard, TN Kaul (1988) mentions that the Punjab visit was a turning point in Mahjoor’s career. There, once, Afat invited him to a mushaira where Mahjoor read a poem in Urdu which evoked a sharp criticism by other poets and the audience because of inaccurate pronunciation. Mahjoor decided to bid goodbye to Urdu and devoted his whole life to his mother tongue, Kashmiri:
At first he learnt the Kashmiri language thoroughly. He studied the romantic-cum-philosophic poems of Rasool Mir and the mystic hymns of Parmanand and Lal Ded. It was during this time that he married a beautiful peasant girl who is said to have inspired him in writing some of his famous lyrics. --Kaul 1988: 12-13
Kaul is wrong in saying that he married a “peasant girl” under whose influence he wrote some “famous lyrics”. The fact of the matter is that Mahjoor was greatly impressed by a peasant girl’s beauty and charm that he got inspired and wrote his famous ‘grees koor’ (The Peasant Girl). There is no doubt that Mahjoor opened his eyes in the Persian and Urdu poetic environment, but he got his real fame only through his Kashmiri poetry and creative writings in his own mother tongue so much so that he became the national poet of Kashmir, ‘shayir-i-Kashmir’. Mahjoor took the Kashmiri poetry out of the shackles of mysticism and Sufi-cult that sang of caves and spiritual escapism. He was greatly influenced by Rasul Mir from Duru Shahabad, Anantnag, and Habba Khatoon (Zoo) from Pampore who is believed to have been the wife of the last Chuk rule, Yousuf Shah, and who is buried in Bihar.
He became Kashmir’s Wordsworth in talking about this beautiful valley with its green meadows, streams, rivers and rivulets, waterfalls, flower gardens and orchards which people. His themes were familiar, and his songs touched the hearts of people with their music and rhythm. If Wordsworth couldn’t understand the meaning of the song sung by the solitary reaper, Mahjoor’s ‘grees koor’ (Rustic Damsel) made him wonder at her beauty and charm. Like Wordsworth, he used the ordinary language that people around him spoke and liked. He used simple diction and his poetry came directly from his heart which resulted in his achieving popularity among masses. He became a household name and a people’s poet in the real sense of the term. In him, we find the fragrance of flowers of different hues, the chirping of birds, the chattering sound of rivers and streams and the musical but full of life fall of the waterfalls. One of the well-known historians of Kashmir, Dr Abdul Ahad, writes that “Shayir-e-Kashmir Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad Mahjoor (1887-1952), a Poet par-excellence and precursor of literary Renaissance in the Valley has impacted Kashmiri language by augmenting its vocabulary and idiom so refreshingly, immensely and profoundly that he continues to be a household name in Kashmir even after his death several decades ago (Hayat-i-Rahim 2020).” Bringing poetry to the doorsteps of Kashmiris, Mahjoor used it as a tool to awaken them and instil in them warmth of heart and mind. Bashar Bashir, a prominent Kashmiri scholar writes that “Mahjoor was a natural artist, and his poetry raised his status. The way he bore hardships of life and made the suppressed voice of his natives a slogan reflects his brave heart. His experiments with change in Kashmiri poetry, at the level of thoughtfulness and form, graduated him into a poet of resistance (quoted in Shafi Ahmad, ‘Mahjoor: The Poet of Kashmir’: www.kashmirpen.com).”
Mahjoor was a revolutionary poet also. Through his poetry, he made people aware of the atrocities committed by the rulers and the ruling class. Shafi Ahmad (op cit) writes that “Mahjoor’s time was when Kashmir was ruled by autocratic rulers and people were fed up with recurrent suppression on one side and accepted it as a form of only way out. Mahjoor propped up himself as a savior with his poetry which touched the common man’s heart. Quest for freedom from suppression became People’s movement and Mahjoor its representative. At a time Mahjoor’s poetry became a tool of raising passions for Azadi(freedom). A couplet is recorded here which encompasses the relation between the voice of the people and their outlook for the goal.
Wala ho bagwano nawbaharuk shan paida kar
Pholan gul gath karan bulbul tithi saman paida kar
(Ye the gardener raise the new spring
So that flowers bloom, birds swirl, create such conditions).”
Mahjoor was deadly against the infamous Amritsar Treaty through which Kashmir’s land, people and livestock were purchased for seventy thousand rupees (Nanakshahi). In one of his poems Mahjoor says that his forefathers and property were sold out cheaply. They surrendered their property, but now the rulers were after their life. Mahjoor didn’t like the so-called freedom that ensued when the autocratic rule ended in Kashmir with the Quit Kashmir Movement of 1930s. He lamented that common people continued to get disrespect. His poem ‘Azadi’ is elegiac in tone and speaks about how the common people like Nabir Sheikh were treated by the powerful.
Mahjoor had developed contacts with many literary personalities of Kashmir and outside. Prominent among them were Allama Iqbal, Rabindernath Tagore, Edward J Brown, Arsh Maleesani, Maulana Shibli, Bismil Amritsari, Maulana Habibur Rehman, Shiv Narayan Shameem, Dr GDM Sufi and Munshi Mohammduddin Fauq.
Mahjoor and Mahmood: Mahjoor’s poetry got a great flip because of the melodious voice of a street singer Ghulam Mohammad Bhat whom Mahjoor gave the name ‘Mahmood Shehri’. There is an interesting story behind this nom de plume for the Bhat. In the later 1920s of the last century, Mahjoor living at Tankipora in Srinagar city. During this time, he would often visit the Hari Singh Street here which was a hub of literary activities and business those days. He would spend time at the shops of Peer Qamer Din and Peer Balagh Din where at he would meet with Abdul Ahad Azad, Mirza Arif Beigh, Master Zindlal Kaul, Mir Aziz and some other contemporary poets and scholars. These meetings would serve as mini-mushairas also. Once when Mahjoor was sitting at Qamer Din’s shop (it must be around 1930), the latter told him that there was teenager living in the vicinity of Sarai Bala who had an enchanting voice and people would follow him wherever he went singing in the streets. Mahjoor got curious and told Qamar Din that he would like to meet the boy. One day, Ghulam Mohammad Bhat came to the Street where Mahjoor asked him to sing “You forsook me in anger/My love, mad after flowers” (tsol hama roshe roshe/poshe mati janaano). Mahjoor got so impressed that he took the boy to his home where he trained him in singing some of his poems. One day when Mahjoor was sitting at Qamer Din’s shop, the boy knowing well that Mahjoor was there sang one of his songs. It mesmerised not only Mahjoor but also the whole lot of people who were there. Mahjoor was overjoyed and rechristened Ghulam Mohammad Bhat as ‘Mahmood Shehri’ (Mahmood from urban Kashmir) in opposition to the famous classical Kashmiri poet Mahmood Gami (Mahmood from rural Kashmir). Mahmood Shehri died around 1937.
Mahjoor didn’t restrict his thought and art to poetry only. He showed his mettle in prose writing as well. Among his prose writings Ayina itihad Kashmir (Mirror to Kashmir’s Unity), tazkirah farsi sho’rai Kashmir (Description of Persian Poets of Kashmir), safarnama Ladakh (Ladakh Travelogue), hayat-i- Rahim (Biography of Rahim), sawaniha Habba Khatoon (Biography of Habba Khatoon) and Patwari are noteworthy. His domestic woes and unfavourable conditions didn’t allow Mahjoor to publish his writings except Biography of Rahim during his lifetime. Patwari was edited by his grandson, Abdal Mahjoor, and published in 2019. TN Kaul (1988) has mentioned the following published and unpublished works of Mahjoor:
Mahjoor was a historian and had left behind a rare collection around 500 manuscripts written in Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian and Kashmiri which Mahjoor himself had named as ‘kutubkhana’ (library). His scholarly son, Mohammad Amin ‘ibne Mahjoor’ had added more valuable manuscripts to this library making it richer. Mahjoor had a deep knowledge and study of coins of Kashmir. He had collected a good number of coins belonging to the earliest Greek rule in Kashmir and also of Hindu and medieval period of Kashmir. Both manuscripts and coins were purchased by the National Museum, New Delhi, when the State Government and the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages demonstrated the least interest in procuring them.
Acknowledging Mahjoor: Mahjoor’s contribution to the Kashmiri language and literature wasn’t acknowledged only by the then State Cabinet when he was living, but even after his death, he has received unprecedented attention from the people within and outside Kashmir. In recognition to his contribution, the Government of India issued a commemorative stamp in his honour which was released by the then Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, in presence of the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi at the SKICC, Srinagar, on 23 May 2013.
A colour feature film in Urdu and Kashmiri was made by a Mumbai based company Barg-e-Chinar Productions in 1971 that featured late Balraj Sahni and his son, Parikshit Sahni, in the lead roles. Some prominent Kashmiri actors also performed in the film which was directed by Prabhat Mukherji with Pran Kishore as the Assistant Director. Since the film was the first of its kind, it evoked a tremendous public interest.
In Kashmir, the Government rechristened a Government school as the Mahjoor Memorial Higher Secondary School Pulwama. At the Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Srinagar, a ward has been named after him while the road from Shaheed Gunj to Habba Kadal, Srinagar, was named as the Mahjoor Road. There is an area called Mahjoor Nagar in Srinagar which is connected with Jawhar Nagar through a bridge called the Mahjoor Bridge.