Shahab Nama (Urdu: شہاب نامہ, lit. 'Book of Shahab'; pronounced [ʃə'ɦaːb naːma]) is an Urdu autobiography by renowned Pakistani writer, civil servant and diplomat Qudrat Ullah Shahab. It is an eyewitness account of the background of the subcontinent's Muslims' independence movement and of the demand, establishment and history of Pakistan. The 1,248-page book was published posthumously in 1987, shortly after Shahab's death. It is his most notable publication and a bestselling Urdu autobiography.[1][2]
 Front cover | |
| Author | Qudrat Ullah Shahab |
|---|---|
| Original title | شہاب نامہ |
| Language | Urdu |
| Genres |
|
| Set in | 20th century British India and Pakistan |
| Publisher | Sang-e-Meel Publications |
Publication date | 1987 |
| Publication place | Pakistan |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 1248 |
| OCLC | 59070285 |
It covers his childhood, education, work life, admission to Imperial Civil Service, thoughts about Pakistan and his religious and spiritual experiences.[3] Mushfiq Khwaja, a close friend of Shahab, was one of those who criticised the book for its exaggerations, inaccuracies and stretched truths.[4] Considering Shahab's reputation as a man of integrity and a Sufi, Dawn wrote that "he mainly told the truth but there were things that he stretched."[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Mystic, writer, civil servant: Qudrat Ullah Shahab remembered". The Express Tribune. 21 July 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ "Qudrat Ullah Shahab's death anniversary being observed today". BOL News. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ Mujtaba, Fatima (13 June 2013). "The might of the metaphor". Dawn. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ Parekh, Rauf (26 March 2014). "The 10 best Urdu autobiographies". The Milli Gazette. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
- ^ "Shahabnama, its creator and critics". DAWN.COM. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2020.