Historical, political and Literary Background of Orientalists within the context of Urdu Literature

Abstract

This article focuses on the immense contribution of Orientalist Urdu
writers on the growth and development of Urdu language and
literature from historical, political and social perspective. As world
appears from the text, the earliest influence of Orientalist travelers
and scholars in the Indian Sub-continent was the natural culmination
of the tolerance and accommodation perpetuated by the Mughals,
more importantly, during the reign of Akbar. However, direct
infusion of Western thought and culture found roots planted by
Portuguese and French invasion along the coastal line of India in the
18th century, a process which climaxed after the annexation of
Bengal in 18th century. Although the process of influencing Urdu
literature and Sociology of the Sub-continent started showing through
the untiring researching and academic endeavors of the motivated by
the Colonial agenda soon the appetite for Urdu writings in diversified
areas like religion, politics and social milieu transcended to
independent writings by English orientalists, Anglo-Indian writers
and the native Christian writers of the Sub-Continent. The article thus
provides a deeper insight to the Urdu reader of the cross cultural
contribution of Christian writers on the Urdu and literature over
period of time