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Kaikobad (1857-1951) epic poet and writer. Kaikobad
was the pen name of Mohammad Kazem Ali Qureshi. He was born in the village
of Agla under nawabganj
thana in the district of dhaka
in 1857, son of Shahamatullah Al Qureshi, a lawyer at the Dhaka District
Judge Court.
Kaikobad studied at Pogose School and St Gregory's School in
Dhaka. He then went to Dhaka Madrasah where he studied up to the
Entrance Examination. However, he did not sit for the examinations,
returning instead to his native village to take up the job of
postmaster, where he worked until his retirement. In 1932, he
presided over the main session of the Bangiya Muslim Sahitya Sammelan
in Kolkata.
Kaikobad revealed his poetic genius early. His Birahabilap
was published in 1870, when he was about thirteen.
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Kaikobad |
Kaikobad was influenced by the epics written by hemchandra
banerjee and nabinchandra
sen and, in 1904, published Mahashmashan (The Great
Crematorium), based on the Third Panipat War. The epic, which shows the
destructive nature of war in both victory and defeat, is considered his
masterpiece.
Kaikobad's other works include Kusumakanan (1873), Ashrumala (1895), Shivamandir (1922), Amiyadhara (1923), Shmashanabhasma (1924) and Maharram Sharif (1932). His Premer Phul (1970), Premer Vani (1970), Prem Parijat (1970), Mandakini Dhara (1971) and Gauchh Paker Premer Kunja (1979) were published posthumously. The bangla academy published his complete works as Kaikobad Rachanabali (Writings of Kaikobad) in three volumes (1994-95).
Kaikobad's literary inspiration derived from his desire
to make the backward Muslims aware of their rich tradition and heritage
and thereby help restore their glory. However, he also wrote on religious
issues of both Hindus and Muslims. For his literary achievements, the
Nikhil Bharat Sahitya Sangha awarded him the titles of 'Kavyabhusan',
'Vidyabhusan' and 'Sahityaratna'. He died on 21 July 1951 and was buried
at the Azimpur Graveyard in Dhaka. [Wakil Ahmed]
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