कुँवर उदयभान चरित

by इंशा अल्ला खां

[ आवरण-पृष्ठ ]

कुवर उदयभान चरित
सामाजिक उपन्यास

नव्वाब वज़ीर नव्वाब सआदत अलीखां के
सम सामयिक सुकवि इन्शाअल्लाखां
विरचित।

KUAR UDAI BHAN
OR
A LIVELY SKETCH OF SOCIAL LIFE IN OUDH
A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
A RARE TREASURE OF COLLOQUIAL HINDI
BY
Insha Allah Khan
(A CONTEMPORARY OF NAWAB VAZIR NAWAB SAADAT
ALI KHAN)
Lucknow.
Anglo-Oriental Press.
1905.

[ आवरण-पृष्ठ ]

कुँवर उदयभान चरित
सामाजिक उपन्यास

नव्वाब वज़ीर नव्वाब सआदत अलीखां के
सम सामयिक सुकवि इन्शाअल्लाखां
विरचित।

KUAR UDAI BHAN
OR
A LIVELY SKETCH OF SOCIAL LIFE IN OUDH
A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
A RARE TREASURE OF COLLOQUIAL HINDI
BY
Insha Allah Khan
(A CONTEMPORARY OF NAWAB VAZIR NAWAB SAADAT
ALI KHAN)
Lucknow.
Anglo-Oriental Press.
1905.

[ Preface ]PREFACE.

In the centuries gone by the educated and influential Mahomedan gentlemen took interest in the cultivation of the Hindi literature is amply established from the writings of Nawab Khankhana, Malik Jaisi and other eminent Mahomedan authors. European scholarship on the basis of linguistic researches has come to hold that the Hindi was the general language of the Upper Provinces and the authors and religious reformers whether Hindus or Mahomedans who wrote for or spoke to the people of the country used the Hindi––the language understood by the majority of the population to express their sentiments. The so called Urdu was not known in those days. No work of merit in Urdu dates prior to the eighteenth century. The vice-regal Court of Oudh was the great supporter of the Urdu literature and under its patronage Urdu has attained its position as the refined language of Upper India. With the rise of Urdu, the cultivation of Hindi was disparaged and in time the pure and impressive Hindi of Tulsidas––Kabirdas and Nabhaji––has given place to the artificial Hindi of the Sanscrit scholars––which is nothing but a collection of Sanscrit words linked together with Hindi particles. Works written in such language will never enrich the Hindi literature. There has arisen another class of Hindi––which is Urdu in Nagri character. The [ २ ] works written in this style can hardlly be classed in Hindi literature. Words of foreign origin should only be used when necessary. They should not be freely introduced to the sacrifice of the better understood and significant indigenous words.

The following work is the production of an educated Mahomedan gentleman in pure Hindi dialect. It was composed in Lucknow when Nawab Saadat Ali Khan was the reigning chief in this Province. Its author was Insha Allah Khan. According to Mr. Beale he was a poet and an author of four divans. Among his works "Darai Latafat" is of some reputation. His father was Masha Allah Khan. The author undertook to write a pleasant story in the dialect of the educated Hindus––elegant in style––impressive in diction––and written in such every day spoken words avoiding all words derived from Persian or Arabic, that even the unlearned may understand it without difficulty. A perusal of this book will show how far the learned author has succeeded in his desired object. Throughout the whole book no word of any foreign origin will be found except one word laltain (lantern) which is itself of disputed origin. The story selected by our author and the super human power introduced by him to complete his story may not commend themselves to the readers of modern novels in which human characters are depicted in their natural colours:–– where human actions are delineated in the light of modern education and scientific knowledge––but the reader must bear in mind the period when [ ३ ] this work was composed and the state of the society in that age to have a clear idea of the author's attainments. Mr. Chint says in his introducion to this book that it "is a magazine of Hindee worls and phrases. Any foreigner desiring to obtain an accurate knowlelge of the colloquial Hindi will find ample material is this book for his study."

Mr. Chint, Principal of La Martiniere College, Lucknow, published a portion of this book in 1852 in Vol. XII of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal accompiniert by an English translation. Rev. Mr. L. Slater', Senior Professor of Bishop's College, Calcutta completed the work and the translation in Vol. XXIV of the said Journal. The book was published by these learned gentlemen in the Persian character. Raja Shiva Prasad C. S. I. of Benares published an edi. tion of this book in Nagri character compiled from the above named jourural. But he made some un warranted additions and alterations in the text and omitteil portions here and there and in places changed its gran netical forms to suit the present state of the Hindi dialect. In his elition the herdings and the text have been intermixed. So the author's work has not appeared in its original state. In preparing the present edition besides the above publications one Mss. copy of the book was also consulted and out of the different rendings, the one keeping with the general style of the text has been retained. No portion of the text has been omitted except a feir lines in the introductory portion [ ४ ] which disclosed the sectarian views of the author as to his tenet and the omission of which does not affect the work itself.

The publisher hopes that the work will be accepted by the general reader as a piece of light reading and the student will find in it a mine of words and sentimeuts and a glimpse into the inner life of the higher society a hundred years ago.

PUBLISHER.

[ १ ]

بسم له الرحمن الرحيم

कुँवर उदयभान चरित॥

सिर झुकाकर नाक रगड़ता हूं उस अपने बनानेवाळे के साम्हने जिस ने हम सबको बनाया और बातकी बातमें वह सब कर दिखाया जिसका भेद किसीने न पाया। आतियां जातियां जो सांसें हैं। उसके बिन ध्यान सब यह फांसें हैं॥ यह कलका पुतला जो अपने उस खिलाड़ी की सुध रक्खे तो खटाईमें क्यों पड़े और कडुवा कसैला क्यों हो। उस फलकी मिठाई चक्खै जो बड़ोंसे बड़े अगलोंने चक्खी है। देखनेको आखें दी और सुन्नेको यह कान दिये नाक भी ऊंची सबमें करदी मूरतोंको जी दान दिये मिट्टीके वासनको इतनी सकत कहां जो अपने कुन्हारके करतब कछ बतासके। सच है जो बनाया हुवा हो सो अपने बनानेवालेको क्या सराहे और क्या कहे यों जिसका जी चाहे पड़ा बके। सिरसे लगा पांवतक जितने रोबटे हैं जो सबके सब बोल उठे और सराहा करें और इतने बरस इसी ध्यानमें रहें जितनी सारी नदियों में रेत और फूल फलियां खेतमें हैं तो भी कुछ न होसके।

इस सर झुकाने के साथही दिन रात जपताहूं उस दाता के पहुंचे हुये प्यारे को। जिस लिये थों कहा है। "जो तू न होता मैं कुछ न बनाता" और उसके चचेरा-भाई-जिसका-व्याह-उस के घर हुआ [ २ ] उसकी सुरत-मुझे लगरही है। मैं फूला अपने आप में नहीं समाता और जितने उनके लड़के वाले हैं उन्ही के यहां परचाव है ओर कोई-हो। कुछ मेरे जी को नहीं भाता जीते मरते उन्ही सबों का आस्रा और उन के घराने का रक्खताहूं तीसों घड़ी।

डौल डाल एक अनोखी बात का॥

एक दिन बैठे२ यह बात अपने ध्यानमें चढ़आई कि कोई कहानी ऐसी कहिये जिसमें हिन्दवी की उचट और किसी बोलसे निपट न मिले तब जाके मेरा जी फूलकी कलीके रूप खिले। बाहरकी बोली और गँवारी कुछ उसके बीचमें न हो। अपने मिलनेवालों में से एक कोई बड़े पढ़े लिखे पुराने धुराने बूढ़े घाग यह खटराग लाये सिर हिलाकर मुँह ठठिया कर नाक भौं चढ़ाकर आंखें पथराकर लगे कहने यह बात होती दिखाई नहीं देती हिन्दवीपनभी न निकले, और भाखापनभी न घुसजाय, जैसे भले लोग अच्छोंसे अच्छ आपुसमें बोळते चालते हैं ज्यों का त्यों वही डौल रहे औ छांह किसीकी न पड़े यह नहीं होनेका मैंने इनकी ठण्डी सांसकी फांसका टहोका खाकर झुंझळाकर कहा मैं कछ ऐसा अनोखा बड़बोला नहीं जो राईको परबत कर दिखाऊं और झूठ सच बोलके उँगलियां नचाऊं और बेसुरी बेठिकानेकी उलझी सुलझी बातें सुझाऊं जो मुझसे न होसकता तो भला यह बात मुँहसे क्यों निकालता जिस ढबसे होता इस बखेड़ेको टालता॥

इस कहानी का कहनेवाला यहां आपको जताता है और जैसा कछ लोग उसे पुकारते हैं कह सुनाता है दहना हाथ मुंहपर फेरकर आप को जताता हूं जो मेरे दाताने चाहा तो वह तावभाव और आव जाव [ ३ ] और कूद फांद और लपट झपट दिखाऊं जो देखतेही आपके ध्यानका घोड़ा जो बिजलीसे भी बहुत चंचल उछलाहटमें हिरनोंके रूपमें अपनी चौकड़ी भूळजाय॥

चौतुका॥

घोड़े पर अपने चढ़के आताहूं मैं। करतब जो हैं सो सब हिखाताहूं मैं। उस चाहनेवालेने जो चाहा तो अभी। कहता जो कुछहूं कर दिखाता हूं मैं।।

अब आप कान रखके सन्मुख होके टुक इधर देखिये किस ढबसे बढ़ चलताहूं और अपने इन फूलकी पँखड़ी जैसे होठोंसे किस किस रूपसे फूल उगलता हूं।