Zia Fatehabadi

He was a disciple (shaagird) of Syed Aashiq Hussain Siddiqui Seemab Akbarabadi (1882–1951), who was a disciple of Nawab Mirza Khan Daagh Dehlvi (1831–1905).

He used the takhallus (nom de plume) of Zia meaning "Light" on the suggestion of his teacher, Ghulaam Qadir Farkh Amritsari.

He was the eldest son of Munshi Ram Soni (1884–1968), a Civil Engineer by profession, who belonged to the Soni (Khatri) family of Kapila Gotra that at some time during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan, had migrated from Rajasthan to Punjab and settled at Fatehabad, Punjab near Tarn Taran

Zia Fatehabadi's father was an exponent of Indian Classical vocal and instrumental music, who often invited musicians and singers to his residence, was himself fond of singing and playing musical instruments, and a good player of chess.

It was one such evening in Jaipur when the young school-going Zia Fatehabadi was not given by the invited singer a copy of Iqbal's ghazal that had been liked and wanted by him; this particular incident probably exasperated Zia's urge to write and made him a poet.

Even when Zia Fatehabadi was a college student his was a respected name in the Urdu world.

After the publication of his first book,Tullu, which had received some disheartening criticism, he had thought of giving up writing but he was dissuaded from doing so by friends and elders.

Zia Fatehabadi had started composing Urdu sh'ers and ghazals at an early age when he was still attending school in Jaipur.

Mehr Lal Soni (9 February 1913 – 19 August 1986), better known as Zia Fatehabadi, was an Indian Urdu ghazal and nazm writer.

Zia Fatehabadi was born on 9 February 1913 at Kapurthala, Punjab.

His education began at Khalsa Middle School, Peshawar (1920 to 1922).

However, he completed his schooling from Maharaja High School, Jaipur, Rajasthan (1923 to 1929), after which he obtained his B.A.(Hons) degree in Persian in 1933 and M.A. (English) degree in 1935 as a student of Forman Christian College, Lahore.

He was consistently an above average student.

Zia Fatehabadi began to write poetry in 1925 under the supervision of his mother, Shankari Devi, with the help of Maulvi Asghar Ali Haya Jaipuri, who used to teach him Urdu at home and who also imparted his own knowledge of Urdu poetry composition to him.

By 1929, Zia Fatehabadi had become a familiar name in Urdu literary circles.

In 1930, he became Seemab Akbarabadi's disciple and remained true to his ustad until his own death, working to spread Seemab's methods and instructions at all times.

He never ever gave a moment's thought to his own name or fame and sought neither favours or honours nor public or state recognition.

He categorically rejected such exercises.

He believed that the real worth of a poet's creativity can, ultimately, be gauged impartially only by those who look deeper into his works, in their desire or eagerness to get to know the poet better.

As the then editor of the Urdu section of the college house magazine The Folio, Zia Fatehabadi was instrumental in getting the first-ever Urdu short story "Sadhu" by Krishan Chander published in 1932.

At that time, Krishan Chander was interested primarily in his English writings and edited the English section.

It is also in evidence that Zia Fatehabadi was infatuated with a Bengali girl named Meera, who was also studying in the same college at the time, and addressed almost all his love-poetry to her.

Her name figures unreservedly in several of his writings.

In an interview, he had once disclosed that she was that very Meera Sen who had actually inspired Meeraji to write superb poems and adopt her name as his takhallus.

Zia Fatehabadi had met Meeraji for the first time when the latter accompanied by Upendranath Ashk, a friend of Zia Fatehabadi, visited the office of Moulana Salahudeen, Editor and proprietor of 'Adabi Duniya', Lahore, where Meeraji was employed at that time.

Krishan Chander, Meeraji and Zia Fatehabadi were good friends.

It was during his college days that Zia Fatehabadi came into contact with Shabbir Hussain Josh Malihabadi and Samad Yar Khan Saghar Nizami.

He developed a very close lifelong relationship with them, which both influenced as also helped shape his literary life.

In 1933, at the age of 20 and while still a college student, Zia Fatehabadi succeeded in having his very first collection of Urdu poems, Tullu (Dawn), published in Meerut by Saghar Nizami.

He wrote from the heart and, efficaciously, dressed his feelings, emotions, thoughts and experiences with simple, delicate, sweet-sounding, lyrical, meaningful, easily understood words and phrases – the key features in his poetry.

His inimitable style set him apart from his peers and gave him a distinct identity.

His writings were meant to touch one's heart and mind simultaneously and make one feel all that he himself had felt.

He was totally at ease in the use of a variety of prose and poetical formats.

However, he did not succumb to the practice of uninhibited expression of ideas in open forms, which had been adopted by some of his noted contemporaries, who had introduced symbolism in Urdu Poetry.

In his article titled Zia Saheb, Gopichand Narang had said that he (Zia) belonged to the Seemab Akbarabadi's circle of devoted writers; deep knowledge of the etiquette and effective use of language and expression, the immense richness of feelings and emotions meant to be conveyed, and the fine eloquence and methodology adorned his writings and he makes use of Hindi intonation in ghazal quite effectively and also quite meaningfully highlights the contemporary human pain and suffering; to appraise Zia Fatehabadi is to appraise the inherited tradition and refinement of our poetry.

In his compositions, that demonstrate undefiled immaculate thought and brevity Zia Fatehabadi has revealed new and factual aspects of thought and insight.

In 1936, Zia Fatehabadi joined the Reserve Bank of India, from which he retired in 1971 as Deputy Chief Officer, a senior position in the bank.

In 1942, he married Raj Kumari (1919–2003), daughter of Murli Ram Berera of Lahore.

Before joining the Reserve Bank of India, while seeking suitable employment, Zia Fatehabadi was interviewed for an editor's post with All India Radio, which went to Majaz.

However, Majaz and Zia Fatehabadi remained close friends.