Makhdooom Muhammad Zaman Talibul Maula (4 October 1919 – 11 January 1993)

 Makhdooom Muhammad Zaman Talibul Maula (4 October 1919 – 11 January 1993)

Muhammad Habib Sanai

The twentieth century was an era of profound transformation, both globally and regionally. It witnessed two devastating world wars, the liberation of hundreds of nations from colonial rule, and unprecedented advances in science and knowledge. Amid these sweeping changes, Sindh asserted itself as an ancient and distinct civilization. At the same time, the trauma of Partition compelled many of its most creative minds and a substantial segment of its educated middle class to migrate, leaving behind a deep intellectual, literary, and cultural void.

In these painful and destabilizing circumstances, several eminent personalities emerged who played a decisive role in sustaining and revitalizing Sindh’s cultural and intellectual life. Among the most distinguished of them was Makhdoom Muhammad Zaman Talib-ul-Maula.

Makhdoom Muhammad Zaman Talib-ul-Maula was born on 9th Muharram 1338 Hijri, corresponding to 4 October 1919, in Hala. In keeping with family tradition, he received his education privately. At the age of twenty-five, on 18 December 1944, he became the seventeenth Sajjada Nashin (spiritual custodian) of the revered spiritual lineage of Makhdoom Nooh (RA).

At the national level, he was widely recognized as a prominent politician and spiritual leader. Before the formation of One Unit, he was elected as a member of the Sindh Assembly. In the early 1960s, he joined the Convention Muslim League, in which he played an active role. He was a founding member of the Pakistan Peoples Party and served as its Senior Vice Chairman until his last breath. He was elected as a Member of the National Assembly on several occasions and played a pivotal role in the Anti–One Unit movement as well as in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD).

Makhdoom Sahib was not merely a politician, but he was also a renowned poet, writer, linguist, and connoisseur of music and folklore. His literary journey began remarkably early. In 1930, at the age of eleven, during his travels in the Nara region, he came into close contact with Manthar Faqir Rajar, a renowned spiritual figure of the Sarwari dargah. Every morning, Manthar Faqir would compose and recite a new Dahar—poetic compositions devoted to the praise and remembrance of the spiritual masters of the shrine of Makhdoom Nuh (1505–1590). These formative encounters awakened in him a lifelong passion for poetry.

In the early phase of his literary career, he adopted several pen names—first Bevas, then Firaqi, followed by Zaman Shah and Talib. In 1949, he finally settled on the pen name Talib-ul-Maula, by which he became widely known. Alongside poetry, he developed a deep interest in music and, in 1937, acquired formal knowledge of classical music from Ustad Sendho Khan of the Gwalior Gharana. Shaikh Aziz notes that as an ardent lover of music, even developed a new raag, Zamani Tori, later sung by the late Ustad Manzoor Ali Khan. Renowned artists such as Hussain Bakhsh Khadim and Misri Faqir owed much to his influence and patronage.

His organizational role in Sindhi literary life began early. Around 1936, he founded the Anjuman-e-Ilm-o-Adab in Hala, under whose auspices several literary conferences were held. He later established the Al-Zaman Press in Hala, from where the Sindhi weekly newspapers Pasban and Al-Zaman were published for a considerable period, making a significant contribution to literary and cultural discourse.

In 1946, he founded the Sindhi poets’ organization Jamiat-ul-Shu‘ara. At its Hyderabad Conference in 1950, he was conferred the title Mehboob-ul-Shu‘ara (Beloved of Poets), a distinction he never personally used. In the same year, the monthly literary magazine Firdous was launched from Hala under his patronage.

His influence expanded further in the 1950s. Around 1954, he founded the Idara Rooh-e-Adab Sindh, from whose platform a major music conference was held in Hala in February 1955, along with the publication of the monthly journal Rooh-e-Adab. In November 1955, Bazm-e-Talib-ul-Maula was established in Hyderabad, with him as Patron-in-Chief. Dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Sindhi literature, the Bazm gradually evolved into an All-Sindh movement. From 1956 onwards, the journal Sha‘ir was published from Hyderabad under his patronage.

Despite his immense contributions to the intellectual, literary, and cultural enrichment of Sindh, he did not always receive the recognition he deserved—particularly from certain literary and academic circles identifying themselves as progressive. As a spiritual leader, he was often viewed through a narrow and prejudiced lens, leading some to mischaracterize him as a representative of conservative forces. This perception resulted in an unwillingness to acknowledge his vital cultural role, and some critics even went so far as to allege—without foundation—that his poetry and prose were written by paid associates.

Such claims are firmly rebutted by contemporaries. The noted poet Soz Halai, who frequently participated with him in literary gatherings and mushairas, attested to his remarkable spontaneity as a poet and his distinction as a prose writer. During the 1950s and 1960s, impromptu mushairas were common across Sindh, where poets were required to compose verses on the spot. Makhdoom Sahib presided over many such gatherings and consistently presented his own extempore compositions. His writings bear a distinctive tone and style, unmistakably reflecting his stature as a genuine poet and accomplished intellectual.

Professor Dr. Dur Muhammad Pattan observes that Makhdoom Sahib enriched Sindhi literature continuously for nearly sixty years. Between 1946 and 1993, twenty-five of his books were published, while several manuscripts remain unpublished—an average of one book every two years. Until a few years ago, ten of his prose works and twenty-four volumes of poetry had already appeared in print.

 He remained closely associated with the Sindhi Adabi Board—one of the most significant institutions devoted to the promotion of the Sindhi language and literature—for many years. He first served as a member of its governing body and later as its chairman, a tenure widely regarded as the Board’s golden period.

In his celebrated book Jehra Gul Gulab Ja, the distinguished writer Ghulam Rabbani Agro offers a vivid portrait of Makhdoom Sahib, noting his lifelong devotion to books and music, his generosity toward writers and institutions, and his rare personal integrity. Agro recounts how Makhdoom Sahib never claimed travel allowances, donated rare manuscripts without remuneration, arranged financial support for the Board, and even offered his own property for institutional use—acts that exemplified selflessness and patience reminiscent of Shah Abdul Karim of Bulri.

Professor Ghulam Hussain Khaskheli likewise observed that after Partition created a vacuum in Sindh’s intellectual life, the writers and poets of Hala played a decisive role in filling it, with Makhdoom Talib-ul-Maula as their undisputed leader. Under his guidance and patronage, journals such as Sha‘ir and Firdous flourished, alongside numerous literary gatherings, scholarly discussions, mushairas, and musical soirées.

His contribution extended beyond literature to the performing arts. As documented in Nasir Mirza’s three-volume work on the fiftieth anniversary of Radio Hyderabad, Makhdoom Sahib played a crucial role in promoting Sindhi music, nurturing singers, and advancing the fine arts. Dr. Nabi Bakhsh Baloch also acknowledged his cooperation in organizing conferences on folklore and traditional scholarship.

In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded the Tamgha-e-Pakistan, the Shah Latif Award, and the Hilal-e-Imtiaz.

From the foregoing, it is evident that Makhdoom Talib-ul-Maula played a decisive role in refining and reinforcing the cultural identity of Sindh. The most fitting tribute to his legacy lies in continuing to walk the path he illuminated.

This eminent and noble figure passed away on 11 January 1993 and was laid to rest on 12 January 1993 at the Dargah Sharif in Hala.