Jagan Nath Azad

Quick Facts

• Full Name: Jagan Nath Azad
• Born: December 5, 1918; Isa Khel, Mianwali District, Punjab, British India
• Died: August 24, 2004; Lahore, Pakistan
• Profession: Poet, Writer, Scholar, Journalist, Academic
• Languages Known: Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, English, Persian
• Spouse: Married
• Children: Yes (including son Chander K. Azad)
• Notable Works: Pakistan ka Qaumi Tarana (first national anthem), Urdu Hai Jiska Naam, Nai Nazm ka Safar, works on Iqbal studies
• Known For: Writing the first anthem of Pakistan, scholarly contributions to Urdu and Iqbal studies

Biography

Jagan Nath Azad was a poet and scholar whose life reflected both the shared culture and the painful divisions of the subcontinent. Though born a Hindu, he became deeply associated with Urdu literature and with Pakistan’s earliest days, writing the country’s first national anthem before the official anthem was adopted.

He was born in Isa Khel in 1918, in what is now Mianwali District of Pakistan. He grew up in a family that valued learning and poetry, and from a young age he immersed himself in Urdu literature. After completing his education, he began his career as a writer and academic, quickly gaining respect for his thoughtful prose and poetry.

When Pakistan came into being in 1947, Muhammad Ali Jinnah reportedly asked him to write the new nation’s first anthem, as a gesture of inclusivity and goodwill toward minorities. Azad composed the anthem, which was broadcast on Radio Pakistan in the early months after independence. Though it was later replaced by the current anthem in 1954, his contribution remains a historic symbol of unity and hope at a time of great upheaval.

Beyond this moment, Azad was a prolific writer and scholar. He published numerous works on Urdu poetry, including critical studies and collections. He had a deep interest in Allama Iqbal and wrote extensively on his philosophy and poetry. His works like Urdu Hai Jiska Naam and Nai Nazm ka Safar highlighted his role as both a poet and a literary historian.

Azad lived and worked in Lahore, where he taught and contributed to academic life. He also served as the chairman of the Department of Urdu at the University of the Punjab, influencing generations of students.

In his personal life, he was devoted to his family and to his mission of promoting Urdu language and literature. He remained a symbol of cultural bridges, representing how literature could transcend boundaries of religion and politics.

He passed away in Lahore in 2004 at the age of 85. To this day, Jagan Nath Azad is remembered not only as a poet and scholar but as a man whose words once gave voice to the hopes of a newly born nation.