Kazi Nazrul Islam was born on May 24, 1899, and died on August 29, 1976. He was a Bengali poet, writer, journalist, lyricist, and musician. He was later honored as the national poet of Bangladesh. Nazrul created many poems, songs, stories, and novels. His work often focused on themes like equality, justice, fighting against unfair rule, kindness, standing up against oppression, and religious faith. His support for political and social fairness, along with his famous poem "Bidrohī" (meaning "the rebel" in Bengali), earned him the nickname "Bidrohī Kôbi" (Rebel Poet). His music is part of a special style called Nazrul Gīti (Music of Nazrul).
Nazrul was born during the time when Britain ruled India. He came from a Muslim Kazi family in Churulia, Asansol, which was then part of the Burdwan district in Bengal (now in West Bengal, India). As a child, he received religious education and worked as a muezzin at a local mosque. He learned about poetry, drama, and literature while working with a rural theater group called Leṭor Dôl. Leṭor is a type of folk song performed by people from the Muslim community in West Bengal. In 1917, he joined the British Indian Army and was stationed in Karachi. After World War I ended, he became a journalist in Calcutta. He criticized the British rule and encouraged revolution through his poetry, such as "Bidrohī" and "Bhangar Gan" ("The Song of Destruction"), and through his newspaper, Dhūmketu ("The Comet"). His support for India's independence movement led to his imprisonment by British authorities. While in prison, he wrote "Rajbôndīr Jôbanbôndī" ("Deposition of a Political Prisoner"). His work inspired many Bengalis during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
Nazrul's writing focused on freedom, kindness, love, and revolution. He opposed discrimination based on religion, social groups, or gender. He wrote short stories, novels, and essays, but he is most famous for his songs and poems. He introduced the ghazal style of music to the Bengali language and used many Arabic- and Persian-influenced words in his writing.
Nazrul wrote and composed nearly 4,000 songs, many of which were recorded by the Gramophone Company of India. These songs are known as "Nazrul Gīti." In 1942, at age 43, he began suffering from an unknown illness that caused him to lose his voice and memory. Doctors in Vienna diagnosed the illness as Pick's disease, a rare brain disease that cannot be cured. In 1972, with the help of the Indian government, he moved to Bangladesh, where the government invited him. His family moved with him to Dhaka. On February 18, 1976, Bangladesh gave him citizenship. He passed away on August 29, 1976.
Early life
Nazrul Islam was born on May 24, 1899, during the late British Raj in the village of Churulia, Asansol Sadar, Paschim Bardhaman district (now part of West Bengal, India). He was born into a Bengali Muslim family of landowners and was the second of three children, with two brothers and one sister. His father, Kazi Faqeer Ahmed, was the imam and caretaker of the local Pirpukur mosque and mausoleum of Haji Pahlawan. His mother was Zahida Khatun. His brothers were Kazi Saahibjaan and Kazi Ali Hussain, and his sister was Umme Kulsum. He was nicknamed Dukhu Miañ, which means "the one with grief."
Nazrul studied at a maktab (a religious school) and a madrasa (an Islamic school), where he learned the Quran, Hadith, Islamic philosophy, and theology. After his father died in 1908, the 10-year-old Nazrul took over his father’s job as caretaker of the mosque to support his family. He also helped teachers at the school and later worked as the muezzin (caller to prayer) at the mosque.
Interested in folk theater, Nazrul joined a traveling theatrical group led by his uncle, Fazle Karim. He traveled with the group, learned to act, and wrote songs and poems for their plays and musicals. Through this work, he studied Bengali and Sanskrit literature, as well as Hindu texts like the Puranas. He wrote folk plays for the group, including Chāshār Shōng ("the drama of a peasant") and plays about characters from the Mahabharata, such as Shokunībōdh ("the Killing of Shakuni") and Rājā Judhisthirer Shōng ("the drama of King Yudhishthira").
In 1910, Nazrul left the theater group and enrolled at Searsole Raj High School in Raniganj. His teacher, Nibaran Chandra Ghatak, who was part of a political group called Jugantar, influenced him. He also became friends with Sailajananda Mukhopadhyay, a classmate. Later, he moved to Mathrun High English School, where he studied under Kumud Ranjan Mullick, a poet and headmaster. Unable to pay his school fees, Nazrul left school and joined a group of kaviyals (poets and performers). He later worked as a cook at Wahid Confectionery, a famous bakery, and at a tea stall in Asansol. In 1914, he studied at Darirampur School (now Govt. Nazrul Academy) in Trishal, Mymensingh District. He studied Bengali, Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian literature, and Hindustani classical music under teachers who admired his dedication and talent.
Nazrul completed studies up to grade 10 but did not take the matriculation exam. Instead, in 1917, he joined the British Indian Army at age 18. His reasons for joining were a desire for adventure and an interest in politics. He was assigned to the 49th Bengal Regiment and posted to Karachi Cantonment, where he wrote his first prose and poetry. Though he did not see combat, he rose in rank from corporal to havildar (sergeant) and served as quartermaster for his battalion.
During this time, Nazrul read works by Rabindranath Tagore and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, as well as Persian poets like Hafez, Omar Khayyam, and Rumi. He learned Persian poetry from a Punjabi Moulvi in the regiment, practiced music, and continued his literary work. His first prose piece, Life of a Vagabond (Baunduler Atmakahini), was published in May 1919. His poem Mukti ("Freedom") appeared in the Bengali Muslim Literary Journal (Bangiya Mussalman Sahitya Samiti) in July 1919.
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I am the unutterable grief, I am the trembling first touch of the virgin, I am the throbbing tenderness of her first stolen kiss. I am the fleeting glance of the veiled beloved, I am her constant surreptitious gaze… I am the burning volcano in the bosom of the earth, I am the wildfire of the woods, I am Hell's mad terrific sea of wrath! I ride on the wings of lightning with joy and profundity, I scatter misery and fear all around, I bring earthquakes on this world! "(8th stanza)" I am the rebel eternal, I raise my head beyond this world, High, ever erect and alone!
Kazi Nazrul Islam joined the army in late 1917. Nazrul Islam left the British Indian army in 1920, when the 49th Bengal Regiment was disbanded, and settled in Calcutta. He joined the staff of the Bangiya Mussalman Sahitya Samiti ("Bengali Muslim Literary Society"). He published his first novel Bandhan-hara (বাঁধন-হারা, 'Freedom from Bondage') in 1920, on which he continued to work over the next seven years. His first collection of poems, which included " Bodhan ", " Shat-il-Arab ", " Kheya-parer Tarani ", and " Badal Prater Sharab ", received critical acclaim.
Nazrul Islam grew close to other young Muslim writers, while working at the Bengali Muslim Literary Society, including Mohammad Mozammel Haq, Kazi Abdul Wadud, and Muhammad Shahidullah. Nazrul Islam and Muhammad Shahidullah remained close throughout their lives. He was a regular at the social clubs for Calcutta's writers, poets, and intellectuals such as the Gajendar Adda and the Bharatiya Adda. Nazrul did not have the formal education of Rabindranath and as a result his poems did not follow the literary practices established by Rabindranath. Due to this he faced criticism from followers of Rabindranath. Despite their differences, Nazrul looked to Rabindranath Tagore as a mentor. In 1921, Nazrul Islam was engaged to Nargis, the niece of a well-known Muslim publisher, Ali Akbar Khan, in Daulatpur, Comilla. On 18 June 1921, the day of the wedding, upon public insistence by Khan that the term "Nazrul must reside in Daulatpur after marriage" be included in the marriage contract, Nazrul Islam walked away from the wedding ceremony.
Nazrul Islam reached the peak of his fame in 1922 with Bidrohi (The Rebel), which remains his most famous work, winning the admiration of India's literary society for his description of a rebel. Published in the Bijli (বিজলী, "Lightning") magazine, the rebellious language and theme were well received, coinciding with the Non-Cooperation Movement – the first mass nationalist campaign of civil disobedience against British rule. Nazrul Islam explores the different forces at work in a rebel, the destroyer, and the preserver who is able to express rage as well as beauty and sensitivity. He followed up by writing Pralayollas ('Destructive Euphoria'), and his first anthology of poems, the Agni-veena ("অগ্নি-বীণা", 'Lyre of Fire') in 1922, which enjoyed commercial and critical success. He also published a volume of short stories, the Byathar Dan "ব্যথার দান" ('Gift of Sorrow'), and Yugbani ("যুগবাণী"), an anthology of essays.
Nazrul Islam started a bi-weekly magazine, Dhumketu ("ধূমকেতু", 'Comet') on 12 August 1922 that was critical of the British Empire. Earning the moniker of the "rebel poet", Nazrul Islam aroused the suspicion of British Raj authorities. The police raided the office of Dhumketu after it published "Anondomoyeer Agomone" ("আনন্দময়ীর আগমনে"), a political poem, in September 1922. Nazrul Islam was arrested on 23 January 1923 and charged with sedition. He presented a long argument in the court, an excerpt of what he said:
I have been accused of sedition… To plead for me, the king of all kings, the judge of all judges, the eternal truth the living God… I am a poet; I have been sent by God to express the unexpressed, to portray the unportrayed. It is God who is heard through the voice of the poet… I am an instrument of God. The instrument is not unbreakable, but who is there to break God?
On 14 April 1923, he was moved from Alipore Jail to Hooghly Jail in Hooghly. He began a 40-day fast to protest mistreatment by the British jail superintendent, breaking his fast more than a month later and eventually being released from prison in December 1923. Nazrul Islam composed numerous poems and songs during his period of imprisonment. In the 1920s, the British Indian government banned many of his writings. Rabindranath Tagore dedicated his play "Basanta" to Nazrul Islam in 1923. Nazrul Islam wrote the poem "Aj Srishti Shukher Ullashe" to thank Tagore. His book Bisher Banshi ('The Flute of Poison'), published in August 1924, was banned by the British Raj. Bisher Banshi called for rebellion in India against the British Raj. Bisher Banshi was read and distributed in secret following the ban.
Nazrul Islam was a critic of the Khilafat Movement in British India which he condemned as "hollow religious fundamentalism". His rebellious expression extended to rigid orthodoxy in the name of religion and politics. He also criticised the Indian National Congress for not embracing outright political independence from the British Empire. Nazrul became active in encouraging people to agitate against British rule, and joined the Bengal state unit of the Indian National Congress. Along with Muzaffar Ahmed, Nazrul also helped organise the Sramik Praja Swaraj Dal (Workers and Peasants Party), a socialist political party committed to national independence and the service of the working class. On 16 December 1925, Nazrul began publishing the Langal ('Plough'), a weekly, and served as its chief editor.
During his visit to Comilla in 1921, Nazrul Islam met a young Bengali Hindu woman, Pramila Devi, with whom he fell in love, and they married on 25 April 1924. Brahmo Samaj criticised Pramila, a member of the Brahmo Samaj, for marrying a Muslim. Muslim religious leaders criticised Nazrul Islam for his marriage to a Hindu woman. He also was criticised for his writings. Despite controversy, Nazrul Islam's popularity and reputation as the "rebel poet" increased significantly.
With his wife and young son Bulbul, Nazrul Islam settled at Grace Cottage, Krishnanagar in Krishnanagar in 1926. His work began to transform as he wrote poetry and songs that articulated the aspirations of the working class, a sphere of his work known as "mass music".
O poverty, thou hast made me great. Thou hast made me honoured like Christ with his crown of thorns. Thou hast given me courage to reveal all. To thee I owe my insolent, naked eyes and sharp tongue. Thy curse has turned my violin to a sword… O proud saint, thy terrible fire has rendered my heaven barren. O my child, my darling one, I could not give thee even a drop of milk. No right have I to rejoice. Poverty weeps within my doors forever as my spouse and my child. Who will play the flute?
In what his contemporaries regarded as one of his greatest flairs of creativity, Nazrul Islam vastly contributed in profusely enriching ghazals in Bengali, transforming a form of poetry written mainly in Persian and Urdu. Nazrul Islam's recording of Islamic songs was a commercial success and created interest in gramophone companies about publishing his works. A significant impact of Nazrul Islam's work in Bengal was that it made Bengali Muslims more comfortable with the Bengali arts, which used to be dominated by Bengali Hindus. His Islamic songs are popular during Ramadan in Bangladesh. He also wrote devotional songs on the Hindu Goddess Kali. Nazrul Islam also composed a number of notable Shyamasangeet, Bhajan and Kirtan, combining Hindu devotional music. In 1928, Nazrul Islam began working as a lyricist, composer, and music director for the Gramophone Company of India. The songs written and music composed by him were broadcast on radio stations across India, including on the Indian Broadcasting Company.
I don't see any difference between a man and woman. Whatever great or benevolent.
Religious beliefs
Nazrul Islam was born as a Muslim, but he often blended ideas from different religions, which made some people see him as a strong supporter of many faiths. In 1920, he wrote an article in Joog Bani about religious unity, saying:
"Come brother Hindu! Come Muslim! Come Buddhist! Come Christian! Let us go beyond differences, let us stop all lies, selfishness, and small-mindedness. Let us call each other brothers. We will no longer fight."
In another article titled Hindu Mussalman, published in Ganabani on September 2, 1922, he wrote that religious conflicts were between religious leaders, not between ordinary Muslims and Hindus. He said that prophets were treated like property, but they should be seen as a light for all people.
Nazrul Islam criticized religious extremism, calling it harmful and unreligious. He wrote about the equality of all humans and explored the teachings of the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad. A Bengali literary critic named Serajul Islam Choudhury, a professor at the University of Dhaka, compared Nazrul Islam to William Butler Yeats, noting that Nazrul was the first Muslim poet to use imagery and symbolism of Muslim historical figures like Qasim ibn Hasan, Ali, Umar, Kamal Pasha, and Muhammad. His rejection of extreme ideas and his views on treating women fairly upset some Muslim and Hindu leaders who disagreed with his open-minded religious beliefs.
Nazrul Islam’s mother died in 1928, and his second son, Bulbul, died from smallpox the next year. His first son, Krishna Mohammad, had died earlier. Pramila, his wife, gave birth to two more sons—Sabyasachi in 1928 and Aniruddha in 1931—but Nazrul Islam remained deeply sad for a long time. His writing shifted from criticizing society to exploring religious themes more deeply. His works helped Islamic devotional songs become popular in Bengali folk music, covering practices like prayer (namaz), fasting (roza), pilgrimage (hajj), and charity (zakat). He wrote the song "O Mon Romzaner Oi Rozar Sheshe" about fasting during Ramadan, which was seen as a major achievement because Bengali Muslims had avoided devotional music before.
Nazrul Islam also wrote Hindu devotional songs, including Agamanis, Bhajans, Shyama Sangeet, and kirtan. He composed over 500 Hindu devotional songs. However, some Muslims criticized him for writing Shyama Sangeet and called him Kafir (infidel). At the same time, he was upset with some Hindus for writing songs about Hindu goddesses, as he was a Muslim. His poetry and songs explored ideas from both Islam and Hinduism. His poetry reflected the energy and power of Shakti, a form of the divine in Hinduism. He also wrote songs praising Lord Shiva and the goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati, as well as the love between Radha and Krishna. Nazrul Islam was a supporter of humanism. Although he was a Muslim, he named his sons with both Hindu and Muslim names: Krishna Mohammad, Arindam Khaled (Bulbul), Kazi Sabyasachi, and Kazi Aniruddha.
Later life
In 1930, his book Pralayshikha was banned, and he was accused of sedition by the British Indian colonial government. He was sent to jail and released in 1931 after the Gandhi–Irwin Pact was signed. In 1933, Nazrul Islam published a collection of essays titled Modern World Literature, in which he discussed different styles and themes of literature. Between 1928 and 1935, he published 10 volumes with 800 songs, of which more than 600 were based on classical ragas. Almost 100 were folk tunes from kirtans, and some 30 were patriotic songs. From the time of his return to Kolkata until he fell ill in 1941, Nazrul Islam composed more than 2,600 songs, many of which have been lost. His songs based on Baul, jhumur, Santhali folksongs, jhanpan, or the folk songs of snake charmers, bhatiali, and bhaoaia combined folk-songs with beautiful and poetic lyrics. Nazrul Islam also wrote and published poems for children.
Nazrul Islam's success led him to work in Indian theatre and the early film industry. His first film as a director was Dhruba, making him the first Muslim director of a Bengali film. The film Vidyapati (Master of Knowledge) was produced based on his recorded play in 1936, and Nazrul Islam served as the music director for the films Patalpuri and Gora (an adaptation of Tagore's novel). He wrote songs and directed music for Sachin Sengupta's biographical play about Siraj-ud-Daula. He worked on the plays Jahangir and Annyapurna by Monilal Gangopadhyay. In 1939, Nazrul began working for Calcutta Radio, overseeing the production and broadcasting of musical programs. He created critical and analytic documentaries on music, such as Haramoni and Navaraga-malika. Nazrul Islam also wrote many songs inspired by the raga Bhairav.
Illness and death
In 1939, Nazrul Islam's wife, Pramila Devi, became very sick and was paralyzed from the waist down. To pay for her medical care, Nazrul used the money from his songs and writings as a loan for 400 rupees. In 1940, he returned to journalism by becoming the chief editor of the newspaper Nabajug (New Age), which was started by the Bengali politician A. K. Fazlul Huq.
When he heard about the death of Rabindranath Tagore on August 8, 1941, Nazrul was deeply shocked. He wrote two poems to honor Tagore. One of these poems, "Rabihara" (meaning "without Rabi"), was played on the All India Radio. Soon after, Nazrul became ill and gradually lost the ability to speak. His behavior became unpredictable, he spent money carelessly, and faced financial problems. Despite her own illness, Pramila cared for her husband. However, Nazrul's health worsened, and he became increasingly sad. He tried treatments from homeopathy and Ayurveda, but his mental problems got worse, and he was admitted to a mental hospital in 1942. After four months with no improvement, Nazrul and his family lived quietly in India. In 1952, he was moved to a psychiatric hospital in Ranchi.
With the help of a group called the "Nazrul Treatment Society," Nazrul and Pramila were sent to London and then Vienna for treatment. Doctors there said he had not received proper care before. Dr. Hans Hoff, a top neurosurgeon in Vienna, diagnosed Nazrul with Pick's disease. Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, visited Vienna to meet Dr. Hoff. Dr. Ashok Bagchi, a neurosurgeon from Kolkata, also helped with Nazrul's care in Vienna. Doctors said his condition could not be cured, and Nazrul returned to Calcutta on December 15, 1953. On June 30, 1962, Pramila died, and Nazrul continued receiving medical care. He stopped working because of his worsening health.
Despite treatment, Nazrul's physical and mental health did not improve. He died from long-term illnesses on August 29, 1976. As he had wished in one of his poems, he was buried beside a mosque on the campus of the University of Dhaka.
There was controversy about his funeral. Nazrul's sons asked the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi to bring his body to India so he could be buried next to his wife's grave, as she had wished. A space had been reserved for his burial next to her grave in his hometown, Churulia. When the sons arrived in Dhaka for the funeral, they found that it had already taken place without their presence, and Nazrul was buried at Dhaka University. People in West Bengal continue to call for his remains to be moved back to India.
Bangladesh held two days of national mourning, and the Parliament of India observed a minute of silence in his honor.
Criticism
According to literary critic Serajul Islam Choudhury, Nazrul Islam's poetry uses many rhetorical devices to express strong beliefs and vivid imagery. He sometimes wrote without focusing on structure or neatness. His works have been criticized for being self-centered, but his supporters say they show confidence rather than ego. They mention his willingness to challenge traditional ideas about God while still showing respect and humility. Nazrul Islam's poetry is seen as rough but distinct compared to Tagore's more refined style. His use of Persian words was debated, but it helped expand the variety of his writing.
Legacy
On May 24, 1972, the newly independent country of Bangladesh invited Nazrul Islam to live in Dhaka with the permission of the Government of India. The government of Bangladesh gave him the title of national poet in 1972. This title was officially announced in 2024. In February 1976, during his time in Bangladesh, he received Bangladeshi citizenship.
In 1974 and 1976, the University of Dhaka awarded him an Honorary D.Litt. He was also given the Ekushey Padak by the President of Bangladesh, Justice Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem. Many schools, cultural centers, and other institutions in Bangladesh and India were created and named in his honor. The Bangladesh Nazrul Sena is a large public group that helps educate children across the country. The Nazrul Endowment supports research about Kazi Nazrul Islam at U.S. universities, including California State University, Northridge, and Connecticut State University. In 1945, the University of Calcutta gave him the Jagattarini Gold Medal, its highest award for work in Bengali literature. In 1960, he was honored with the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award.
Nazrul Islam’s books for children are praised for their rich language, creativity, and ability to capture the interest of young readers. He is known for his support of secularism, which means respecting all religions. His poetry has been translated into many languages, including English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The Uzbek poet Erkin Vohidov wrote an epic poem about Nazrul Islam called Ruhlar isyoni (The Rise of the Spirits). A major street in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is named after him. A cultural center called Nazrul Academy exists throughout Bangladesh. A chair at the University of Calcutta is named in his honor. The Government of West Bengal established a cultural center called Nazrul Tirtha in Rajarhat. This center includes a library, auditorium, and movie theater dedicated to his memory. On May 25, 2020, Google celebrated his 121st birthday with a Google Doodle.