Ghalib

Mirza Ghalib
Ghalib in 1868
Born
Mirza Asadullah Beg Khan

(1797-12-27)27 December 1797
Died15 February 1869(1869-02-15) (aged 71)
Resting placeMazar-e-Mirza Ghalib Tomb, near Nizamuddin Dargah, Delhi
Pen nameGhalib, Asad
Occupation
  • Poet
  • author
LanguageUrdu, Persian
PeriodMughal era
British era
Genre
Subject
Years activec. 1808–1869
Notable workDiwan-e-Ghalib
Spouse
Umrao Begum
(m. 1810)
ParentsMirza Abdullah Baig (father)
Izzat-ut-Nisa Begum (mother)
Urdu literature
اُرْدُو اَدَبْ
Urdu literature
By category
Urdu language
Rekhta
Major figures
Amir Khusrau - Wali Dakhani - Mir Taqi Mir - Ghalib - Abdul Haq - Muhammad Iqbal
Urdu writers
Writers – Novelists – Poets
Forms
Ghazal - Dastangoi - Nazm – Fiction
Institutions
Anjuman-i Taraqqi-i Urdu
Urdu movement
Literary Prizes
Related Portals
Literature Portal

India Portal

Pakistan Portal

Mirza Asadullah Beg Khan (27 December 1797 – 15 February 1869), commonly known as Mirza Ghalib, was an Indian poet and letter writer of the Mughal Empire. Writing in Persian and Urdu during the final years of the Mughal Empire and the rise of British colonial rule, his poetry often addressed themes of love, loss, philosophy, the human condition, and socio-political disturbances with a depth and complexity that influenced the literary traditions of his time. His ghazals, noted for their intricate imagery and layered meanings, form a significant part of Urdu literature. He spent most of his life in poverty.

He wrote in both Urdu and Persian. Although his Persian Divan (body of work) is at least five times longer than his Urdu Divan, his fame rests on his poetry in Urdu. Today, Ghalib remains popular not only in South Asia, but also among the South Asian diaspora.