Urdu, the language
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Grammar, books on
Tarkeeb-e-Durust
By Syed Amjad Hussain, New Age Islam
6 June 2025
Hakeem Syed Aali Qadr Abdullah Pachnavi, a 19th-century scholar from Bihar’s Pachna village, authored a rare Urdu grammar book for his children, preserved lovingly as a testament to rural intellect.
Main Points:
1. Hakeem Syed Aali Qadr was a 19th-century healer and Urdu scholar from Pachna in Bihar’s Sheikhpura district.
2. He wrote Tarkeeb-e-Durust, a grammar book for his children, completed in 1878.
3. The sole manuscript copy survives in a private library.
4. Its style is clear, warm, and didactic.
5. The work highlights rural Bihar’s forgotten literary heritage.
Introduction
Hidden in the Sheikhpura district of Bihar, nestled within its fertile plains, lies the ancient village of Pachna, its spiritual and intellectual heritage largely obscured from mainstream historical narratives. Yet in the fading pages of forgotten manuscripts and the memories of dedicated scholars, the echo of one extraordinary son of this land continues to whisper, Hakeem Syed Aali Qadr Abdullah Pachnavi.
A practitioner of both healing and the intricacies of Urdu grammar, Syed Aali Qadr Abdullah lived during the latter half of the 19th century. While few traces of his life endure, what remains is a striking testament to the rich scholarly undercurrents that once thrived in rural Bihar.
A Name Rooted in Pachna, Sheikhpura District
Born into a distinguished family in Pachna, a culturally significant village in Bihar’s Sheikhpura district. Syed Aali Qadr Abdullah was the son of the esteemed Haji Syed Ashraf Ali. This familial detail is not incidental; it situates him within a tradition deeply committed to knowledge, service, and religious devotion. Pachna, despite its modest geographical footprint, boasts an ancient lineage of Islamic scholarship, Sufi mysticism, and vernacular literary traditions.
Electing to remain in his native village rather than relocate to metropolitan centres, Syed Aali Qadr devoted his life to Hikmah (wisdom) and healing. Practising Unani medicine, he adopted the respected title of Hakeem, a term denoting both physician and philosopher in Islamic thought. His life was one of service, dedicated equally to the ailments of the body and the enlightenment of the mind.
A Grammar Book Born of Love and Legacy
Among his scholarly pursuits, his most enduring contribution is a grammar text in Urdu, written specifically for the education of his children. This book, titled Tarkeeb-e-Durust, survives in a single known copy, carefully preserved by the former professor at Maulana Azad College, Kolkata, late Professor Shah Maqbool Ahmed, a renowned scholar with a private library of rare Urdu manuscripts.
The book's title yields its date of completion through the Abjad chronogrammatic system, a method rooted in assigning numerical values to Arabic letters. The phrase Tarkeeb-e-Durust, rich in historical resonance, reveals the year 1292 Hijri, which corresponds to 1878 CE. The use of Abjad demonstrates the author's classical training and intellectual dexterity, as well as his connection to the rich traditions of Islamic scholarship.
Curiously, within the inner margins of the manuscript appears an alternative title, Qawiyy-e-Qadr. This could be a poetic subtitle or even a veiled reference to the author's pen name and philosophical aspiration. The phrase itself evokes strength (Qawiyy) and dignity (Qadr), qualities that reflect the spirit of the work.
Manuscript Details and Scholarly Style
The physical form of Tarkeeb-e-Durust adds to its historic charm. Measuring 20 × 2 / 27 centimetres, the manuscript is handwritten on both sides of each folio, totalling around 290 pages. Time has worn the pages, some are torn or frayed, but great care was taken to preserve them. Crucially, the text remains fully legible, and marginal notes add depth to the primary content.
The opening page displays ornate and expressive language, likely intended to capture the interest of young readers, his children, while the rest of the work shifts to a clear, direct, and accessible style. This transition suggests a thoughtful pedagogical strategy: engage first, then instruct.
Far from being dull, the work is engaging and imaginative in its layout and explanation. The presence of marginalia indicates that the author continued to revise and annotate the book, reflecting a living document that evolved over time.
The Only Copy: A Treasure in Private Custody
The manuscript of Tarkeeb-e-Durust might have slipped into total obscurity were it not for Dr Mujibur Rahman’s valuable research. In his 1978 publication Tarikh-e-BarahGawan, Dr Rahman mentions the manuscript while discussing the cultural history of Pachna in Sheikhpura district. This reference guided researchers to Professor Shah Maqbool Ahmed, who, though hesitant, graciously allowed access to the only known copy from his personal collection.
Professor Ahmed had long hoped to deposit the manuscript in a public archive, particularly the National Library Kolkata. His vision was twofold: to safeguard the text from decay, and to ensure access for scholars researching Urdu’s regional development and pedagogical history.
A Window into Rural Urdu Intellectualism
The survival of Tarkeeb-e-Durust holds meaning beyond its grammatical instruction. It offers rare insight into the intellectual climate of rural 19th-century India. While conventional scholarship tends to focus on literary centres like Delhi, Lucknow, or Hyderabad, this work proves that smaller villages such as Pachna, too, were home to profound intellectual activity and literary stewardship.
Syed Aali Qadr’s decision to write a grammar book in Urdu for his children speaks volumes about his dedication to both education and cultural continuity. For him, Urdu was not merely a language of court or commerce, it was a vessel of thought, morality, instruction, and familial legacy.
In Conclusion: An Unsung Hero of Urdu Pedagogy
In an age where the contributions of local thinkers are often eclipsed by mainstream historiography, Hakeem Syed Aali Qadr Abdullah Pachnavi stands as a quiet beacon. His impact may be limited in circulation, but its relevance endures. A healer of the body and the mind, he was a Hakeem in the truest sense.
As modern scholars revisit the literary and philosophical heritage of Bihar and its role in shaping Indo-Islamic intellectual traditions, Tarkeeb-e-Durust and its humble author deserve serious reconsideration. In its preservation lies not only the memory of a gifted son of Pachna, but also a broader truth: that greatness often goes unnoticed in quiet villages, wrapped gently in the fading leaves of solitary manuscripts.
References:
Tarkeeb-e-Durust (Manuscript)
Tareekh-e-Barahgawaan by Dr. Mujibur Rahman
