Biography of Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah


Zaib-un-Nissa (transliterated Zeb-un-Nissa, Zaibunnissa, Zaibun Nisa, Zaibunisa, Zaib-un-Nisa, Zebunnissa, Zeb-un-Nisa) Hamidullah (Urdu: زیب النساء حمیداللہ‬‎; 25 December 1918 – 10 September 2000) was a Pakistani essayist and writer. She was a pioneer of Pakistani writing and news coverage in English, and furthermore a pioneer of women's liberation in Pakistan. She was Pakistan's first female feature writer (in English), manager, distributer and political reporter. Zaibunnisa Street in Karachi was named after her. 

Zeb-un-Nissa Ali was conceived in 1921 to an abstract family in Calcutta. Her dad, S. Wajid Ali, was the principal individual to decipher the works of the notable Urdu artist Muhammad Iqbal into Bengali, and was an enthusiastic Bengali and Indian patriot and essayist. She had two siblings, and one relative from her mom's second marriage. She experienced childhood in a firmly weave Anglo-Indian family unit loaded up with Bengali masterminds and savants of the age, as her dad's home at 48, Jhowtalla Road, was something of a gathering place for the Calcutta abstract circle. She began to compose at an early age, and got significant help from both her English mother and Bengali dad. A desolate youngster, Zeb-un-Nissa took to composing verse as a way to express her contemplations and feelings. Her later composing was influenced by her outings to rustic regions of Bengal and the Punjab, including her dad's origination, the Bengali town of Tajpur. She was taught at the Loreto House Convent 

In 1940, she wedded Khalifa Muhammad Hamidullah. In contrast to most relational unions of the time, hers was not an orchestrated marriage. She moved with him to the Punjab, Pakistan after their marriage. He worked there as an official for the Bata shoe organization. Amid autonomy in 1947, she and her better half helped displaced people running over the outskirt from India. 

Her better half, had a place with a notable Punjabi family. His dad, Khalifa Mohammad Asadullah, was the custodian of the Imperial Library in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Hamidullah was the leader of Bata's tasks in Pakistan, and was sent to head Bata in Ireland in 1972. 

Every last bit of her books were committed to him, verification of their dedication to each other. They had two youngsters: Nilofar (b. 1943) and Yasmine (b. 1949). 

In the wake of moving to the Punjab in 1942, Begum Hamidullah was stunned. Brought up in an Anglo-Indian family, she thought that it was difficult to change in accordance with the altogether different way of life of her significant other's substantial Punjabi family. It required investment for her to change, as she conceded in the foreword to The Young Wife. 

she composed for some Indian papers, and was the primary Muslim lady to compose a segment in an Indian paper. After autonomy, her section in the paper Dawn made her the main female political observer in Pakistan. After she cleared out Dawn, she turned into the organizer and supervisor distributer of the Mirror, the principal social reflexive magazine in Pakistan. Because of her status as Pakistan's first female editorial manager, she turned into the principal lady to be incorporated into press designations sent to different nations. On one of these appointments, in 1955, she turned into the primary lady to talk at the old al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. 

She wedded Khalifa Muhammad Hamidullah in 1940. 

1936 - 1943 

Zeb-un-Nissa first became a force to be reckoned with in 1936, when a lyric of hers was acknowledged for production by Bombay's celebrated Illustrated Weekly of India. From that point on she was a standard supporter of that paper, until Partition. In 1941, her first book of verse 'Indian Bouquet' was distributed by her dad's distributing house, and ended up being extremely famous. Every one of the duplicates of the primary release were sold in 3 months. She lined up on her initial accomplishment with 'Lotus Leaves', another book of verse. 

1944 

In 1944, Zeb-un-Nissa and her better half were in Simla at the season of the renowned Simla Conference. It was here that Zeb-un-Nissa met Fatima Jinnah. They turned out to be quick companions, and Miss Jinnah soon managaed to get Zeb-un-Nissa a selective meeting with her sibling, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. This was a milestone in the youthful Zeb-un-Nissa's vocation, and figured out how to shoot her to vast distinction. 

1947 - 1951 

After Partition, the aggressive Zaib-un-Nissa chose to work in the field of news coverage, and before long settled herself as a straightforward and intrepid author in her segment 'Through a Woman's Eyes', in the day by day Dawn paper of Karachi. This segment started in December, 1948. After a period, she opposed the constrained extent of the element, proclaiming that ladies ought to have the privilege to remark regarding each matter, including governmental issues. Mr. Altaf Husain, at that point supervisor of the Dawn, in the long run consented to give her a more extensive degree. Not just this, he perceived the value of her work by giving her another task - that of a reporter showing up on the publication page. Begum Hamidullah in this way turned into the primary female political analyst of Pakistan. Her section set up her notoriety for being a fair journalist who was not hesitant to voice her assessments. It was likewise an enormous advance for the ladies' rights development in Pakistan. 

Begum Hamidullah passed away gently on tenth September, 2000, at 81 years old. An eulogy in the Dawn paper said "even her spoilers appreciated her for the bravery of conviction and the quality of character she showed for an incredible duration." Another paper tribute said "She will be for quite some time associated with her spearheading job in a specific kind of news coverage in Pakistan, and as a ground-breaking and gutsy author." 

During the 60s the administration named a noteworthy road in the Karachi downtown area after her: Zaibunnisa Street. 

After the passing of her better half in 1984, Zaib-un-Nissa entered an extensive stretch of individual grieving, and step by step pulled back totally from open life. She composed sporadically, and remained an image of artistic and women's activist advancement until her passing at age 78 in September 2000. 

This is a confusion that Zaibunnisa Street Karachi is named after Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah. This road is named after Mughal princess Zaibunnisa Makhfi who was girl of Aurang Zeb Alamgir. ( Ref: Daily Jang, Karachi, 26 May 1970)