Altaf Husain Hali's epic poem, the Musaddas (1879) on The Flow and Ebb of Islam is a landmark in the development of Urdu poetry. A key text for understanding the emergence of modern Indian literature, it is also crucial in gauging the response of South Asian Islam to European imperialism and modernity. The first part of this book consists of a critical introduction and analysis of the poem, in the context of the historical, political and literary background of ...
