List of Urdu poets

The following is a List of Urdu-language poets.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

13th century

Poet	Image	Pen Name	Era	Work
Amir Khusro			(1253–1325)	Tuhfat-us-Sigh
Bande Nawaz			(1321–1442)
Kabir			(15th century)

15th century

Poet	Image	Pen Name	Era	Work
Meera		Mira Bai	1498

16th century

Poet	Image	Pen Name	Era	Work
Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah Wali			1518 – 5 June 1580
Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana			(1556 – 1627)	Wrote poetry primarily in Persian, but also in Hindavi
Ali Adil Shah I			1558–1579
Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah			(1565–1611)	Kulliyat-e-Quli Qutub Shah wrote poetry primarily in Persian, but also in Hindavi
Ibrahim Adil Shah II			1571 – 12 September 1627
Chandar Bhan Brahman			unknown – 1662	Brahman was appointed as court chronicler and he was give responsibility for maintaining Shah Jahan's personal diary. He wrote a memoir Chahar Chaman

17th century

Poet	Image	Pen Name	Era	Work
Nusrati			(died 1674)
Mirza Abdul Qadir Bedil Dehlavi		Bedil	(1642-1720)
Wali Muhammad Wali		Wali Deccani	(1667–1707)
Shah Mubarak Abroo			(1683–1733)
Siraj-ud-Din Ali Khan Arzu		Arzu	(1687–1756)	Mehr-o-Mah, Guka-ri-Kayal
Mirza Mazhar Jan-e-Janaan		Jan-e-Janaan	(1699–1781)	Majmua-Urdu-Ashaar

18th century

Ghulam Hamdani Mushafi, the poet first believed to have coined the name "Urdu" around 1780 AD for a language that went by a multiplicity of names before his time.

• Mirza Muhammad Rafi, Sauda (1713–1780)
• Siraj Aurangabadi, Siraj (1715–1763)
• Mohammad Meer Soz Dehlvi, Soz (1720-1799)
• Khwaja Mir Dard, Dard (1721–1785)
• Qayem Chandpuri, Muhammad Qyamuddin Ali Qayem (1722–1793)
• Mir Taqi Mir, Mir (1723–1810)
• Nazeer Akbarabadi, Nazeer (1740–1830)
• Qalandar Bakhsh Jurat, Jurat (1748–1810)
• Mashafi Shaikh Ghulam Hamdani, Mas'hafi (1750–1824)
• Insha Allah Khan 'Insha', Insha (1756–1817)
• Saadat Yaar Khan Rangin, Rangin (1757–1835)
• Bahadur Shah, Zafar (1775–1862)
• Imam Baksh Nasikh, Nasikh (1776–1838)
• Khwaja Haidar Ali Atish, Atish (1778–1846)
• Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, Zauq (1789–1854)
• Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, Ghalib (1797–1869)
• Chhannu Lal Dilgeer, Ghulam Hussain (1780–1848)

19th century

• Momin Khan Momin, Momin (1801–1852)
• Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer (Mirza Salaamat Ali), Dabeer (1803–1875)
• Mir Babar Ali Anis, Anis (1803–1874)
• Daya Shankar Kaul Nasim (1811–1845)
• Amir Meenai, Amir (1828–1900)
• Dagh Dehlvi (Nawab Mirza Khan), Daagh (1831–1905)
• Altaf Hussain Hali (Hali Panipati), Hali (1837–1914)
• Akbar Allahabadi (Syed Akbar Hussain), Akbar (1846–1921)
• Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi (Maulana Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi), Raza (1856–1921)
• Hassan Raza Khan Barelvi (Maulana Hassan Raza Khan Barelvi), Hassan (1859-1908)
• Bekhud Badayuni (Muhammad Abdul-Hayy Siddiqui), Bekhud (1857–1912)
• Shibli Nomani (Allama Shibli Nomani). Shibli (1857–1914)
• Muztar Khairabadi (1862–1927)
• Alam (1868–1937)
• Zaigham (d. 1869)
• Tashna (1872–1931)
• Zafar Ali Khan (1873–1956)
• Arzoo Lakhnavi (1873–1951)
• Syed Ghulam Bhik Nairang (1875–1952)
• Hasrat Mohani (Syed Fazlul Hussain), Hasrat (1875–1951)
• Dil Shahjahanpuri (Zameer Hasan Khan), Dil (1875–1959)
• Allama Muhammad Iqbal (Allama Iqbal), Iqbal (1877–1938)
• Mohammad Ali Jauhar (Maulana Jauhar), Jauhar (1878-1931)
• Fani Badayuni (Shaukat Ali Khan), Fani (1879–1941)
• Seemab Akbarabadi (Ashiq Hussain) (1882–1951)
• Brij Narayan Chakbast (1882–1926)
• Bekhud Dehlvi (Syed Wahiduddin Ahmed) (1882–1955)
• Niaz Fatehpuri (Maulana Niyaz Muhammad Khan) (1882–1966)
• Yagana Changezi (Mirza Wajid Hussain Yaas) Yaas (1883–1956)
• Josh Malsiyani (Labhu Ram) Josh (1883–1976)
• Asghar Gondvi (Asghar Hussain Asghar), Asghar (1884-1936)
• Tilok Chand Mehroom (1887–1966)
• Qamar Jalalvi (1887–1968)
• Amjad Hyderabadi (Amjad Hussain), Amjad (1888-1961)
• Jigar Moradabadi (Ali Sikandar), Jigar (1890–1960)
• Raaz Chandpuri (Mohd. Sadiq) (1892–1969)
• Hakim Ahmad Shuja (1893–1969)
• Josh Malihabadi (Shabbir Hassan Khan), Josh (1894–1982)
• Muhammad Mustafa Jauhar, Jauhar (1895– 1985)
• Firaq Gorakhpuri (Raghupati Sahay), Firaq (1896–1982)
• Ram Prasad Bismil (1897–1927)
• Abr Ahasani Gunnauri (Ahmed Baksh) Abr (1897–1973)
• Munavvar Lakhnavi Bisheshwar Prasad Munavvar (1897–1970)
• Abdur Rauf Urooj (c. 1932–1990)

1900

• Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi (1900–1966)
• Hafeez Jalandhari (Mohd.Hafeez), Hafeez (1900–1982)
• Talib Chakwali Manohar Lal Kapur ‘Talib’ (1900–1988)
• Pandit Harichand Akhtar ('Akhtar') (1901–1958)
• Alam Muzaffarnagari (Muhammad Ishaaq) (1901–1969)
• Bismil Saeedi (1901–1977)
• Khushtar Girami (Dewan Ram Rakhamal Kalia) (1902–1988)
• Anand Narain Mulla (1901–1997)
• Zaheen Shah Taji (1902–1978)
• Syed Sajjad Zaheer (1904–1973)
• Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari (1904–1975)
• Akhtar Sheerani (Mohd.Dawood Khan) (1905–1948)
• Saghar Nizami (1905–1984)
• Abid Ali Abid (1906–1971)
• Gopal Mittal (1906–1993)
• Ratan Pandoravi (Rala Ram), Ratan (1907–1998)
• Makhdum Muhiuddin (1908–1969)
• Arsh Malsiani (Bal Mukund) (1908–1979)
• Majaz (Asrar-ul-Haq), Majaz (1909–1955)
• Abdul Hamid Adam (1909–1981)
• Sayyid Ahmedullah Qadri, Lisan ul Mulk(1909–1985)
• Kunwar Mohinder Singh Bedi Sahar, Sahar (1909-1998)

1910

• Noon Meem Rashid (1910–1975)
• Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Faiz (1911–1984)
• Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah (1911–1984)
• Aijaz Siddiqi (1911–1978)
• Ravish Siddiqi (Ravish) (1911–1971)
• Nushoor Wahidi (1911–1981)
• Meeraji (1912–1949)
• Shifa Gwaliori (1912–1968)
• Shamim Karhani (1913–1975)
• Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi (1913–1986)
• Dr. Rafiq Hussain (1913–1990)
• Sahir Hoshiarpuri (1913–1994)
• Ali Sardar Jafri (1913–2000)
• Raza Naqvi Wahi (1914–2002)
• Mir Gul Khan Nasir (1914–1983)
• Rais Amrohvi (1914–1988)
• Ehsan Danish (1914–1982)
• Jan Nisar Akhtar (1914–1976)
• Majeed Amjad (1914–1974)
• Sikandar Ali Wajd (1914–1983)
• Akhtar ul Iman (1915–1996)
• Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, Nadeem (1916–2006)
• Zamir Jafri, Zamir (1916–1999)
• Shakeel Badayuni (1916–1970)
• Agha Shorish Kashmiri (Agha Abdul Kareem) Shorish (1917–1975)
• Shan-ul-Haq Haqqee (1917–2005)
• Rishi Patialvi (Bam Dev Sharma) Rishi (1917–1999)
• Jagan Nath Azad (1918–2004)
• Kaifi Azmi (1918–2002)
• Fikr Taunsvi (1918-1987)
• Naeem Hashmi (1919–1976)
• Majrooh Sultanpuri (1919–2000)
• Khumar Barabankvi, Khumar (1919–1999)
• Qateel Shifai, Qateel (1919–2001)
• Masud Husain Khan (1919–2010)

1920

• Salaam Machhalishahari, Salaam (1921–1972)
• Sahir Ludhianvi, Sahir (1921–1980)
• Krishan Mohan, Krishan Lal Krishan Mohan (1922–2004)
• Wazir Agha (1922–2010)
• Sulaiman Areeb (1922–1970)
• Nazish Pratapgarhi, Nazish (1924–1981)
• Ada Jafri (1924–)
• Nasir Kazmi, Nasir (1925–1972)
• Bekas Akbarabadi, M.G Gupta wrote Urdu anthology, Rahat-i-Ruh (2004),(1925–2011)
• Rahi Masoom Raza (1925–1992)
• Himayat Ali Shair, Shair (1926)
• Kanwal Ziai Hardayal Singh Datta (1927–2012)
• Naresh Kumar Shad (1927–1969)
• Ibn-e-Insha, Insha (1927–1978)
• Bekal Utsahi (1928–2016)
• Sagar Siddiqui (1928–1974)
• Raja Mehdi Ali Khan (1928–1966)
• Habib Jalib (1928–1993)
• Dilawar Figar (1928–1998)
• Munir Niazi (1928–2006)
• Shabnam Romani, Shabnam (1928–2009)
• Mazhar Imam (1928–2012)
• Wasif Ali Wasif (1929–1993)
• Dilawar Figar (1929-1998)

1930

• Mustafa Zaidi (1930–1970)
• Harbans Bhalla (1930–1993)
• Ahmad Faraz (1931–2008)
• Jon Elia (1931–2003)
• Rajendar Nath Rehbar (1931)
• Satyapal Anand (1931)
• Syed Amin Ashraf (1931)
• Shakeb Jalali (1932–1966)
• Rajinder Manchanda Bani Bani (1932–1981)
• Mohsin Bhopali (1932–2007)
• Sardar Panchhi (1932)
• Muzaffar Warsi (1933–2011)
• Syed Waheed Ashraf (1933)
• Waheed Akhtar (1934–1996)
• Sudarshan Faakir (1934–2008)
• Murtaza Birlas (1934)
• Mohsin Zaidi (1935–2003)
• Anwar Masood (1935)
• Bashar Nawaz (1935-2015)
• Aftab Iqbal Shamim (1936)
• Adil Mansuri (1936–2009)
• Akhlaq Mohammed Khan (Shahryar) (1936–2012)
• Gulzar (1936)
• Shahzad A. Rizvi (1937)
• Unwan Chishti Iftikharul Hasan Unwan (1937–2004)
• Nida Fazli (1938-2016)
• Makhmoor Saeedi (1938–2010)
• Syed Mahmood Khundmiri (1938–2011)
• Obaidullah Aleem (1939–1997)
• Allama Talib Jauhari (1939– )

1940

• Mahmood Shaam (1940)
• Kishwar Naheed (1940)
• Jazib Qureshi (1940)
• Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi (1941)
• Ahfaz ur Rahman (1942)
• Iftikhar Arif (1943)
• Shamim Farooqui (1943–2014)
• Amjad Islam Amjad (1944)
• Ghulam Muhammad Qasir, Qasir (1944–1999)
• Bashir Badr (1945)
• Javed Akhtar (1945)
• Anwer Zahidi (1946)
• Afzal Ahmed Syed (1946)
• Shamim Hashimi (1947)
• Saleem Kausar (1947)
• Mohsin Naqvi (1947-1996)
• Syed Ali Akhtar Rizvi, Sha'oor(1948–2002)
• Muhammad Izhar ul Haq (1948)
• Fehmida Riaz (1948)
• Pir Naseer-uddin-Naseer (1949–2009)
• Zameer Akhtar Naqvi (1944-2020)

1950

• Rahat Indori (1950–2020)
• Zahid Abrol (1950)
• Jamal Ehsani (1951–1998)
• Ashfaq Hussain (1951–)
• Haider Qureshi (1952–)
• Munawwar Rana (1952–)
• Parveen Shakir (1952–1994)
• Abdul Hamid (1953–)
• Sara Shagufta (1954–1984)
• Kazim Jarwali (1955–)
• Sibt-e-Jaafar Zaidi (1957-2013)
• Noon Meem Danish (1958–)
• Salma Shaheen (1954)

1960

• Fareed Parbati (1961)
• Samina Raja (1961)
• Anjum Rehbar (1962)
• Zahida Hina (1962–)
• Raees Warsi (1963)
• Zulfiqar Naqvi (1965)
• Harris Khalique (1966)
• Idris Azad (1969)
• Riaz Tasneem (1969)

1970

• Irshad Kamil (1971)
• Akhtar Raza Saleemi (1974)
• Ali Akbar Natiq (1974)
• Sarim Momin (1978)

Non-Muslim Urdu poets

• Maharaja Chandu Lal Sadan (1766 – 1845)
• Mah Laqa Bai (1768-1824)
• Daya Shankar Kaul Nasim (1811–1845)
• Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad, Shad (1864-1940)
• Brij Mohan Dattatreya Kaifi (1866 – 1955)
• Brij Narayan Chakbast (1882–1926)
• Tilok Chand Mehroom (1887–1966)
• Firaq Gorakhpuri (Raghupati Sahay) Firaq (1896–1982)
• Ram Prasad Bismil (1897–1927)
• Pandit Harichand Akhtar ('Akhtar') (1901–1958)
• Anand Narain Mulla (1901–1997)
• Khushtar Girami (Dewan Ram Rakhamal Kalia) (1902–1988)
• Gopal Mittal (1906–1993)
• Ratan Pandoravi (Rala Ram) Ratan (1907–1998)
• Arsh Malsiani (Bal Mukund) (1908–1979)
• Sahir Hoshiarpuri (1913–1994)
• Mehr Lal Soni Zia Fatehabadi (1913–1986)
• Rishi Patialvi (Bam Dev Sharma) Rishi (1917–1999)
• Jagan Nath Azad (1918–2004)
• Bhupendra Nath Kaushik (1924 – 2007)
• Krishna Kumar Sharma (1924–2001)
• Kanwal Ziai Hardayal Singh Datta (1927–2012)
• Naresh Kumar Shad (1927–1969)
• Harbans Bhalla (1930–1993)
• Satyapal Anand (1931)
• Raj Pathria (1933)
• Dushyant Kumar (1933–1975)
• Rajendar Nath Rehbar (1931)
• Sudarshan Faakir (1934–2008)
• Mohinder Pratap Chand (1935)
• Jayant Parmer (1954)
• Fahmi Badayuni (1952–2024)

20th century

• Mashal Sultanpuri (1937 – October 2020)
• Meena Kumari (1 August 1933 - 31 March 1972)

Contemporary poets

• Fuzail Ahmad Nasiri (b. 1978)

Poets with unknown dates of birth

• Saleem Kausar,
• Shahin Badar,
• Siraj Aurangabadi,
• Ziauddin Ahmad,
• Sadhu Singh Hamdard
• Qamar Jalalabadi
• Kanwal Ziai

Contemporary poets with unknown dates of birth

• Kaif Bhopali
• Sayeed Quadri
• Khalid Irfan
• Kashmiri Lal Zakir

See also

• List of Pakistani poets
• List of Urdu-language writers