The Sun That Rose from the Earth

Set across the great cities of North India during the glittering age of the Mughals, The Sun That Rose From The Earth explores the lives, loves and literary worlds of some of the most celebrated poets of the Urdu and Persian traditions.

The collection includes stories involving figures such as Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir, Mirza Jan-e-Janan, Budh Singh Qalandar, Amir Khan Anjam, Kishan Chand Ikhlas, Haidar Ali Atash and Mushafi. Faruqi combines historical personalities with fictionalized narratives, creating an evocative portrait of the culture of Hindustan and the world of poetry that flourished within it.

The collection opens a window into the literary and cultural world of pre-modern and nineteenth-century North India. Its stories follow poets, lovers, patrons and aspiring writers whose lives intersect with the great traditions of Urdu and Persian poetry.

One story follows Beni Madho Ruswa, a Rajput orphan who travels from Cawnpore to Delhi hoping to meet the celebrated poet Mirza Ghalib. Another follows the young Mir Taqi Mir and his relationship with Nurus Saadat, while another explores how an aspiring poet encounters the life and work of Shaikh Mushafi through stories told by his widow.

Through these interconnected tales, Faruqi recreates a vanished literary world in which poetry, love, patronage, scholarship and personal ambition shaped the lives of remarkable men and women. The result is both a celebration of Urdu literary culture and an imaginative journey through the history of Hindustan.