Background
Azad was born in Delhi in a highly educated Persian immigrant family. His mother died when he was four years old. His father, Muhammad Baqir (c1810-1857), was educated at the newly founded Delhi College.
Azad was born in Delhi in a highly educated Persian immigrant family. His mother died when he was four years old. His father, Muhammad Baqir (c1810-1857), was educated at the newly founded Delhi College.
Around 1845, he enrolled at Delhi College in the Urdu-medium "Oriental" section, which offered Arabic and Persian rather than English. He pursued his studies for some eight years before graduating in 1854.
But he is mostly remembered for his prose and is considered one of the best Urdu prose writers. His best known work is Aab-e-Hayat (meaning "Elixir of Life"). Besides his many other activities he worked in the British administration.
In early 1837, Muhammad Baqir bought a press and launched the Dihli Urdu Akhbaar (Delhi Urdu Newspaper), which was probably the first Urdu newspaper in north India.
Muhammad Baqir was executed for siding with Mughals and joining the rebellion in 1857. Following his father"s death and a period of turmoil in Delhi, Azad migrated to Lahore in 1861.
After struggling for years he gradually settled down in Lahore and started teaching at the newly founded (1864) Government College, Lahore, and later at Oriental College, Lahore, created under the auspices of Anjuman-e-Punjab (Punjab Society). Anjuman-e-Punjab"s mission was solely cultural and academic.
lieutenant arranged public lectures, established a free library and reading room, compiled educational texts and translations in Indian languages, and established Lahore"s famous Oriental College.
The Anjuman was actively supported by leading British officials of the time and was considered a success. In 1866 Azad became a regularly paid lecturer on behalf of the Anjuman and a year later he became its secretary. In 1887 he established the Azad Library, which earned him praise and the title of "Shams ul-ulamā" (Sun among the Learned).
After undergoing great personal, health and mental losses, Azad died in Lahore on 22 January, 1910 at the age of eighty.
Among his literary students, who learnt prose and poetry writing from him, was Hakim Ahmad Shuja.