Speaker Details
Dr
Chander Shekhar
Department of Perisan, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, India
India
Biography:
CHANDER SHEKHAR (1958) S/O Late Dewan Shiv Shanker Sahai Tassawur
Professor, Department of Persian, University of Delhi, Faculty of Arts,
Delhi-110007
Coordinator, UGC DRS prog.
E-mail:chshekhar58@Hotmail.com
Mobile/Tele. 9968318530 (tele) 27666623 (off)
Passport No. :G8590398 (valid upto 20/05/2018)
Acadamic Record:
B.A. (Urdu, Persian, History & English) Delhi Univ.1978.
Munshi Fazil (= Hons. In Persian, 1978 Punjab Univ.)
Maulavi Fazil (=Hons. In Arabic, 1981 Punjab Univ.)
Adib Fazil (= Hons. In Urdu, Punjab Univ. Chandigarh, 1983)
M.A. Persian, Delhi Univ. 1980.
M.Phil. Persian, Delhi Univ.1982.
Ph.D. Persian, Delhi Univ.1990.
Subject: A critical study of the Mathnawis of Amir Khusrau (1252-1325 A.D) (under the
Supervision of Prof Amir Hasan Abidi).
Teaching Experience:
2003 September-onwards: Prof. Dept of Persian, Delhi University
1995 September-2003: Associate Professor, Dept of Persian, Delhi University
1989 September-1995: Assistant Professor in senior
Presentation Abstract:
Printing of Books in the second half of 19th century India: Role of Nawal Kishore Press: Typesetting press came into India basically for the two purposes in its early period in late 18th c. It was established by the East India Co’s unofficially supponsered religious (expansion of Christianity in India) at Srirampur. Institutions like Royal Asiatic Society, Calcutta and Fort William College also established their press to produce the academic and reading material respectively for their readers-students and instructors. In a short span of time, the new technology reached to other cities too. In Lucknow, itself the king of Oudh got installed a press to publish the texts-in Islamic languages. Lahore was the other centre for such printing activities. Nawal Kishore who first got training of printing at Lahore started initially his work from Lahore itself then he transferred his trade to Kanpur and then finally at Lucknow. He got number of orders from British establishments. He along with printing the official material also took pain to publish the literary, religious and cultural texts of extreme importance. The printing of books in several Indian languages especially Persian and Arabic saved innumerable manuscripts from perishment. The work started in 1857 (the year first war of independence of India also called as the revolt by Indians against Britishers). More than 5500 titles were printed by him during his short span of life. Prior to his death in 1898, he had brought out a complete list of his publications (at least six languages) in 1896. The list was unavailable till recently after much search a mutilated copy of the same i got from somewhere. Since the said era was a period of British domination, a list was prepared in English too enlisting many of the titles published till they said time, but it could not be brought out till 1901, one of its copies which is corrected by the nephew of the late Nawal Kishore in 1906 also happened to be searched after great efforts with the help of my friend Dr. Abdelrasheed. The lists are now bilingual and throw number of facts on the printing industry in the 2nd half of 19th c. The kind of books in that period was in demand. The cultural values adhered to in printing the books for various religions especially in the case of publishing Koran Sharif. The scribes were bound to follow the Islamic traditions for scribing the sheets. The water used on the zinc plates for printing the sheets of the Koranic verses will not be thrown into the gutter but will be saved as a holy water and then placed at appropriate place. The list shows the way of policy of advertisement of not only the books but other kind of material which the publisher is ready to send by post to the customer of some remote city. Beautiful cover pages designed by the artists of that period when the printing technology was not as fast as today. The paper used in the books was of such a quality that it is immune to the insecticides and other motes which may shorten the life of the book. His printed books got so much popularity that these were exported to various other countries in that period. One may go to the market of the fort of Bukhara (Uzbekistan) or the Kabul (Afghanistan) or Khujand or Dushanbe (Tajikistan) even today an innumerable books printed by Nawal kishore in 19th c. are available in the libraries shelves. The shah of Afghanistan came to India in last decade of 19th c. and invited all the despots of Indian Territory of that period he also invited Nawal Kishore. When some despots questioned his presence as he was not from the nobility of the fiefs or territories, the shah of Afghanistan told them, He may not be an emperor of some piece of land like u but he is the emperor of the books spread over from east to west. some years ago prof Tawakoni came to India-Lucknow the city of culture of Oudh where printing house of Nawal Kishore was situated he got the whole available collection of books at his own desired rates and took them away to Chicago university. Many of these books are available on PDF now but not these two lists which will be published shortly by me along with Dr. Abdelrasheed. If u allow I can present a paper on the said theme. I hope before your symposium is list will be also out and i can bring a copy of it (the list has about 800 pages). The detail paper will be sent in the due course.
Status: Confirmed