ABSTRACT
Urdu literature is based on classical Arabic and Persian literature. The Turk became a poetic synonym for male beauty in Urdu literature. Urdu poetry has centralized the Turkish boy as the desired romantic partner. In Urdu literature, the queer is described in myriad terms: Amrad Parast, Aghlam Baaz, Bachha Baaz, Mokhannas, Humjins Parast, Londa, Hijra, Khawaja Sara, Naunehal, Londe Baaz, Shahid Baaz, Zankhawah, Neem Mard, Tiflan Paarizad, Looti, Nisf Nazuk, etc. Hafiz Shirazi, Shaikh Saadi and Amir Khusru have produced literature on the love of the male beloved. Hafiz, in one of his ghazals in “Deewan-e-Hafiz” writes: “Agar aan Turk-e-Shirazi ba-dast aarad Dil-e-ma ra. Ba-khal-e-hinduvash bakhsham Samarqand-o-Bukhara ra” (“If that Shirazi Turk will take my heart in hand, I will give Samarqand-o-Bukhara to his Hindu mole”) Here, Shirazi Turk is a boy. Maulana Jaami also writes about a Turk boy in his ghazals book Deewan-e-Jaami. Besides these nuanced terminologies to describe queer male characters, queerness, and same-sex desires, Urdu writings also created a distinct inventory of terms/words for lesbian love. Female Urdu writers Ismat Chightai, Wajda Tabassum, Khadija Mastoor, Hajra Masroor and Fahmida Reyaz contributed to female queer voices in Urdu writings.
