Dr. Ahmad Mahfooz is a renowned Urdu scholar and professor at the Department of Urdu in Jamia Millia Islamia, located in Jamia Nagar, New Delhi. He was born on 1st March 1966 and joined JMI on 28th October 1997. Dr. Mahfooz specializes in Classical Urdu Poetry and Poetics, with a particular focus on Mir Taqi Mir studies. He is proficient in several languages, including Urdu, English, Hindi, Persian, and has slight knowledge of Arabic.

Dr. Mahfooz has a Ph.D. on “A Critical Study of Mir Criticism in Urdu” from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, which he received in 1999. He also holds an M.Phil. on “Nasir Kazmi ki Ghazlon ka Tanqidi Motala” from the same university, which he received in 1994. In addition, he earned an M.A. in Urdu from the University of Allahabad with first division and first position in 1988.

Apart from his academic qualifications, Dr. Mahfooz has received several other awards and accolades throughout his career. He was awarded a Junior Research Fellowship (Urdu) by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, from August 1991 to July 1993, and a Senior Research Fellowship (Urdu) from July 1993 to July 1996. In 1993, he also earned a Certificate in Modern Arabic with first division and first position from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.

Dr. Mahfooz’s academic achievements include being awarded a Gold Medal for his first position in M.A. Urdu in 1991. He was also selected as one of the Ten Young Poets of India in a Poetry Writing Competition organized by BBC London in 1992. In the year 2000, he participated as an Urdu poet in a Multilingual Poets’ Meet held in Shimla, organized by the National Book Trust, Delhi. He also participated in a Literary Conference held at the Center of East Asian Studies, University of Virginia, USA, in 2008. Moreover, he represented India in a poets’ delegation for a Mushaira “AMAN KI ASHA” held in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2010. In 2013, Dr. Mahfooz was awarded the Delhi Urdu Academy award for his book “Bayan-e Mir.”

Dr. Mahfooz has authored several books, including “Shamsur Rahman Faruqi-Shakhsiyat aur Adabi Khidmaat” (Special issue of Monthly Kitab Numa) published by Maktaba Jamia Ltd. New Delhi in 1994, and “Kulliyat-e Akbar Allahabadi, Vol. I (Ghazaliyat)” published by the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, New Delhi, in 2002. He has also edited and updated Mir Taqi Mir’s Poetry in “Kulliyat-e Mir, Vol. I and II,” published by the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, New Delhi, in 2003 and 2007, respectively. He published “Bayan-e-Mir,” a collection of essays on Mir Taqi Mir, in January 2013. His most recent book, “Kulliyat-e Akbar Allahabadi, Vol. II (Ghazaliyat & Fardiyat),” was edited with research and published by the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, New Delhi, in January 2014.

Dr. Ahmad Mahfooz is a significant name in the world of Urdu scholarship, particularly for his contributions to the study of Mir Taqi Mir’s works

 One of Professor Mahfooz’s notable works is a full-length chapter on the literary critic Shamsur Rahman Faruqi’s critical perspectives. The chapter was included in the textbook for M.A. Urdu students at Maulana Azad National Urdu University in Hyderabad in 2006. The chapter provides an in-depth analysis of Faruqi’s contributions to Urdu literature and the impact of his criticism on the Urdu literary tradition.

Another significant contribution of Professor Mahfooz is his chapter on Wamiq Jaunpuri’s poetry. The chapter is part of an edited volume titled Wamiq Jaunpuri- Shakhsiyat aur Shairi and was published in July 2010. The chapter provides insights into Jaunpuri’s life and works and highlights his unique style of poetry.

In August 2011, Professor Mahfooz co-edited a book titled Mir Taqi Mir- Mir Shanasi: Muntakhab Mazamin with Dr. Tahsin Firaqi and Dr. Aziz Ibnul Hasan. The book is a collection of essays on Mir Taqi Mir, one of the greatest poets in the Urdu language. Professor Mahfooz’s chapter, titled Tazkiron mein Mohakma-e-Mir, examines Mir’s life and contributions to Urdu literature.

In March 2012, Professor Mahfooz contributed to an edited volume titled Tarjame ke Fanni aur Amali Mabahis. The book was published under the UGC’s SAP Programme, and it focuses on the art and practice of translation in Urdu literature. Professor Mahfooz contributed three chapters to the book: Tarjamanigari mein Zaban-o- Tahzib se waqifiyat, Lafzi Tarjame ke Masail, and Jadeed Zindagi se Motalliq Istelahaat ke Urdu Motabadil. These chapters explore various aspects of translation, including the linguistic and cultural challenges involved in translating texts from one language to another.

Professor Mahfooz has also contributed to several other edited volumes, including Meezan-e Harf, Khuda Lagti, and Faiz Ahmad Faiz: Khusoosi Motala. In these volumes, he has provided insightful analysis and commentary on the works of some of Urdu literature’s greatest writers, such as Syed Amin Ashraf, Kai Chand the Sare Aasman, and Mir.

Dr. Mahfooz’s poetry has been widely published and included in several anthologies of Urdu poetry. His work has been featured in publications such as Jawaaz-o-Intekhab (1980 aur Baad ki Ghazlein), edited by Kausar Mazhari, Bisvin sadi ke shoara-e- Dehli, edited by Azim Akhtar, Waraq Waraq Ghazal (Ma’asir Ghazaliya Intekhab), edited by Mahmooda Ghazia and Rizwan Raazi, Wadi-e-Khayal: Azadi ke Baad Urdu Ghazal aur Nazm, edited by Makhmoor Saeedi, and Ghazal ke Rang (An Anthology of Ghazals), edited by Akram Naqqash & Sohail Akhtar.

In addition to his poetry, Dr. Mahfooz has also made significant contributions to the field of Urdu literature through his teaching and research guidance. He has taught postgraduate and undergraduate classes at Jamia Millia Islamia since 1997, and has served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Urdu since 2010. Prior to that, he was a Reader, Senior Lecturer, and Lecturer in the department.

Dr. Mahfooz’s research interests include the study of Urdu poetry and its development over time. He has guided several Ph.D. and M.Phil. research scholars in their studies, and has published research papers on various aspects of Urdu literature.

Dr. Mahfooz’s contributions to Urdu literature and education have been recognized both nationally and internationally. He has been invited to speak at several national and international conferences and has received several awards for his work in the field.