The Forgotten Bismil: Uncovering the True Poet Behind India’s Revolutionary Poem

By Syed Amjad Hussain, New Age Islam 9 July 2025 This article uncovers the forgotten legacy of Bismil Azimabadi, the true poet of Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna, whose stirring words ignited India’s freedom struggle but were long misattributed. Main Points: 1. Bismil Azimabadi, a poet from Patna, wrote Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna in 1921. 2. The poem was misattributed for decades to martyr Ram Prasad Bismil. 3. Its original manuscript is preserved in Patna’s Khuda Bakhsh Library. 4. The poem blends mysticism with revolution. 5. Recent research restored Azimabadi’s forgotten authorship. ---- Introduction Sarfaroshī kī tamannā ab hamāre dil meñ hai Dekhnā hai zor kitnā bāzū-e-qātil meñ hai (The desire for martyrdom now stirs in our hearts; let us see how much strength the killer's arm holds.) These words have thundered across the ages like a war drum within India's collective consciousness. They were mouthed by revolutionaries in underground cells, chanted by demonstrators in the face of colonial batons, and sung by schoolchildren on every Independence Day. For many, these immortal lines are believed to belong to Ram Prasad Bismil, the martyred hero of the Kakori Conspiracy. Yet beneath the layers of national myth-making lies a different truth, the poem was penned not by the martyr from Shahjahanpur, but by a poet from Patna, Bismil Azimabadi, whose verses ignited revolutions, even as his name faded into obscurity. This feature uncovers the long-overlooked history of the nazm Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna, the identity of its true poet, and how it became a symbol of India’s freedom struggle — not only through martyrdom, but through memory. A Forgotten Poet, A Nation’s Voice Bismil Azimabadi, born Syed Shah Mohammad Hasan in 1901 in the historic city of Patna (then known as Azimabad), hailed from a family steeped in scholarship and Sufi tradition. But young Bismil refused to accept silence in the face of tyranny. When the horrific Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in 1919, his heart was set ablaze. He turned to the pen, his sole weapon, and crafted a nazm that would soon become a revolutionary anthem. Written in 1921, Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna, a stirring call for martyrdom, resistance, and honour — was first published in the Delhi-based Urdu journal Sabah, and later preserved in Bismil’s own handwriting in his poetic compilation Hikayat-e-Hasti. Today, that very manuscript resides safely in the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library, Patna, a fragile yet irrefutable testament to his authorship. The Verse That Set the Nation Ablaze Unlike a ghazal, Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna is a nazm, a continuous and cohesive poem where each verse advances the message. The opening couplet itself is searing: Sarfaroshī kī tamannā ab hamāre dil meñ hai Dekhnā hai zor kitnā bāzū-e-qātil meñ hai (The desire for martyrdom now stirs in our hearts; let us see how much strength the killer's arm holds.) These were not fanciful musings of a romantic poet. This was an open challenge, an expression of rebellion, fearlessness, and poetic defiance. The poem journeys through the emotional terrain of revolutionaries — from pain and suffering to duty and ecstasy: Marne waalo aao ab gardan kaTāo shauq se Ye ġhanīmat vaqt hai ḳhanjar kaf-e-qātil meñ hai (O those who would gladly die, come forth and present your necks willingly; this is a sacred moment that the assassin’s hand holds the dagger.) Here lies a profound confluence of mysticism and militancy, of Persianate Urdu poetics interwoven with Sufi metaphors and political purpose. Bismil Azimabadi created a poem that is both literary and revolutionary — sacred and rebellious. Ram Prasad Bismil: The Martyr Who Bore the Torch Ram Prasad Bismil, who was executed on 19 December 1927 for his role in the Kakori train robbery, famously recited Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna on the gallows. He had frequently used the poem in speeches and gatherings, inspiring countless others. A poet himself, he had also adopted the takhallus (pen-name) Bismil, a coincidence that would prove fateful. And so, memory and mythology intertwined. Over time, people naturally assumed that the poem so passionately recited by Ram Prasad Bismil had also been authored by him. His martyrdom etched the poem in the heart of India’s freedom struggle — but sadly, not its real creator’s name. Decades of Silence, and the Battle for Truth For nearly a century, Bismil Azimabadi remained a spectral figure in the footnotes of history. Schoolbooks, patriotic events, and even respected media platforms continued to credit the Nazm to Ram Prasad Bismil. Few questioned this popular narrative. That began to change in 2015, when BBC Hindi published a landmark feature written by Afroz Alam Sahil, “Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna: Jisey Galat Pehchana Gaya”, followed by a detailed article in News18 Hindi and it was later taken forward by Md Umar Ashraf founder of Lost Muslim Heritage of Bihar. These reports reignited the conversation around authorship. The truth surfaced, thanks to the determined efforts of scholars, especially Monawwar Hasan, the poet’s great-grandson, and the guardianship of the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library. Their mission was not to discredit the martyr Bismil, but to restore rightful recognition to the poet whose words had lit the flame of revolution. A Literary Masterwork of Courage and Blood While the poem’s political potency is well known, its literary merit is often underappreciated. Bismil Azimabadi seamlessly integrates classical imagery — the tavern (mai-kada), the goblet (jaam), the dagger, the desert journey — to create spiritual metaphors of sacrifice and longing. Rahrav-e-rāh-e-mohabbat rah na jāna rāh meñ Lazzat-e-sahrā-navardī dūrī-e-manzil meñ hai (O traveller on the path of love, do not fear the road; the joy of desert wandering lies in the distance to the destination.) This is not merely the idiom of revolution; it is the language of Hazrat Jalaluddin Rumi, of Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, of other Sufi poets, where mysticism, love, and nationhood converge. The poem is a fusion of devotion and defiance, making it one of the most exquisite expressions of resistance ever penned in Urdu. Why It Matters Today In an age of selective remembrance and thunderous nationalism, the story of Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna reminds us of the need for truth, historical clarity, and humility. It also underlines the immense contribution of Urdu literature to India’s freedom struggle, a tradition now increasingly side-lined. As we quote this poem on Republic Day or Independence Day, we must pause and ask: Do we not owe the poet the dignity of his name — Bismil Azimabadi — whose words gave our forebears the courage to bleed for freedom? Final Lines: A Name Rekindled Bismil Azimabadi passed away in 1978, largely unsung. Yet his poem lives on — incandescent, immortal. Today, a growing movement seeks to reclaim his legacy — in school curricula, public discourse, and national memory. Because when a poet’s verses become a people’s war cry, we owe it not only to history but to our own conscience, to remember not just the sacrifice they inspired — but the heart that wrote them. ---- References Hikayat-e-Hasti (1980) Information from Md Umar Ashraf, founder of Heritage Times and Lost Muslim Heritage of Bihar Muhammad Jqbal (2008) “Bismil Azimabadi: Shakhsiyat aur Fan” Afroz Alam Sahil (2015): "Sarfaroshi ki tamanna: Jisey galat pehchana gaya" BBC Hindi "Bismil Azimabadi ne likhi thi Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna" News18 Hindi (26 January 2025) “Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna Geet Se Angrez Bhi Khatey The Khauf, 40 Sal Tak Lekhak Ne Dafan Rakha Raaz, Phir Hua Khulaasa” ETV Bharat URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/bismil-poet-india-revolutionary-poem/d/136124 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism