Fani Badayuni

Fani Badayuni, born as Shaukat Ali Khan (1879 - 27 August 1961) (Urdu شوکت علی خان فانی بدایونی ), was a noted Urdu poet. He was the second most celebrated son of the sleepy Awadh town.

Shaukat Ali Khan Fani Badayuni was born in Islamnagar, Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, (then United Provinces) to Shujath Ali Khan, a Zamindar and later with the police as Thanedar (SHO). His great grandfather, Nawab Akbar Ali Khan, had lost his property during the Indian Mutiny. He was schooled at Government Height School and graduated from Barreilly College in 1901, studied law at Aligarh Muslim University, earning L.L.B.degree in 1906.

Fani started composing poetry around twenty years of age. He translated works of Shakespeare and Milton in Urdu. He practiced law in Bareilly and Lucknow and later at Civil courts in Agra, but could not make much success. He published an Urdu magazine but closed it in 1931.

In Hyderabad Deccan

He migrated to Hyderabad Deccan after The Nizam's Diwan Maharaja Kishan Prasad 'Shad', an Urdu lover and poet, got Fani appointed in the department of Education.

He was initially offered to join as a munsif (Judge)as he was a Law Graduate. But Fani did not accept it since he was moving from the city. He later accepted the post of a school head master in Hyderabad. During the day, fani would attend school and at night would attend Moazzam Jah's court till early hours. These late nights did not give him enough time to continue at school as head master, he would sleep at the office chair. News spread that he was removed from the post.

Fani was associated with the Junior Prince Moazzam Jah's nocturnal court throughout his life in Hyderabad. With him at the court were Josh Malihabadi, Sadiq Jaisi, Maher Ul Quadri and others.

A detailed account of Fani's personal life can be found in the Urdu book Durbaar-e-Durbaar, by Sadq Jaisi and in the English translation (The Nocturnal Court) of the same book by Narendera Luther.