URDU RESEARCH: ASPECTS AND PROSPECTS

The tradition of Urdu literary research goes back to the writing of Tazkiras. The first Tazkira was written in 1752. It was followed by a stream of Tazkira writing. In the next phase Sir Syed and his companions introduced modern style of research. Afterwards objective scientific style of literary research was introduced by Hafiz Mehmood Shirani on the break of 20 th century. Henceforward, Urdu research went on the pace and reached at the edge of 21 st century. During this journey it saw many changes. In the beginning, most of the works were past-oriented. While in the last 50 years, it has turned towards future. Now both of the streams are going side by side and focus is going to shift towards futurization.


INTRODUCTION
Urdu is the national language of Pakistan. It is used for communication throughout Indo-Pak subcontinent. It is the 3 rd largest language of the world. (Durrani 2002: 24) It took birth in the united India in eleventh century. Researchers differ about its parent language and so the area of evolution. But all agree that Urdu is the language of united India by birth.

BACKGROUND
Research is a careful study or investigation of existing facts in order to discover new realities. (Chaudhry et al 2012:01) History of the research in Urdu is not so long. Dr. Noorina Baber (2003: 101) terms it to be just a 100 years old tradition. Muhammad Saqlain (2008: 26) is also of the same opinion. The first signs of research are seen in Tazkiras. The first Tazkira on the scene is "Nikat ush Shuara" by Mir. It was written in 1752. It was the commentary and introduction of Urdu poets and poetry in the Persian language. Nikat ush Shuara introduced a new trend which was followed by several tazkiras till the end of Eighteenth century. The trend of writing tazkiras was a milestone in the way of saving data about Urdu poets and poetry, although tazkiras didn't fulfill the requirements of research.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, in the mid of nineteenth century, produced Aasaar us Sanadeed, Aayeen e Akbari (edited), Tareekh e Ferozshahi (edited) and Tuzk e Jahangiri (edited). He, for the first time in Urdu, followed objective and scientific style in these works and opened up a new research chapter in the history of Urdu.
These works paved the way towards introducing a research culture in India. Following the new trends, dawn of the pure literary research broke with the works of Naseer ud din Hashmi, Mehmood Shirani and Molvi Abdul Haq. These researchers deliberately applied scientific ways. They applied internal and external criticism on the data to reach conclusion. Thus they set the sound and high standards in Urdu literary research.
Inspired by them, the stream of scientific literary research went on. Qazi Abdul Wadood, Mohi ud Din Qadri Zor, Jamil Jalibi, Syed Abdullah, Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Moin ud Din Aqeel and Attash Durrani added a great deal to the bulk of Urdu research.

ANALYSIS
The research in Urdu is making its way forward. Apart from formal universities' departments, Institions of Urdu promotion i.e. Idara e Farogh e Urdu, Academy of Letters, Anjuman e Taraqqi e Urdu, Majlis e Taraqqi e Adab, Iqbal Academy are rendering services in this regard.
Like all other phenomena, literature and research are also undergoing continuous change. Materialistic approach is replacing spiritualism. Economic benefit and wealth is getting involved in each act of man. Men of letters are also tempted towards, as they, too, belong to this world. So the literature and literary research are also influenced by this transformation of ideas, and in return introducing new trends.
Urdu is adding rapidly to the bulk of human knowledge. The trend of scientific and objective research (set by Shirani and Abdul Haq) is on the way ahead. The first efforts in this chain were past-oriented. These contributions added many years to the age of Urdu by discovering older literary creations. But when the trend in the whole world turned to the future, Urdu    The above chart shows that the preliminary research works were past-oriented. Researches of the pre-twentieth century were inclined towards discoveries of the past assets. Sir Syed and his companions were more reformers than researchers. Mahmood Shirani, Abdul Haq, Abdul Wadood, Syed Abdullah, Mushfiq Khwaja, Farman Fatehpuri and Waheed Qureshi all looked back into past and disclosed valuable literary works. Their services are of great importance, no doubt, because they approached the roots of Urdu and watered this plant.
The modern researchers turned towards future. Of course, the study of past enlightens the ways but ignoring future leads to loss and decline. Life is more influenced by future than the past. (Aqeel 2003: 47) According to Toffler (1970: 03): Previously, men studied the past to shed light on the present. I have turned the time mirror round, convinced that a coherent image of the future can also shower us with valuable insights into today. We shall find it increasingly difficult to understand our personal and public problems without making use of the future as an intellectual tool.
Zohra Azam (1993: 18) also says that It is not enough to think or talk of future, but it should best be anticipated and prepared for, because it is simply unavoidable. So Urdu research is also witnessing a change. It is also focusing on practical, synchronic and futuristic studies.
Ghulam Mustafa Khan and Jamil Jalibi directed towards synchronization while Moin ud Din Aqeel, Gopi Chand Narang and Attash Durrani dealt with futurization. Aqeel presented researches about the current trends and style. He linked Urdu research with other social sciences. Narang's contributions also covers past, present and future aspects. Durrani focused on present and future. He disclosed modern aspects of research and tried to link Urdu research with the job market. This market-oriented and future-focused research is the need of the day as the fields which have no economic fruitfulness are losing attention.
Urdu departments at universities are also involved in research. But most of the research conducted here is only for the acquisition of degrees. So the quality is also low. Independent and non-degree research is very rare at these departments. Moin ud din Aqeel (2010:18) commented on the situation as: The research here, any discipline or subject it may be, remains abstract and confined to a short

CONCLUSION
Urdu research took its start with orientation to the past. Primary and the middle age researchers were mostly involved in discoveries of past assets. Their services are really appreciable and worthwhile. But when the world turned to futurization, Urdu researches still remained stuck to the past. After the mid of 20 th century Urdu research also went through a change and future got focus here. The researchers of the last 6 decades addressed the situation and added a great deal to the bulk of Urdu in futurized context. Gopi Chand Narang, Moin ud Din Aqeel and Attash Durrani are leading this new trend and Urdu research is going to grasp the pulse of the modern research. This trend needs to be strengthened by universities as well as at independent level.