1846 (Allahabad) – 1921 (Allahabad) • Master of Satire
"A session judge by profession, Akbar Allahabadi used his razor-sharp wit and unparalleled sense of humor as a literary weapon. He was deeply critical of his contemporaries' blind, uncritical imitation of Western culture and the rapid loss of traditional Eastern values under British rule. He revolutionized satirical poetry by playfully and subversively mixing English words into traditional Urdu couplets. This created a highly entertaining, accessible, and sharply critical style that made him wildly popular in his time and keeps his verses relevant even today."