1) Dastan (Tale/Romance)
Telling and listening to stories is part of human nature. In
ancient times, humans did not have engagements like today. Nowadays, there are
so many things like television etc., which provide entertainment and keep
people engaged, and one spends their free moments with them. But in ancient
times, none of these things existed, and humans were not that busy either —
they had a lot of free time.
After finishing their daily work, people would gather at one place
at night and talk, narrating their own experiences and stories of the world.
This practice gradually evolved and took the form of _dastan-goi_
(storytelling). These stories and tales were primarily for entertainment, and
there was not even a trace of truth in them, because the tradition of
dastan-goi began for passing time and for amusement.
2) Mukhtasar Afsana (Short Story)
Like the story and tale, the Urdu short story is also a form of
prose in which an aspect of someone’s life is presented or an incident from
someone’s life is depicted. Such incidents do occur in human life at some time
or the other in some form. In other words, it can be said that the short story
is a representation of life, and the short story is not very old.
In Urdu, the foundation of the proper short story was laid by
Premchand’s novels. Premchand’s novels were like natural stories and dastans in
Urdu.
3) Inshaiya (Essay)
Like the dastan, novel, and afsana, the _inshaiya_ is also a
specific choice of prose. Among the genres that came into existence in Urdu
under the influence of Western literature, _inshaiya_ is also one. In Urdu, the
_inshaiya_ has also been called _mazmoon_ (essay), but this prose form has come
into Urdu from Western literature.
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