Ghalib : The Man, The Times -

Paradoxically, Ghalib was also a forward-looking intellectual. He was fascinated by the "English" sciences and the telegraph, sensing that the old world was being replaced by something more rational and mechanical. The Legacy: Philosophy in Verse

His personality was marked by a sharp, often self-deprecating wit. He was a hedonist who loved his French wine and mangoes, yet he lived much of his life in crushing debt. Despite his financial struggles, he refused to compromise on his dignity. He was a religious skeptic in an age of orthodoxy, famously remarking that he stayed away from the mosque because he didn't want to deal with the "sermons of the pious." The Times: A World in Flux Ghalib : The Man, The Times

Mirza Asadullah Khan 'Ghalib' (1797–1869) was more than just a poet; he was the chronicler of a dying era and the harbinger of a new one. To understand his work, one must look at the man himself and the turbulent times that shaped his genius. The Man: Pride and Penury He was a hedonist who loved his French