A Doyen of English Studies in India
Aligarh: Prof. Masoodul Hasan, renowned professor of English at Aligarh Muslim University and author of several books, died here on March 11. He was 91. For some years, he also headed the department. He had retired from the University in 1987. He taught English at the University from 1949. Prior to this, he taught at Hamidia College, Bhopal for two years.
His most renowned work is devoted to bibliographical research which involved a lot of travel and typed-written letters to librarians across the country. He prepared Rare English Books in India: A Select Bibliography (1970) which contained a list of books published before 1800 and available in about 45 different libraries of India. Another book 19th Century English Literary Works: A Bibliography of Rare Books Available in India (1978) followed, which focused on literary works published or reprinted between 1800 and 1899.Francis Quarles: A Study of His Life and Poetry (published in 1966) was his doctoral thesis submitted to the University of Liverpool for his Ph.D in 1964. “Epithalamiums: An Anthology of Modern Poems from Chaucer to the Present” (2013), edited with Naqi Husain Jafri, offers a selection of nuptial poetry. He left behind his son Naved Masud, an IAS bureaucrat of 1978 batch, now retired, and three grandsons, SarimNaved, Shad Naved and Hamid Naved. Prof. Masud’s daughter and wife had passed away in his lifetime.
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