IIT Bombay alumnus, Krishna S. Dhir (B.Tech, Chemical Engineering, 1966) who is a Research Professor of Management Science, Szechenyi Istvan University of Gyor, Hungary, recently published his newest book, ‘The Wonder That Is Urdu.’

Language is a developmental, social, and cultural phenomenon. In his book, Dhir provides an excellent illustration of how the various Apabhramsa of South Asia interacted with Perso-Arabic and European languages, to give rise to various new languages, including Urdu, and traces their growth through the time of the Mughals and the British. The book also looks at how all the major religions of the world originated in the Asian continent, analyses the role of social and economic institutions and traditions in the evolution of Urdu, and highlights protest literature.

Dhir also quotes Mir, Ghalib, Daagh Dehlvi, Sahir Ludhianvi, Faiz Ahmad, Ahmad Fraz, and other poets to prove how Urdu poetry has been used to protest against sieges, raids, imprisonment, imperialism, and colonisation, as well as to express love and peace.

Dhir is a former Business Dean of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and the Henry Gund Professor Emeritus and Business Dean at Berry College, Mt. Berry, GA. Dhir spent 13 years in the industry as VP of Strategy at BioStar Medical in Boulder CO; as manager at CIBA-GEIGY in Basle Switzerland; and as a chemical engineer with Borg-Warner in Parkersburg. Dhir received the 2008 Dennis Grawoig award and the 2009 Jimmy Barnes Distinguished Service Award and is a Gold Medalist of the St. John Ambulance Association of India.