Simplifying Urdu: Nasta'liq Types for Mechanical Composition and the Forces of Colonization, Monopolization, and Ownership

Deeply rooted in the cultural legacy of the Mughal Empire and the Persian language in South Asia, Nasta‘liq has historically served as the preferred writing style to represent the Urdu language. Despite its aesthetic appeal, characterised by its fluidity and cascading compositions, Nasta‘liq is considered one of the most demanding forms of writing for typographic representation—a dilemma that dates back to the late sixteenth century and early European attempts to create Nasta‘liq types. This article critically engages with crucial moments in the history of Urdu Nasta‘liq type-making in the twentieth century and explores its wide-ranging implications for Urdu-speaking communities. It begins in the 1920s with an examination of the early efforts of Nizam’s Government in Hyderabad (Deccan) and proceeds to evaluate the role of British manufacturers of mechanical typesetting machines, Linotype and Monotype, in the development and dissemination of Urdu typography from the 1940s onward. By positioning the creation of Nasta‘liq type-making at the centre of broader typographic, cultural, political, and technological frameworks, this study aims to uncover the driving forces behind such typographic ventures, as well as their reception by the reading public, publishers, and of typesetting machine manufacturers.