Nastaliq

Nastaliq is a beautiful way to write.

It looks like art made with ink. People use it to write poems.

It was made a long time ago. It started in a land called Iran. Artists used it for many languages.

Some people use it to write very fast. This is a special style called shekasteh. It is a "broken" style.

Artists use dots to make the letters right. This helps the writing look good.

Today, we can see it on computers. It is still a very special art.

Nastaliq is a beautiful way of writing.

It is a style of calligraphy, or art made with ink. Many people use it to write poetry. It is used for many languages. These include Persian, Urdu, and Punjabi.

This style began in Iran a long time ago. Some say it started in the 13th century. A man named Mir Ali Tabrizi is a famous master. He helped make the style what it is today. Artists use small dots to make the letters the right size. This helps the writing look perfect.

There is also a faster way to write. It is called shekasteh, which means "broken."

This style is used to write quickly. It joins some letters together. In the past, people used it for official papers. Today, we can see Nastaliq on computers. New digital fonts help us use it on screens. It is still a very special art form.

Nastaliq is a beautiful and flowing style of calligraphy.

It is used to write many languages like Persian, Urdu, and Punjabi. This script is very special for writing poetry. It feels more artistic than other ways of writing.

People in Iran, India, and Pakistan still use it today. It brings a sense of grace to the page. Many cultures cherish this way of making words look like art.

Artists use a very careful way to create these letters. They use small dots to decide the size of every part. They also use small circles to keep things in proportion. This makes the writing look balanced and perfect. Each stroke must follow these rules of measurement. It is a slow and careful way to work.

The history of Nastaliq is quite long and interesting.

Some people say it began in the 13th century in Iran. A famous master named Mir Ali Tabrizi lived in the 14th century. Many believe he helped shape the style we see today. Other experts think it grew slowly from older styles. It moved from cities like Shiraz to places like Tabriz. Over many centuries, different masters added their own touches.

There is also a faster version called shekasteh.

The name shekasteh means "broken" in Persian. This style was made to help people write more quickly. It joins letters together in a streamlined way. This was very helpful for writing official papers and documents. In the 17th century, it became a very popular choice. It looks different because some letters are smaller or detached. It is a unique part of this writing tradition.

Today, we can see Nastaliq on digital screens and computers.

In 1981, a digital font called Noori Nastaliq was created. It uses over 20,000 different character combinations to look right. Software like InPage helps newspapers print it easily. Google also has its own version called Noto Nastaliq.

Even with new technology, the art remains very important. It connects the ancient past to our modern world.

Nastaliq is a major calligraphic hand used for writing several Indo-Iranian languages.

It is primarily used for Persian, Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, and Pashto. It is also used for Kurdish, Balochi, Saraiki, and Kashmiri. While it is sometimes used for Ottoman Turkish, it is rarely used for Arabic or Arwi. This script is highly valued as both a functional writing system and a form of fine art. It is especially famous for its use in writing poetry. Because of its graceful appearance, it remains widely used in Iran, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

The creation of Nastaliq follows very strict mathematical rules. Calligraphers determine the dimensions and sizes of letters using the "dot" of Nastaliq. They also use small approximate circles to maintain correct proportions. This precise measurement ensures the script remains balanced. The style is characterized by a specific relationship between straight and curved letters. This differs from Arabic, which relies on the vertical rhythm of the upright "alif" and "lam" letters. In Nastaliq, letters often pile up against the intercolumnar ruling, which is ideal for poetry.

There are different historical styles and branches of this script. One major distinction is between the classical Nastaliq and the "shekasteh" style. Shekasteh, which means "broken" in Persian, is a streamlined and cursive version. It emerged in the early 17th century to allow for faster writing. In shekasteh, some letters are shrunk and detached letters are joined together. There is also a "secretarial style" known as shekasteh-ye tahriri. This is a simplified version of shekasteh that is faster to read and write but less artistic. It was often used in governmental institutions in Iran.

The history of Nastaliq is a subject of much scholarly discussion. Some traditions attribute its invention to Mir Ali Tabrizi at the end of the 14th century. Other scholars, like Elaine Wright, suggest it developed gradually among scribes in Shiraz. Wright found documents suggesting the script may have originated from the Naskh style alone. Some researchers believe the first elements appeared as early as the 11th century in Qur'an translations. Regardless of its exact start, the script evolved over several centuries. It moved through different centers of power, including Shiraz, Tabriz, and Herat.

Many masters helped define the script through different eras. Mir Ali Tabrizi passed the style to his son, Ubaydallah. Their student, Jafar Tabrizi, became the head of a scriptorium in Herat. Later, Sultan Ali Mashhadi achieved the classical form of Nastaliq by 1520. In the Indian subcontinent, the script became the favorite of the Mughal Persian court. Masters like Muhammad Husayn Kashmiri and Abd al-Rashid Daylami worked for emperors like Akbar and Jahangir. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the style reached an apogeum with Mir Emad Hassani. His style served as the model for many following centuries.

The script also spread to the Ottoman Empire, where it was known as "taliq." While early Iranian calligraphers brought the western tradition there, Ottoman artists eventually adopted the eastern style. A distinct Ottoman school was founded by Mustafa Izzet in the 19th century. This school introduced new, precise proportions that differed from the Iranian tradition. The specialty of this Ottoman school was "celî nastaliq," which was used for mosque plates and inscriptions. This shows how the script adapted to different cultural needs and architectural settings across various empires.

In the modern era, Nastaliq has transitioned into the digital world. The first digital font, Noori Nastaliq, was created in 1981. This font used over 20,000 ligatures, which are combinations of characters, to ensure accuracy. In 1994, the software InPage Urdu helped the Pakistani newspaper industry adopt digital typesetting. While the use of the script declined in the 20th century, interest revived after World War II. Today, major platforms provide support for the script.

Google offers the open-source Noto Nastaliq font, and Windows includes the Urdu Typesetting font. This allows the ancient art to exist on modern computers and smartphones.