Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa was a polygot Indian poet and writer who spoke Urdu, Greek and English, though he predominantly wrote plays, poems, penny dreadfuls, and treaties in Urdu. His works mostly dealt with themes of religion, philosophy and astronomy. He is most known for his classical novel Umrao Jaan Ada, which is considered by many as the first Urdu novel. He spent most of his life in education and sharing knowledge. He also served on the Nawab of Awadh's advisory board on language matters for many years until his death in 1931.