This book attempts to determine the nature and meaning of the term 'progressivism' and assess its significance in the larger context of Urdu literature and, ultimately, South Asian literature. It investigates the emergence of the Progressive Movement in the subcontinent along with the indigenous and foreign influences: literary, historical, intellectual, and philosophical which set the stage for the Progressive Movement. Contrary to the belief held by some critics that the progressive movement was mostly if not entirely, derived from English and Russian sources and influences, this study indicates that strong indigenous elements contributed equally, if not more, to the movement.