Urdu literature (, ) has a history that is inextricably tied to the development of the
Urdu language. While it tends to be dominated by
poetry, especially the verse forms of the
ghazal and
nazm, it has expanded into other styles of writing, including that of the short story, or
afsana. Urdu literature is mostly popular in
Pakistan, where Urdu is the National language, as well as in
India. It is also widely understood in
Afghanistan.