In this paper the author has given a brief critical history of Urdu Fiction. We have covered all the tendencies present in Urdu Fiction since the days of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan up to the period of president M. Ayub Khan. Although Sir Syed was a proponent of British rule, the movement he led gave rise to an enlightenment which embraced the ideals of self rule. Political awareness grew and by 1929/1930 a visible change appears in the outlook of the Urdu Fiction writers. Before independence the underlying themes were the iniquities of colonial rule and thereafter the dominant theme for a decade was the ravage caused during the riots that attended partition, as well as the problems faced by migrants on both sides. This paper also shows how Fiction writers took to symbolism to escape authoritarian censor.