Sindhi literature
Encyclopedia
Sindhi literature is very rich and is generally considered to be among the world's oldest. Its writers have contributed extensively in various forms of literature both in poetry and prose.
historians. It is established that Sindhi
was the first and the earliest language of East in which the Quran was translated in the eighth or ninth century A.D. There is evidence of Sindhi poets reciting their verses before the Muslim Caliphs in Baghdad
. It is also recorded that treatises were written in Sindhi on astronomy
, medicine
and history
during the eighth and ninth centuries. Shortly afterwards, Pir Nooruddin, an Ismaili
Missionary, wrote Sufis tic poetry
in Sindhi language. His verses, known as "ginans", can be taken as the specimen of early Sindhi poetry. He came to Sindh
during the year 1079 AD. His poetry is an interesting record of the language which was spoken commonly at that time. He was a Sufi and a preacher of Islam. His verses are, therefore, full of mysticism
and religion.
After him, Pir Shams Sabzwari Multani, Pir Shahabuddin and Pir Sadruddin are recognized as poets of Sindhi language. We even find some verses composed by Baba Farid Ganj Shakar, in Sindhi language. Pir Sadruddin (1290–1409 AD), was a great poet, saint and Sufi of his time. He composed his verses (ginans) in Lari
and Katchi
dialects of Sindhi. He also composed the "ginans" in the Punjabi
, Seraiki
, Hindi
and Gujarati
languages. He modified the old script of Sindhi language, which was commonly used by the lohana
catse of Hindu
s of Sindh who embraced Islam
under his teaching and were called by him 'Khuwajas' or 'Khoja
s'.
During the Sama dynasty (1010–1351 A.D.) who took over after Soomra
, native Sindhi-speaking who ruled Sindh after the Arabs), and afterwards in the days of Arghuns, Tarkhan
s, Mughal
governors (1521–1700 A.D.), Sindh produced may scholars and poets of Sindhi, Arabic and Persian languages. Qazi Qadan, Shah Karim of Bhulri (grand father of Shah Abdul Latif), Shah lutufullah Qadri, Shah Inayat Sufi Nasarpoori, Mir Masoom Shah, Makhdoom Nooh of Hala
, lakho lutufullah, Mahamati Pirannath and many others are the renowned literary personalities of this period.
Bhagu Bhan, Sumang Charan, Shah Abdul Karim
, Shah Inayat and many other poets of this period have enriched the language with mystic
, romantic and epic poetry.
Many centers of learning (Madrasahs) (in Thatta
) flourished during tenth to fifteenth centuries where celebrated scholars of Sindh used to teach religion
, philosophy
and rhetoric. The great scholars among them who earned high reputation even in the Muslim
centres of Mecca
and Medina
were Makhdoom Abdul Hasan, Makhdoom Ziauddin, Makhdoom Muhammad Hashim Thattavi and Makhdoom Muhammad Muin Thattavi (that from Thatta
). Their works are mostly in Arabic, Persian (Governing language of at that time) and Sindhi languages (language spoken by local peoples).
Shah Abdul Latif of Bhit
(1690–1753) was a great thinker, Sufi, musician and poet from Sindh. Dr. Sorely, who compared the poetry of the great poets of all major languages of the world, including Greek
, Latin
and Arabic, in his book Musa Pravaganus, gives first place to Shah Latif for his language and thought. He invented a variant of Tanbura
a musical instrument still used when his verses are sung by people who love his literature. He wrote Sassi Punnun
, Umar Marvi
in his famous book Shah Jo Risalo
.
Bhittai gave new life, thought and content to the language and literature of Sindh. He traveled to remote corners of Sindh and saw for himself the simple and rustic people of his soil in love with life and its mysteries. He studied the ethos of the people and their deep attachment to the land, the culture, the music
, the fine arts and crafts. He described Sindh and its people. Through simple folk
tales, Lateef
expressed profound ideas about the universal brotherhood of mankind, patriotism
, war against injustice and tyranny, and above all the romance of human existence. He was a great musician
also and he evolved fifteen new melodies (swaras). The great beauty of his poetry is that his every line or verse is sung till this day with a specific note or melody.
Sachal Sarmast
, Saami and Khalifo Nabi Bux Laghari are celebrated poets of the Talpur
period in Sindh (1783–1843 AD). Khalifo Nabi Bux is one of the greatest epic poets of Sindh, known for his depictions of patriotic pathos and the art of war. Rohal, Sami, Bedil, Bekas
, Misri Shah, Hammal Faqir, Dalpat Sufi, Sabit Ali Shah, Khair Shah, Fateh Faqir and Manthar Faqir Rajar are some of the more noteworthy poets of the pre and early British era.
Modern Sindhi literature began with the conquest of Sindh by the British in 1843. The printing press was introduced. Magazines and newspapers brought about a revolution in Sindhi
literature. Books were translated from various European languages, especially from English. People were hungry for knowledge and new forms of writing. The accelerated pace of literature production can be judged from the example of Mirza Kalich Beg
, who in the last two decades of the nineteenth century and the first two decades of the twentieth wrote more than four hundred books, including poetry, novels, short stories and essays. He also wrote on science, history, economics
and politics
. Thousands of books were turned out at that time on all forms and facets of literature. Hakim Fateh Mohammad Sewhani, Kauromal Khilnani, Dayaram Gidumal, Parmanand Mewaram, Lalchand Amardinomal, Bheruamal Advani, Dr. Gurbuxani, Jhetmal Parsram, Sayaid Miran Mohammad Shah, Shamsuddin 'Bulbul' and Maulana Din Muhammad Wafai are some of the pioneers of modern literature in Sindhi language.
, the social and economic scene of the world underwent a tremendous change. The aftermath of the war and the socialist revolution of Russia
affected the literature of every country. Sindhi literature too was influenced by these trends. Creating new awakening in the minds of the people working in the field of literature, they began to translate the new social consciousness into artistic forms of literature. They were now more objective and less romantic. Progressive
thoughts opened the door for new trends in Sindhi literature.
Soon the struggle for freedom from the British
also gathered momentum. This gave further momentum to literature. Consciousness about history and cultural heritage
of Sindh
served as a catalyst for research and intellectual upsurge. Scholars like Allama I. I. Kazi
his wife Elsa Kazi
, Dr. Daudpota, Pir Ali Muhammad Shah Rashidi
, Pir Husamuddin Shah Rashidi
, Maulana deen Muhammad Wafai
, Chetan Mariwala, Jairamdas Daulatram
, Hashoo Kewal Ramani, Bherumal, Mehar Chand Advani, Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo
, AllahDad Bohyo
, Tirath Wasant and many others produced learned treatises on various aspects of history, culture
and other social subjects.
Mir Hasan Ali and Mir Abdul Hussain sangi, Khalifo Gul, Fazil Shah, Kasim
, Hafiz Hamid, Mohammad Hashim, Mukhlis, Abojho, Surat Singh, Khaki
, Mirza Qalich Baig, Zia
and Aziz were the pioneers of poetry
in Persian meter
.
But the modern form and content of Sindhi poetry were given a new impetus by 'Bewas', Hyder Bux Jatoi
and Dukhayal. There have been innumerable poets who have composed verses in the same vein.
The novel
and short story became the main forms for prose. Hundreds of novel and short stories were translated from the Europe
an and modern languages of Pakistan
. World War II
saw the emergence of novel
ists and short storywriters like Narain Das Bhambhani, Gobind Malhi, Sushila J. Lalwani, Sundri Uttamchandani, Popti Hiranandani, Usman Deplai, Jamal Abro
, Shaikh Ayaz
, Rasheed Bhatti, Hafeez Akhund, Amar Jaleel
, Naseem Kharal, Sirajul Haq Memon, Agha Saleem, Anis Ansari, Tariq Ashraf, Ayaz Alam abro, Ali Baba
,Tariq Alam Abro, Eshwar Chander, Manak, Ishtiaq Ansari, Kehar Shaukat, Mushtaq Shoro, Shaukat Shoro, Madad Ali Sindhi, Rasool Memon, Akhlaq Asnari, Reta Shahani, Rehmatullah Manjothi, Badal Jamali, Ishaque Ansari, Jan Khaskheli, Hasan Mansoor, Pervez, Shakoor Nizamani, Tariq Qureshi, Munawwar Siraj, Ismail Mangio, Fayaz Chand Kaleri, Ayaz Ali Rind and many others.
For the last several decades, young writer
s experimented with new forms of prose as well as poetry. Free verses, sonnet
s and ballad
s have been written alongside the classical forms of poetry such as Kafi, Vaee, Bait
, Geet
and Dohira.
A few famous poets of today's Sindh are Makhdoom Talibul Mola, Ustaad Bukhari, Shaikh Ayaz
, Darya Khan Rind
, Makhdoom Amin Faheem, and Imdad Hussani.
In 1952, Noor-ud-din Sarki and Abdul Ghafoor Ansari restructured the literary forum of Sindhi language
and called it Sindhi Adabi Sangat
. Initially its activities were confined to the city of Karachi
. Inspired by the success of its activities in Karachi, interest developed throughout the rest of Sindh
, leading to the emergence of branches in other parts of Sindh. It now attracts most of the Sindhi literary figures all over the world; besides branches in Pakistan, there are now chapters overseas as well.
Sufi literature and poetry
The earliest reference to Sindhi literature is contained in the writings of ArabArab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
historians. It is established that Sindhi
Sindhi language
Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
was the first and the earliest language of East in which the Quran was translated in the eighth or ninth century A.D. There is evidence of Sindhi poets reciting their verses before the Muslim Caliphs in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. It is also recorded that treatises were written in Sindhi on astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
during the eighth and ninth centuries. Shortly afterwards, Pir Nooruddin, an Ismaili
Ismaili
' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...
Missionary, wrote Sufis tic poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
in Sindhi language. His verses, known as "ginans", can be taken as the specimen of early Sindhi poetry. He came to Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
during the year 1079 AD. His poetry is an interesting record of the language which was spoken commonly at that time. He was a Sufi and a preacher of Islam. His verses are, therefore, full of mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
and religion.
After him, Pir Shams Sabzwari Multani, Pir Shahabuddin and Pir Sadruddin are recognized as poets of Sindhi language. We even find some verses composed by Baba Farid Ganj Shakar, in Sindhi language. Pir Sadruddin (1290–1409 AD), was a great poet, saint and Sufi of his time. He composed his verses (ginans) in Lari
Lari
The suborder Lari is the part of the order Charadriiformes which includes the gulls, terns, skuas and skimmers, with the waders and snipes making up the rest of the order. Following recent research, the auks are now placed into the Lari too; the Glareolidae might constitute a distinct suborder...
and Katchi
Kutchi language
Kachhi Kachhi Kachhi (also spelt Cutchi, Kutchhi or Kachchhi, is an Indo-Aryan Language spoken in the Kutch region of the Indian state of Gujarat as well as in Sindh.- Closely related languages :...
dialects of Sindhi. He also composed the "ginans" in the Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
, Seraiki
Saraiki language
Saraiki , transliterated as Sirāikī and sometimes spelled Seraiki and Saraiki, is a standardized written language of Pakistan belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages. It is a language spoken in the heart of Pakistan...
, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
languages. He modified the old script of Sindhi language, which was commonly used by the lohana
Lohana
The Lohana also referred to as Luvana are an Indian caste,largely classified as merchants and are categorized as Vaishya or Bania caste although their ancient history proves that they are Kshatriya of Suryavanshi descant, claiming their lineage from Lava, son of Rama...
catse of Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s of Sindh who embraced Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
under his teaching and were called by him 'Khuwajas' or 'Khoja
Khoja
The Khojas are ethnic group of Shia Muslims. The word Khoja derives from Khwaja, a Persian title .In Pakistan, many Khojas migrated to and settled in the province of Sindh and especially in the city of Karachi. While in India, most Khojas live in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and...
s'.
During the Sama dynasty (1010–1351 A.D.) who took over after Soomra
Soomra
Soomra is a village in Audru Parish, Pärnu County, in southwestern Estonia. It has a population of 47 .Soomra is bordered by the Nätsi-Võlla Nature Reserve on its northeastern side....
, native Sindhi-speaking who ruled Sindh after the Arabs), and afterwards in the days of Arghuns, Tarkhan
Tarkhan
Tarkhan is an ancient Central Asian title used by various Indo-European Tarkhan (Old Turkic Tarqan; Mongolian: Darkhan; ; ; ; alternative spellings Tarkan, Tarkhaan, Tarqan, Tarchan, Tarxan, Tarcan or Targan) is an ancient Central Asian title used by various Indo-European Tarkhan (Old Turkic...
s, Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
governors (1521–1700 A.D.), Sindh produced may scholars and poets of Sindhi, Arabic and Persian languages. Qazi Qadan, Shah Karim of Bhulri (grand father of Shah Abdul Latif), Shah lutufullah Qadri, Shah Inayat Sufi Nasarpoori, Mir Masoom Shah, Makhdoom Nooh of Hala
Hala
Hala can refer to:* Hala , an Arabic given name meaning "sweetness"* An informal salutation or greeting in the Arabic language* Hāla, an Indian king of the Satavahana dynasty* Hala , a clan of India and Pakistan...
, lakho lutufullah, Mahamati Pirannath and many others are the renowned literary personalities of this period.
Bhagu Bhan, Sumang Charan, Shah Abdul Karim
Shah Abdul Karim
Shah Abdul Karim , was one of the most famous legends of Bangladeshi folk music. He specialized in Bengali Baul music. Born and brought up in the village of Ujan Dhol, in Derai Upazila of Sunamganj, he lived there until his death. He was awarded the Ekushey Padok in the year 2001 for his...
, Shah Inayat and many other poets of this period have enriched the language with mystic
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
, romantic and epic poetry.
Many centers of learning (Madrasahs) (in Thatta
Thatta
Thatta is a historic town of 220,000 inhabitants in the Sindh province of Pakistan, near Lake Keenjhar, the largest freshwater lake in the country. Thatta's major monuments especially its necropolis at Makli are listed among the World Heritage Sites. The Shah Jahan Mosque is also listed...
) flourished during tenth to fifteenth centuries where celebrated scholars of Sindh used to teach religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and rhetoric. The great scholars among them who earned high reputation even in the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
centres of Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
were Makhdoom Abdul Hasan, Makhdoom Ziauddin, Makhdoom Muhammad Hashim Thattavi and Makhdoom Muhammad Muin Thattavi (that from Thatta
Thatta
Thatta is a historic town of 220,000 inhabitants in the Sindh province of Pakistan, near Lake Keenjhar, the largest freshwater lake in the country. Thatta's major monuments especially its necropolis at Makli are listed among the World Heritage Sites. The Shah Jahan Mosque is also listed...
). Their works are mostly in Arabic, Persian (Governing language of at that time) and Sindhi languages (language spoken by local peoples).
Shah Abdul Latif of Bhit
Bhit
Bhit Shah is a small town located in Matiari District, Sindh, Pakistan. It is most famous for being the location of the shrine of Sindh's greatest sufi poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai....
(1690–1753) was a great thinker, Sufi, musician and poet from Sindh. Dr. Sorely, who compared the poetry of the great poets of all major languages of the world, including Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Arabic, in his book Musa Pravaganus, gives first place to Shah Latif for his language and thought. He invented a variant of Tanbura
Tanbura
For other uses, see Tanbur .The tanbūra is a bowl lyre of the Middle East and East Africa. It takes its name from the Persian Tanbur via the Arabic tunbur , though this term refers to long-necked lutes. The instrument plays an important role in Zār rituals...
a musical instrument still used when his verses are sung by people who love his literature. He wrote Sassi Punnun
Sassi Punnun
Sassi Punnun ; is one of the seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan. The other six are Umar Marui, Sohni Mehar, Lila Chanesar, Noori Jam Tamachi, Momal Rano and Dhaj, Ror Kumar commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai...
, Umar Marvi
Umar Marvi
Umar Marvi or Marui is a Sindh love story that appears in Shah Jo Risalo. It is a love story set in Sindh, Pakistan. Umar Marui is included in seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan...
in his famous book Shah Jo Risalo
Shah Jo Risalo
Shah Jo Risalo is the name of the compiled verses of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. Many scholars and linguists have published Shah Jo Risalo with their own compilations, hence many editions are available...
.
Bhittai gave new life, thought and content to the language and literature of Sindh. He traveled to remote corners of Sindh and saw for himself the simple and rustic people of his soil in love with life and its mysteries. He studied the ethos of the people and their deep attachment to the land, the culture, the music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, the fine arts and crafts. He described Sindh and its people. Through simple folk
Folk
The English word Folk is derived from a Germanic noun, *fulka meaning "people" or "army"...
tales, Lateef
Lateef
Lateef the Truthspeaker also known as The Truthspeaker or simply Lateef, is an American hip-hop artist who is part of the groups Latyrx and The Maroons AKA Lateef and the Chief...
expressed profound ideas about the universal brotherhood of mankind, patriotism
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
, war against injustice and tyranny, and above all the romance of human existence. He was a great musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
also and he evolved fifteen new melodies (swaras). The great beauty of his poetry is that his every line or verse is sung till this day with a specific note or melody.
Sachal Sarmast
Sachal Sarmast
Sachal Sarmast was a Sufi poet from Sindh during the Kalhora era. He was born in daraza near Ranipur, Sindh. His real name was Abdul Wahab and "Sachal" was his nickname. He also used it in his own poetry. Sachu means truthful in Sindhi while Sarmast means mystic in Sindhi and Urdu...
, Saami and Khalifo Nabi Bux Laghari are celebrated poets of the Talpur
Talpur
Talpur ; is a Baloch tribe settled in Sindh. Talpurs settled in northern Sindh, spoke Sindhi language very soon their descendants and allies formed a confederacy against the Kalhora dynasty. Later, however, they enjoyed good relations with the Kalhoras and were invited by them to help organize...
period in Sindh (1783–1843 AD). Khalifo Nabi Bux is one of the greatest epic poets of Sindh, known for his depictions of patriotic pathos and the art of war. Rohal, Sami, Bedil, Bekas
Békás
- External links :*...
, Misri Shah, Hammal Faqir, Dalpat Sufi, Sabit Ali Shah, Khair Shah, Fateh Faqir and Manthar Faqir Rajar are some of the more noteworthy poets of the pre and early British era.
Modern Sindhi literature began with the conquest of Sindh by the British in 1843. The printing press was introduced. Magazines and newspapers brought about a revolution in Sindhi
Sindhi language
Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
literature. Books were translated from various European languages, especially from English. People were hungry for knowledge and new forms of writing. The accelerated pace of literature production can be judged from the example of Mirza Kalich Beg
Mirza Kalich Beg
Shams-ul-Ulema Mirza Kalich Beg is a renowned scholar hailed for his contributions to the Sindhi literature. He was born on October 7, 1853 in a small village named Tando Thoro that is at the banks of the Phuleli Canal in Hyderabad, Pakistan...
, who in the last two decades of the nineteenth century and the first two decades of the twentieth wrote more than four hundred books, including poetry, novels, short stories and essays. He also wrote on science, history, economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. Thousands of books were turned out at that time on all forms and facets of literature. Hakim Fateh Mohammad Sewhani, Kauromal Khilnani, Dayaram Gidumal, Parmanand Mewaram, Lalchand Amardinomal, Bheruamal Advani, Dr. Gurbuxani, Jhetmal Parsram, Sayaid Miran Mohammad Shah, Shamsuddin 'Bulbul' and Maulana Din Muhammad Wafai are some of the pioneers of modern literature in Sindhi language.
Modern Sindhi literature
After World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the social and economic scene of the world underwent a tremendous change. The aftermath of the war and the socialist revolution of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
affected the literature of every country. Sindhi literature too was influenced by these trends. Creating new awakening in the minds of the people working in the field of literature, they began to translate the new social consciousness into artistic forms of literature. They were now more objective and less romantic. Progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
thoughts opened the door for new trends in Sindhi literature.
Soon the struggle for freedom from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
also gathered momentum. This gave further momentum to literature. Consciousness about history and cultural heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
of Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
served as a catalyst for research and intellectual upsurge. Scholars like Allama I. I. Kazi
Allama I. I. Kazi
Allama Imdad Ali Imam Ali Kazi , was a scholar, philosopher, jurist, and educationist. He is considered to be a founder of the University of Sindh at its present location at Jamshoro. Many remarkable works for Sindhi Art, literature, mysticism, education and history are attributed to him...
his wife Elsa Kazi
Elsa Kazi
Elsa Kazi , commonly known as "Mother Elsa", was a German writer of one-act plays, short stories, novels and history, and one of the greatest poetesses of her time. She was also a composer and a musician of considerable achievement, involved in virtually every conspicuous branch of fine arts. Her...
, Dr. Daudpota, Pir Ali Muhammad Shah Rashidi
Ali Muhammad Rashidi
Pir Ali Muhammad Rashdi was a Pakistani politician, scholar, bureaucrat, journalist and well-known writer. He was from Rashdi Syed, those are calculated in Lakyari Syed's branch. He was elder brother of scholar Pir Hassam-ud-Din Rashdi....
, Pir Husamuddin Shah Rashidi
Hassam-ud-Din Rashidi
Pir Hassam-ud-Din Rashidi was a Pakistani historian and scholar.Born in 1911 near Nusrat Station, Ratodero Taluka, Larkana District, he was the son of Muhammad Hamid Shah Rashidi and the younger brother of Pir Ali Muhammad Rashidi...
, Maulana deen Muhammad Wafai
Maulana deen Muhammad Wafai
Maulana Deen Muhammad Wafai was a scholar, academic, writer and poet. In terms of political activism he was heavily involved in the Khilafat movement.-Childhood:...
, Chetan Mariwala, Jairamdas Daulatram
Jairamdas Daulatram
ÈJairamdas Daulatram اردو: جے رام داس دولت رام हिंदी जैरामदास दौलतराम was an Indian political leader in the Indian independence movement...
, Hashoo Kewal Ramani, Bherumal, Mehar Chand Advani, Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo
Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo
Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo son of Muhammad Khan was born on August 12, 1915, in village Abad near Laki, Kotri, Dadu, now in Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan. He is a great scholar of the 21st century....
, AllahDad Bohyo
AllahDad Bohyo
Dr. Allahdad Bohyo was born in the Ghoghari village of Taluka Kambar, Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan. Son of a farmer, Dr. Bohyo was a known writer, educationist, scholar, linguist, poet. Bohyo's family afterward shifted to Pechuha village in Taluka Warah, where he received his Primary Education...
, Tirath Wasant and many others produced learned treatises on various aspects of history, culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
and other social subjects.
Mir Hasan Ali and Mir Abdul Hussain sangi, Khalifo Gul, Fazil Shah, Kasim
Kasim
Kasim is the transliteration of two male given names; and .The latter name has a diacritic, in the strict transliteration, on the "I", which emphasises the long "I" sound in that name's pronunciation.Both names are also used as surnames....
, Hafiz Hamid, Mohammad Hashim, Mukhlis, Abojho, Surat Singh, Khaki
Khaki
This article is about the fabric. For the color, see Khaki . Kaki, another name for the persimmon, is often misspelled "Khaki".Khaki is a type of fabric or the color of such fabric...
, Mirza Qalich Baig, Zia
Zia
The Zia are an indigenous tribe centered at Zia Pueblo, an Indian reservation in New Mexico, U.S. The Zia are known for their pottery and use of the Sun symbol...
and Aziz were the pioneers of poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
in Persian meter
Meter (poetry)
In poetry, metre is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse. Many traditional verse forms prescribe a specific verse metre, or a certain set of metres alternating in a particular order. The study of metres and forms of versification is known as prosody...
.
But the modern form and content of Sindhi poetry were given a new impetus by 'Bewas', Hyder Bux Jatoi
Hyder Bux Jatoi
Comrade Hyder Bux Jatoi was a revolutionary, leftist, peasant leader in Sindh, Pakistan. He is known by his supporters as "Baba-e-Sindh" . He was also a Sindhi writer and poet...
and Dukhayal. There have been innumerable poets who have composed verses in the same vein.
The novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
and short story became the main forms for prose. Hundreds of novel and short stories were translated from the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an and modern languages of Pakistan
Languages of Pakistan
Languages of Pakistan include two official languages: Urdu, which is also Pakistan's national language and lingua franca, and English. Additionally, Pakistan has four major provincial languages: Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, Farsi and Balochi, as well as three major regional languages: Saraiki, Hindko...
. World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
saw the emergence of novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ists and short storywriters like Narain Das Bhambhani, Gobind Malhi, Sushila J. Lalwani, Sundri Uttamchandani, Popti Hiranandani, Usman Deplai, Jamal Abro
Jamal Abro
Jamaluddin Abro, , also known as Jamal Abro was a Sindhi writer. He was born in May 1924 at Sangi, a small village in Mehar Taluka, then part of Dadu District.-Life:...
, Shaikh Ayaz
Shaikh Ayaz
Shaikh Ayaz was one of the great Sindhi poets of Pakistan. He was born in Shikarpur Sindh. By profession he was a lawyer but he also served as the vice chancellor of Sindh University. His poetry brought new trends into Sindhi literature....
, Rasheed Bhatti, Hafeez Akhund, Amar Jaleel
Amar Jaleel
-Introduction:Qazi Abdul Jaleel , popularly known as Amar Jaleel, is a Sindhi fiction writer and a columnist whose columns appears in various Sindhi, Urdu and English-language dailies of Pakistan. He frequently plays with a dark sense of humor in his writings. Has authored 20 books...
, Naseem Kharal, Sirajul Haq Memon, Agha Saleem, Anis Ansari, Tariq Ashraf, Ayaz Alam abro, Ali Baba
Ali Baba
Ali Baba is a fictional character from medieval Arabic literature. He is described in the adventure tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves...
,Tariq Alam Abro, Eshwar Chander, Manak, Ishtiaq Ansari, Kehar Shaukat, Mushtaq Shoro, Shaukat Shoro, Madad Ali Sindhi, Rasool Memon, Akhlaq Asnari, Reta Shahani, Rehmatullah Manjothi, Badal Jamali, Ishaque Ansari, Jan Khaskheli, Hasan Mansoor, Pervez, Shakoor Nizamani, Tariq Qureshi, Munawwar Siraj, Ismail Mangio, Fayaz Chand Kaleri, Ayaz Ali Rind and many others.
For the last several decades, young writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
s experimented with new forms of prose as well as poetry. Free verses, sonnet
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
s and ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s have been written alongside the classical forms of poetry such as Kafi, Vaee, Bait
Bait
Bait may refer to:* Bait , bait as a luring substance* Bait and switch, a form of fraud* Bait car, vehicle rigged by the police to catch auto thieves* Dog-baiting, using dogs to worry or torment a chained or confined animal...
, Geet
Geet
Geet may refer to: * Hindi word for song.* Geet , a Bollywood film directed by Ramanand Sagar* Geet , a Bollywood film directed by Parto Ghosh...
and Dohira.
A few famous poets of today's Sindh are Makhdoom Talibul Mola, Ustaad Bukhari, Shaikh Ayaz
Shaikh Ayaz
Shaikh Ayaz was one of the great Sindhi poets of Pakistan. He was born in Shikarpur Sindh. By profession he was a lawyer but he also served as the vice chancellor of Sindh University. His poetry brought new trends into Sindhi literature....
, Darya Khan Rind
Darya Khan Rind
Darya Khan Rind Darya Khan Rind Darya Khan Rind (Sindhi: دريا خان رند (born in Shahpur Chakar), was a Sindhi poet from Shahpur Chakar , Pakistan . He was also the leader of his tribe the Rind, who live in villages near Shahpur Chakar...
, Makhdoom Amin Faheem, and Imdad Hussani.
In 1952, Noor-ud-din Sarki and Abdul Ghafoor Ansari restructured the literary forum of Sindhi language
Sindhi language
Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
and called it Sindhi Adabi Sangat
Sindhi Adabi Sangat
Sindhi Adabi Sangat is an organization of the writers of Sindhi language that has branches in Sindh, Pakistan and abroad as well. Because of its great number and well-built organization, it is considered as the biggest Adabi Tanzeem of Asia.It was in 1952 that Abdul Ghafoor Ansari and Nooruddin...
. Initially its activities were confined to the city of Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
. Inspired by the success of its activities in Karachi, interest developed throughout the rest of Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, leading to the emergence of branches in other parts of Sindh. It now attracts most of the Sindhi literary figures all over the world; besides branches in Pakistan, there are now chapters overseas as well.
See also
- SindhSindhSindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
- Sindhi languageSindhi languageSindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
- Sindhi poetrySindhi poetrySindhi language poetry continues an oral tradition of a thousand years. The verbal verses were based on folk stories. Sindhi is one of the oldest languages of the Indus Valley having own literary colour both in poetry and prose. Sindhi poetry is very rich in thoughts as well as contain variety of...
- List of Sindhi language poets
- Noori Jam TamachiNoori Jam TamachiNoori Jam Tamachi is included in seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan. The other six are Momal Rano, Umar Marvi, Sohni Mahiwal, LiLa Chanesar, Sassi Punnun and Dhaj, Ror Kumar commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai...
- Pakistani literaturePakistani literaturePakistan literature, that is, the literature of Pakistan, is a distinct literature that gradually came to be defined after Pakistan gained nationhood status in 1947, emerging out of literary traditions of the Indian subcontinent. The shared tradition of Urdu literature and English literature of...
Further Reading
- Sindhi Sahitya Charitre - Kannaḍa language translation by Sumatheendra Nadig of History of Sindhi Literature by L.H. Ajwani. Sahitya Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi 110001. 1981.