Thursday, December 9, 2010

Language and Literature

As everywhere in the world, the literature had a poetic start, so in Sindh also, the Minstrels and Bards made great strides in Sindhi Folk poetry. They composed their poetry around popular myths, folk tales, historical events and romances. A minstrel named SUMANG CHARAN stands prominent among all other minstrels and bards of the early period.

In this period, “Doha (couplets)”, “Gaha”, “Geech (marriage songs)” “Gaya (songs of Soomra women)”, forms of Sindhi poetry developed as a part of dramatic narration. Later on new dimensions were brought to Sindhi poetry, after the battle of Dodo Chanesar, the Soomra kings with the armies of Sultan Allauddin of Dehli, in 1313 AD near the city of “Thaar Banghar” which gave rise to Epic form of poetry in Sindh.

A minstrel named Bhagu Bhan, also a court poet of Soomra Kings, was renowned as composer and singer of Epic poetry. He was an expert in playing local musical instruments, especially “Surando”. This instrument could be called the violin of the East.

There were other master musicians and singers as Chand Fakir, Bahiro Mangto, Lado Bhag and many others from Charans, Mangtas and Manganhars tribes. From the women poets, Mai Markha Shaikh was a remarkable poet of that time. They all played their part towards poetical progress in Sindhi literature during the rule of Soomra Dynasty in Sindh.

The great historical dramatic romances that took place in the reign of the last few Soomra kings were Lila Chanesar, Umar Marvi and Momal Rano. Earlier than this, the love tales of Sassi Punnun, Sohni Mahiwal and Sorath-Raidiach were narrated in melodious poetry by minstrels and bards in public musical evenings patronized by the Soomra Kings.

Centuries afterwards, the tales of these historic romances became the subject matter of Sufistic poetry by the famous Sufi poet of Sindh, Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhita'i, who immortalized these tales. He transformed these tales into different Surs i.e. musical composition with classical norms. Since then great Sindhi, master musicians and singers keep singing these soulful melodies even in this 21st.

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