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Punjabi literature

Punjabi literature,specifically literary works written in thePunjabi language,is characteristic of the historicalPunjabof present-day Pakistan and India and thePunjabi diaspora.The Punjabi language is written in several scripts, of which theShahmukhiandGurmukhīscripts are the most commonly used inWestern PunjabandEastern Punjab,respectively.

History

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See also:Punjabi language § Literature development

Early history

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Punjabi-language manuscript of theEkadashi Mahatamwritten in a Punjabi variant ofSharada script,ca.1200–1300

The earliest writings in Punjabi belong to theNath Yogiera from the 9th to the 14th centuries.[1]They referred to God with various names such as "Alakh Nirajan" which are still prevalent in Punjabi vernacular.[1]According toMaster Tara Singh,the Punjabi poetry authored by Baba Farid, Guru Nanak, and Bhai Gurdas was already at a high-level where subtle ideas could be expressed through a medium of a literary language, therefore Punjabi must have evolved centuries before then, perhaps in the 9th or 10th centuries.[2]

An example of surviving work of an early-stage showcasing Old Punjabi emerging fromApabhraṃśais adohacouplet dated to 760 bySaraha,aVajrayanaMahasiddhasaint, which is as follows:[3]

Baba Farid,considered the first major Punjabi poet.[4]

The Punjabi literary tradition is popularly seen to commence withBaba Farid(1173–1266),[5]whose Sufi poetry was compiled after his death in theAdi Granth.Amir Khusrau(1253 – 1325), a prominent Indo-Persian poet, is also known to have written avaarin the Punjabi language.[6]

Early modern period

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A folio from an illustrated Sikh manuscript, ca.1850
Page of thePrichhia,a prose work attributed toGuru Arjan

Roughly from the 12th century to the 19th century, Punjabi Sufi poetry developed underShah Hussain(1538–1599),Sultan Bahu(1628–1691),Shah Sharaf(1640–1724),Ali Haider Multani(1690–1785),Bulleh Shah(1680–1757),Saleh Muhammad Safoori(1747–1826),Mian Muhammad Baksh(1830–1907) andKhwaja Ghulam Farid(1845–1901).[2]In contrast to Persian poets, who had preferred theghazalfor poetic expression, Punjabi Sufi poets tended to compose in theKafi.[7]

TheJanamsakhis,stories on the life and legend ofGuru Nanak(1469–1539), are early examples of Punjabi prose literature. Guru Nanak himself composed Punjabi verse incorporating vocabulary fromSanskrit,Arabic,Persian,and otherSouth Asianlanguages as characteristic of theGurbanitradition.Chandar Bhan Brahmanwas a major 16th century Punjabi and Persian poet and prose writer. In 1588/1589, a Muslim scholar Abdī Kodhan wrote a treatise on Islam in Punjabi under the title ofrīsālā e mēhndīto be taught inNizamiyyah madrassas.Another important prose writer from the 16th century wasAbdullah Lahori,who wroteBāra Anva.[8]

TheVarsofBhai Gurdasemploy the Punjabi language in a series of stanzas, known aspauṛīs.[2]

Punjabi Sufi poetry also influenced other Punjabi literary traditions particularly thePunjabi Qissa,a genre of romantic tragedy which also derived inspiration from Indic, Persian and Quranic sources. The Qissa ofHeer RanjhabyWaris Shah(1706–1798) is among the most popular of Punjabi qisse. Other popular stories includeSohni Mahiwalby Fazal Shah,Mirza Sahibaby Hafiz Barkhudar (1658–1707),Sassi Punnunby Hashim Shah (1735?–1843?), andQissa Puran BhagatbyQadaryar(1802–1892).

Heroic ballads known asVaarenjoy a rich oral tradition in Punjabi. Prominent examples of heroic or epic poetry includeGuru Gobind Singh's inChandi di Var(1666–1708). The semi-historicalNadir Shah Di Vaarby Najabat describes the invasion of India by Nadir Shah in 1739. The Jangnama, or 'War Chronicle,' was introduced into Punjabi literature during the Mughal period; the PunjabiJangnamaofShah Mohammad(1780–1862) recounts theFirst Anglo-Sikh Warof 1845–46.

Colonial period

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Amrita Pritam
Illustrated cover folio of a handwritten Punjabi Manuscript from 1879

The Victorian novel, Elizabethan drama, free verse andModernismentered Punjabi literature through the introduction of British education during the Raj. The first Punjabi printing press (using Gurmukhi font) wasestablished through a Christian mission at Ludhianain 1835, and the firstPunjabi dictionarywas published by Reverend J. Newton in 1854.

Commercial books

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During the British period in Punjab, the most popular literary language based on the number book produced in it was Urdu, however Punjabi-language books were a close second.[9]: 78–85 

Whilst a few Punjabi lithograph texts may have been produced prior to 1850, Punjabi commercial book publishing began to arise after 1850, slowly increasing in prominance until the 1870's and 1880's, when thousands of them were being produced and distributed, written in both Gurmukhi and Perso-Arabic scripts.[9]: 78–85 One of the earliest commercial Punjabi books on record is an 1851 edition of Waris Shah'sHeer Ranjhaversion produced by the Chashm-i-Nur Press of Lahore.[9]: 78–85 Not much is known about Punjabi books before 1867, the year the administration began compiling reports on vernacular publishing.[9]: 78–85 However, the publishing and distribution of Punjabi books until 1867 was extremely limited, with only twelve books being registered by then at Lahore.[9]: 78–85 Amongst these early Punjabi books, most are government publications but one example of a fictional, commercial work does exist.[9]: 78–85 The fictional work isSussipoonoo-ki-kissa(ca.1866–67), a qissa of theSassi Pannufolktale.[9]: 78–85 

The Punjabi novel developed throughNanak Singh(1897–1971) and Vir Singh. Starting off as a pamphleteer and as part of the Singh Sabha Movement, Vir Singh wrote historical romance through such novels as Sundari, Satwant Kaur and Baba Naudh Singh, whereas Nanak Singh helped link the novel to the storytelling traditions of Qissa and oral tradition as well as to questions of social reform.

The novels, short stories and poetry ofAmrita Pritam(1919–2005) highlighted, among other themes, the experience of women, and thePartition of India.Punjabi poetry during the British Raj moreover began to explore more the experiences of the common man and the poor through the work ofPuran Singh(1881–1931). Other poets meanwhile, such asDhani Ram Chatrik(1876–1957),Diwan Singh(1897–1944) andUstad Daman(1911–1984), explored and expressed nationalism in their poetry during and after theIndian freedom movement.Chatrik's poetry, steeped in Indian traditions of romance and classical poetry, often celebrated varied moods of nature in his verse as well as feelings of patriotism. Brought up on English and American poetry, Puran Singh was also influenced by Freudian psychology in his oftentimes unabashedly sensuous poetry.

Modernism was also introduced into Punjabi poetry by Prof.Mohan Singh(1905–78) andShareef Kunjahi.The Punjabi diaspora also began to emerge during the Raj and also produced poetry whose theme was revolt against British rule inGhadar di Gunj(Echoes of Mutiny).[10]

Tract literature

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The genre of Punjabitract literaturearose in the late-19th century and played a vital role in Punjabi socio-religious reforms and engaging in refutation and criticism of religious rivals.[9]: 84 The tracts produced tended to be anywhere from one to at-most sixteen pages in-length.[9]: 84 Some notable Sikh tract societies include the Khalsa Tract Society (est. 1894), the Panch Khalsa Society, and the Sikh Handbill Society.[9]: 84 Norman Gerald Barrier estimated that Sikh organizations had produced 1,200 tracts between the years 1880 and 1915 that represented varying views and positions.[9]: 84 Sikh organizations were proficient in this genre of literature but Hindu and Muslim organization also produced Punjabi tracts.[9]: 84 Some religious sects and organizations that churned out tracts include the Arya Samaj,Ahmadis,and various Muslimanjumanorganizations.[9]: 84 Punjabi tracts of the era breached upon various topics, such as caste, religion, conversion, diet, and intoxicants.[9]: 84 

Debates with Hindi proponents

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In a series of letters debating Arya Samajists such as Lala Lajpat Rai, Master Tara Singh rebuked the idea proposed by the Arya Samaj that Punjabi was a "child" of the "mother", Hindi, by stating that Punjabi literature predates the appearance of Hindi.[2]The Arya Samaj proposed that theRamayanofTulsi Das(fl. 16th and 17th centuries) and the works ofChand Bardai(fl. 12th century), were examples of early Hindi literature.[2]This was refuted as the language used in these works is strictly-speaking not Hindi, as per J. S. Grewal.[2]Until the end of the 17th century, no Hindi literature had arisen.[2]Punjabi literature had an early claim to the compositions of Baba Farid in the 13th century as an example, predating the development of Hindi literature by several centuries.[2]Lala Lajpat Rai objected to the contemporary Khalsa Party's development of Punjabi literature, claiming it was an objectionable "mixture" (khichṛī) that borrowed words from English, Arabic, and Sanskrit.[2]Tara Singh responded that Hindi freely borrowed words from other languages and therefore there is nothing wrong with Punjabi also adopting loanwords from external languages.[2]Tara Singh further stated that Punjabi derives from Prakrit, which inherited countless words from Sanskrit that were employed and developed in various ways.[2]Tara Singh called attention to the fact that Muslim polities had ruled the Punjab for a period of 900-years, and that it was only natural from the inhabitants of the area to adopt words from Persian and Arabic as a result.[2]Lala Lajpat Rai wanted all non-Indic words to be replaced with Sanskrit words, Tara Singh responded that this was "narrow-minded partisanship" and "fanatical prejudice".[2]Tara Singh highlighted that Hindi itself was born out ofShauraseni Prakrit,which in-turn derived from Sanskrit, making its story of development ordinary and similar to other regional languages of northern India, meaning it could not claim special status based on its origin.[2]Tara Singh claimed that Lala Lajpat Rai's true objective was to "banish Punjabi from the land of its birth".[2]

Post-Independence

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Western Punjab (Pakistan)

Najm Hossein Syed,Fakhar ZamanandAfzal Ahsan Randhawaare some of the more prominent names in West Punjabi literature produced in Pakistan since 1947. Literary criticism in Punjabi has also emerged through the efforts of West Punjabi scholars and poets,Shafqat Tanvir Mirza,Ahmad Salim,andNajm Hosain Syed(b. 1936).

The work of Zaman and Randhawa often treats the rediscovery of Punjabi identity and language in Pakistan since 1947. Ali's short story collectionKahani Pragareceived the Waris Shah Memorial Award in 2005 from the Pakistan Academy of Letters. Mansha Yaad also received the Waris Shah Award for his collectionWagda Paaniin 1987, and again in 1998 for his novelTawan TawaN Tara,as well as theTamgha-e-Imtiaz(Pride of Performance) in 2004. The most critically successful writer in recent times has beenMir Tanha Yousafiwho has won the Massod Khaddar Posh Trust Award 4 times, and has had his books transliterated into Gurmukhi for Indian Punjabi readers.

Urdu poets of the Punjab have also written Punjabi poetry includingMunir Niazi(1928–2006). The poet who introduced new trends in Punjabi poetry isPir Hadi abdul Mannan.Though a Punjabi poet, he also wrote poetry inUrdu.

Ali Arshad Mirwas an epic poet whose works gave voice to the voiceless - the downtrodden and the oppressed, his role is considered crucial in 20th century Punjabi literature.

Eastern Punjab (India)

Dr. Surjit Patar,a prominentPunjabiwriter, poet and lecturer atGuru Nanak Dev University

Amrita Pritam(1919–2005),Jaswant Singh Rahi(1930–1996),Shiv Kumar Batalvi(1936–1973),Surjit Patar(1944–) andPash(1950–1988) are some of the more prominent poets and writers of East Punjab (India). Pritam'sSunehe(Messages) received the Sahitya Akademi in 1982. In it, Pritam explores the impact of social morality on women. Kumar's epicLuna(a dramatic retelling of the legend of Puran Bhagat) won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1965. Socialist themes of revolution meanwhile influenced writers like Pash whose work demonstrates the influence ofPablo NerudaandOctavio Paz.

Punjabi fiction in modern times has explored themes in modernist and post-modernist literature. Punjabi culture. Moving from the propagation of Sikh thought and ideology to the themes of the Progressive Movement, the short story in Punjabi was taken up by Nanak Singh, Charan Singh Shaheed, Joshua Fazal Deen, and Heera Singh Dard. Women writers such asAjeet CourandDalip Kaur Tiwanameanwhile have questioned cultural patriarchy and the subordination of women in their work. Hardev Grewal has introduced a new genere to Punjabi fiction called Punjabi Murder Mystery in 2012 with his Punjabi novelEh Khudkushi Nahin Janab! Qatl Hai(published by Lahore Books).Kulwant Singh Virk(1921–1987) won the Sahitya Akedemi award for his collection of short storiesNave Lokin 1967. His stories are gripping and provide deep insight into the rural and urban modern Punjab. He has been hailed as the “emperor of Punjabi short stories”.

Modern Punjab drama developed through Ishwar Nanda's Ibsen-influencedSuhagin 1913, and Gursharan Singh who helped popularize the genre through live theatre in Punjabi villages. Sant Singh Sekhon,Kartar Singh Duggal,andBalwant Gargihave written plays, andAtamjit Singhwas awarded theSahitya Akademi Awardin 2010 (which he returned in 2015) for his playTatti Tawi De Vich.

Preservation of Punjabi literature

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Panjab Digital Library(PDL) is a significant initiative in preserving and providing access to Punjabi literature, manuscripts, and historical documents. Established in 2003, the library has digitized over 65 million pages related to Sikh and Punjabi culture. Its mission is to locate, digitize, preserve, and make accessible the accumulated wisdom of the Punjab region, without distinction as to script, language, religion, nationality, or other physical conditions. PDL has contributed significantly to the accessibility and preservation of Punjabi literature, making it available to a wider audience and ensuring its continuity for future generations.[11][12]

Diaspora Punjabi literature

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See also:British Punjabi writers

Punjabi diasporaliterature has developed through writers in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and the United States, as well as writers in Africa such asAjaib Kamal,born in 1932 in Kenya, and Mazhar Tirmazi, writer of famous song "Umraan Langhiyan Pabhan Bhaar." Themes explored by diaspora writers include the cross-cultural experience of Punjabi migrants, racial discrimination, exclusion, and assimilation, the experience of women in the diaspora, and spirituality in the modern world.[13]Second generation writers of Punjabi ancestry such asRupinderpal Singh Dhillon(writes under the name Roop Dhillon) have explored the relationship between British Punjabis and their immigrant parents as well as experiment with surrealism, science fiction and crime fiction.Bhupinder kaur Sadhaura(1971–) have biography ofpeer Budhu Shah Ji,book name isGuru Bhagat Peer Budhu Shah( hanoured byHaryana Punjabi Sahitya Academy). Other known writers include Sadhu Binning andAjmer Rode(Canada),Mazhar Tirmazi,Amarjit Chandan,Avtar Singh Sandhu(Paash) (1950–1988) andSurjit Kalsi.

Genres

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Currently Punjabi writing can be split between the following genres

  • Punjabi Qissa(Waris Shah)
  • Traditional poetry (Surjit Paatar)
  • Naxalitepoetry (Paash, Amarjit Chandan)
  • Lyrical poetry(Rajvinder Singh)
  • Punjabi haiku (Amarjit Chandan)
  • Yatharthvaad (Realism)
  • Pachmi Paryatharvaad (Surreal, Fantasy, Imaginative) Roop Dhillon
  • Parvasi (émigré) Sadhu Binning
  • Viang (Satire) Jagjit Singh Komal

See also

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References

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  1. ^abHoiberg, Dale (2000).Students' Britannica India.Popular Prakashan.ISBN978-0-85229-760-5.Archivedfrom the original on 2 April 2023.Retrieved25 October2020.
  2. ^abcdefghijklmnoGrewal, J. S. (March 2018). "3 - Early Life and Career of Master Tara Singh: (1885–1919)".Master Tara Singh in Indian History: Colonialism, Nationalism, and the Politics of Sikh Identity(Online ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 62–85.ISBN9780199089840.
  3. ^Padam, Piara Singh (1978).ਪ੍ਰਾਚੀਨ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਗਦ[Ancient Punjabi Prose].
  4. ^Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature(Vol. 2), Sahitya Akademi, p. 1263
  5. ^Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature(Vol. 2), Sahitya Akademi, p. 1263
  6. ^Rahman, Tariq.Punjabi Language During British Rule(PDF).Quaid-i Azam University, Islamabad. p. 1.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2023-09-23.Retrieved2024-04-18.'Amir Khusro ba Zuban-e-Punjabi ba ibarat-e-marghub muqaddama jang ghazi ul mulk Tughlaq Shah o Nasir uddin Khusro Khan gufta ke aan ra ba Zuban-e-Hindvarguvaend' (Amir Khusro in the language of the Punjab wrote an introduction of the battle between Tughlaq [1324-1320] and Khusro which in the language of India is called avar)
  7. ^"Articles on Bulleh Shah's Poetry".Archivedfrom the original on 2006-07-07.Retrieved2009-01-14.
  8. ^"Bāra Anva".Encyclopædia Britannica Online.Archivedfrom the original on 2024-04-18.Retrieved2024-04-18.
  9. ^abcdefghijklmnMir, Farina (4 July 2010).The Social Space of Language: Vernacular Culture in British Colonial Punjab.University of California Press.ISBN9780520262690.
  10. ^Gill, Tejwant Singh, "Reading Modern Punjabi Poetry: From Bhai Vir Singh to Surjit Patar" inJournal of Punjab Studies(Spring-Fall 2006, Volume 13, No. 1 &2).
  11. ^Sharma, Sarika (2023-04-23)."20 years of Panjab Digital Library: 6.5 crore manuscripts & counting".The Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-04-28.Retrieved2023-04-28.
  12. ^Sethi, Chitleen K. (2023-04-21)."Guru Granth Sahib manuscripts & state records to phulkari designs — how a digital library is 'preserving' Punjab".ThePrint.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-04-28.Retrieved2023-04-28.
  13. ^Singh, I.P. (16 December 2015)."Home verse 'watnon door': How poetry dominates Punjabi diaspora literature while nostalgia is its leitmotif".The Times of India.Retrieved2 September2024.

Further reading

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  • Sekhoṃ, Santa Siṅgha (1992).A History of Punjabi literature.New Delhi:Sahitya Akademi.
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