Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (also referred to by the honorifics Lakhino Latif, Latif Ghot, Bhittai, and Bhitt Jo Shah) (1689 – 1752) was a Sindhi Sufi scholar, mystic, saint, poet, and musician. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest poets of the Sindhi language. His collected poems were assembled in the compilation Shah Jo Risalo, which exists in numerous versions and has been translated to English, Urdu, and other languages. His work frequently has been compared to that of Rūmī: Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University, described Shah Latif as a “direct emanation Rūmī’s spirituality in the Indian world.”
He settled in the town of Bhit Shah in Matiari, Pakistan where his shrine is located. The major themes of his poetry include Unity of God, love for Prophet, religious tolerance and humanistic values.
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai was born in 1689 in Hala Haveli’s village Sui-Qandar located near Hyderabad, Pakistan. Shah Abdul Latif was son of Syed Habibullah and grandson of Syed Abdul Quddus Shah.Bhittai’s ancestry
According to most scholars, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’s lineage goes back to the Khwarizim Shahs, others claim he was a descendant of Mohammad and grandson of Mohammad. He however used the term “Shah” as a surname.
His ancestors had come from Herat in Afghanistan to Sindh, after it was sacked by Timur and his Mongol forces. Shah Abdul Karim Bulri (1600s), whose mausoleum stands at Bulri, about 40 miles from Hyderabad, a mystic Sufi poet of considerable repute, was his great, great grandfather. His verses in Sindhi are existent and his anniversary is still held at Bulri, in the form of an Urs.
His father Syed Habib Shah, lived in Hala Haveli, a small village, at a distance of about forty miles from Matiari and not far from the village of Bhitshah. Later he left this place and moved to Kotri, where Shah Latif spent some part of his adolescent life.The early life
Most of the information that has come down to us has been collected from oral traditions. A renowned Pakistani scholar, educationist, and a foremost writer of plays, dramas and stories, Mirza Kalich Beg has rendered a yeoman service to Sindhi literature by collecting details about the early life of Shah Bhittai, from the dialogues that he has constantly held with some of the old folks, still living at that time, who knew these facts from their fathers and grandfathers for they had seen Shah Latif in person and had even spoken to him.
He was born around 1689 CE (1102 A.H.) to Shah Habib in the village Sui-Qandar a few miles to the east of the present town of Bhit Shah (named after him), on Safar 14, 1102 A.H. i.e. November 18, 1690 CE. He died at Bhit Shah on Safar 14, 1165 A.H., i.e. January 3, 1752 CE. In his memory, every year, on 14th Safar of the Hijri Calendar, an Urs is held at Bhit Shah, where he spent the last years of his life and where his elaborate and elegant mausoleum stands.
Latif got his early education in the school (maktab) of Akhund Noor Muhammad in basic Persian (the government language at that time) and Sindhi (local spoken language). He also learned the Qur’an. His correspondence in Persian with contemporary scholar Makhdoom Moinuddin Thattvi, as contained in the Risala-i-Owaisi, bears witness to his scholastic competence.
The Urs
The Urs is a grand festival in Sindh, where people from almost every village and town of Sindh and from different cities of other provinces of Pakistan – rich and poor, young and old, scholars and peasants – make a determined effort to attend. The Urs commences every year from 14th Safar (2nd month of Hijra calendar) and lasts for three days. Along with other features, like food fairs, open-air markets selling Ajrak and Sindhi Caps among others, and entertaining and competitive sports, a literary gathering is also held where papers concerning the research work done on the life, poetry, and message of Bhittai, are read, by scholars and renowned literary figures. His disciples and ascetics, singers and artists, gather around and sing passages from his Risalo. Scholarly debates and exhibitions of his work and traditional Sindhi artefacts are also organised.The mausoleum over his tomb was built by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro, to commemorate his victory over the Rao of Kuchh a Maratha ally in the Thar Desert.Education
Young Shah Abdul was raised during the golden age of sindhi culture. His first teacher was Noor Muhammad Bhatti Waiwal. Mostly, Shah Latif was self-educated. Although he has received scanty formal education, the Risalo gives us an ample proof of the fact that he was well-versed in Arabic and Persian. The Qur’an, the Hadiths, the Masnawi of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, Shah Inayatullah, along with the collection of Shah Karim’s poems, were his constant companions, copious references of which have been made in Shah Jo Risalo. He is also known for his famed Calligraphic, and hand written skills he made several copies of the Qur’an.
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, received his higher education in the Maktab of Akhund Noor Muhammad in basic Persian (the official language of the Mughal Empire) and Sindhi. He is also known to have memorized vast passages of the Qur’an. His correspondence in Persian with contemporary scholar Makhdoom Moinuddin Thattavi, as contained in the Risala-i-Owaisi, bears witness to his scholastic competence. In his poems he writes about Sindh and its neighbouring regions, he mentions the distant cities such as Istanbul and Samarqand, he also writes about Sindhi sailors (Samundi) their navigation techniques voyages as far to the Malabar coast, Sri Lanka and the island of Java.Appearance and characteristics
In appearance, Bhittai was a handsome man, of average height. He was strongly built, had black eyes and an intelligent face, with a broad and high forehead. He grew a beard of the size of Muhammad’s beard. He had a serious and thoughtful look about himself and spent much time in contemplation and meditation, since he was concerned about his moral and spiritual evolution with the sole purpose of seeking proximity of the Divine. He would often seek solitude and contemplate on the burning questions running through his mind concerning man’s spiritual life:Why was man created?What is his purpose on this earth? What is his relationship with his Creator?What is his ultimate destiny?
Although he was born in favoured conditions, being the son of a well-known and very much respected Sayed family, he never used his position in an unworthy manner, nor did he show any liking for the comforts of life. He was kind, compassionate, generous and gentle in his manner of speech and behaviour which won him the veneration of all those who came across him. He had great respect for woman, which, unfortunately, the present day Vaderas (the landlords) do not have, and he exercised immense reserve in dealing with them, in an age when these qualities were rare. He hated cruelty and could never cause physical pain to any man or even to an animal. He lived a very simple life of self-restraint. His food intake was simple and frugal, so was his dressing which was often deep yellow, the colour of the dress of sufis, jogis, and ascetics, stitched with black thread. To this day, his relics are preserved at Bhitsah (where his mausoleum stands), some of which include a “T”-shaped walking stick, two bowls, one made of sandal-wood and another of transparent stone, which he used for eating and drinking. His long cap and his black turban are also preserved.
Quest for religious truths
In quest of religious truths, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai traveled to many parts of Sindh and also went to the bordering lands as far as Multan. He became well known to the rulers at height of the power and rule of Kalhoras in Sindh. However he independently traveled with Sufi brotherhoods visiting towns and cities, to preach the teachings of Islam. Throughout his travels he went to hills, valleys, riverbanks, fields and mountains where he met the ordinary simple people. He is known to have traveled to the Ganjo Hills in the south of Hyderabad, Sindh.
He also writes about the adventures of Samundis (Sindhi Sailors) and how they voyaged to Lanka and Java, in the Sur Surirag and Sur Samundi, he writes a detailed account on Thatta and the port Debal. He is known to have traveled with Baloch nomads and tribes into the mountains in Las Bela, Balochistan. For three years, he traveled with these jogis and sanyasis, in search of the truth, peace, and harmony. At several places in the Risalo, mention has been made of these jogis and of his visits to these wonderful, holy and peaceful places. He also traveled to such far away places in the Thar desert such as Junagadh, Jaisalmer.
Piety and ascetism
By the time he was a young man of twenty one years, he began to be known for his piety, his ascetic habits and his absorption in prayers. Observation and contemplation were chief traits of his character. A number of people flocked round him adding to the already large number of his disciples. This aroused jealousy of some powerful, ruthless, tyrannical persons – landlords, Pirs, Mirs, and Rulers – who became his enemies for some time. Later, seeing his personal worth, and the peaceful and ascetic nature of his fame, abandoned their rivalry. At this time he was living with his father at Kotri, five miles away from the present site of Bhitshah. It was here that his marriage was solemnised in 1713 CE with Bibi Sayedah Begum, daughter of Mirza Mughul Beg. She was a very virtuous and pious lady, who was a proper companion for him. The disciples had great respect for her. They had no children.
In the true ascetic spirit, Shah Latif was now in search of a place where in solitude, he could devote all his time in prayers and meditation. Such a place he found near Lake Karar, a mere sand hill, but an exotic place of scenic beauty, four miles away from New Hala. This place was covered by thorny bushes surrounded by many pools of water. It was simply and aptly called ‘Bhit’ (the Sand Hill). On the heaps of its sandstones he decide to settle down and build a village. As it was sandy, he along with his disciples dug out the hard earth from a distance and covered the sand with it to make the ground firm. After months of hard labour, carrying the earth on their heads and shoulders, the place was now fit enough for the construction of an underground room and two other rooms over it, along with a room for his old parents. A mosque was also built and the houses of his disciples properly marked out. In 1742, whilst he was still busy setting up a new village, Bhit, he got the sad news of the death of his dear father.. Soon after this Shah Latif shifted all his family members from Kotri to Bhitsah, as the village now began to be called. His father was buried there, in accordance to his will, where his mausoleum stands only eight paces away, from that of Shah Abdul Latif, towards its north.The final years
For the last eight years of his remarkable life, Shah Latif lived at Bhitshah. A few days before his death, he retired to his underground room and spent all his time in prayers and fasting, eating very little.
After 21 days in there, he came out and having bathed himself with a large quantity of water, covered himself with a white sheet and asked his disciples to sing and start the mystic music. This went on for three days continuously, when the musicians, concerned about the motionless poet, found that his soul had already left for its heavenly abode to be in the proximity of the Beloved for who he had longed for, all his life, and only the body was there. He suffered from no sickness or pain of any kind. The date was 14th Safar 1165 Hijra corresponding to 1752 CE. He was buried at the place where his mausoleum now stands, which was built by the ruler of Sindh, Ghulam Shah Kalhoro. His name literally means ‘the servant of the Shah’. He, along with his mother, had adored and revered Shah Latif and were his devoted disciples. The work of the construction of the mausoleum was entrusted to the well-known mason, Idan from Sukkur. The mausoleum, as well as the mosque adjoining it, were later repaired and renovated by another ruler of Sindh, Mir Nasir Khan Talpur. A pair of kettle drums, that are beaten every morning and evening even till today by the fakirs, jogis and sanyasis, who frequent the mausoleum, were presented by the Raja of Jesalmeer.According to Sindhi historians young scholars such as Abul Hassan Thattvi (author of the Muqadamah as-Salawat, Hanafi Compendium) also wrote and sought advise from the elderly Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai and frequently traveled to Bhit Shah.The Seven Queens of Sindh
The women of Shah Abdul Latif’s poetry are known as the Seven Queens, heroines of Sindhi folklore who have been given the status of royalty in Shah Jo Risalo. The Seven Queens were celebrated throughout Sindh for their positive qualities: their honesty, integrity, piety and loyalty. They were also valued for their bravery and their willingness to risk their lives in the name of love. The Seven Queens mentioned in Shah Jo Risalo are Marvi, Momal, Sassi, Noori, Sohni, Sorath, and Lila.
Perhaps what Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai saw in his tales of these women was an idealised view of womanhood, but the truth remains that the Seven Queens inspired women all over Sindh to have the courage to choose love and freedom over tyranny and oppression. The lines from the Risalo describing their trials are sung at Sufi shrines all over Sindh, and especially at the urs of Shah Abdul Latif every year at Bhit Shah.
Political Ideas of Shah Abdul Latif*
Earlier in chanter two I have already given an account of some of the political ideas of Shah Latif as well. In this connection it has also been especially discussed what were the conditions prevailing during his time and what had been their influence on Shah Latif.
It has not been possible to discover the detailed historical conditions of the times of Shah Latif. But whatever material in this connection has been available, after looking closely at it, analyzing deeply the poetical work of Shah Latif and taking the political conditions of this period into account, the conclusions I have reached on the basis of convincing arguments, I would like to present them in this chapter.
It is quite possible that some of the readers of this history or some men of learning who analyze history with a traditional view point may not agree to the conclusion I have reached. But the arguments and evidence on the basis of which I have come to these conclusions, are so strong and convincing, that unless and until my conclusions are refuted and proved otherwise through stronger and more convincing arguments, I would consider myself justified in holding my view based on incontrovertible truth.
Every one is aware of the fact that it is usually only a few doctors who agree about the diagnosis of a patient It is therefore quite possible that some of the people may find it difficult to agree with me. However, the truth is that the political ideas of that time did not come into the knowledge of people with evident fundamental principles, as it is possible today. It was the period of autocratic rule in Sindh. Education was limited to a few people. People were not familiar with the Western culture and civilization; there existed no conception of assemblies, ministries and elections, of getting votes on the basis of programs and formation of political patties on the basis of principles. In the country the political term like socialism, nationalism, Pan-Islamism, communism, capitalism and fascism did not exist. The system of government, which was prevalent in Sindh at this time, was in accordance with the feudal system and religious slogans. Therefore it would be inappropriate to see any resemblance between this system with the political system which exists today. But at the same time it would not be an exaggeration to say that although the above mentioned ideas were not prevalent in their present form, the germs of these ideas were definitely present in those days. During this period if there is an evidence of the existence of feudal lords and the tenants serving in their fields, it is a proof of the presence of the material, which ultimately brings about the evolution of socialism.
If in Sindh there are instances of the Sindhis putting up resistance against the foreign invasions, plundering and wielding power over them and struggling for their independence, then any effort to deny the existence of the spirit and movement for the establishment of socialistic system in Sindh is futile and useless. The battle which the Samba and Soomro rulers fought against the foreign invaders, and the Sindhi poets applauding and eulogizing them, is a clear reflection of the spirit of nationalism which existed at that time.
In the movements of Syed Miran Muhammad Jaunpuri and other Muslim leaders there are clear and evident indications of Pan-Islamism. The support extended by Qazi Kazan to his religious guide Bhai Shah Baig Arghoon is the practical evidence of this thought and spirit.
It is true that no organized form of capitalism existed here, but even today it does not exist in Sindh in the form as it is found in the West. The basic quality of fascism is that a few individuals deprive the people of their freedom, simply for their personal or class interest. Through the use of power they try to influence every department of the people’s life, and through suppressive and coercive measures try to mould the country according to their point of view. If in the light of these characteristics we analyze the past, we shall find a clear evidence of the presence of fascism during the reign of the Kalhoras.
To implement the religious dictums of Makhdoom Muhammad Hashim Thattvt by the government, to have such venerable religious guides as Mian Abdur Rehman and Shah Inayat Sufi martyred, are the clear indications of the influence of fascism. Moreover imposing such restriction upon the Muslims to keep a beard of a specific shape, to wear the trousers in accordance with Muslim religious law and to impose instructions upon the religious customs of Hindus, were the kind of’ practices which clearly indicate the reflection of fascist tendencies.
The theory of communism did not exist in its present form at that time, but the elements promoting such tendencies were present. Just as there is an element of fire always present in the wood and ma3i~ itself appear when there are causes of its burning and flaring up, in the same manner the existence of naked, hungry, homeless, oppressed and helpless people is an evidence, that there existed a serious need even at that time of a people’s revolution as a consequence of the events resultant from the class system.
In the light of the facts stated above I would be perfectly justified in forming the opinion about the political tendencies of Shah Latif with the help of his poetry that he was a great advocate of:
-
- Nationalism
- Democracy
- Had a tendency toward socialism
- Had nothing to do with the concept of Pan-Islamism
- Opposed dictatorship or fascism.
- Was disgusted with capitalistic system.
Now by quoting references from Shah Latif’s poetry, I would try to explain the conclusions I have drawn above.
1. Advocacy of Nationalism
There are two specific conditions for nationalism: Conception of a country from the geographical and lingual point of view and nationalism on the basis of a homeland.
Because I have already written in detail in the fourth and fifth chapters about Shah Latif’s ideas about Sindh and his conception of nationalism, therefore it is not necessary to repeat the same facts and arguments. Those who entertain any doubts about it they should generally study the entire poetical work of Shah Latif and especially Sur Marvi. Their doubts will be removed quite easily.
2. Advocacy of Democracy
There is no denying the fact that Shah Latif was the standard bearer of the support to the common man and the unity of the oppressed and the impoverished. He felt deeply grieved at the lack of courage and disunity among the people. Thus giving them the example of birds he says:
Birds fly together; they never separate from each other. Look, how the birds love one another more than man can ever do.
At one place addressing by one of the famous titles given to the people of Sindh he tries to arouse a consciousness among them, and says that it is not the custom of the patriotic people to direct the entire attention toward achieving selfish interests, abandoning the spirit for the betterment of the nation:
You lead a life of shepherds and then you wish to live apart from your friends, relations and the fellow-professionals. This is neither proper nor sensible. Once you will have to drive your cattle to the jungle. At that time you will be concerned with the protection of your cattle from the thieves and highwaymen. Because, you never know, when they can create trouble for you.
Not only was there lack of unity between the common man and the wealthy class due to the miserable life of the people of Sindh, the terrorist activities of the feudal lords, the prejudices of the priests and the selfish attitude of the religious guides, but there was also a state of absolute disintegration of the nation. Expressing his sense of grief over this situation he says:
There was a time when we were united like the seeds of grain in the ear of corn. Alas disunity has separated us from each other. Who knows when the separated ones will be united again. At one place mentioning the advantages of unity and fraternity.
Shah Latif says:
If you desire to lead a happy life, learn to live with your relations and friends. If you can do this, you will never have the reason to complain of grief, anxiety and trouble.
In the folk tale of Rai Diach and Bejal in Sur Suratth he has emphasized the truth, how the public opinion can force even the kings to bow before it:
Gradually even death makes the kings its victims.
The beggar has entered the palace with his musical instrument, which produces melancholy tunes. He has started playing such tunes on his instrument, which will shake the foundations of the palace. Oh Bejal, you are the only subject of discussion among the people. There will be lamentation and morning in Junagarh and bewailing in this palace.
Addressing the patriotic elements who seek seclusion or leave the country after being disheartened by unfavorable situation, he says:
If you isolate yourself from your dear ones and choose a corner of seclusion, don’t you recall the pleasant ways of your dear ones?
All these allusions in his poetry are a clear evidence of his love of democracy.
3. Shah Latif’s inclination toward socialism
Shah Latif entirely advocated the cause of the poor and wanted to see the oppressed people united. Many instances in this connection have already been quoted earlier in this book. Here by giving further example of his love of socialistic tendencies, I would make an effort to explain, that although Shah Latif used to pray generally for a revolution for the independence and prosperity of the homeland, but his main objective had always been to see the poor people prosperous and happy. In very clear manner he appeals to Sarang (symbolizing revolution) that he should direct his attention toward the care of the hungry and the thirsty. Let there be food in abundance so that people are prosperous:
Oh, the rainy season you are a Divine blessing, be merciful to the eople of this country, and take care of them. Let it rain heavily so that the land has abundance of water. Make this land which is full of grief and sorrow, happy and prosperous. Let there be plentiful grain in this land that the poor can have a few moments of comfort and joy.
The rains have come, the sky is overcast The birds are chirping with joy, The farmers and other laborers have prepared their implements. To day my beloved (God) desires to shower all his blessings upon us.
The fact is quite evident that the greatest desire of Shah Latif was to see the land prosperous and people living a comfortable life, and considered together, the interest of the people and poor farmers. He believed that the revolution in the society, which comes through the national independence, it is essential that poor class of the farmers should reap its benefits. He was firmly opposed to the hoarders, profiteers and relentless and chief landlords, and wanted to see them destroyed. He believed that the blessing of true economic independence will alleviate and eliminate all their sufferings:
The clouds were commanded by God to prepare for the rains. In a moment there were thunder and lightening. The hoarders of essential commodities will sell them at a higher price, but they will have to repent, because there has been tremendous increase in the food grains. May these greedy and avaricious people never exist. All are praising Almighty God, because He is the one who sustains the needy and the poor.
He always prayed for the people of Sindh when he observed their misery and deprivation and wished them also to share the blessings of a prosperous life, and wanted to see them liberated from a nomadic life to live a civilized life:
He prays for his poor and grief stricken countrymen to live a settled life. He prays that when others find a permanent home may the poor homeless Sindhi people may also have permanent homes.
He has also not overlooked half-starved fishermen, partially clad laborers. So praying for them as well he says:
The People, whose dress is made from the plant growing in the lake, the Raja had presented this lake Kenjhar to them as a gift.
Shah Latif has projected Jam Tamachi as a symbol of a true people’s leader, in other words he is not arrogant about his position, does not try to prove himself superior to others, and looks like a common man when he is in the midst of the people. He does not attach any importance to gorgeous Samma and Soomro princesses and does not care for any one except for the inhabitants of “Kenjhar”. He exhibits a spirit of cordiality with the fishermen who are usually clad in dirty and tattered clothes and their dark skin and unattractive women carrying ill-smelling fish baskets on their heads. He has no place in his heart for the people who rule the country. Rather be prefers to show his love and generosity toward the poor and the miserable people:
The fishermen, of Lake Kenjhar are aware of the condition of Jam Tamachi, they are his confidants. Look, all the great and the small are heading toward his palace. Whether they are the citizens of Rome are the inhabitants on the shores of Lake Kenjhar, all are made prosperous through the gifts of Jam Tamachi.
These poor, dark skinned fisherwomen do not possess any distinction of character, who takes their seat on the roadside to sell fish in their ill-smelling baskets. No one cares for such poor women except Jam Tamachi.
4. Pan-Islamism
I have already mentioned in the earlier chapter that there has been a group among Muslims which considers the Muslim possessing the right of superiority over the rest of humanity and leadership of the world, and has the conception of establishing the power of a caliphate in the name of the domination of Islam. According to this conception it is essential to have the faith about (3ihad) holy war, the superiority of the Muslims over others and domination of Islam. If we have faith in these ideas, then the fundamental principles of Islam, peace and security, equality and democracy prove false. But every one having any claim to mysticism has been opposed to this idea. Shah Latif had firm faith in pantheism. Therefore he was never prepared to give any ideas contrary to this faith a place in his heart. Moreover he was fully aware of the fact that for the last many centuries the people who profess faith in these ideas have caused more harm than any good to Islam due to their conduct, and these people, confining Islam to certain restrictions have made its usefulness doubtful. Whereas the ideas which Shah Latif believed in are expressed in the following verse:
Everything which emerges from God is beautiful sweet and tasteful. There is never any bitterness in it. The only condition for you is that you taste it with love.
To expect support for Pan Islamics from the religious guide of your school of thought, which in fact is a form of fascism, is nothing more than self-deception.
5. Opposition to Dictatorship
When there is no individual freedom in society, when the reins of power are in a few hands, who misuse it for their personal and class interest, and impose their ideas, rules and regulations, and orders forcibly upon the people, the government which uses such measures is called fascist or dictatorial. This form of government is totally contrary to the democratic system. Shah Abdul Latif who desired to see the oppressed people united, could never support such a system of government Moreover every Sufi (mystic) deeply believes in and desires individual freedom, that some of the mystics drift toward “anarchism” because of their extremist views. They are opposed to every form of oppression and cruelty, whether it is perpetrated in the name of religion or society. Thus addressing the oppressors and the tyrants Shah Latif says:
Oh the hunter, may you become the victim of death. All your hunting gear will be destroyed. You came only yesterday and succeeded in creating a gulf between those who love one another, which may take a long time to fill.
When a dictator, drunk with power, loses control of his senses, considering the people no more than worms, spurns at their feelings and sentiments, Shah Latif giving a warning to him describes his condition in the following manner:
Oh crocodile, you have become strong and fat, and you continue to hunt and kill people. The water, which has made your survival possible, will be dried. The verse signifies that the oppressors cannot continue always to commit acts of injustice.
6. Opposition to Capitalism
It has been explained above that Shah Latif was inclined toward socialism, it was therefore a natural consequence of his views that he was opposed to any system of government as a result of which his people should lead a life of poverty, hopelessness, hunger, nakedness and be compelled to lead a nomadic life, and the wealthy class should lead a life of ease and luxury. Through the example of Marvi he desired to remind that she was not prepared to accept any personal comforts and benefits out of greed or fear, until and unless her people were given the opportunity to lead a happy life, and despite every tempting offer by a ruler or class of rulers could never feel happy unless her people were. How could she choose to sleep in a comfortable bed when her people made the grass growing on the land their beds. He says:
It is not the tradition of our poor people to Change or desert their dear ones a result of greed and avarice. I shall never adopt such an evil practice when I come to Umer KOL I shall never sacrifice my love of a poor dwelling over the comforts of palaces.
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai – [1689-1752] Poet Laureate of Sindh
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (1689–1752) (Sindhi: شاھ عبدالطيف ڀٽائيِ), was a Sufi scholar and saint, and is considered as the greatest poet of the Sindhi language.[citation needed] He settled in the town of Bhit Shah in Sindh, Pakistan. His most famous written work is the Shah Jo Risalo. His shrine is located in Bhit and attracts hundreds of pilgrims every day.
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai was born in the small village of Bhit [ the mound] about 150 miles north of Karachi . His Urs is held every year between the 13th and 15th of Safar , the second Islamic lunar month.
Shah Latif can be said to be the soul of Sindh. He was a great saint , a nationalist , a humanist and a poet whose stature is perhaps on par with the great poets of the world [Byron, Keats , Selley, Neruda, Rilke, Rimbaud, etc ]. Just as the Elizabethan period [ 1500-1700] is known more for Shakespeare than for the empire-builders as Raleigh and Sir Francis Drake [whose plunder of the Spanish gold armadas earned him the knighthood from the Queen] , so the Kalhora period of Sindh history [ which managed to withstand Nadir Shah’s invasion of Delhi in 1739] will be remembered more for Shah Latif’s poetry.
The Kalhoras period during which Shah Latif lived ,was a period of great prosperity and the towns of Thatta and Hyderabad thrived under the good governance [low taxes, canal irrigation , textiles] of the Kalhoras who were originally ruling the north of Sindh near Sukkur. The East India Company described Thatta “as large as London” ; International commerce gave Thatta its prominence with textiles exports and 4000 ships & boats and 400 schools. The Kalhoras were to squeeze out the Sammas and the Soomros who ruled the southern parts of Sindh. The great romance of Sasui-Punhu was born in the Sammas period [ 1300- 1500] and which Shah Latif later made the subject of his Surs.
“Shah Jo Risalo” the message of Shah
His poetry was first translated into German in 1866 [a hundred years after his death] by Ernest Trump a German scholar and missionary when in 1860’s he became fascinated by Sindhi language and culture and the jogis and singers who sang Shah Latif’s verses [ganj]. With the help of Sindhi scholars he compiled a selection of the original verses and called it “Shah Jo Risalo” [the message of Shah].
Later in 1940, D.H. Sorley an English scholar learnt Sindhi, and published selections from the Risalo by the Oxford University Press entitled “Shah Abdul latif of Bhit – His Poetry,Life and Times”.
The most recent work [ 1994], from which most of the translations given here are taken from , is that of Amena Khamisani a professor in English Literature at the Sindh University.
Much of Shah Bhitai’s poetry expresses the individual seeking for God in terms of well-known ballads and the negation of the ego. In Islamic tradition the seeker and the sought are both males. Shah following the Indian tradition made his individual a female. Shah’s heroine’s come mainly from the lower strata than the heroes, and yet they outshine the men. The divine is the beloved , with the feminine form associated with earth fertility, nurture, wisdom, and intuition and the masculine with rationality an logic.
The Surs of Shah Jo Risalo
The word ” Sur” means a mode of singing .In all there are 30 Surs in Shah Jo Risalo. In Indian classical music, its ” Rag” and Raginis” are sung at different times of day and night. In Risalo the Surs are named according to their subject matter . The underlying theme is how the individual is to cultivate the godly attributes, negate his ego so as to evolve to a better human being.
Bhitai art is “impressionistic” . He uses the plight of the poor, the peasantry, the fisherman, the weavers, and the helpless needy women in his work. The ancient folklore names of his stories and episodes such as Sasui , Marvi, Sohni , Bilawal become the means by which he attains his end – namely that of the evolution of better human beings in society. In many verses the virtues of patience and the evils of arrogance , anger are stressed
Examples of the Surs :
— “Sur Hussaini” glorifies the martyrdom of Hasan and Hussain.
— “Sur Samundi” sings of the trading traditions of Sindh. The Monsoons are over and the sailors get ready to catch the receding monsoon winds. Shah gives this poetry a metaphor of worshipping the “Deep” sea [God] if one is to gain rubies and pearls.
— “Sur Ramkali” is devoted to Yogis/ Jogis, ” they carry nothing , not their ego, …. Shah Latif says : ” Sorrows are the ornament of joys; I have no use for joys unmixed with sorrows…. don’t follow the well beaten path ; people float downstream , you should swim upstream..”
— ” Sur Sarang” is an cry and ode for the Monsoon Rains in the parched Sindh countryside ,
— “Sur Sasui” is on the tragedy of Sassi and her lover Punhu,
— ” Sur Bilawal” sings of the golden period in Sindh under the Sammas and the tragedy of Bilawal a liberal scion of the royal , who was killed [ crushed in an oil press] by the fanaticism of the orthodox Sammas.
Look at the weavers,
delicate is their love,
they join every day,
and learn not to part.
Sufi is not limited by religious bounds,
He discloses not the war he wages in his mind,
Helps and assists those who with him fight.
[ Sur Yaman Kalyan]
” Go not far , sasui , nor give up the quest,
walk not with your feet, yet sit not quite content,
All connection with joys of life snap,
Walk with your heart , that the journey may soon end.
[ Sur Sasui ]
Shah Latif’s Sasui-Punhu [ a tragic romance of the Sammas period 1250-1350.]
Sasui was born in a Brahmin family ; because her horoscope indicated that she was destined to marry an alien ,her father floated her in a wooden box down the Indus river. A washerman at Bambhore [ re; the folk song “mera lutta -e shehar Bhambore nee … singer Dr. Amjad ] found her and being childless adopted her. Because of her beauty her name was Sasui, Sindhi for moon [ in Sanskrit “Sashi” ]. Her beauty’s fame grew far and wide such that it attracted a merchant prince of Mehran, Baluchistan. It was mutual love at first sight. Punhu marries Sasui , refuses to be a trader and settles down in Bhambore to become a washerman. On hearing this news , Punhu’s father turns furious and sends his other two sons , who drug Punhu and take him away while Sasui sleeps. Sasui wakes up to find Punhu gone, starts walking barefoot in her search for Punhu. A shepherd on the way views her with a leery eye. Sasui prays to mother earth to protect her honour and the earth open up to end her life. Punhu meanwhile recovers and escapes back to Bhambore only to find Sasui dead. He too meets the same end and is thus united with sasui in death.
“Sun sets , Sasui weeps tears of blood,
No messenger , no traveler from whom to ask of that place,
Confused she remains , but does not think of going back.”
[ Sur Sasui Abri]
The poetry has descriptions of how all the birds and animals in the desert were saddened by Sasui’s tragedy . Shah Latif’s compassion was such that one story relates to his adoption of two puppy dogs who were abandoned . He called them “moti” [pearl] and “khenu”” [a ball] . These two dogs followed him around his travels with the fakirs and jogis in Sindh.he had adopted
Shah Latif’s Suhni – Mehar : [a tragic romance of the Sammas period 1530-1550]
The Arghun great descendants of Genghis Khan were pushed out of Kandhar by Babar and descended on Sindh around early 1520 and were assimilated into the Sindhi culture. The Arghuns defeated the Sammas . The Sammas are believed to be originally J/Yadavas Rajputs who settled in Gujarat after the early [ 900 AD ] Arab invasion and later drifted back into Sindh and fought the Khiljis alongside the Soomros. When later peace was made, the result was that the Hindu chiefs of lower Sindh lost power. For a while Sindh was shared between the Arghuns and the Tarkhan. Humayaun married an Arghun Sindhi girl Hamida Banu at a village Patt in Sindh in 1541 and Rana Birsal of Amarkot gave shelter to Humayun. Here Akbar was born on October 15, 1542. Isa Khan Arghun in 1655 invited the Portuguese for help against the local tribes. Thatta was sacked. It is in this period of darkness that the episode of Suhni -Mehar is set in .
The story here that Shah Latif’s poetry sings of is the tragedy of Suhni [the beautiful one ] – it is also known in Punjab as Sohni – Mahiwal . Sohni is the daughter of Tula, a potter of Shadapur . Izzat Beg a merchant-prince of Bokhara , falls in love with Sohni. . He forgets his business and Bokhara and settles down as a buffalo-herd by the name of Sahir across the river .Every night Sohni would swim across on her pitcher till one day her angry and jealous sister in-law replaced the baked pitcher with an unbaked one. As Sohni enters the river the pitcher melts and Sahir hearing her cries also jumps in to save her , and both meet a watery grave.
The Last days of Shah
The history books claim that sometime before his death, Shah threw the manuscripts of his works into the Karar lake near his village of Bhit [ the mound/ rock ]. His reason for doing so was that his people may not understand the main theme of messages. However his disciples had some older copies of his work. and it was the mainly through the efforts of a lady by the name of Mai Miamat, a disciple, who had memorised a lot of his verses. Thus by her singing the verses, his disciples were able to record his messages.
It is said that Shah longed to perform a pilgrimage to Karbala [ the site where Hasan & Hussain were martyred ]. As he went to Kutch to board a ship for the journey, a pious man met him and said : ” O saint you have always said that Bhit will be your burial place “. At this remark , Shah went back to Bhit .
It is said that he donned black garments and went into seclusion for 20 days , composing “Sur Kedaro” a serious ballad about resisting tyranny and about the eternity of spirit and the mortalness of the body. After this he sang “Sur Suhini” [ kahirre manjhi hisaaba – on what count am I here ].
Shah Latif asked the jogis and the fakirs to play music and sing . He died after three days on 22 December 1751. The only worldly possessions he left behind were a patched cloak, a quilt and a begging bowl.
Courtesy:http://shah-bhitai.blogspot.com/2010/06/shah-abdul-latif-bhitai-1689-1752-poet.html
