Images of a vibrant culture of historical gems

Razia Sultana has been teaching Bangla literature since the early 1970s. She has carried out research on many different aspects of Bangla folklore. Shahitya Bikkhon is one such book where the author has brought in nine essays which range from women depicted in the Old and Middle Ages in Bangla literature, baromashi songs describing the anguish of separation in the lives of rural women and the famous poem Bidrohi by Kazi Nazrul Islam. There are essays on the works of giants like Nawazish Khan and Mozammel Haque in Bangla literature. The hard work of the author is visible in the writing. It gives one an insight into the subjects that she deals with.

Women in the Middle Ages were very simple, as the book notes. They hardly used any make up. The only things that were available locally, herbal products, were used for beautification. A special kind of smoke was used to perfume them. The weather also had effects on the mood of Bengali women as it was neither too hot nor too cold and the women around the area were of pleasant temperament. One interesting point to note is that there is no mention of the saree as women's clothing in any of the books. Works coming down from the 16th century mention that women wore potto, neth, nethlashi et cetera. Women in those days were very hard working. To save fuel they used either two or four, sometimes six burners. And they almost managed everything about their household affairs.

The second essay deals with the time of Yousuf Zulekha famed Bangla writer

Shah Muhammod Shagir. There is a lot of controversy about the time when the famous literature on Yousuf Zulekha was written. As there was mention of Giasuddin Mahmud Shah, it is thought the time could be around the mid-sixteenth century. It must be remembered that the tale of Yousuf Zulekha is not a unique story as it is found in the holy scriptures. It was made into a famous love story by many writers prior to Shah Muhammod Shagir. Among them was the great Persian poet Ferdowsi.

The next essay is about baromashi, traditional songs usually sung by women in the rural areas. The songs or poems are mostly descriptions of the anguish of separation from the people they love. As the name suggests, baromashi is a song that describes events that go on for twelve months. Each month has a specific problem and the singer describes it in the form of poems or songs. The songs are not written but spread by word of mouth; they show the collective wisdom of the village people. There are similar seasonal songs or religious songs common to many countries. In some South Asian countries there are about four seasonal songs. What is unique about the baromashi in Bangladesh and its neighboring countries is that they project emotions in relation to the surroundings as they happen to be with each passing month. Many modern singers have adopted them in their songs. For example, there is Bhupen Hazarika's song, “maiya bhul bujish na”, where the boy just comes forth with excuses not to marry his beloved in any of the Bengali months.

Gul-e- Bakawli was written by Nowazish Khan, the seventeenth century writer. It is a story in verse about the love affair of Prince Tajul Mulk and the fairy Bakawli. The writer has gone into extensive research in finding out about the different versions of the story and has tried to place the writer at a given point of time. A comparison between Mohammad Mukim and Nowazish Khan's version is also presented by the author.

The twelfth century Persian poet Sheikh Saadi's presence in Bangla literature has been discussed by the author in her next essay. Bangla literature has always been influenced by Persian literature. Numerous Persian words are used even today. There were two streams of writing in the Middle Ages, according to Dr. Razia Khan. One was the love stories of famous people and the other which expressed the teachings of great men. Sheikh Saadi was of the latter kind. Gulistan or the Rose Garden remains his most famous work. It is in prose form and describes personal anecdotes. It comes in a package of numerous poems, advice and humorous reflections. Gulistan has been translated by many different Bengali writers, among whom are Augustine D Silva from Sylhet and poet Akmol. Comparative analyses are the main topic of the essay.

Bidrohi by Kazi Nazrul Islam came by a lot of criticism by the establishment when it first appeared before the reading public. Nevertheless it still remains one of the few masterpieces in Bangla Literature. Prof Razia Sultana has collected comments made by various famous editors in their papers in the essay “Bidrohi: Prashongik Bhavona.” Many parodies were made of the poem and Nazrul was titled as Gazi Abbas Bitkel. The well known writer of the time Mohit Lal claimed that Nazrul wrote Bidrohi being influenced by his poem Ami.

There is a tradition of Nayori in Bangladesh. The meaning is original home but in this country it usually means the girl's parental home where she longs to go on holidays. Many songs and other cultural events surround this Nayori. There is a lot of use of Nayori in out traditional literature. Professor Razia Sultana aptly describes the event related to Nayori and its presence in Bangladesh's culture.

A slim book of some 139 pages, the work is a compilation of various social and cultural events that give substance to Bengali rural life. It will be of interest to readers who want to get a broad picture of the literary history of Bangladesh and its progression. The newer generation, which is oblivious to the literary background of Bengali society, can also use it as a valuable record for research purposes. It will certainly enrich a collector's volume.

Jackie Kabir is a critic, writer and teacher.

Published in Star Literature page on Saturday, February 12, 2011