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Sindhi Language Authority's book number 123 All Rights Reserved Sindhi Language and First Edition 2009 Copies1000 Literature Catalogue Re ference (A Brief Account) Pirzado, Anwar Sindhi Language & Literature Sindhi Language Sindhi Language Authority ISBN 978-969-9098-14-7 Sindhi Language and Literature Anwar Pirzado (A Brief Account) Written by: Anwar Pirzado Edited by: Dr. Fahmida Hussain Edition: First, 2009 Quantity: 1000 Price: Rs. 100/= Composed by: Muhammad Ramzan Title: Asdullah Bhutto Published by: Sindhi Language Authority, National Highway, Hyderabad, Sindh, 71000, Pakistan Tel: 022-9240050-3 Fax: 022-9240051 E mail: [email protected] Website: www.sindhila.org Printed at: Intel Communications, Hyderabad Sindhi Language Authority This Book is published by Taj joyo, Secretary, Sindhi Hyderabad Language Authority, Hyderabad, and printed by Ms. Intel 2009 Communications, Hyderabad, Sindh. Sindhi Language Authority's book number 123 All Rights Reserved Sindhi Language and First Edition 2009 Copies1000 Literature Catalogue Re ference (A Brief Account) Pirzado, Anwar Sindhi Language & Literature Sindhi Language Sindhi Language Authority ISBN 978-969-9098-14-7 Sindhi Language and Literature Anwar Pirzado (A Brief Account) Written by: Anwar Pirzado Edited by: Dr. Fahmida Hussain Edition: First, 2009 Quantity: 1000 Price: Rs. 100/= Composed by: Muhammad Ramzan Title: Asdullah Bhutto Published by: Sindhi Language Authority, National Highway, Hyderabad, Sindh, 71000, Pakistan Tel: 022-9240050-3 Fax: 022-9240051 E mail: [email protected] Website: www.sindhila.org Printed at: Intel Communications, Hyderabad Sindhi Language Authority This Book is published by Taj joyo, Secretary, Sindhi Hyderabad Language Authority, Hyderabad, and printed by Ms. Intel 2009 Communications, Hyderabad, Sindh. Content Chapter 1 7 PUBLISHER’S NOTE: SINDHI LANGUAGE “The Sindhi Language and Literature” is a brief account of the evolution of different Chapter 2 37 literary genres of literature as well as research work conducted on Sindhi Language. LINGUISTIC DEVELOPMENT The project was assigned to the renowned poet, writer and researcher Mr. Anwar Pirzado, Chapter 3 59 about five years back. Although he had SINDHI LITERATURE completed the script but could not finalize and send it to us due to his sudden and sad demise Chapter 4 88 last year. We are thankful to his son Mr. Zarar Pirzado who, not only retrieved it from his DEVELOPMENT OF SINDHI PROSE father's computer but checked its proofs and gave it a final shape before sending it for Chapter 5 105 publishing. Mr. Pirzado has tried to give a brief but SINDHI LITERATURE AFTER 1947 comprehensive account of a vast treasure of Sindhi literature and language in English, which Chapter 6 119 will help readers to have an idea of the COMMENDABLE CONTRIBUTION OF development of the two in the last few centuries. SINDHI HINDU WRITERS It is hoped that this book would be appreciated by students and scholars alike. Dr. Fahmida Hussain Chairperson Content Chapter 1 7 PUBLISHER’S NOTE: SINDHI LANGUAGE “The Sindhi Language and Literature” is a brief account of the evolution of different Chapter 2 37 literary genres of literature as well as research work conducted on Sindhi Language. LINGUISTIC DEVELOPMENT The project was assigned to the renowned poet, writer and researcher Mr. Anwar Pirzado, Chapter 3 59 about five years back. Although he had SINDHI LITERATURE completed the script but could not finalize and send it to us due to his sudden and sad demise Chapter 4 88 last year. We are thankful to his son Mr. Zarar Pirzado who, not only retrieved it from his DEVELOPMENT OF SINDHI PROSE father's computer but checked its proofs and gave it a final shape before sending it for Chapter 5 105 publishing. Mr. Pirzado has tried to give a brief but SINDHI LITERATURE AFTER 1947 comprehensive account of a vast treasure of Sindhi literature and language in English, which Chapter 6 119 will help readers to have an idea of the COMMENDABLE CONTRIBUTION OF development of the two in the last few centuries. SINDHI HINDU WRITERS It is hoped that this book would be appreciated by students and scholars alike. Dr. Fahmida Hussain Chairperson Chapter 1 SINDHI LANGUAGE The word ‘Sindhi’ is an adjective, and means ‘of’ or ‘belonging to Sindh’, or so to say, the language of Sindh - the country on each side of the River Indus, commencing about latitude 29 N and stretching thence down to the Arabian sea in the South. PART - I In written history, the word “Sindhi” is found recorded first time in rock inscriptions around 2500 years ago: “The Aryans were settled in a vast SINDHI LANAGUAGE region: in sixteen lands in Avestan period. In addition to their patronymic and tribal names, they must have had a way to designate each other collectively by the names of their respective lands. This is why we find that the Achaemenian Shahs of 2500 years ago provide us, in their rock inscriptions, with some thirty names of sixteen Aryan provinces. Among them, we have Hindu (Sindhu) and its adjective Hinduya (Sindhi). This is the first time on record that the name “Sindhi” was employed to designate the people of the valley. The word ‘Sindhu’ in Sanskrit, in plural, meaning ‘men from Sindh’, occurs first in the Mahabharta. Following the Iranian pronunciation, the contemporary Greek writers use 'Indos', ‘India’ and ‘Indioi’, and are therefore the second on record to call the people ‘Sindhi’ (Jafarey: Chapter 1 SINDHI LANGUAGE The word ‘Sindhi’ is an adjective, and means ‘of’ or ‘belonging to Sindh’, or so to say, the language of Sindh - the country on each side of the River Indus, commencing about latitude 29 N and stretching thence down to the Arabian sea in the South. PART - I In written history, the word “Sindhi” is found recorded first time in rock inscriptions around 2500 years ago: “The Aryans were settled in a vast SINDHI LANAGUAGE region: in sixteen lands in Avestan period. In addition to their patronymic and tribal names, they must have had a way to designate each other collectively by the names of their respective lands. This is why we find that the Achaemenian Shahs of 2500 years ago provide us, in their rock inscriptions, with some thirty names of sixteen Aryan provinces. Among them, we have Hindu (Sindhu) and its adjective Hinduya (Sindhi). This is the first time on record that the name “Sindhi” was employed to designate the people of the valley. The word ‘Sindhu’ in Sanskrit, in plural, meaning ‘men from Sindh’, occurs first in the Mahabharta. Following the Iranian pronunciation, the contemporary Greek writers use 'Indos', ‘India’ and ‘Indioi’, and are therefore the second on record to call the people ‘Sindhi’ (Jafarey: 1981:65). today’s Sindh civilization of the 3rd millennium It is presumed, therefore, that ‘Sindhi’ as AD. a name of a language might have come in The well-trimmed beard of King Priest of effect first time around the same period, e-g Mohenjodaro is visible on the face of every 2500 years ago. But, it cannot be ruled out at second or third Sindhi man in the pastoral the same time that the Sindhi language was in Sindh. The bangles on the arms of vogue in the Indus Civilization of the 3rd Mohenjodaro’s Dancing Girl are still used by millennium B.C. and its age encompasses a the womenfolk in the legendary desert of Thar. period of about six millennia. The double-edged comb for women, the flour- grinding stone, bullock-cart, pottery, birds like 1. ORIGIN peacock and stork; and animals like bull and Sindhi is a member of the Indo- Ibex that came to light during excavations at European family of languages, classified by the world heritage site of Mohenjodaro, can be Grierson (1919: 01) as one of the northwestern seen in today’s Sindh too. The crescent-horned group of the Indo-Aryan vernaculars. It is bull of Mohenjodaro is still bred in Thar and spoken in the lower Indus Valley of South Asia, Bhagnari area of northern Sindh while the now Pakistan. charisma of Ibex still reigns in the western The origin of Sindhi language is buried mountains of Khirthar range. The ornaments of somewhere in the time immemorial. The gold and silver, almost of the same style and academic research so far conducted by fashion of Mohenjodaro, are worn by the indigenous and foreign scholars about the women of Sindh even today. ancestry of Sindhi language still remains Hypothetically speaking, there is a inconclusive as to whether it is the language of strong probability that the present spoken the great Pre-Aryan Indus Civilization of the Sindhi is the language of Indus Civilization of third millennium B.C., or an offshoot of 3rd Millennium B.C. The question is, while Sanskrit; or has emerged from some pre- there is continuity of innumerable other Sanskrit Indo-Aryan language. features of the Indus Civilization, still prevalent The dilemma is caused mainly because in Sindh, why not the legacy of the language? of the un-deciphered script of the Indus It is besides the fact that no such scientific civilization of the 3rd millennium BC. The proof has so far been available to the men of hypothesis that Sindhi is the language of letters in the world. Mohenjodaro is based on strong cultural The language of the period is still a similarities still existing between Indus mystery, although several scholars throughout civilization of the 3rd millennium BC and the world have attempted to decipher, but they 1981:65). today’s Sindh civilization of the 3rd millennium It is presumed, therefore, that ‘Sindhi’ as AD. a name of a language might have come in The well-trimmed beard of King Priest of effect first time around the same period, e-g Mohenjodaro is visible on the face of every 2500 years ago. But, it cannot be ruled out at second or third Sindhi man in the pastoral the same time that the Sindhi language was in Sindh. The bangles on the arms of vogue in the Indus Civilization of the 3rd Mohenjodaro’s Dancing Girl are still used by millennium B.C. and its age encompasses a the womenfolk in the legendary desert of Thar. period of about six millennia. The double-edged comb for women, the flour- grinding stone, bullock-cart, pottery, birds like 1. ORIGIN peacock and stork; and animals like bull and Sindhi is a member of the Indo- Ibex that came to light during excavations at European family of languages, classified by the world heritage site of Mohenjodaro, can be Grierson (1919: 01) as one of the northwestern seen in today’s Sindh too. The crescent-horned group of the Indo-Aryan vernaculars. It is bull of Mohenjodaro is still bred in Thar and spoken in the lower Indus Valley of South Asia, Bhagnari area of northern Sindh while the now Pakistan. charisma of Ibex still reigns in the western The origin of Sindhi language is buried mountains of Khirthar range. The ornaments of somewhere in the time immemorial. The gold and silver, almost of the same style and academic research so far conducted by fashion of Mohenjodaro, are worn by the indigenous and foreign scholars about the women of Sindh even today. ancestry of Sindhi language still remains Hypothetically speaking, there is a inconclusive as to whether it is the language of strong probability that the present spoken the great Pre-Aryan Indus Civilization of the Sindhi is the language of Indus Civilization of third millennium B.C., or an offshoot of 3rd Millennium B.C. The question is, while Sanskrit; or has emerged from some pre- there is continuity of innumerable other Sanskrit Indo-Aryan language. features of the Indus Civilization, still prevalent The dilemma is caused mainly because in Sindh, why not the legacy of the language? of the un-deciphered script of the Indus It is besides the fact that no such scientific civilization of the 3rd millennium BC. The proof has so far been available to the men of hypothesis that Sindhi is the language of letters in the world. Mohenjodaro is based on strong cultural The language of the period is still a similarities still existing between Indus mystery, although several scholars throughout civilization of the 3rd millennium BC and the world have attempted to decipher, but they hardly agree to each other’s viewpoint. Sindhi are not traced out with authenticity. (Gidwani: 1996: 6) They include G.A. Grierson, Ernest Trumpp, Dr Asko Parpola and Simo Parpola, the Caldwell, Hoernle, George Stack, Emeneau, scholars of the Scandinavian Institute of Asian H.T. Sorley, N.A. Baloch, Sirajul Haq Memon, Studies also tried to resolve the mystery of the Murlidhar Jetely, Parso Gidwani, Massica, S.K. Indus script and attempted to decipher the Chatterji, M.H. Panhwar, Bherumal Advani, language of Mohenjodaro but in vain. Jairamdas Daulatram, G.A. Allana and Y.K. M. H. Panhwar is critical of all those Wadhwani etc. experts who have so far attempted at Tracing the origin of the Sindhi decipherment of the Indus script presupposing language, the western scholars of 19th and that it is a Dravidian language. He argues that 20th century such as Stack, Hoernle, Trumpp, those who have worked on the Indus scripts Beames, Grierson, and following them many took for granted an assumption that Indian scholars, Bhandarkar, Vasnani, Mohenjodaro people were Dravidians and Chatterji, Bherumal Advani etc, relied mainly spoke a Dravidian language. They went to the on the statement of Prakrit grammarian extent of feeding data to computers to resolve Markandeya. They traced the origin of modern what human brain cannot. The results have Sindhi to Vrachada Apabhramsa, said to be been total failure. When the Egyptian script one of the most corrupt forms of language was deciphered first, the Egyptologists turned derived from Sanskrit. The indigenous scholars to rural areas and from their day to day of Sindh, however, seek to find the origin of language, they were able to pick words which their language in the ruins of the World belonged to the period of early dynasties, and Heritage site of Mohen-jo-daro, one of the subsequently they were able to translate lines, principal cities of the Indus Valley civilization, paragraphs and whole stories. Unfortunately, wherefrom so far no clue has been found to we have been on the wrong track in our justify their theories, except the undeciphered assumption that Dravidian was the language of script of a language prevalent in these days. the people of Indus Civilization. (Panhwar: Of the various theories as yet floated 1988) about the origin of the Sindhi language, some are unacceptable while others appear to be 1.1 Different Theories probable in some respects and improbable in Many academics, scholars, linguists and others. But, mostly hypothetical approach is experts of ethno-archaeology have put forth visible among the scholars engaged in tracing different theories on the origin and ancestry of out the roots of Sindhi language. On the other Sindhi language. But still the linguistic roots of hand, E. Trumpp (1872) and Grierson (1903) hardly agree to each other’s viewpoint. Sindhi are not traced out with authenticity. (Gidwani: 1996: 6) They include G.A. Grierson, Ernest Trumpp, Dr Asko Parpola and Simo Parpola, the Caldwell, Hoernle, George Stack, Emeneau, scholars of the Scandinavian Institute of Asian H.T. Sorley, N.A. Baloch, Sirajul Haq Memon, Studies also tried to resolve the mystery of the Murlidhar Jetely, Parso Gidwani, Massica, S.K. Indus script and attempted to decipher the Chatterji, M.H. Panhwar, Bherumal Advani, language of Mohenjodaro but in vain. Jairamdas Daulatram, G.A. Allana and Y.K. M. H. Panhwar is critical of all those Wadhwani etc. experts who have so far attempted at Tracing the origin of the Sindhi decipherment of the Indus script presupposing language, the western scholars of 19th and that it is a Dravidian language. He argues that 20th century such as Stack, Hoernle, Trumpp, those who have worked on the Indus scripts Beames, Grierson, and following them many took for granted an assumption that Indian scholars, Bhandarkar, Vasnani, Mohenjodaro people were Dravidians and Chatterji, Bherumal Advani etc, relied mainly spoke a Dravidian language. They went to the on the statement of Prakrit grammarian extent of feeding data to computers to resolve Markandeya. They traced the origin of modern what human brain cannot. The results have Sindhi to Vrachada Apabhramsa, said to be been total failure. When the Egyptian script one of the most corrupt forms of language was deciphered first, the Egyptologists turned derived from Sanskrit. The indigenous scholars to rural areas and from their day to day of Sindh, however, seek to find the origin of language, they were able to pick words which their language in the ruins of the World belonged to the period of early dynasties, and Heritage site of Mohen-jo-daro, one of the subsequently they were able to translate lines, principal cities of the Indus Valley civilization, paragraphs and whole stories. Unfortunately, wherefrom so far no clue has been found to we have been on the wrong track in our justify their theories, except the undeciphered assumption that Dravidian was the language of script of a language prevalent in these days. the people of Indus Civilization. (Panhwar: Of the various theories as yet floated 1988) about the origin of the Sindhi language, some are unacceptable while others appear to be 1.1 Different Theories probable in some respects and improbable in Many academics, scholars, linguists and others. But, mostly hypothetical approach is experts of ethno-archaeology have put forth visible among the scholars engaged in tracing different theories on the origin and ancestry of out the roots of Sindhi language. On the other Sindhi language. But still the linguistic roots of hand, E. Trumpp (1872) and Grierson (1903)