Table Of ContentSindhi 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)
