Author: Trilokinath Raina
Publisher: Sahitya Akademi
Year: 2005
Language: English
Pages: 230
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8126013664
Description
Kashmir literature, with Poetry as its chief mode of expression, can be said to have begun with Lal Ded, "that most manly of women seekers after God" and the other outstanding mystic, Sheikh-ul-Alam. 14th century Mysticism was followed by the age of vatsun, with chang, rabaab and santoor full of the affirmation of life, with Habba Khaatoon, that incomparable votary of passion, riding the waves.
The 19th century was the age of masnavis, whose heavy Persian influence dominated the theme, form, diction and metre of poetry. Their themes were mostly local tales of Love and war. Side by side, Bhakti and Sufi poets flourished.
The dawn of the modern age brought new movements, revolutionary in character, like the progressive movement, shifting the writers' Worldview altogether.
This was followed by disillusion and despair. The glory of the Kashmiri writer lies in his/her braving the storm. One unique thing about Kashmiri letters is the total absence of prose till 1940 (apart from the Language of speech). During the last six decades it has, however, branched out into various genres like essay, criticism, history, Drama and Fiction - and Kashmiri literature now has a pride of place in Indian Letters.
Contents
Preface 1. The Kashmiri Language 2. The Great Mystics 3. The Age of Lyricism 4. Longer Narrative Poetry : i. Bazmia Masnavis I ii. Bazmia Masnavis II iii. Razmia Masnavis iv. Bhakti and Sufi Poets 5. The Modern Age : i. Formative Years ii. Progressive Literature iii. Years of Disillusion iv. The New Divergencies 6. Growth of Prose : i. Background ii. Birth of Formal Prose iii. Linguistics, Literary Criticism and Essays iv. The Drama v. Translations vi. The Short Story vii. The Novel viii. Children's Literature 7. Awards Select Bibliography Index