Response Paper 2: Life of Shah Latif and his contribution to Sindhi literature

Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, also known as "Lakhino Latif" and "Bhittai goth" throughout the
length and breadth of Sindh, was a distinguished scholar, Sufi poet and saint born in Hala
Haveli, Hyderabad District in 1689 (Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, 2018). His ancestors belonged
to Afghanistan, and he received early education through a Madrasa managed by Akhund
Noor M. Bhatti. Being multilingual, he was proficient in Persian, Sindhi, Sanskrit, Saraiki,
Urdu and Baluchi. He learnt Arabic from his mother while Sindhi and Persian was taught by
his father, who was also a great scholar, Shah Habib. Shah Latif always carried three copies
with him: Quran, Masnavi Maulana Room, and Risalo of his great grandfather Shah Abdul
Karim of Burli. He traveled throughout the sub-continent to convey the true meaning of
Divinity and ‘Waidaaniyat’ and finally decided to settle in 1742 in “Bhitt” meaning “The
Sandy Mound”, leading towards the title of Bhittai. Despite being born in much respected
"Sayed" family, he never exhibited liking for the comforts of life and preferred simplicity.
His collection of poetry, Shah Jo Risalo, is a distinct blend of Sufi ideologies, local legends
and history and is considered to be a Sindhi literature masterpiece (Boivin, 2021) Such is the
reverence for Shah Jo risalo among Sindhis that it is kept next to the Holy Quran and that
Anwar Maqsood, a renowned writer, had to apologize for his offensive satire on Sindhis in an
interview in 2018 holding Shah Jo risalo, as an evidence of “Sindhiyat” (Tribune, 2018).

Shah Latif institutionalized the treasure of spiritual and social enrichment for mankind and
decoding his work requires depth in perspective and analysis. However, we will divide and
synthesize his work and contribution to Sindhi Literature based on: Style/Themes of poetry,
contribution to Sindhi Language, Preservation of Sindhi Folklore, Inculcation of
Humanistic Values, Emphasis on Sufism and Contribution to women empowerment.

Beginning with the themes of poetry, they can be classified as devotional, romantic and
didiactic genres and can be delineated into based on Sabab into khaaksari (aajzi), mehnat,
pukhtgi, hosla, Sufiyani, Aman, Bedaari, Zikr-e-Ilahi, Tum-hi-tum. He had 30 Sabab in his
poetry and his “Sur” such as Sur Kalayan, Sur Sohrat, Sur Noori etc. were not just regarded
for the syntactical splendor but also philosophical profundity and the core ability to touch
soul and minds. His Sur highlight patriotism, self-knowledge, idea of khudi and Sufistic
ideology of shunning worldy lust to reach the Divine. To illustrate, the story of Noori
Jaantamachi in Leela Chanaser presents the idea of humbleness and ‘Aajzi’ through poetry
that gives the message of “Tum use raazi karo, aur agar wo raazi na ho to koshish jaari
rakho” and symbolizes a King’s fall from grace through: “jin ki god mai kachra, Badshah aya
unki bethak mai” as a repudiation of worldly pleasures and transitory riches on this Earth.

Similarly, Sur Marvi teaches the lesson of patriotism, Sur Sassoyi serves as a role model for
women to garner unfaltering determination to reach their desired destination by comparing it
to Sassi’s search for Punno; whereas Sur sarang focuses on maintaining international
relations and is devoted to the idea of praising land around his homeland (“Bijlee ayi jin
shehron mai, wahan barasti raho, Lekin meray Sindh ko bhi aabad rakho. Na sirf mera watn,
magr ird gird walon ko bhi aabad rakho”). Shah Latif travelled throughout Sindh and its
surrounding areas where he met people from multiple walks of life and his poetry accurately
depicts the true socio-political condition of various fragments of society. Shah Latif was
deeply grieved by the religious antagonism promoted by Muslim clerics and among his
poetry in Shah Jo risalo, he tries to bridge the gap among Hindus and Muslims by recounting
his admiration in Sur Ramkali, for Hindu Shivaite Jogis and Sanyasis based on their
monotheistic beliefs (Brohi, 1993).

Shah Latif draws inspiration from Maulana Rumi and has been ascribed as the “direct
emanation of Rumi’s Spirituality in Southeast Asia”. Every sur of Sur kalayan and Yaman
Kalayan presents message of ‘Waidaaniyat’ and relate to the spiritual journeys, secrets of
love, and soul searching for the Almighty. Words like : “Akr parhak Alif jo..” enlighten soul
by forgetting worldly affairs and engaging only in the search of Alif who is also addressed
here with compliments such as Allah Awal Aleem or Raziq Rab Raheem. This poetry is a
demonstration of man’s longing and search to meet the Creator as part of purification of the
soul. A similar analogy can also be witnessed in the “seven soormis” of Shah Latif, where
characters of these tales illustrate mystical symbolism and idea of sacrifice (Shah Abdul Latif
Bhittai, 2018). Shah’s style of poetry, stance on social undertakings and vision made him
unique to the poets of his time.

Shah Latif made huge contribution towards development and promotion of Sindhi language
as his work was translated in multiple languages. He refined Sindhi by introducing new
idioms, expressions, proses and new writing style in poetry that became a badge of honour
for sindhi people. The fact that Shah chose to write in Sindhi and not the prevalent Persian
language which was considered to be a symbol of aristocracy and pride during his time, is a
testament of him giving Sindhi a new literary place and standardizing the language for
generations to come. His poetry reflects the inherent cultures, traditions and businesses in
Sindh during his time e.g. Fisherman in Sur Noori, the riwaaj of offering gold to women as a
part of marriage proposal in Sur Marvi and the rasm of “Lao” and “mehmaan-nawazi”, which
largely preserved the cultural identity of Sindhis. Along with that, Shah’s poetry is imbued
with humanistic virtues and he actively champions for ideals of Social justice, gender
equality and ethnic harmony.

Moreover, Shah is credited for giving birth to a new music style of Sindhi Sufi music of
“Shah-jo-Raag” where his Surs are sung with musical compositions and thus contributed to
the promotion of Sindhi Language, culture, rich heritage and literature.

Shah Latif was a feminist at heart and within his literature established the supremacy and
strength for women who were regarded as the marginalized section of society by portraying
them as protagonists in his poetry. His seven Soormiyan, are a symbol of non-conformism
and are considered to be heroins of Sindhi folklore. They are dedicated distinct Surs in his
poetry, namely Sur Marvi, Sur Sohni, Sur Noori, Sur Moomal, Sur Lilan and Sur Sohrath.
Shah Latif describes different struggles these women had to go through and presented a
contrary idealized view of womanhood where these characters are strongheaded, determined,
loyal, partriotic, devout and pious (Boivin, 2021). By creating these women as symbols of
courage, Shah Latif offered Sindhi literature a move past an aesthetic poetic tradition in
Subcontinent where a woman was described for her face, features, and body structure as an
emblem of beauty. However, Shah Latif pioneered the idea that true beauty woman lies in her
character.

To sum up, it is legitimate to say that Shah Latif’s contribution to Sindhi literature can be
gauged from the fact that his poetry and collection Shah Jo Risalo is an alternate source to
understand Divinity, Sufistic Epistemology and the socio-political and economic condition of
Sindh during his time. Shah Latif through his poetry not only tried to alleviate internal
suppression but also a sense of alienation via writing on values of self-respect and equality.
His deliberate choice of writing in Sindhi vernacular despite being fluent in Persian, was an
expression of eliminating inferiority complex among Sindhis and elevate the intellectual
attainment of Sindhi literature (Brohi, 1993). His choice initiated a chain reaction which
boosted pride and confidence among Sindhis and made them respect their language, culture
and literature. By keeping common people such as herdsmen, peasants and ironsmiths as the
subject matter of his poetry and keeping women as integral heroes of their stories, Shah Latif
gave the weaker sections of society a primary position in his discourse. Through his poetry on
Waidaniyat, Shah Latif attempts to propagate the message of God as a significant part of his
poetry and mass education. Hence, Shah Latif worked as proponent of struggle for communal
harmony, social justice and spirituality while reviving Sindhi literature in congruity.

Words: 1354

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Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. (2018, January 1). Pakpedia. https://www.pakpedia.pk/shah-abdul-

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Academy and Culture Department Government ofSindh, 2007