Qadiryar (1802-1892) is a unique poet in many respects. He presents in his creations the full gamut of the life of the Punjabi folk of the period. The Punjab at that time was enjoying relative peace under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh(1780-1839). The secular outlook of the Maharaja had instilled in the hearts of the common people patriotic feelings. Interestingly, Qadiryar, a Muslim poet, sings whole-heartedly in praise of the Sikh general Hari Singh Nalwa who unfurled Khalsa Nishan on the fort of Jamraud.
Primarily, Qadiryar is a poet with a moral purpose. Even when he writes about an Islamic theological event in Mehraj Nama or a Hindu classical legend in Qissa Puran Bhagat, he does not lose sight of his moral vision. With a view to bringing home his message of piety and purity, he chose a Hindu legend about whose impact on the masses he was quite certain. As such Puran Bhagat became the mouth-piece for ethical values, not only of that age but also of all the ages to come.
N.S. Tasneem (Niranjan Singh Tasneem) is a literary critic as well as a novelist with eight novels, two books of literary criticism in Punjabi and one in English to his credit. Currently he is Professor Emeritus in the postgraduate department of English in GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sadhar (Ludhiana). In the brief and incisive monograph, Prof. Tasneem evaluates the life and works of Qadir Yar mainly for the benefit of non-Punjabi readers.
Punjabi literature is secular by temperament. Sheikh Baba Farid has been recognised as the first Punjabi poet and his Shlokas form a part of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. In the literary field, the Qissas of Heer Ranjha composed by Muqbal, a Hindu Khatri, and Waris Shah, a Muslim Sayyed, are held in high esteem. Later, Shah Mohammad penned Jung Nama Singhan Te Farangian Da which has been a source of inspiration to the ensuing generations in their struggle for freedom. During the nineteenth century, Ahmad Yar composed Fatuhat Khalsa (The Victories of the Khalsa) in praise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Later Qadiryar composed Mehraj Nama, a Muslim theological poem, Hari Singh Nalwa Di Var, the military exploits of a Sikh General and Qissa Puran Bhagat, the life story of a Hindu legendary Bhagat.
Punjabi Qissa Kav (a long rhymed narrative) is the most important genre in Punjabi literature. Damodar (1556-1605) was the first Punjabi poet who made use of it. Peelu and Hafiz Barkhurdar followed suit. Ahmad Gujjar, Muqbal, Waris and Hamid composed, in their individual styles, the love tale of Heer and Ranjha. Hashim gave poetic form, on the pattern set by Hafiz Barkhurdar, to the love story of Sassi and Punnu. In the wake of Yusuf Zulaikha, the Qissa of Shirin Farhad and Laila Majnun came into existence. Imam Bakhsh wrote the tale of Shah Behram. Whereas, Ahmad Yar composed Kam Roop, Qadir Yar (1802-1892) versified the tales of Raja Rasalu and Puran Bhagat. Fazal Shah, on his part, covered the gamut of Qissas from Sohni to Laila Majnun. Punjabi Qissa-Kav had come into its own during the last few decades of the eighteenth century. By the middle of the nineteenth century, it reached its zenith. Thereafter the poets started writing, time and again, about the oft-repeated love tales of Heer Ranjha, Sohni Mahinwal, Sassi Punnu, Mirza Sahiban, Shirin Farhad, Puran Bhagat etc.
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