- Mirza Sahiban
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Mirza Sahiba (Punjabi: ਮਿਰਜ਼ਾ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਂ, مرزا صاحباں, mirzā sāhibāṁ) is one of the four popular tragic romances of the Punjab. Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiba, including Sohni Mahiwal and Sassi Punnun are the four tales from Punjab, narrated in Punjabi. The seven others are Momal Rano, Umar Marvi, Sohni Mahiwal, LiLa Chanesar, Sassi Punnun, Noori Jam Tamachiand Dhaj, Ror Kumar from Sindh and Baluchistan and are commonly known as Seven Queens (Sindhi: ست مورميون) of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.[1][2][3] They include Sassi Punnun and Sohni Mahiwal again, as they are culturally included in both Punjabi and Sindhi traditions. These nine tragic romances from South Asia.[4][5]
Contents
Synopsis
Mirza, a Muslim jatt, and Sahiban, a Muslim Jatti, were childhood classmates as well as playmates. Sahiban was the daughter of Mahni, the chief of Kheiwa, a town in what is now the Sial territory in the Jhang district Punjab. Shayer Peelu raves about her beauty and says:
“ Sahiban stepped out with a lungi tied around her waist, the nine angels died upon seeing her beauty. ” Mirza Khan is the son of Wanjhal Khan, the leader of the Kharal tribe in Danabad, a town in the Jaranwala area of what is now Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Mirza is sent to his relatives' house in Kheiwa to study, where he meets Sahiban and they fall in love. When, later in life, Sahiban is to be wedded forcibly to Tahar Khan of the Chandhar family by arrangement of her parents, she sends a message to Mirza, living in the village of Danabad, through a Brahmin called Karmu:
“ You must come and decorate Sahiban’s hand with the marriage henna. ” Mirza's sister asks him not to try to rescue Sahiban, as it is the day of her own wedding and she wants her brother to be there. His whole family warns him that the "Sials" (Sahiban's brothers) are aggressive and should be left alone, but Mirza pays no heed to this.
Mirza arrives on his Bakki (mare) during Sahiban's mehndi ceremony and carries her away. Sahiban's brothers find out about this and decide to follow them. On the way, as Mirza lies under the shade of a tree to rest for a few moments, Sahiban's brothers and chanders caught up with them.
Sahiban knows Mirza is an accomplished archer and would not miss a target, and that if he shot at them, her brothers would surely die. Before waking Mirza up, Sahiban broke his arrows so he can't use them, and hopes that, on seeing her, her brothers might change their minds and welcome Mirza into the family. She thought that they'd understand their love that they have for each other, but they are not to be swayed and a fight ensues. Though Mirza fights with all his might, he is unable to defeat such a large number of people and killed by the blow of a sword to his head from behind. As he lies dying, he asks Sahiban why she broke his arrows, and tells her that if she had not snapped them, he would have just fired them in the air as a warning, never wishing to kill her brothers.
Out of all the legendary stories originating from Punjab, Mirza Sahiban's story is one of very few where the male's name comes first.
See also
External links
- Punjabi Literature and Poetry Punjabi Culture and Traditions
Reference
- ^ http://balochistan.bestforum.ca/t16-sassui-punnun
- ^ http://www.thesindhuworld.com/lila_chanesar.html
- ^ http://balochistan.bestforum.ca/t16-sassui-punnun
- ^ http://punjabiworld.com/Creative-Punjab/Legends-of-Punjab/love-legends-of-punjab.html
- ^ http://fmurdu.blogspot.com/2009/05/mirza-sahib-popular-tragic-romances-of.html
Categories:- Punjabi folk
- Punjabi folklore
- Punjabi culture
- Punjabi literature
- Indian folklore
- Pakistani literature
- Pakistani folklore
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