Title:
|
The romance of Sassi : a critical and comparative study
|
This thesis is an attempt at a critical and comparative study
of the tragic romance of Sassi-Punnun cherished both in
oral and literary traditions of the Indian sub-continent.
It has been divided into three parts, preceded by
some prefatory remarks on legends and romances in general.
The first part, an analytical study of the legend,
begins with an assessment of the various aspects of its
influence and significance. It leads to an enquiry into its
title, origin and period, which reveals that the romance is
deeply rooted in the composite culture of India and is based
on an actual event that seems to have occurred around the
advent of Islam in the regions of Sindh and Balochistan. A
detailed study of its topography, characters, motifs, supernatural
element and folk-lore are the subjects of the next
sections of this parto
The second part, a critical survey of its oral and
literary traditions, opens with some introductory remarks
about the migration and transmission of such popular
romances. It attem.pts a comprehensive study of numerous
bardic and literary versions procured from various regions
of a vast territory, and arranged here under separate
language-sections: Bahawalpuri, Sindhi, Balochi, Kachhi,
Panjabi, Rajasthani, Hindi, Urdu, Pashto, Persian, English,
French and Italian. Each section has been provided with a
brief account of the geographical and historical aspects,
and the cultural, linguistic and literary traditions of the
region concerned, to serve as a framework with reference and
relation to the romance under studyo
The third part aims at reviewing the manifestation
of the romance in popular forms§ Observing its ubiquitous
impact on hearts and homes, in open-air gatherings and on
the popular and professional stage, it leads to an assessment
of its success and popularity through the modern media of
the cinema and radio. The review concludes with a perusal of
the contribution made by painters towards its popularity
and preservation through pictorial art.
The Glossary explains some indigenous terms; and
the Bibliography contains a selection of the published and
unpublished material which forms the basis of the present
study and survey.
|