Vernacularization of Islam and Sufism in Medieval Assam: A Study of the Production of Sufi Literature in Local Languages
- September 25, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS Team
- Categories: IJRISS, Language and Literature
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue IX, September 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186
Tania Begum
North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya, India.
Abstract: Islam originated in Arabia in eight century and spread all over the world, resulting a mass conversion of the local population in Persia, Byzantine and North Africa. In this region under banner Sufism, Islam as a faith promised enough flexibility and accommodation to be adjusted with the varied socio-cultural backgrounds. Consequently the universal principles of Islam were vernacularised and contextualized or localized form and expression of the Islamic spiritualism emerged in this region. Like the other parts of India, Assam also witnessed the emergence and development of Sufism. The Sufi scholars and saints at first composed the Sufi literature in Arabic language, then in Persian and in later period it the Sufi literatures were written in various local and vernacular languages specially in asamease and bengali language. In assamese, zikir and zari songs were composed which had the elements of Islamic religion teachings and communal brotherhood. The marfati murshidi and baul songs and other literature of Bengali languages also contributed in the growth of synthetic cult in this region.
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Islam originated in Arabia in eight century and spread all over the world, resulting a mass conversion of the local population in Persia, Byzantine and North Africa. In this region under banner Sufism, Islam as a faith promised enough flexibility and accommodation to be adjusted with the varied socio-cultural backgrounds. Consequently the universal principles of Islam were vernacularised and contextualized or localized form and expression of the Islamic spiritualism emerged in this region. In this regional background, geographical and cultural variation and diverse manifestation of Islam could be seen in the forms of beliefs, thoughts and practices. The indigenous social and cultural traditions started dominating the beliefs and practices associated with Islam. In the Islamic world, the Sufis have been viewed as the agents of vernacularisation of Islam. One of the means of vernacularising the massages of Islam and Sufism was the production of Sufi literature in local language.
