RMIM Archive Article "390".
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian
#
# RMIM Archives..
# Subject: Qawaali part 1
#
# Posted by: Satish Subramanian
# Source: Teginder Singh Dhanoa's paper in UC Davis
# Author: Teginder Singh Dhanoa ez054777@ucdavis.edu
#
Hi all,
Seeing the recent discussions on qawwalis I am reposting an
article by Teginder Singh Dhanoa. The author's original address
(not sure if it is valid anymore) was ez054777@ucdavis.edu. The
entire article was posted on RMIM couple of years back. I will
post the article in 8 (hopefully cohesive) parts.
--
satish
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Qawwali - Devotional Songs of the Sufi Mystics
by
Teginder Singh Dhanoa
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Author's Note:
I am posting the following article in response to many
inquiries about True Qawwali. This is a research paper
I submitted for an independent research class at The
University of California, Davis; December 1994. I have
tried to do as much research as possible on the subject
and I have tried to cite any ideas or thoughts that
were not mine. If I have over looked any citation, I
humbly apologize. I do not claim to be an expert in
Qawwali, Islam, or Sufism.
If I have overlooked anything, wrongly given data, or
unknowingly offended anyone please let me know, also
let me know if you have any INTELLIGENT comments or
questions (please, nothing like you spelled a word
wrong or that you put three spaces instead of two).
- Teginder Singh Dhanoa
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Qawwali - Devotional Songs of the Sufi Mystics
(Introduction)
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North India (see end note 1) is a land that has seen many
syntheses. This was the land that European traders traveled
through on their journeys to trading cities in other parts
of India and China alike. The gypsies of Rajasthan migrated
up to Northern India and adopted some of the Northerners'
traditions and proceeded to travel along the paths of traders.
They eventually found themselves in Europe. The greatest
integration of cultures took place during the twelfth and
thirteenth centuries when Mughals rampaged through Northern
India on their quest to conquer the country.
The Mughals saw Islam as the most practical faith and felt
that it was "superior" to the religion of the native Indi-
ans. In order to spread the religion of Islam, the Mughals
put any Kafir (non-believer) who would not embrace their
faith to the sword. Thousands of Hindu temples were razed
to the ground, yet this did not cause a major conversion of
Hindus to the religion of their conquerors. The vast major-
ity of converts were persuaded by a group of peaceful men
that followed the train of soldiers. These men were known
as Sufis.(2)
The Sufis form a mystical sect of Islam, and their name
comes from the word Suf which means wool. "Suf refers to
the cloth worn by early ascetics that preferred its symbolic
simplicity to richer materials."(3) Along with a simple
style of dress, the Sufis led a very austere lifestyle.
They set store on poverty, and like the Prophet Mohammed
(Peace Be Upon Him), they fasted and meditated to achieve a
mystical experience much like that of the Prophet.(4) Their
"down to earth" life-style was not the only factor in con-
verting many people. The deciding factor for many was the
Sufis' love towards mankind.
In Hinduism the caste system created a great hierarchy of
classes in which many people, such as the untouchables, were
seen as sub-servient. The Sufis, on the other hand, saw
them all as brothers and sisters. Where the upper-class
Hindus would not even let the untouchables walk by their
homes, the Sufis would invite them in and embrace them as
their own. The converts were no longer seen as low class
citizens, "they were given titles of honor like Sheikh,
Malik, Khalifa, or Mu'min."(5)
To appeal to the natives the Sufis studied other cultures,
languages, and religions. They learned the language of the
natives (Medieval Hindi) while teaching them the language of
Islam (Arabic) and other languages of the Middle East, such
as Persian and Turkish. The Sufis then used the knowledge
they gained to spread Islam. Initially, they did not form a
definite sect of Islam nor did they have a uniform doctrine.
Eventually, however, sects within Sufism developed and each
sect adopted its own leaders and Pirs (saints).(6)
The new converts adapted their faith to suit the way of
thinking that they had been accustomed to. While they
wanted to obey the five pillars of Islam(7), the one that
was not possible for many to fulfill was the Hajj, or pil-
grimage, to Mecca. Yet, the new Muslims wanted to make some
sort of pilgrimage, so many saw fit to travel to the tombs
or residences of near-by Sufi saints. During gatherings at
these tombs and at Mosques, the devotees would listen to the
poetry of their masters, sung by musicians known as Qawwals.
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END NOTES
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(1)
Please note that Northern India or North India refers to
the present-day northern states of India and to their bord-
ering states in present-day Pakistan.
(2)
Singh, Khushwant. A History of the Sikhs. Delhi : Oxford
University Press, 1991. Pg. 25.
(3)
Glasse', Cyril. "Sufism" Concise Encyclopedia of Islam.
1989 ed.
(4)
Singh, Pg. 26.
(5)
Ibid., Pg. 27.
(6)
Ibid., Pg. 26.
(7)
The five Pillars of Islam are (1) Profession of the fact
there is only one God and his name is Allah, and his Prophet
is Mohammed (P.B.U.H.), (2) prayer five times a day, (3)
almsgiving, (4) fasting, and (5) pilgrimage to Mecca at
least once in a lifetime by all that are able to make the
journey.
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From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian