3. Wajihuddin Ashraf, Story fromBahr-e-Zakhkhār

Kangal-er Gaan [Penniless Songs]

Following on from the multi-dimensional identity of the pīr established in Kabir's work and its reception, the third “song” is based on a prose narrative in Bahr-e-Zakhkhār, the Persian biography of Indian saints and mystics produced by Wajihuddin Ashraf in 1788-89. The Sufis described in this biography, from which a short excerpt has been selected, not only had their own discourse of dearth and ascetic practice, they also directly intervened, often through prayer, miraculous powers of fasting, and charitable acts, or by reinterpreting religious injunctions on food, during times of dearth, famine, and pestilence.

In her choukopata (square scroll) illustration, Ushiara Chitrakar adapts the structure of the square scroll to the narrative progress of the story, with attention to details that evoke the specificities of the interaction between Sufi master and disciple. Graphic artist Argha Manna, on the other hand, interprets the story by bringing to bear his scientific illustration practices which foreground the medical philosophy of Sufism underpinning Ashraf's narration.

Chitrakar, Ushiara

Manna, Argha

University of Exeter

2021-03

Dutta, Shrutakirti

Fereday, Graham

Gupta, Abhijit

Halder, Bhagirath

Holding, Richard

Long, Lily

Mondal, Sujit

Mukherjee, Ayesha

Safavi, Azarmi Dukht

Spence, Connor

Tupman, Charlotte

CC BY-NC

English

Farsi

a949be4f4d2526414a0d3787ae0f32b1.jpg

c. 1788-89