Exploring Gendered Spirituality and Representation of Women in Punjabi and Urdu Sufi Poetry: A Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48047/Keywords:
gendered spirituality, sufism, feminine imagery, patriarchy, Bulleh Shah, Waris Shah, Amir Khusro, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Punjabi sufi poetry, Urdu Sufi Poetry, feminist theory, South Asian MysticismAbstract
This study explained gendered spirituality representation of women in Punjabi and Urdu Sufi poetry, how Sufi poets Bulleh shah and Waris Shah for Punjabi and Amir Khusru and Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai for Urdu use the feminine tropes and female characters to convey Sufi ideals. The objective of this study was to determine whether the selected poets in their poems portray women as expected by the socio-cultural realities of their respective regions or as non-conformists to the existing patriarchal culture. The study employed qualitative research method. Lazar’s (2007) Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA) utilized as framework of the study. The sources of data for this study were four poets; Bulleh Shah with two poems- Bullah ki Jana Main Kaun and Tere Ishq Nachaya; Waris Shah with Heer Ranjha; Amir Khusro with Chhap Tilak and Zihal-e-Miskeen; and Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai with Sur Marvi and Sur Sassui. This study highlighted, the authors sought to understand how feminine imagery is used to represent the soul’s process of portraying its journey towards divinity and how such representations both conform to and subvert patriarchal authority. The findings of the study showed that all four poets employ the trope of the feminine to express spiritual endurance, surrender, and rebellion; however, Punjabi bards Bulleh Shah and Waris Shah provide a more overt assault on the culture and norms of the period than do the typically more subtle Urdu poets Khusro and Bhittai. The study enriches the existing knowledge on gender and spirituality in Sufi poetry by focusing on the South Asian region, comparing the representations of women under regional contexts, and shedding light on the ways Sufi traditions intersect with patriarchy.
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