MARKHAN SHAIKAN: THE FIRST WOMAN POETESS OF SINDHI LITERATURE

Abstract

This paper analyzes the place and contribution of Markhan Shaikhan as the first woman poetess in the recorded annals of Sindhi literature. She died around 1335 AD at the southern part of Badin District. Markhan Shaikhan, by caste Pani, and her husband Radhan, by caste Chawaro, embraced Islam at the hand of Saint Qarhio Bhandari.For the rest of her life, she remained a devoted disciple of her spiritual leader. Markhan composed poetry to pay homage to her spiritual leader, Murshid, which paved the way for a genre of Sindhi poetry known as Dhanasiri – praising a Spiritual leader. Thus, she is not only the first woman poetess in Sindhi literature, but she is also known as a forerunner of the Dhanasiri poetic genre. Her poetry is ripened with historical allusions, geographical places and references, regional fauna and flora, economic stability and sociological prosperity, delta enrichment of the terrain, cultural norms, religious preaching and activism. Her poetry bears testimony to the richness of the delta spread over 6 lac acres and mangrove trees spread over 1 lac and 60 thousand acres of land. In addition, her poetry is replete with references where a woman’s agency is found to be very active, independent and autonomous. Her poetry immensely influenced the poetic song sung by the women of the Soomra community at the temple of Dodo Soomro. Her poetry is a historical document testifying to the economic prosperity, cultural richness and social peace pervading the Laar region of Sindh during the fourteenth century.