Ghum Charkharya/Spin, O Spinning-wheel: Cotton-spinning and Weaving Symbolism in Shah Husayn's Poetry

• Published in: Journal of the Research Society of Pakistan 2019-06, Vol.56 (1), p.49
• Main Authors: Anjum, Tanvir, Pervaiz, Naila
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 15th century; 16th century; Age; Artisans; Caste; Cotton; Dowry; Islam; Metaphor; Poetry; Quran; Religion; Religious conversion; Rural communities; Social space; Social status; Spinning; Sufism; Symbolism; Traditions; Weaving
• ISSN: 0034-5431

Shah Husayn (1539-1593) of Lahore, popularly known as Lal Husayn, is a celebrated sixteenth-century sufi poet of premodern Punjab, who composed very lyrical and melodious short poems or kafis. His poetical compositions are high symbolic in nature, with similes and metaphors drawn from Punjabi rural life and folk traditions. In particular, most of his metaphors are related to cotton-spinning and cloth weaving, cotton being a major agricultural produce of Punjab. One of the reasons is that Shah Husayn belonged to a family or caste of weavers, which was, and is still, considered a marginalized community in South Asia. He was not shamed of his social status, as he did not hesitate to openly acknowledge it in his poetry. Most of his famous kafis feature spinning and weaving metaphors, with charkha or the spinning-wheel as the central symbol. He employed a feminine voice in his poetry. He also talked about the technicalities of spinning and weaving, as well as attan or the female social space for spinning, and dowry, and beautifully weaves them in his sufi symbolism, which is meant to disseminate ethical ideals among the readers. He urges the people to earn good deeds during their lifetime so that they could enjoy the eternal pleasures in the life hereafter.