By Sahar Imdad Shah
From folk traditions and classical forms to poetry of resistance and contemporary innovation, sindhi poetry remains firmly rooted in its history.
Dating back to the Indus Valley civilisation, Sindhi is one of the oldest languages in South Asia. It has a rich vocabulary and numerous folk songs that have been passed down generations through Sindh’s oral tradition of reciting and singing poetry. Among the earliest epics in Sindhi, Dodal Raso, written by the bard Bhagoo Bhaan, dates back to approximately 1000 AD. The Soomra period (from 1050 AD – 1350 AD) was an important period when Sindhi love tales became popular with the masses. During the Samma dynasty that ruled Sindh from 1351 AD to 1521 AD, Qazi Qadan was a prominent classical poet and was followed by others such as Shah Abdul Karim Bulrai, Shah Lutuf Ullah Qadri and Shah Inayat.