Tuesday, August 7, 2012

A Beloved Romantic Tragedy "Mirza Sahiban"





Mirza, a Muslim Rajput Kharal, and Sahiban belong to Rajput Sial tribe .Kharal are Agnivanshi parmar panwar rajput and Sail is also parmar desendent from raja shankar ,they were childhood classmates as well as playmates. Sahiban was the daughter of Mahni, the chief of Kheava, a town in what is now the Sial territory in the Jhang district Punjab, Pakistan. Shayer Peelu raves about her beauty and says:

“ Sahiban stepped out with a lungi tied around her waist, the nine angels died upon seeing her beauty. ”


Mirza Khan is the son of Wanjhal Khan, the leader of the Kharal tribe in Dana Abad, a town in the Jaranwala area of what is now Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Mirza is sent to his relatives' house in Kheiwa to study, where he meets Sahiban and they fall in love. When, later in life, Sahiban is to be wedded forcibly to Tahar Khan of the Chandhar family by arrangement of her parents, she sends a message to Mirza, living in the village of Danabad, through a Brahmin called Karmu:

“ You must come and decorate Sahiban’s hand with the marriage henna. ”

Mirza's sister asks him not to try to rescue Sahiban, as it is the day of her own wedding and she wants her brother to be there. His whole family warns him that the "Sials" (Sahiban's brothers) are aggressive and should be left alone, but Mirza pays no heed to this.

Mirza arrives on his Bakki (mare) during Sahiban's mehndi ceremony and carries her away. Sahiban's brothers find out about this and decide to follow them. On the way, as Mirza lies under the shade of a tree to rest for a few moments, Sahiban's brothers and chanders caught up with them.


Sahiban knows Mirza is an accomplished archer and would not miss a target, and that if he shot at them, her brothers would surely die. Before waking Mirza up, Sahiban broke his arrows so he can't use them, and hopes that, on seeing her, her brothers might change their minds and welcome Mirza into the family. She thought that they'd understand their love that they have for each other, but they are not to be swayed and a fight ensues. Though Mirza fights with all his might, he is unable to defeat such a large number of people and killed by the blow of a sword to his head from behind. Sahiban did not want bloodshed from either side of her beloved ones and her love to be stained with her brothers' blood. So she ended the fight with self annihilation. When Mirza was gone, she killed herself with Mirza's sword. Out of all the legendary stories originating from Punjab, Pakistan, Mirza Sahiban's story is one of very few where the male's name comes first. The legendary tale of Mirza Sahiban is now a part of Punjabi Culture in form of folk songs sung by many singers including Kuldeep Manak, Gurmeet Bawa and many more.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comments Please.................