Bangla literature and Muslims

Abstract

Rezaul Karim’s introduction to Kavya-Malancha, the first collection of poems by Muslim poets from the early age to the present, shows that the contribution of Bengali Muslims to the development of Bangla language and literature is not insignificant. The poems selected for the anthology, the author states, bring ‘unprecented knowledge of the beautiful’, a rare craftsmanship and more or less follow the art for art’s sake dictum. There are a few exceptions that take up conceptual or spiritual themes. The author also shows the extent to which poets in the Middle Ages established connection with the soil of the country, accepted its traditions, used the stories, images and metaphors of the region and gave a new form to Vaishnav songs of Bengal by drawing upon the Islamic tradition. The suggestion of a synthesis of Islamic and Hindu traditions in the ancient poems anthologised in the volume is often highlighted. Attention is also directed to the neglect of manuscripts, while also acknowledging the developing interest of scholars in the area. Rezaul Karim jointly edits the volume with Abdul Kadir.