Religious Inclusiveness and the Medieval Sindhi Sufi Poetry: Intangible Cultural Heritage of Sindh

Abstract

Cultural heritage in a given society may take the form of both tangible and intangible manifestations. Concerning Sufism in Sindh, manifestations of tangible cultural heritage may include Sufi shrine complexes, sites of meditation and dwellings, Sufi relics, and artifacts of devotion. In contrast, intangible cultural heritage may include, inter alia, Sufi traditions, literary productions, music and dance, festivals, and Sufi ethos. The rich Sufi ethos of multi-ethnic and multi-religious medieval Sindhi society was informed by varied socio-historical traditions. The Sufis of Sindh composed vernacular poetry encompassing the theme of religious inclusiveness and pluralistic accommodation, squarely in line with the eclecticism of the region's religious landscape. It freely imbibed elements from varied local cultural traditions. Sufi poetry, together with centuries-old Sufi practices, allowed fluidity of religious affiliation and created a space where religious identities became inextricably intertwined. However, these identities were communalized and rigidified in colonial and post-colonial periods. Recent years have unfortunately witnessed the growing menace of religious radicalization, considerably undermining the Sufi ethos. The situation calls for devising a coherent strategy to cope with religious radicalization to reclaim and preserve the tolerant cultural heritage of the region.