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APunjabi Qissa (plural: Qisse) is a tradition ofPunjabi language oral story-telling that emerged inPunjab region of easternPakistan and northwesternIndia, with the fusion of local Punjabi people and migrants from theArabian peninsula and contemporaryIran.[1]
WhereQisse reflect anIslamic and/orPersian heritage of transmitting popular tales of love, valour, honour and moral integrity amongstMuslims, they matured out of the bounds of religion into a more secular form when it reached India and added the existing pre-IslamicPunjabi culture andfolklore to its entity.[1]
The wordQissa (pronouncedPunjabi pronunciation:[kɪssɑː]) is anArabic word meaning "epic legend" or a "folk tale". It occurs as a regularcommon noun in Indo-Aryan languages like Punjabi,Bengali,Gujarati,Urdu andHindi. If used informally, the word means an ‘interesting tale’ or ‘fable’.[citation needed]
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ThePunjabi language has a rich literature ofqisse, most of which are about love, passion, betrayal, sacrifice, social values and a common man's revolt against a larger system. In the Punjabi tradition, friendship, loyalty, love andqaul (verbal agreement or promise) are given utmost importance and most of the stories in theqisse hinge on these critical elements.
Qisse are attributed to have inspired folk music in Punjabi and have added depth and richness to its delivery. These traditions were passed down generations in oral or written forms and were often recited, told asbedtime stories to children or performed musically asfolk songs.
Each qissa, if performed, has its unique requirements. A person able to sing or recite one may not necessarily transmit another. Thevocal ranges of the musical scale and accurate pauses, if not performed well, leave a performer breathless and unable to continue. Most of the beats used in modern Punjabi music (often misleadingly labelledBhangra), originated fromqissa tradition and recitations in old times.Qisse also boast to be among the best poetry every written in Punjabi.
Waris Shah's (1722–1798)qissa of ‘Heer Ranjha’ (formally known asQissa ‘Heer’) is among the most famous Qisse of all times. The effect ofQisse on Punjabi culture is so strong that even religious leaders and revolutionaries likeGuru Gobind Singh andBaba Farid, etc., quoted famousQissas in their messages. It will not be wrong to say that popularity and nearly divine status ofQisse in Punjabi actually inspired many generations of spiritual leaders and social activists to combine the message of God with teenage love tales. This gave rise to what is known as theSufi movement in Punjab region.
The most popular writer/poet to have written Punjabi SufiQisse wasBulleh Shah (c.1680-1758). So popular are hisKalams (poems) that he is frequently quoted by young and old alike with same respect and on matters of both love and God. In recent times,South Asian singers have sported these folklores on their albums, for instance, the most famous folklore duo likeKuldeep Manak andDev Tharike Wala wrote and sang about almost every Qissa, and recently,Rabbi by (Rabbi Shergill) contained ‘Bulla Ki Jaana Main Kaun’, translated in English as ‘I know not who I am’, written byBulleh Shah. A few years back another singer, (Harbhajan Maan), a Canada-based Punjabi singer rejuvenated the story of ‘Mirza Sahiban’, a work byPeelu. Daim Iqbal Daim fromMandi Bahauddin District,Pakistan also wrote many qissas in Punjabi language likeLaila Majnu,Mirza Sahiban,Sohni Mahiwal,Bilal Biti, etc. Daim got popularity by writing "Shah Nama Karbla" and "Kambal Posh".
Most of the Punjabiqisse were written by Muslim poets who wandered the land. The oldest were usually scripted in the Perso-Arabic script. Some of the most popularqisse are listed below.
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