Religious and Secular Literature in Haryana | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

Literary Figures of Haryana

• The region of Haryana is not only known for the growth of Sufism and Sikhism and their associated literature but has also produced literary figures in languages such as Prakrt, Sanskrit, Hindi, and Urdu. Thakura Pheru was the most prominent scholar of the Prakrt language, and he hailed from Kannana, a village located approximately 8 km from Charkhi Dadri in district Mahendragarh. 
• Thakur Pheru belonged to the Srimala lineage and the Dhandiya family (Dhandha kula) of the Vaishya caste. He was a devout Jaina, as his sectarian title Paramajaina suggests. Thakura Pheru held a position as an officer under Alauddin Khalji and was deeply involved in the management of the treasury and mint. 
• He was knowledgeable in various subjects and wrote about them with equal expertise. The works that he has left behind are an important source of Indian history from the thirteenth century. His first work, Yugaratnachatuspadi, written in Apabhraṃśa in Kannana under the supervision of his teacher Vachanacharya Rajasekara, dates back to AD 1290. It provides a biographical survey of Jaina Acharyas from Mahavira to Yugapradhanacharya, of the Kharataragachcha sect, and contains some historical references. 
• The works of Thakura Pheru, a scholar from Kannana, cover a diverse range of subjects and are important sources of historical information on thirteenth-century India. His Yugpradhan-chatuspadika provides a biographical survey of Jain Acharyas from Mahavira to Yugapradhanacharya, while his Rama-parikshad exhaustively explores gems and their properties. 
• Vastusdra is a treatise on Jaina sculpture and architecture, and Ganitasdra provides information on economic conditions during the thirteenth century, including prices, weights, measures, and agricultural production in southern Haryana. Dhdtotpattikarani-Vidhi is a work on metallurgy, Jyotishasara discusses the movements of stars and planets and their effect on human life, and Dravyaparksd is an invaluable source for the study of contemporary economic history. 
• In addition to Thakura Pheru, another important writer in Apabhram a was Bucharaja, who wrote on metallurgical subjects and also contributed poetry such as Mayanajujha, Santosha-jayatUakOy, Chetana Pudgala Dhamafa, Tandon, and Kukad Manjari Chaupai. He lived in Hissar during the first half of the sixteenth century (V. 1591). 
• Jina Vallabha Sari, a scholar from Hansi, also wrote important works in Apabhrarha, such as SukSma SiddhantavichdraShraddha, Sraddaga-Dharmasiksd, Pranottara-shlka, and SramgaraS’aka. However, after Jina Vallabha, there were no noteworthy contributions to the Apabhrarha literature, possibly because Sanskrit regained importance and eminent scholars began writing in that language during the seventeenth century. The works of these writers provide valuable information on metallurgy, poetry, and other subjects, contributing to the understanding of the history of India.

Development of Early Hindi Literature in Haryana

• Haryana played a significant role in the development of early Hindi literature, which originated from the Prakrit works of early medieval Jaina authors and the writings of the Siddha and Nath sects. Prthadaka was a major center of the Nath order in the region. 
• Chauranginatha, a resident of Asthal Bohar (district Rohtak), was the earliest known Hindi author of this order who wrote several works in Khadi Boll (Hindi). Two of his works, Vayutatvabhavanopadesa and Pranasangali, have survived and present an exposition of the Nirguna philosophy. Mastanatha was another Nath order author who wrote notable compositions.
• In the fourteenth century, Isardasa of Faridabad wrote numerous works in Hindi, including Angada Paija, Bharata Vilapa, and Saiyavati Katha. His language showed the influence of Avadhi. Suradasa, one of the most outstanding poets of Hindi in the fifteenth century, was claimed by some to belong to Sihi (Faridabad). To add to the growth of Hindi literature in Haryana, scholars of later generations made significant contributions. 
• Virbhan of Narnaul, who founded the Satnami sect, Maldev of Sirsa who wrote thirty books in Prakrt, Sanskrit and Hindi in the 16th century, and Hridaya Ram or Ram Kavi of Gharaunda who settled in Thanesar and wrote numerous works on religious themes, were among them. 
• Rop Chand Pande from the village of Salempur, Bhagavatl Das from the village of Buria in Ambala district, Anandaghana of Sirsa who wrote about Jain religion and ethics, Sundardas of Karnal, Banarasi Das of Biholi near Rohtak, and Khadgasena of Narnaul in the 17th century are also noteworthy authors.

Garib Das and Nischal Das: The Greatest Poet-Saints of Eighteenth-Century Haryana

• Garib Das and Nischal Das are considered to be the greatest poet-saints of Haryana in the eighteenth century. Garib Das was born in 1717 in Chhudani and belonged to a Jat family. He is known as the earliest known Nirguna saint poet of Haryana and his religious hymns and songs, which number about 17,000 to 18,500, provide an excellent explanation of the Nirguna philosophy. 
• His writings cover many aspects of spiritual life, and he founded the Garibdasi sect, which eventually established branches in various places in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, the Union Territory of Delhi, and even in Gujarat (Ahmedabad). Garib Das, the earliest known Nirguna saint poet of Haryana, was a strong advocate of universalism in contemporary Indian religious thought. 
• He believed in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of men and condemned hatred and bitterness between divergent creeds. Garib Das emphasized close understanding between various religions and unity and equality between people of different social and economic statuses. 
• He worked towards a healthy synthesis of the progressive elements of Hinduism and Islam, similar to the efforts of Kabir. Consequently, he had followers from both Hindus and Muslims. Garib Das believed that one could achieve God realization in any walk of life and that renunciation of worldly life was unnecessary. His songs reflected a happy reconciliation of worldly and spiritual life. 
• The final Hindu Raj Yogi and Bhakta poet had exceptional command over popular poetic language and style similar to Ghulam Farid, but also possessed greater knowledge and understanding of other Indian languages compared to any other poet of the Medieval India era. The only poet who could come close to matching him was Shah Qayam Din Chisti of Kari Goan in Bombay.
• Dr. K.C. Gupta, the biographer, referred to Shri Garib Das as ‘Haryana’s Saint of Humanity’. According to Gupta, Garib Das was a true saint because he did not seek the patronage of any court, despite many invasions and upheavals that took place during his lifetime. 
• Despite being born in a Hindu family and living his whole life in Haryana in the eighteenth century, Garib Das's songs go beyond sectarian, spatial and temporal boundaries and express man's eternal search for the divine. Furthermore, there is no record of him referring to any events that he witnessed firsthand.

The Life and Works of Nischal Das

• Nischal Das was a Jat born in Kungad in 1791. He received his education in Sankhya, Nyaya, Vyakarana, and Vedanta at Varanasi. He followed Dadupantha and had Ram Singh, the Raja of Bundi, as one of his disciples. He was a prolific writer in Sanskrit and Hindi, and his Sanskrit works included commentaries on IsopaniSad, KaihopaniSad, Mahdihdrata, Vrttavivarana, Vrttidipika, and Ayurveda. 
• Unfortunately, these works have not been found yet. His contributions to Hindi literature include Vichdrasdgara, Vrttiprabhdkara, and Muktiprakasa. Vichdrasdgara, which has been translated into Marathi, Bengali, and English, is considered his most influential work by Swami Vivekananda.
• Nityananda of Narnaul, Jait Ram (son of Garib Das), and Dayal Das are some of the other contemporary saint-poets who contributed significantly to the Nirguna literature. Nityananda authored Satyasiddhanta-prakasha and Bardakhadi, Jait Ram composed various devotional works, including Janmakatha (the life story of Garib Das), while Dayal Das, a disciple of Garib Das, wrote Vichdraprkasha, an exposition of the Advaita philosophy. 
• During this period, Urdu and Hariyanvi languages saw significant development. Muhammad Afzal, a resident of Panipat, contributed to Urdu literature with his work "Bikata Kahdal," while Shaikh Jivan, his contemporary, authored several works in Urdu including "Fiqabd-in-Hindi," "Mahshar Dmd," "Dar falnama," "Khwab Dmd," and "Ddblrnamd-i-Bibi Fatima. "Abdul Ves of Hansi, known for editing the first Urdu-Hindi dictionary, also made a notable contribution to the language. 
• In addition, Mir Jafar Jafar and his brother Abdul Jalil 'JataP of Narnaul were poets of humour in Urdu. This period also saw the emergence of compositions in different dialects of Hariyanavi such as the padas of Saint Dedhraj of Gharsu in Ahrrawatj, Baba Hari Das in Bangru, and Gulam Rangila in Mewati.

Literary Traditions of Haryana: Noteworthy Scholars and Poets

• Haryana has a rich literary tradition that has been continued by many scholars and poets throughout history. Some of the notable figures include Ram Das of Agroha, who wrote extensively on tirthas; Umadas of Thanesar, who translated the Mahabharata into Hindi and authored works such as "Kurukshetra Mahatmya"; Sahab Singh and Atma Singh of Jind, whose works were influenced by Vaishnavism and Sikhism; Sambhudas, also of Jind; Nanda and Mukunda of Hisar; Yugal Kishor Bhat of Kaithal; Babu Balmukand Gupta of Jhajjar, an influential editor of the Hindi newspaper "Hindi Bangavdsi"; Madhav Prasad Misra, a prominent Hindi journalist; Visvambhar Nath Kaushik, a renowned story writer and editor; and Bhadanta Anand Kausalyayana, who wrote about Buddhism. 
• In addition, there were noteworthy Urdu writers such as Rao Man Singh of Rewari, who wrote about the Ahir community and the history of Rewari State; Ghulam Nabi, author of "Tdrikh-i-Jhajjar," a comprehensive history of Jhajjar state from 1803 to 1858; Jafar Khan of Thanesar, a leader of the Wahabi movement who was imprisoned in Andamans and wrote "Tdrlkh-i-Ajaba" and "TdrJkh-i-Ajib"; and Altaf Husain Hali of Panipat, a master of Urdu, Persian, and Arabic who wrote scholarly works in both prose and poetry, including the epoch-making "Muqaddima-i-Sher-o-Shairi."