Music, Musician
families
In Circle Bakote
And their social role
MOHAMMED OBAIDULLAH ALVI
Senior Journalist, Anthropologist and Historian
(Cell # 0331-5446020)
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Downfall of Music and Arts in the Sikh Era
The
mountains of Circle Bakote and Murree Hills were under the control of Gakhars
and Dhond Abbasies and Karhrals were their sub-feudal lords since four
centuries. Sikh army personal of Gulab Sing and Lahore Darbar were illiterate,
greedy and very brutal against Muslim tribes of area Downfall of Music and Arts
in the Sikh Era .
They looted and gutted their houses, slaughtered them and got rewards of Rs.
five Nanakshahi per child head and Rs. 10 for adult ladies or male
heads. These circumstances compelled inhabitants of area
to change their names as SOLLA KHAN, PUNNU KHAN etc in
every tribes of Kohsar.
Mirasi as a Social Institution
References
Mirasi as a Social Institution
There
are the most dutiful wedding customs in Circle Bakote including all
Kohsar. From the first day to the last
event in laws house, groom and bride pend the life time memories in old days but
it is a dream in new age and society.
The main part of this ceremony acted practically by MIRACIES and NAIES.
These are both socially recognized institution at that time and their opinion
was ultimately the final decision making factor in this regard.
The
nature of Mirasies as institutions
Mirasi
as we termed a musician is not correct in old days when a society in Kohsar
living with a social contract, Mirasi was a social institution with importance
of social performance of his duties. He was a symbol of society bonds from
first day as a son of a feudal lord or a common man tied up with the same
family daughter. Mirasi had got a back bone of a couple in selecting a groom or
bridal, if he passed “Yes” vote, the decision was final.
Who
was Mirasi?
Miras
(میراث)
means heritance from father or mother to he or she descendants based on
unobjectionable family tree that narrated by Mirasies. Mirasi was a recite of
society and people past generations at that time when printing press, Radio,
television, computer, face book and internet was existed. As a holder of tribes
and families ancestral highly verified
record he called Mirasi or guardian of inheritance.
Mirasi nature of duties
Mirasi was a highly ethnological
knowledge holder of his time both in Arab and Indian societies. Arab called him
Nassab or نسابین and Science of Ethnology (علم الانساب) while in India Mirasi was a investigator
in blood relationship building between two families or tribes. He started his
work when his feudal or any person of his village or society appointed him for
a relationship in his tribe or same social status holder. He works slowly but
with fully devotion with his task as in detail:
A…….. He wear yellow dress that was
a symbol that Mirasi was on way to a girl parent hous inside or outside a town.
B……..He carried a basket on his
head full of sweet breads (پكوان). No one asked him about his task because everybody know his
job and duty.
C…….He received with full protocol
by father or brothers or guardians of proposed girl with other party Mirasies,
he came in house bed room where all ladies were busy in their house matters
without any hesitation. He watched inner matters of house, ladies working in
common kitchens, analyzed social and monitory status of host family as live
stock and other things. Family chief met with him and introduced all his family
members including opposite sex one by one. The host family Mirasi was on
special duty about “honorable gust” till next day morning. The upper side of
bed was reserved by “honorable Gusts” always and Mirasi was sitting on upper
side of bed as a representative of a groom family in status of a “honorable
Gusts”. He hosted with all norms and social values of that time, relatives of
host family shacked hand and gave full honor to “honorable Gusts”.
Yes or No
Mirasi good by host family and
sleep with hope and his shoes are on a right way in arranged order it means
that blood relation terms were approved by groom family but shoes are same
condition as he left at night disclosed that no blood relation with Mirasi
masters. Mirasi first of all looked on his shoes than decided his next strategy
of coming day, in case of “No” he breakfast and left the groom house with all
his sweet that returned to him. I his shoes reflected the will of groom family positively
he get up, performed Fajer Prayer, recited the Holy Qur’an with male members of
family in morning, breakfast at 8 AM and then he walked in paddy fields and
other borders of host family property. He discussed matters with the other side
Mirasi family and often he successfully got a bride for his son on same day.
Host family re-cooked sweets for groom family and Mirasi left back third day of
his arrival to his way. Groom family confirmed their blood relationship with
their counterpart as Mirasi arrival delayed and they received him with joys as
their own family member. They invited all their notable tribe’s elders and gave
them tidings of new blood relationship.
- Sikh Era
- The People of India by Herbert Risley, William Crooke (Chapter III) published by Asian Education Services, New Delhi in 1915.
- The Cambridge History of India,Edward James Rapson, Sir Wolseley Haig, Sir Richard Burn, Henry Dodwell, Mortimer Wheeler,CUP Archive, 1963 -page 42
- The Life of Music in North India: The Organization of an Artistic Tradition by Daniel M. Neuman, University of Chicago Press, 15-Mar-1990, page 131
- The Hollow Crown: Ethnohistory of an Indian Kingdom, By Nicholas B. Dirks,University of Michigan Press, 1993