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Research on Shah Latif before Dr. Trumpp by Europeans

Abstract

Shah Abdul Laf Bhitai is an acknowledged poet of Sindh but his name and fame is spread all over the world. His Risalo is acknowledged across Pakistan and the wider diaspora as the greatest classic of Sindhi literature. Shah Jo Risalo is a poec compendium of famous Sindhi Sufi poet Shah Abdul Laf. Long before Ernest Trump, Captain George Stack, in about 1850, had started compiling of Shah jo Risalo but due to his death he could not finish the work. However, in 1852, famous orientalist Richard Burton in his book ‘History of Sindh’ gave basic account of Shah Laf and his poetry. In 1852, Marry Frere, a writer and the daughter of Sir Bartle Frere (the then Commissioner of Sindh) had also taken interest in the poetry of Shah Laf. But all such efforts made by these persons were incomplete and without substance. Mr. Dayaram Gidumal has rightly observed in his book Sigma (1882) that it is a shame, an u8er shame, that a poet like Abdul Laf is so much neglected by Europeans. Sir Bartle Frere, while serving as the Commissioner of Sindh gave a liberal grant to Dr. Trumpp for working on the Risalo, its eding, publishing etc and the said edion is sll extent (p. 4). We the people of Sindh owe a tribute to Dr. Trumpp who worked relessly to compile poetry of Shah Laf. He prepared Sindhi type writer with Sindhi words to type poetry of Shah in proper manner. Despite his personal efforts and assistance from Educaonal Department of Sindh, he could not publish the complete Risalo of Shah Laf as four Surs (Melodies) could not be included in the book. He published the book from Leipzeg, Germany and it is considered as the first ever published Risalo of Laf. It would not be out of place to say that Risalo compiled by Dr. Trumpp is the Magna Carta of he history of Sindhi literature. All remaining collecons of Shah are directly or indirectly inspired from the works of Dr. Trumpp.

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