Umar Marvi
A Sindhi folktale of a village girl's resistance to a ruler.
Last updated
Umar Marvi is a traditional Sindhi folktale dating back to the 14th century, first penned by Shah Abdul Karim Bulri in the 16th century. It follows the story of a village girl, Marvi, who resists the overtures of a powerful local ruler and the temptation to live in a palace as a queen, preferring to remain in a simple rural environment with her own village folk. The tale is one of seven popular tragic romances from Sindh, Pakistan, known as the Seven Queens of Sindh.
Background
The protagonist of the story is Marvi, a young Khaskheli girl, abducted by the then-ruler of Umerkot, Umar Soomro, who wanted to marry her because of her beauty. Upon her refusal, she was imprisoned in the historic Umarkot Fort for several years. Because of her courage, Marvi is regarded as a symbol of love for one's soil and homeland.
The story first appears in the text of 'Bayan Ul Arifeen', known to the Sindhis as 'Karim Jo Risalo' of Shah Abdul Karim of Bulri, the great-great-grandfather of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. It then appeared in Shah Jo Risalo and forms part of seven popular tragic romances from Sindh, Pakistan. The other six tales are Sassui Punnhun, Sohni Mehar, Lilan Chanesar, Noori Jam Tamachi, Sorath Rai Diyach and Momal Rano, commonly known as the Seven Queens of Sindh.
The story also appears in Tarikh-i Tahiri (compiled in 1030 H/1621) and Tuhfat-al-Kiram (1180-81 H/1766-67). The story originated probably during the Soomra period (1050-1350 A.D).
More in Pakistani folklore
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Umar Marvi (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced