Yusuf Khan and Sherbano
A famous Pashtun amorous folktale termed the Pukhtun Romeo and Juliet.
Last updated
Yusuf Khan and Sherbano is a famous Pashtun amorous folktale, presented as an extended narrative described as a qissa or dastan. It is considered one of the important Pashto dastans, available in chapbooks and audio formats, and has been termed the Pukhtun version of Romeo and Juliet.
Quick Facts
- Known for
- Pashtun amorous folktale, qissa/dastan tradition, basis of the first Pashto film produced in Pakistan
Facts from the source article.
Background
The story of Yusuf Khan and Sherbano was put to verse by poet Ali Haidar Joshi in the 1960s. Joshi claimed he found a manuscript containing the story written in Persian at a local fair, when some medicine he bought was wrapped in a page of the manuscript; he returned to the seller and obtained more of the manuscript. This account is given in a Lok Virsa tape recorded by Mumtaz Nasir in 1982.
The tale includes supernatural elements such as five holy men (pirs) who give the heroine the ability to travel large distances in thirty steps, and jinns who bring a woman and a bed to a mosque at night for the pleasure of a yogi. These elements suggest influence from outside Pashtun culture, but the social structures, particularly the use as villains of paternal male cousins, are typical to Pashtun stories. Many Pashtuns of various social classes identify the story as one of their own, according to ethnologist Wilma L. Heston.
Did You Know?
- The tale is listed alongside Adam Khan and Durkhanai, Ramadad Khan, and Ajab Khan as one of the important Pashto dastans.
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: Yusuf Khan and Sherbano (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