WATCHING Anwer Mas’ood online recite his humorous poetry the other day made me think that technology is not the only yardstick of the way the world is changing: ‘musha’era’, or the poetry recital session, too, is much different from what they used to be.
Anwer Mas’ood was invited to a Delhi literary gathering a few months back, but I could enjoy the gathering months later at home. Now you don’t have to be a part of the gathering in real time if you want to enjoy a ‘musha’era’. Neither is a ‘musha’era’ limited to a few hundred of audiences who in the past had to repeat the ‘misr’a’, or a poetical line, so that the audience sitting at the back could hear it since there were no public address systems. Now thousands, in fact millions, of audience can enjoy what was once limited to a few hundred. On the other hand though, ‘musha’era’ has now become mainly an entertainment. Sometimes it sounds commercial too when the audiences have to buy tickets.
Gone are the days when poetry buffs going to a ‘musha’era’ had to act with a strict decorum. Though etiquettes are now changing, in past it was unimaginable to see the audience clapping as it was considered an inappropriate behaviour. Now clapping in ‘musha’eras’ is as common and as thunderous as in a one-day cricket match. Uttering ‘wah wah’ and ‘subhan Allah’ was considered a proper way of appreciating a poet, but now even poets expect clapping. ‘Mukarrar’ (once more) was the word for requesting a poet to repeat a particular couplet.
In the yonder years, ‘musha’era’ was a literary and cultural activity. In fact, it was an institution unto itself with its own strict discipline. Seriousness and solemnity was must, though some senior poets did express their wit when it was due.
Muhammad Hussain Azad in his Aab-i-hayat has narrated many such interesting incidents. Some senior poets, often known as ‘ustaad’, or mentor, showed peculiar behaviour too. Seniors such as Mir Taqi Mir rarely, if ever, showed their liking for any couplet, but if Mir said ‘mukarrar’ that would mean so much that a poet would feel proud since it was a sign of ingenuity and creativity. In absence of critical literary works or literary magazines, ‘musha’eras’ served as a forum for literary criticism as well and youngsters learnt not only the art of composing poetry, but the craft of using the language creatively and wisely. In ‘musha’eras’ those clumsy with the language or prosody were ridiculed artfully.
In olden days, a Sham’a, or a candle, was put in front of the poet reciting his verses. Seniors would recite at the end and the more junior a poet was, the earlier he was supposed to recite. Women were barred from ‘musha’eras’ in the early days, though women composed poetry. With the passage of time, women poets have become an integral part of a ‘musha’era’. In more recent times, Josh Maleehabadi and some other poets were known for expecting audience to repeat their lines after them, technically known as ‘misr’a uthana’ (to carry the poetical line, literally). If audience were not responsive enough and did not repeat the line the poets would be upset. Some poets present their poetry with ‘tarannum’ (melody). This was in vogue certainly a few decades ago and some poets, it is believed, owed their popularity at ‘musha’eras’ much to reciting with ‘tarannum’. Though ‘tarannum’ was not the only reason for Jigar Muradabadi’s popularity at ‘musha’eras’, it is a fact it played an important role in his cult-like following. But the trend became mainstay for some poets a couple of decades ago, especially in India, and Urdu ‘musha’eras’ began to sound like musical programmes and almost every other poet, particularly women poets, used to ‘sing’ instead of reciting poetry.
The ‘musha’era’ originated in Arab. In pre-Islamic era, trade fairs and festivals were common. Souk Okaz, a kind of open-air market organised for weeks, for instance, was one of such fairs. Famous Arab notables gathered on such occasions and aside from merchants, Arab poets used to gather and recite their poetry. A senior scholar and poet was selected to work as judge who after listening to all the poetry decided upon the best poetry. This poetry, known as ‘qaseeda’ (panegyric ode), would praise their ancestors, their nobility and bravery. Select ‘qaseedas’ were hung in the Holy Ka’aba and hence they were known as ‘muallaqaat’ (hanging ones).
In ancient India too poetical gatherings of Sanskrit poets were organised. In Iran, ‘musha’eras’ were in vogue in 14th century as Hafiz Sherazi has mentioned. But Iranian ‘musha’era’ can be traced back to earlier times too as Rabi’a Quzdari, a 10th century women poet of Persian to have composed a divan, is said to have had some poetical contest with Rudaki the great Persian poet.
Though early Mughal rulers are known for patronising the poets, in India the earliest Urdu ‘musha’eras’ were perhaps the ones held at Mir Taqi Mir’s house. Mir Dard too organised Urdu ‘musha’eras’ and in the reign of late Mughals, especially Muhammad Shah and Shah Alam II (the second), ‘musha’eras’ were common in Delhi and even in Red Fort.
Lucknow, Deccan, Bihar, Bengal, Calcutta and other parts of India were known for their grand ‘musha’eras’. In these ‘musha’eras’ mostly ghazals were recited but Muhammad Hussain Azad began poem ‘musha’eras’ in Lahore in the last quarter of the 19th century. Hooting in ‘musha’era’ is a tradition pioneered by the students of Aligarh Muslim University, but it was a delicate art that required wit and repartee.
The arrival of radio in the subcontinent paved way for ‘musha’eras’ broadcast from radio. Later on, TV ‘musha’era’ was introduced. And now internet has given a new dimension and timelessness to ‘musha’eras’.
Published in Dawn November 29th, 2016
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