THE world of culture, that includes literature, painting, music, sculpture, traditions, norms, values, and customs is a creation of human efforts. As it is created, developed and used according to the needs of community, it changes when there are new demands and new requirements.
Therefore, society remains in a constant conflict between forces of continuity and change. History progresses because of this conflict. It gives society a new life, a new energy and a new vitality to resist and survive. If there is an end of conflict, it means stagnation, deterioration and decline.
In case of culture, we divide it into two major categories: high culture, that is based on written and learned traditions; and the popular culture, that is oral and mainly rural base.
Throughout history, elite classes ruled over majority of people with the help of high culture and its components and distinguished them with common people in manners and behaviour. They kept separate their taste of music, paintings, literature, and architecture with such standard that only rich and resourceful could afford. Therefore, high culture and its knowledge system was used to dominate common people and to create in them a spirit of subordination.
For example, in architecture building massive forts, castles, state buildings and beautiful residential palaces displayed wealth and grandeur of the ruling classes. It was a great show of strength that was observed by people. Similarly, clothes, jewellry, ornaments and modes of conveyance, all were motivated to keep people away from them. The most effective method was the written knowledge, which excluded subordinate sections of society. It was the most effective tool to rule over majority of illiterates.
Common people, bereft of any power and resources, encountered the hegemony of ruling classes on the basis of popular culture and asserted their identity and maintain their dignity.
Historically, that was the interesting methodology that was developed by common people in popular culture to expose brutality, exploitation and injustices of the ruling classes. For example, one of the popular forms was the storytelling in the community gatherings. The main heroes of these stories were not kings or generals or high office holders, but those who opposed the establishment and rebelled against their rule. There were heroes of common people who fought against oppressors on behalf of people to get justice. There were comedians, jokers and swindlers who amused people by their tricks and provided temporary relief from hardships of life.
Dacoits and bandits who defied the power of government instantly transformed into heroes. They became the symbols of people’s power and their ambitions. Their encounters with political authority were not only narrated in stories but songs were also composed and sung far and wide with zeal and fervour.
In the north of India, Sultana Dako became such an icon for common people. In Punjab, Nizam Lohar is still celebrated in folk literature as a hero. In Sindh, when Pro Chandio, a dacoit, was killed, people attended his funeral in great number and paid him tribute because he defied the strong center and state institutions that were regarded as oppressive by the people of Sindh.
In another example, people reduced the ruling classes to shame by creating a culture of gossips against them. A very powerful medium that was used in the past and is also affectively used today. The image of rulers, generals and office holders, which was propagated by the official media as pious, generous and virtuous, was over-turned in public gossips. They were transformed as tyrant, lecherous, immoral and wicked.
The Italian traveller Mannuci, who visited India during Shahjahan’s period, collected such gossips in his book Storia do Mogor. He writes the gossips of bazaar people in which Shahjahan appears as womanizer and immoral person. The royal harem is a den of corruption. This people’s perception of the royalty brought it down to the lowest level of morality. The gossips turned the image of royalty upside down.
A folk story further provides fascinating features of cultural intervention that challenges the social norms. In the folk stories such as Heer Ranjha, Sussi Pannu, Sohni Mahiwal and Mirza Sahiban, the theme is rebellion and defiance against the established traditions of the community. When these stories are narrated or sung in the gatherings, people are inspired and appreciated bravery and courage of men and women who challenged the values of society at the cost of their lives. The actors of these stories were social rebels and like their counterparts of political rebels, they suffered and endured all sorts of hardships. But the very defiance of social norms has made them darlings of people. The popularity of these folk stories can be judged by their repeated writing in prose and poetry.
Poetry is also a strong weapon of popular culture to encounter religious prejudices and instil tolerance among people. In nearly all genre of poetry we find that how mulla, brahmman, shaikh and zahid (ascetic) are attacked and dubbed as hypocrites and worldly people.
We can also include in the popular culture, festivals, celebrations and various religious and cultural processions. The significant aspect of these rituals is that such gatherings eliminate and remove all class distinctions. Dancing, singing, and in a state of ecstasy all social barriers were wiped out. Rich and poor, powerful and week have to come together and share the taste of festivity with each other.
Historically it is evident that popular culture gave common people a sense of strength to survive in spite of hardships of life. Apparently, it had no resources and political power but in its inner structure it had great moral force that provided people inspiration and hope to resist and fight against high culture and its domination.
