This essay was originally submitted as part of the coursework for my M.Mus in Ethnomusicology at SOAS, University of London
Bhagat Kabir (c. 1440-c. 1518) is considered one of the major poet-saints of the Bhakti movementâa social reform movement arising in North India around the fifteenth century. Characterized by an emphasis on the individual believer and a disregard for caste and gender taboos, the movement often rejected Vedic rituals and focused on the individualâs loving relationship with a personally defined god. This emphasis on love has clear parallels with Sufism, often seen as the mystical branch of Islam. It also later influenced Sikhism.
In contrast to other Bhakti poets such as Surdas and Meerabaiâwhose works can be placed squarely within the Hindu fold, often addressed to particular gods such as KrishnaâKabirâs poetry cannot be so neatly demarcated. He questioned the rituals of both Islam and Hinduism and was devoted to a nirgun (formless) deity, often addressed as âRamâ. According to Professor Harbans Mukhia: âIn place of Allah and Ishwar he conceptualized a single universal God; in place of denominational religions he conceptualized a universal religiosityâ (Mukhia 2018). This distance from the orthodoxy of both traditions perhaps explains why Kabir is revered by Hindus and Muslims across the Indian subcontinent. Some of his poetry is even included in the Guru Granth Sahib, Sikhismâs holiest scripture. In an era in which South Asia has experienced increasing polarization along sectarian lines, it is instructive to more closely examine this unique figure who served as a bridge between communities.
In her article âKabirâs Rough Rhetoricâ, Professor Linda Hess notes that Kabir can be described as the most personal of the Bhakti poets. While Surdas and Meerabai primarily address God, Kabir mainly addresses the reader or listener. The phrase âKahai Kabira suno bhai sadhoâ (Kabir says listen sadho) âsignifies Kabirâs passion to engage, wake people up, to affect themâ (Hess 1987: 147).  His poetry is full of provocations, which often take the form of questions âdesigned to ruffle us up or draw us outâ (149).
In this essay, I will discuss performative traditions of Kabir poetry in India and Pakistan, focusing on how it has been included in the folk music of both countries. Of particular interest are the ways in which Kabir poetry serves as a means of Dalitâformerly known as âuntouchableââcaste assertion and how it can be combined with the poetry of Sufi saints. Continue reading Kabir Oral Traditions in the Indian Subcontinent