South Asian Canonical Text - other concerns

1. I am no longer sure it is fair to take out Pancatantra - it is in fable form, yet its intended readership is for people interested in statecraft - thus probably in a somewhat different category than Aesop fables. Persian's wisdom literature is clearly influenced by this work too.

 

2. Hujwiri's sufi manual written in Lahore - is actually the first Persian-language Sufi work. And is influential to the initial Sufi orders - thus arguably more important than Sirhindi and/or Shah Waliullah? The other concern is, at least in English language, I am not able to find the letters collection of Sirhindi ... this is not necessarily a reason to take Sirhindi out of the least (same situatino applies to Amir Khusrau, for whom textual tradition seems even worse [though Khusrau is still known through songs ascribed to him]).

 

3. I am reading Hala's Sattasai - surprised to find that it is actually not unlike Kamasutra with its sometimes explicit sexual references. Again, just another dimension for rethinking the list.

 

Comments: 0 (Discussion closed)
    There are no comments yet.