Historical Dictionary of the Sufi Culture of Sindh in Pakistan and India

Book excerpt: This book tackles the issue of delimiting Sufism: where does it start and where does it end? Speaking about Sufism does not typically account for its broad range of influence on societies and cultures, thus this Dictionary aims to highlight the extent of Sufismas reach, specifically in the context of Sindh. Various forms and iterations of Sufism are practically ubiquitous across Sindh, including even its most remote regions. The many discourses expressed by Sufism are often interwoven with other devotional traditions in the region, merged by the use of a shared technical lexicon in the fields of both poetry and ritual. The Dictionary consequently includes references to the traditions and literatures with which Sufism has engaged, like those of the Muslim Isma ilis and ikris, and the Hindu Daryapanthis and Nanakshahis. The reference language of the Dictionary is Sindhi as, besides some dialectical variations, the language remains a common thread between the Sufi cultures of Sindh, the neighbouring regions of India, and the Sindhi diaspora. The Dictionary is alphabetically-arranged, and features vivid illustrations, an extensive bibliography, and a chronological chart of major historical events pertaining to the topic.