A TREATISE ON LITERARY CRITICISM: “KARNAMA BY MUNIR LAHORI"

Abstract

Abul-Barakat Munir Lahori is a great scholar of the Persian world. He is considered one of the most renowned orators, Accomplished writers, and proficient poets of the 11th century Hijri in the Indian subcontinent. He had great Prestige and Reputation among all his contemporaries in Persian poetry and prose. All his works, both in prose and poetry, are testimony to his scholarly greatness and literary eminence. Munir was also a great and famous critic; indeed, he should be regarded as the founder of literary criticism. He holds a lofty and exalted position in the Persian language and literature. He was the first scholar who produced fundamental treatises on the subject of literary criticism in the field of criticism; his most important, memorable and Exceptional work, titled "Karnama-e-Muneer", has gained great fame and popularity. In this book, he criticised about 60 verses of four Iranian poets’ poetry belonging to the fresh-speaking style (Sabk-e Taza Goi or Sabk-e Hindi). Evidence shows that Munir Lahori was a follower of the style of the ancients (Sabk-e Mutaqaddimin), and therefore did not favour the new style. For this reason, he targeted the poetry of the fresh-speaking poets for his criticism. This work is historically very important because it was the first time an Indian scholar challenged Iranian poets on their own linguistic ground and won the debate, which proved that Persian scholars in Lahore and Delhi were equal to those of Isfahan.

 After Munir, Persian literary criticism flourished greatly in India and Iran, and the sense of superiority among Iranians subsided. The native speakers of Iran acknowledged the value and importance of Indians. They confessed that the scholars of the Indian subcontinent are in no way inferior, but rather stand on an equal footing with the native speakers. In this treatise, Munir Lahori acts like a pious and just critic, observing fairness and impartiality, and expresses whatever comes to his mind regarding language and expression without omission. For this reason, this treatise holds a sublime place in Persian literary criticism; its value and importance remain to this day, and it has always been a source of benefit for researchers and literary critics