Post # 120
Powade - Ballads of the Marathas...
In 1891, an Englishman named Harry Arbuthnot Ackworth and an Indian named Shankar Tukaram Shaligram co-authored a book in Marathi - Itihaas Prasiddha Purushanchi Va Streeyanche Powada, meaning The Powade of historically prominent men and women. In 1894, Ackworth published a translation of that book in English and called it - Ballads of the Marathas. In these books, the two authors presented 60 of the 1000 odd available Powade to their readers. But, what exactly are Powade? Therein lies a tale.
Powada is a Marathi folk form, which combines prose & poetry, and is performed by a group of artists who recite the prose, sing the poetry, and dance to the tunes of accompanying instruments, all in an intense, high energy performance that lasts for hours, often throughout the night. It grew into prominence in 17th century Chatrapati Shivaji era and continues till date.
Actually, Powada means to praise, or to sing in glory. Though Powade (plural of Powada) were earlier used as a form of devotion, they became popular in Marathi consciousness as 'poetry of valour.' They were a kind of ballads, written in an exciting style, narrating historical events in an inspiring manner. It is said that one Powada carries the energy of ten inspirational speeches.
The earliest recorded Powada is Afzal Khan cha wadh (Afzal Khan's assasination), which Rani Jijabai, that visionary mother of Shivaji, commissioned Agnidas to write, in praise of Shivaji's victory over Afzal Khan, Adil Khan's commander. The Powada was sung and performed in every nook and corner of the Maratha land, to inform people of this great victory and to keep their morale high.
Only about 5-6 Powade from that period have been recovered. One of them is by Tulsidas (not to be confused with Goswami Tulsidas of Awadh) on Tanaji Malusare. The story of Tanaji Malusare is so awe-inspiring as it is. Just imagine how it will sound when performed as a Powada!
Later on, Powade were written and composed on social issues, like the caste system, education, women empowerment, removal of untouchability, and that mother of all causes - to unite the nation and gather momentum for the fight for independence. Some 300 odd Powade have been recovered from that time.
Post independence, Powade were performed to highlight current affairs, and to expose the flaws of the government. They put forth the demands of the people and gave voice to the poor. About 700 odd Powade are estimated to have been composed in this period.
It is important to note that though each Powade has a message, it is a medium of entertainment. Actually, it was an effective mass-media mode in those days when there was no TV or Radio, but important news had to be relayed in an effective way.
No discussion on Powade is complete without understanding Shahirs - the lyricists-cum-composers-cum-performers of Powade. Let's get back to that story of Rani Jijabai commissioning the Powada on Shivaji's victory over Afzal Khan. When Agnidas rendered his composition in front of Jijabai, she was so happy that she gifted him her gold bracelet and called him a Shahir. Shahir is a combination of two word - Shah (meaning King) and Hir (meaning voice). So a Shahir was one who relayed the King's message to the masses. He did this through a Powada performance.
Shahirs have a troupe - of 5 or more people. The main performer is called the Nayak. There are accompanying artists with musical instruments. In earlier days, the Dholak, Dafli and the Tuntuna were standard instruments. These days the harmonium, table and violin also join the show.
What's interesting is that through this primarily oral folk art form, the Shahirs were widely responsible for documenting a large part of the Maratha history. Isn't that awesome? That's why it is all the more wonderful that a Britisher took the trouble, with an Indian, to compile 60 of these into a book and publish it in both Marathi and English.