What is Literature? Answer of this question is not as simple as it seems. Different literary experts and authorities have defined this term differently. This could not be discussed here easily. We expect the visitors of this site would share their views, to publish on the pages of Sheen Web .com, in the best interest of students of literature, like me.
Literature is called as “ADAB” in Urdu, Persian, Pashto, Punjabi and all such languages having the meanings of Decorum, Discipline, Urbanism, Respect, Manners etc. In the light of these meanings of Adab, we could define the term, as every writing or piece of written material which follows the rules of discipline, respects, etc should be called literary writing and could be kept in the shelf of literature.
The English word literature is derived from a Latin word Littera, stands for the art of writing. Literature could be divided in two basic classes. First is called Fictional Literature and second is Non Fictional Literature.
Standard of writing is the base to differentiate good and bad literature. Critics reject the below standard written materials and they do no allow them to keep in the cell of good literature. Attractive and appealing way of writing created by the writer’s heart beating with a quality of penetrate in the heart of readers or listeners could be graded as good literature.
Peshawar was a paradise for literature and literary activities in very past of this city, tell the scholar. Being first station or place of stay across the Gateway to South Asia each and every invading nation used to bring here, the civilization, culture and literature among them Learned people also say that the dough of Urdu language, which was introduced as Rekhti and Lashkari Zaban or Troops language was started to take place here in Peshawar. Literature of Pashto, Persian, Arabic and other such languages were brought here by the invaders, these oriental languages mixed with local and regional dialects and formed a Lashrkari Zaban or language of troops and it became popular most at about every place of subcontinent. Great and famous poets and writers the literary treasure of this region with their literary work, tell the learned scholars.
Farigh Bukhari, the author of “Attock Kai us paar”, Across the Attock River, published in 1955, has divided the span between 1700 AD to 1955 AD in to 5 literary periods and recorded the names and work of literary personalities, living in these 5 literary periods. What happened after 1955, how many literary periods have been passed? And who much literary personalities were living in the periods after 1955, and what is about their literary work, these questions are answerless up till now. Flowing water of the time is passing away. The culture of writing and reading of the books is unfortunately vanished in the stormy developing age of computer and technology. But we could not believe that that there is no literary institution in this capital city of the province of Pakistan. We could not believe that literary activities have been vanished in this area.
Literature is still being born here and it is still growing on the day by day basis, as the clay of the field is still cultivable and environment is still alive and helpful for creation of literature and literary activities. Dozen of literary organizations and individuals are playing their vital role in practice to produce and grow the literary work of standard class in Pashto, Hindko, Khuwar, and other languages beside Urdu, our national language.
Following links would help you to highlight the literary activities in different literary circles of over beloved Peshawar, the capital city of frontier province of our beloved Pakistan.
