Vernacularization of Islam and Sufism in Medieval Assam: A Study of the Production of Sufi Literature in Local Languages

Islam originated in Arabia in eight century and spread all over the world, resulting a mass conversion of the local population in Persia, Byzantine and North Africa. In this region under banner Sufism, Islam as a faith promised enough flexibility and accommodation to be adjusted with the varied socio-cultural backgrounds. Consequently the universal principles of Islam were vernacularised and contextualized or localized form and expression of the Islamic spiritualism emerged in this region. Like the other parts of India, Assam also witnessed the emergence and development of Sufism. The Sufi scholars and saints at first composed the Sufi literature in Arabic language, then in Persian and in later period it the Sufi literatures were written in various local and vernacular languages specially in asamease and bengali language. In assamese, zikir and zari songs were composed which had the elements of Islamic religion teachings and communal brotherhood. The marfati murshidi and baul songs and other literature of Bengali languages also contributed in the growth of synthetic cult in this region.