Mirza Sahiban

Mirza Sahiba (Punjabi: ਿਮਰਜ਼ਾ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਂ, مرزا صاحباں, mirzā sāhibāṁ) is one of the four popular tragic romances of the Punjab, Pakistan. Heer Ranjha and Mirza Sahiba, including Sohni Mahiwal and Sassi Punnun are the four tales from Punjab, narrated in Punjabi. The seven others are Momal Rano, Umar Marvi, Sohni Mahiwal, LiLa Chanesar, Sassi Punnun, Noori Jam Tamachiand Dhaj, Ror Kumar from Sindh and Baluchistan and are commonly known as Seven Queens (Sindhi: ست مورميون) of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. They include Sassi Punnun and Sohni Mahiwal again, as they are culturally included in both Punjabi and Sindhi traditions. These nine tragic romances from South Asia (all from now days Pakistan)have become part of the cultural identity of Pakistan.

Synopsis

Mirza and Sahiba were childhood playmates and were both born in a Jat family. Sahiba was the daughter of Mahni, the chief of Kheiwa, a town in what is now the Sial territory in the Jhang district Punjab. Shayer Pillo raves about her beauty and says:

Sahiba stepped out with a lungi tied around her waist, the nine angels died upon seeing her beauty.

Mirza Khan is the son of Wanjhal Khan, the leader of the Kharal tribe in Danabad, a town in the Jaranwala area of what is now Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Mirza is sent to his relatives' house in Kheiwa to study, where he meets Sahiba and they fall in love. When, later in life, Sahiba is to be wedded forcibly to Tahar Khan of the Chadhar family by arrangement of her parents, she sends a message to Mirza, living in the village of Danabad, through a Brahmin called Kammu:

You must come and decorate Sahiban’s hand with the marriage henna.

Mirza's sister asks him not to try to rescue Sahiba, as it is the day of her own wedding and she wants her brother to be there. His whole family warns him that the "Sials" (Sahiba's brothers) are aggressive and should be left alone, but Mirza pays no heed to this.

Mirza arrives on his horse, Bakki, during Sahiba's mehndi ceremony and carries her away. Sahiba's brothers find out about this and decide to follow them. On the way, as Mirza lies under the shade of a tree to rest for a few moments, Sahiba's brothers and chanders caught up with them.

Sahiba knows Mirza is an accomplished archer and would not miss a target, and that if he shot at them, her brothers would surely die. Before waking Mirza up, Sahiba broke his arrows so he can't use them, and hopes that, on seeing her, her brothers might change their minds and welcome Mirza into the family. She thought that they'd understand the love Mirza and Sahiba have for each other, but they are not to be swayed and a fight ensues. Though Mirza fights with all his might, he is unable to defeat such a large number of people and killed by the blow of a sword to his head from behind. As he lies dying, he asks Sahiba why she broke his arrows, and tells her that if she had not snapped them, he would have just fired them in the air as a warning, never wishing to kill her brothers. After he dies, Sahiba picks up the sword with which he was killed with and kills herself in her grief.

A popular legend has it that Mirza and Sahiba will continue to reincarnate until they are finally together.

Out of all the legendary stories originating from Punjab, Mirza Sahiba's story is one of very few where the the male's name comes first and then the female's.

See also

• Heer Ranjha
• Sassi Punnun
• Sohni Mahiwal

External links

• Punjabi Literature and Poetry Punjabi Culture and Traditions