Hason Raja - A poet of Earth and Heaven

Hason Raja was a great mystic and Sufi poet of late 19th and early 20th century of Bangladesh. He took the position of fame in the spiritual and prophetic world of music. The philosopher, poet Hason Raja, gave a deep and eloquent message to the world of Mormi or mystic songs of Bengal. He is mainly regarded as a philosopher. He tried to understand the meaning of human life from the very depth of his realisation. Gaining supreme knowledge was his main way of his basic thinking. Hason Raja transcended regional boundaries. His thoughts and songs impressed Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore. In his Hibbert Lectures on Religion of Man delivered in Oxford, at Manchester College, during the month of May 1930, he felt it relevant to mention and quote from Hason Raja. He said, “It is a village poet of East Bengal (Hason Raja) who preaches in a song the philosophical doctrine that the universe has its reality in its relation to the Person,” he then quotes Hason’s lines translated by himself,

“The sky and the earth are born of mine own eyes,
The hardness and softness, the cold and the heat are the products of mine own body,
The sweet smell and the bad are of my own nostrils. “

He goes on saying, “This poet sings of the Eternal Person within him, coming out and appearing before his eyes, just as the Vedic Rishi speaks of the Person, who is in him, dwelling also in the heart of the sun....” Tagore did not hesitate to compare Hason with a Vedic Rishi (ascetic saint/scholar).

Despite belonging to an opulent background, a series of family tragedies during his boyhood and an apocalyptic earthquake in the then British Assam region during his youth forced him to view life in a different angle. He reconciled his philosophical viewpoints with that of few more schools of thought for a better understanding of human welfare and Man’s harmony with nature --- keeping in mind his fragile existence in the Nature. This nascent realisation, coupled with his natural poetic instinct, induced him to write poems and folk lyrics and also compose melodies for those folk songs. Benevolent, non-communal and probably a little eccentric for his period of time, Hason Raja wanted reconciliation and rapprochement between classes, creeds, races and nations. As mentioned earlier, despite having a rich, rural landlord’s family background, Hason touched millions of hearts by his songs. It is not through his riches but through reconciling approaches of his music – the spirit of which is love, affection and devotion that he won these hearts. Today most Bangladeshis have heard of Hason Raja’s name and almost everyone can sing or cite at least a line or two from one of his songs. His songs are influenced by Vaishnava Padavali Keertana, Sufi poetry and even Buddhism. He draws on various images and sources to express his deep longing for spiritual union, the union between creator and the created. He sings of human self-awareness, a self reflection which evolves into modern self-led thought of responsibility and creativity.

He spent most of his life in Sunamganj a very village of Bangladesh where he was born on 21 December 1854. He had a vast properties in paternal land namely Bishwanath and scattered all over Sylhet Division in Bangladesh. He also travelled to Kolkata (Calcutta), Dhaka (Dacca), Shilong and other parts of India. His ancestors lived in Varanasi, Ayodhya and Raebareli of India. From there they moved to Bardhaman (present day West Bengal of India), Jessore (Bangladesh) and lastly to Bishwanath of Sylhet Division. His father Ali Raja married the widowed wife of his cousin Amir Baksh Choudhury of Lakkhmansree of Sunamganj and Hason Raja was born to this couple on 21 December, 1854.

Hason Raja had one sister and two brothers; they were Dewan Obaydur Raja (brother), Sahifa Banu (sister) and Muzaffar Raja (brother).

Since his childhood Hason lived with his mother Hurmat Jahan Banu. Owing to traditions of a zaminder (landlord) family, his early life was moulded in an aura of luxury and comfort. He, however, understood the burden of his mother’s sadness that lost four of her children before his birth. Also, Hason’s father Ali Raja used to stay at Rampasha in Sylhet Division for eight to nine months of the year to look after his zamindari (estate) there. Hason Raja learned Arabic, Persian, Hindustani and Bengali from his tutors in this sombre background.

Hason Raja's childhood was in the middle of Laksanashri's absolute aesthetic nature. The boy from such natural world Hason was walking around the River, marsh land, Jungle and mountainous area.

After three-year of primary education, he got lessons in Arabic, Persian and Bangla as a family tradition from the teacher sitting at his house. In the meantime, he looked like a real prince in his youth.

Hason Raja grew up on the bank of Surma River. Because of a partially absentee father, Hason Raja became restless. He used to take out boats and roam the Surma River and adjacent lakes and swamps. He roamed the nearby jungles and took to swimming and kite flying and he reached his adolescence in such bucolic background. He met and befriended many people and it was around this time that he started writing tripadi (a Bengali poetic metre) verses. Later he included these verses in his book “Showkhin Bahar”.

Traditionally, there had been a musical environment around his residence since his childhood. Bauls were regular visitors of their house with different folksongs like Thakurbhugi, keertana, bichchhedi, Raibichchhedi, Shambichchhedi, moharash baul, huligan, fakiri, Gazir geet, and nauka baich geet. At the same time female Bauls performed bier geet, mongola, mal, mathur, gusto, firagusto and many other songs for the ladies in the inner apartments. All these musical atmospheres had great effect in his song writing.

In 1869, at the age of 15, Hason Raja experienced an earthquake which was followed by flood and storm. Two years after this natural disaster, at the age of seventeen, Hason Raja saw his elder brother Obaydur Raja die when he was only 39 years old. Just after 39 days of his brother’s death, his father Ali Raja passed away from a cancer type disease. These two deaths devastated Hason Raja. He wrote;
Gaining wealth and assets, Hason! You become the landlord
Can you think that you would stay in Lakkhansree for eternity!

In this difficult and saddend times Hason Raja fell in love with a beautiful young lady but failed to get her beside him. He started his book of songs ‘Hason Bahar’ at this time. Love for a fellow human being turned into a love for the esoteric, the divine. He wandered around Karimganj, Shilschar, Shilong, Mymensing, Dhaka, Kolkata and Delhi. A wanderer Hason Raja became involved in several in fatuous marriages with some well-bred women in Sylhet. After this spell of amorous activities Hason Raja became indulged in different hobbies. He hunted kora (moor hen) obsessively. He was also fond of two types of birds; Mayna and Duyel. He kept and tamed 292 kora, 50 maynas and 29 duyels. In 1897 at the age of his 43, Hason Raja saw a devastating earthquake at the Richter scale of 8.8. This left a lasting impact on his mind and thoughts. He took it as a warning from his creator and mentioned in his songs that he had vision about a close encounter with Him. ‘Hason Udash’ became an amazing book with so many wonderful mystic poems in it. In these poems he started telling his metaphysic experiences that he can sense and can get sight of his esoteric, the divine spirit who created the whole universe. However he looked at the man and animal, air and earth, water, land, trees, and leafs, he saw everywhere the existence of creator who he felt so close to Him and God was talking to him in His own language. Hason Raja’s highest finding, he explored that the divine God Himself stays in Hason Raja. This pantheistic realisation of his Allah took him to the understanding of Oneness, the existence of one Supreme Devine.

Hason Raja says, I'm nothing, I'm nothing
What I refer to as "I" is only Mabud Allah
After judging myself I recognized You.
Hason Raja says only One exists but not two.
No one can have firm faith
Until they see themselves in Allah.
Hason Raja was emphasizing that his Friend, Allah is ubiquitous and ever-present. The person who says can’t see God, he is blind and no sense of realisation that Allah is present everywhere here near him or her. That’s why some people are latent about their own existence. They don’t look around to see the signs of God in this world. Hason Raja says;

Whosoever says they don’t see Khoda
They are blind forever
I know that soul is blind
Being lost in the transcendental love Hason Raja sings
Annihilation of ‘self’ leads to Allah alone.
I only see one Khoda, everything else is empty space
Look around carefully and you’ll see that besides Allah
There’s nothing
Whatever direction I look in there I see Allah

While nearing the age of 50s Hason Raja lost his youngest and dearest daughter Roushan Akhter Banu. He started to cry again and again for this loss. He felt so sad and futile to hold of his daughter for longer.

After the deaths of his beloved brother, father, his daughter and the wives whom he loved and married gradually passed away due to epidemic and diseases and those days he did not find any medical treatment available in whole of city. He realized that the world is very transitory and short and nobody would live for ever. He was devastated again when his mother Hurmat Jahan left this world in 1904 and his own daughter passed away. An all engulfing emptiness struck him again and brought him face to face with his short stay in this worldly existence.

He sang;
My father and brother died, and my mother too
Hason now knows the price one has to pay to live in this world
These days have gone in neglect and nights wasted in slumber,
Raja wakes up at dawn and cries.

Hason Raja found himself the truth about pragmatic experiences and metaphysical understanding merged into one. He realised no one can understand the reality of this world without understanding spiritual development of himself or herself. It means in his words that if one can recognize his own existence, he or she can know about this world and its creator.

If you know yourself you’ll know your God
Hason Raja sings his songs knowing himself.

Loosing so many kilns and relatives, Hason Raja understood that nobody is staying for longer period of time. In this transitory world there’s nothing to loose but to avail the mercy of God. Hason Raja observed that people are engaged in gaining things but in vain. Some people mock and cheat others to gain something to their end. As it’s not worthy of deceiving someone else, but it’s to deceive him/herself. Hason Raja prays for those who aren’t bothered about the span of life. Although they’ve no value of time, and so are wasting time. Hason Raja pleads to God for giving the people the good conscience to behave well with others and to utelise the time properly and effectively.

There's no man in this country, but almost all asleep
Forgetting this world, all became so senseless.
Being caught in the net of illusion
You can't recognize yourself
When you will recognize at an end
When you'll wear a shroud.
All are coming in and going away from this body
When he'll go away, you'll never get him again
When you make the people understand,
They refuse to get it
When you'll give them responsibility,
They don't take.
When you'll direct to God, they don't bother
They've become scoundrel just looking greedily
at this world.
They are only trying to trick the people.
Holding the feet of God, Hason Raja only cries
Oh God, please give me death to rescue all of them
at the cost of my life.

Almost 150 years before the independence of Bangladesh, when Bengali Language is gradually going to stand on its own feet through the contribution from earliest poets, literary figures and thinkers, Hason Raja took pride in his Bengali roots. As he was born in a particular region of the world he considered himself a Bengali-devotee (sadhak). In his role as a sadhak, he enriched Bengali folk literature, and thus, ultimately, Bengali literature.

Thus he could say:

I am desperately craving for my beauty, the lover
Oh Radha, for you, Bengali Hason Raja crying and roaming everywhere

The benevolent, non-communal Hason Raja wanted reconciliation and rapprochement between classes, creeds, races and nations. Having known the mystic spirit of love, he wanted to embrace all men of all classes. The crop of his real life experience is his song. The ethos of his songs can give us the opportunity to build our country and our nation by moral and mental enrichment. Hason Raja used to love the people around him, he never disrespected any class or caste or religion.


In one of his songs he says:

All classes will become one,
Merging into each other
There won’t be any egoism,
Hason Raja says.

Always he used to feel a responsibility to take care of his people who lived near him. There’s a story about his benevolence. Prabhat Kumar Sharma, heard from an old employee of Hason Raja’s house and wrote: “One night I am returning from the market. It's raining in the rainy season. When I got home, I saw the light in the horse's house. I was amazed at the night-light at the horse's room. I moved a little forward; I asked "who is here?" 'Come, come here'. Hason Raja, he realized my voice. I hurried forward. I see a dish and a glass of water in his hand. An old man, a young man and two children are lying on the grass at the floor. Now, the situation goes like that, starvation has loomed over these poor people. My Master said, “Lift up the light.” I raised the light; He let them eat and arranged for them to sleep. Some days later the old man and the young man died of typhoid! The young boy's two survived. One is named Muslim, the other is Momin. He also taught them literacy. Momin is dead, where is the Muslim working still constable? "

Hason Raja uttered in his poem:
Why did you come to this world, if you don’t be one of mankind?
If you don’t be a human soul, you don’t work for others
Hason says, Oh brother listen to me
There’s nothing but to help others
You’re busy only performing your own work and
hassle others
Hason Raja says why you do harm to others.

He felt strongly that the idea of 'all the people are brothers' which was totally absent among the ten other landlords, wealthy, businessmen or influential people. That’s why; this notion indicated they’re selfish. Rather, in real life he saw violence, envy, resentment and misconduct. Nevertheless, Hason Raja, in his way of life and practice of his song has made the ideal of equality and harmony.

Hason Raja realised the importance of harmony to be ascertained and for this reason he has to know his God as He himself is a harmony. Love is prerequisite to it and works for closest relationship between God and man. In this aim Hason Raja established that connection and named his Lover as Hasonjan.
Infatuation, its infatuation in two eyes
Hason Raja has lost himself in love with Darling
He became impatient observing Her moon-like-face
The pains of whole life cease to exist.
His heart leaps up to see her Beauty
The longing creeps in the mind of Hason Raja.

Hason Raja found man and woman in his God. Once he called his God as Hasonjan as ‘Piari’ or ‘Shokhi’ and another time he called the same Hasonjan as ‘Peyara’ or ‘Shokha’. Being transcendental the poet climbed over to see both men and ladies as one.

Hason Raja says Oh man my Friend,
If You don't appear before me.
I shall have no alternative than to die because of You.
Hason Raja found so many live signs of his Creator in the everyday real life of the world, he became obsessed and started loosing his own entity and became restless to merge into the existence of his Allah.

Since that day Hason Raja started getting ready for the final day of leave. From the bank of Surma or the bank of Kapna, Hason would soon be leaving Lakkhansree, the village of love or Rampasha, the village of colours, and sailing to the eternal land of hereafter riding on the boat of soul.

He wrote:
There won’t be any value of a beautiful mansion
Where I can build in this void.
Although Hason Raja was mystic poet. In terms of mysticism Hason Raja doesn’t meant to be such poet of obscurity. Rather he was poet of heart and soul. His songs easily touch people’s heart. And he says of heart:

What happened to my heart-felt Love?
What happened to Him?
Staying in my heart, He speaks to me.
Taking me on His lap,
He dived deep into sea of love,
What happened to me?
I float on the surface of intuition
Hason Raja says, my darling,
My heart-felt Gold treasure,
Looking inside me, You embraced me forever.

At end Hason Raja eliminated his own self entity and became fauna (merged into one). He became self aware and claimed he became able to understand himself and he claimed that he won the self-consciousness and the life. This self-consciousness survives throughout the ages as human lives will learn themselves by knowing selves and will be able to understand the world and it’s Creator.

Hason Raja is therefore determined to dissuade all relations with this world. 'But at this stage even Hason Raja is not relieved. Through various experiments, he has realized that it is not possible for him to merge with the truth. He has already realized that love is not available even by obeying the rules of the law. He needs love, but even with love burns he doesn’t get the response from Lover. It hurts him. It is impossible to associate with him without giving up all the attachment with worldly things. Hason Raja took refuge in the last level of judging integrity and intelligence and all through this hierarchy he meets his Lover. It is from the last phase of Hason-Manas(his mind) begins, he met the Lover and the witty Hasonraja becomes the philosopher Hason Raja. Although the body and the mind are gifted as two entities, both are equally important in human life; it is evident that the true identity of a human being is found in his soul. Hason Raja is saddened to see his own soul held captive in the middle of the body.

Being confined up in an earthen cage
The Moyna of Hason Raja’s mind keeps crying.
Imprisoned by parents in the world of happiness
Pleasantly I’ve got incarcerated in the aviary.
Away flies the Moyana into the cage
Bolting the door, Parents throw me into the net of illusion.
Entering into the cage, Moyana becomes restless
The bird fails to break the strong cage.
While departing, the cruel Moyana won’t even look back
Pleadingly Hason Raja will then urge the Moyna to come back
Unkind Moyna will keep going, never to return.
This dismal state of captive souls has made Hason Raja a fate. Hason Raja did not initially experience such a great connection to the living and the supreme soul. Rather, he imagined Jivatma as a helpless kite in the hands of the Supreme Being. He is no longer dying in the cage of the body, but in the body, his individual take rests. From this body is strong and soft, cold and hot, as is the origin of Muslim religion from the colour of this body. Therefore, from the various organs of the same body, the origin of earthly, inanimate, and infinite variety of things, the body has become immaterial because of its existence. Likewise, the mind has lost its previous form and multiplied in other qualities. That’s it, there are no longer two separate entities in the body and mind in his life, from the functional two sides of the same entity, everything originated in this universe. In modern philosophy, long before al-Fred North White-head, Hason Raja rejected the distinction between body and mind as one of the various things in the material world and the various froms in the human world. As a follow-up to his idea, there can be a functional difference between body and mind; As a result, they are not at all antagonistic.

Hason Raja found himself in judicial analysis of the mutual functioning of the body and mind that he engaged in the search for lovers and became suicidal in the extreme. According to Momen Chowdhury, 'He was deeply affectionate, the nearness of God is impossible to achieve through loveless external acts. His songs are the only ones to be revealed.
God is a lover
There will be no God, no prayers, no fasting.
God if you want to catch up with him
God will meet in love.

He will not be found without concentration in love. There is no difference between the real lovers and the lovers. They are just two sides of the same content. Jalaluddin Rumi, one of the best poets in the Muslim world, said;

Think not that God is distinct from me.
Open clear eyes and look upon me,
That you may behold the light of God in a mortal.
The Beloved once called the ka’ba ‘My house,’
But has said to me ‘O my servant’ seventy times;
O Bayazid, you have found the Ka’ba,
The World takes it being from me, not I from it

Like Rumi, Hason Raja finds himself at the root of the creation of the cosmos when he comes to play the game in his paradise. In all places, it is His presence in all circumstances. So he sang:

I'm the original paramour
I've come to this transient world to execute fun-play
I'm Radha; I'm Kanu; I'm Shiva; I'm Durga.
I am the Adhar Chand and I am Gour hari.
To fool around, I've come to this material world.
Not knowing who can catch me recognizing who I am.
I'm the origin, I'm the centre, and ubiquitous I am.
Keep on dancing, Hason Raja who are you scared of?
Get rid of your ego and get dissolved completely.

In the society of the then Hason Raja’s time he observed a false practice in the very beginning of religion which still exists today. Even in these days it’s being seen in many places in the entire Bangladesh where many people who used to attend mosque-worshiping, such as 'Salat,' or 'Salah', where a number of people once again engaged in blasphemy, gossip and harming other fellows. Hason Raja became aware after observing the matter in full, which is revealed in his song below.

In this case, he knew very well what the consequences of the practice of puppets could be! The purpose of participation in the Jamaat is to seek mercy and compassion through the supreme affection and love of the Supreme Being, and to receive His intimacy and absolute love by giving him the highest respect and finally attaining heaven. But when Hason Raja sees that the Jamaat also makes the prayers fast and the worship short, by means of slander and gossip, and it is like suicide. Then the worshipers took the form of a hypocrite. Hason Raja says that he does not want the heaven that everybody desires through such worship nor he wants to go to the hell through criticizing or wishing harm or harming others. Failing the goal of all worship Hason Raja doesn’t bother about paradise or hell, but to take shelter at the feet of Supreme Lover, Allah. So in the end, he is most eager to avoid both this heavenly or hellish nightmare dungeon but to go to his Lord and Friend.

No more fasting and prayers, says Hason Raja
Being scared of going to heaven, I’ve left doing them.
Certainly, I’ll go to heaven if I fast and pray.
I know though
Out of fear of being thrown into hell
I’ve given up speaking of bad things about others
O my Lord, don’t dispatch me
to paradise, hell or purgatory
I won’t stay without my friend;
this is what my heart desires.

'The principle he adheres to for ordinary religious Muslims is not the same in his own field. So there is no question of contradiction. The poet is not a follower of any particular path. So he made his position clear. Therefore Prabhu Purushottam is expressed in his song with the condition of the Supreme Being, the condition of the liberation of human beings through unconditional 'reality' or surrender. That is why in the Srimadbhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna tells the beloved Arjuna:

That is, you abandon all religions and only take refuge in me; I will free you from all sins, do not grieve. But to lead to Lord, one has to be self-oriented; one needs to recognize one's self. Walt Whiteman, a famous Western poet, has sung so much in his original tune:
I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
and what I assume you shall assume,
for every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

I loafe and invite my soul,
I lean and loafe at my ease
Observing a spear of summer grass.
My tongue, every atom of my blood,
formed from this soil, this air,
Born here of parents born here from parents the same,
and their parents the same,
I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,
Hoping to cease not till death.

Mr Abdul Hai added: “Even though to understand his life and his pursuit, his entire essay needs to be studied. It is inevitably admissible that Hason Raja is a genius of folklore. To express and judge such a person, you’ve to know and understand him properly. That is why there will be ample opportunity to judge the poet and his poetry, along with his compositions and his precise life stories.

Hason Raja is the lead composer of Bangla Mormi (mystic) songs. His songs have an integral connection with the folklore of Bengal. Folklore is especially found in the folklore of Bengal, especially in poetry, songs and plays. Although Bengali literature is not too old.

Hason Raja's work was written and published in his time. He has written his own songs by himself. Hason Raja also has a great deal of experience in people's life and world. But always so many questions arises around the desire of man, the creation, the mystery-inquiry, the truth-beautiful, the life-thinking, the consequences of life or death, the relation between the living and the Supreme, and the truth of this universe. Moreover, the language of Hason Raja is perfectly suited to his folk vision or expression. In his philosophy, the significance of the whole human life has blossomed into the outlook of normal life.

Hason Raja's song lyrics are straightforward. Because he was able to present it to the masses, people have accepted the music as their own property. Although Hason Raja composed his songs on his own but others cooperated and participated in his presentation. As a result of collective activities, the spirit of the message’s been interesting and alive to the people. Hason Raja has added his own name to each of his poetry for the purpose of representing human kind, but in every line he tries to find the mind of the common man. He created a new spirit of vibrancy for the common man. That’s why Hason Raja's song is an important asset of Bengali folklore.

If his music had not come out of common daily life, we wouldn’t have met Hason Raja of today and the intriguing theories within his songs wouldn’t come out. On the other hand, Amyashankar of Kalkata has given a nice explanation in his discussion thus: 'Eating, sleep, fear and sexual life revolve around these four points in the life of ordinary people like us. We cannot get out of this cycle. The only way out of this cycle would be to rise above the routine. One of the special occasions was that Hason placed himself above the ritual. That occasion is the meditation of the psychic. Attempting to meet Aparup by dipping into Roop Sagar brought another dimension to his life. The main melody of his music is the intense desire to merge with God’s love and Supreme Divine Spirit.

By burning the lamps of enjoyment, he had tried to remain empty in his heart. The liberated heart of thirsty Hason, transformed by the desire to enjoy life in the king's life, became enamoured with his liberation, and invoked Eternity. He developed an intimate relationship of love with Him through the warmth of heart. Hason Raja's only companion in building that relationship was music. The music was the best entertainment of Hason Raja's life. He wants to capture Aparup through the music. And the melody and rhythm of this music made it easy to express his linguistic and aesthetic theories in the sea of the world.

He was eager and anxious to find the main ethos and inertia of his songs repeatedly in an attempt to create a deep sense of humour for everyone. His time of practicing his songs was a folk tale, with a tribe of people singing songs and the brightest moments of the melody.

It has historically followed the genre that began with Rumi, Khaja Moinuddin Chishti traditionally from Amir Khasru, Farid Uddin, and Nizamuddin Auliya. In spite of the influence of his predecessors, Hason Raja has made a plethora of Mormi songs in melody, rhythm, language and composition. Listening to his songs, the realities of real life become abundant on occasion.

Before going to search for Hason Raja in the literary genre, one has to look at the way US researcher Edward Yazizian tried to find Hason Raja. He wrote; “When I reached the life of Hason Raja by reading available materials and interviewing various people, a profile of extremely complex person emerged. Hason Raja seems to be a man of contradictions, even to the point at which he seems like two completely different people.”

In the eyes of this researcher, though the self judging-mind of Hason Raja has two completely complex human beings, the folk culture of the subcontinent may be inconsistent with the continuation of numerous thoughts, religions, sects and philosophies. But according to Dr. Shamsuzzaman Khan, this complexity exists in ancient and medieval Bengali culture.

If the Muslim literature of the middle Ages can identify the clarification of Hason Raja from the ideologies of Sufism, Yoga tantrik and Vaishnava, and the Gourio movements of Bengal and Srihatta, then the problem of complexity and antagonism about him can be overcome. In discussing that context, it is possible to find a complete picture of him only if we discuss the significant addition of the literature of the 'Mormi clause' to Bengali literature. From the Charchapad, the origin of the Mystic stream originated. Later, Vaishnava texts, Shakta terms and finally the full development and transformation of the Baul Padavali or image, Puthee literature occupy a special place in Bengali literature in the middle Ages. Just as Chandidas appeared at the beginning of medieval Bengali literature rich in vocabulary in Arabic, Persian and Turkish, so did the poet Malik of Sri Krishna Vijay, the poets of Rasul Vijay, Jainuddin, Manasa Mangala's poet Vijaygutpta and Biprodas, Daulat Ujir and Alaul of Arakjan. All these countless medieval poets passed away. Subsequently, Bangla literary Puthee started to merge in form of Murshidabad-centered dual interpretation. Shah Garibullah was the oldest author of this manuscript. According to the current researchers, the backbone of the Bengali language has been strengthened by the Muslim poets of the Middle Ages, or the poetical writers of later Puthee literature. Religion and love lays in the simple, harmonious puthee songs sessions, lying in the backyard, sitting in the courtyard of the house, and enjoying the joy of sitting in fictions and story telling . Thus, puthees emerged as an invaluable resource among the illiterate people of the village and this manuscript continued to be written in various regional languages. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, a number of poets emerged who followed the poetry of Garibullah-Bharat Chandra, who did not engage in modern Bangla poetry and prose fiction. From that time, the poetry and music of Baul and Mormidhara music came together in Bangla. In the early part of the modern era, Bengali literary-culture language became the center of the influence of Fort William College in Kolkata. And from then on, modern Bengali literature started with the introduction of Bengali prose. During this time, the medieval Bengali literature of Persian and Urdu languages was dismissed as a pagan fiction of the Muslims. Subsequently the Arabic-Persian mixed Bangla is the poetical language of the Mormi and the Bauls, rather than the Sanskrit-dominated modern proper Bengali created by Fort William College. This Muslim poet was the successor of the literary body of the interpreter, who contributed to the mediation and thinkig flow. These poets have achieved fame by writing narrative books as well as writing poetry. However, some poets are just poets, while some poets have been busy with only composing music. “As much research has been done in different branches of literature, there has not been as much research on poetry and music. ............ But without the evaluation of their poetical works, the history of Bengali literature cannot be complete.

Rabindranath himself, while recognizing the language used by these poets, said: "The then regarded as unfair language is a very strong language and has a substance in its appearance. This unholy language was not practiced at all in our poetic language. But it is not the home where the unholy language is dying. In the lips of the Aowl, in the voice of the Bowl, the songs of devotees poets and uttered in the rhymes of young girls has widely been spread over in the whole of Bangladesh. "

The English synonym for 'Mormivad' Bangla is Mysticism. The word "moromy" or "murmy" refers to something deeply meaningful in the heart. The person who is able to establish a direct relationship with the God is also called a Moromi. They are mummified because their heart or their heart is connected to the supreme essence or absolute truth. Their philosophy is proved by the fact that they are racing against the universe. In the regional language, another synonym of 'Moromi' is 'marimaya', which is a manifestation of the characteristic of a person who feels compassion for the heart. It is possible to grasp the mystery of mysterious world, the thought of spiritual things through Mormonism, which is inaccessible to the senses. 'Mormonism is not a matter of material justice analysis. It is a special human feeling, a sense of greatness, an attempt to get rid of material contents, thinking and the pursuit of the highest potential. "

'The outward conduct of religion, the connection with Creator is not ritual, the love of the heart is the best way to achieve it. It is through this love that the stream of Mormonism flows. The lives of many mystic poet or personalities in the world bear testimony to mystic philosophy, words and ideals.

In Muslim philosophy, 'Morminism' has actually originated in the name of 'Sufism'. "And Islamic Sufism is the best development of world-mysticism."



Spiritual pursuit is the real basis of Morminism. According to Ahmad Sharif, 'it is not uncommon among the Buddhist Siddha, Sahajia, Vaishnava Sahajia, Nath Panthis, Hindus-Shaktas, Muslim Sufis and Bauls.'

In this section of history, I would like to shed some light on the uniqueness of Hason Raja’s work that as the descendant of those poets and artists above who were influenced by the philosophy of Sufi, Baul and Vaishnava philosophy of ancient Bangladesh.

Hazrat Shahjalal (Rah :) (120 - 6 AD) came to Sylhet in 1303. Later his name went spread throughout India. On the other hand, the poetry of Radhakrishna as a metaphor of the living soul of the Vaishnava-Vabho movement of Chaitanyadeva, in Sylhet, Karimganj and all over East and West Bengal, has an incredible influence and even globally. Renowned linguist Salimullah Khan thinks that 'the sixteenth century is the period of Sri Chetanya and it is in this century that the first modernization period of Bengal begins. The progress of humanity in this region then became fruitfully compatible with Europe. This successive genre continues for a long time, and in the meantime we see Hazrat Shahjalal (RA :) and Sri Chaitanya, a unique combination of humanistic intellectuals, Sufi and Vaishnavite ideologies, who developed a unique meditation and thinking flow and later Hason Raja emerged as their appropriate and liberal minded descendants in this field of the same region.

The influence of Gourio popular Vaishnava ideologies in Bengal, especially in East Bengal, led to the development of a strong humanitarian, multiethnic and integrated folk culture. Mahakabi Sultan portrayed Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara, Hari or Krishna as an incarnate or prophet in his epic 'Nabibangsha'. On the other hand, his 'Gyanachautisha' and 'Gyan Pradeep', 'Yog-Kulndar' are his national books. In this particular think tank Hason Raja was no exception.

Hason Raja emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century in a series of ancient literature, history and traditions of Sylhet. From the last section of the eighteenth century to the middle of the nineteenth century, this era was called the Renaissance era of Bengali literature. Within this period, we notice that many poets, philosophers and literary people have left behind their creativity in folk music, folk music, literature and culture. Among them are Fakir Lalan Sai, Sufi Shitalang Shah, Syed Shahnur Shah, Sheikh Bhanu, Baul Dudu Shah, Marmi poet Hason Raja, Arkum Shaha, Swabhavakabi Pagla Kanai, Sadhu poet Panju Shah and Vaishnava poet Radharaman Dutt.

It has been said that during the era of Hason Raja there were many of his prestige and achievements, but despite this, many have acknowledged that Hason Raja cannot be judged by the standards of the 20th century. The main reason why he blossomed like a flower of a forest is because of the expression of his poetic mind, apathetic mind, baul-mind or philosophical mind. He did not act in order to be called, his work referred to him in various adjectives. He has seen himself openly mad, baul or thinker. That’s why if he is considered an unconscious poet, then it will be very wrong. I, unequivocally agree with Dr. Shamuzzaman Khan that the position of Hason Raja, a devout-minded monk in the humanitarian consciousness of Moromiyabad and enlightened by the various folk-religions in Bengal and especially in Sylhet.

Such a beautiful poet in the village of East Bengal, now Bangladesh were not absorbed in his riches what he gained from his forefathers, but spent most of his time in meditation as devout to Allah and in pursuit of moromi music. As he was born as landlord’s son in Sylhet region, many writers or cultural figures assumed him or characterized him in prejudice that he was a man of enjoying luxury, but in practical life he had deep realisation in his heart on and about short life, human existence and God. Through his life from boyhood to youth and old ages he was thoughtful about and in love with Supreme lover who he experienced to communicate with. Out of his thought about this connection in very transitory world, he felt responsibility to convey the message to other human fellows that each and everybody’s got the obligation to be decent towards others, to feel responsibility for each other and to serve and behave well with each other.

Hason Raja has tried to understand human life from the deepest realisation. The wisdom behind knowing one's inner self is at the core of his philosophy. Hason Raja was born in the village of Teghoria in Laksmanashree pargana. At present the whole town of Sunamganj was within this pargana and the house of of Hason Raja, (Hason Bhuban) is located in the town of Tegharia. He was born on December 21, 1854.

Through all these life experiences, Hason was busy searching for the truth. Hason received the message of days of eternity from this short period of his life. Creation by the Creator, he came to know of an absolute bondage. Everywhere he looked, he found his perfect lover.

Hason Raja owned more than one lakh acres of land in Sylhet, Sunamganj and Karimganj areas in succession. In his youth, Hason Raja was never a hardy or ruthless landlord. He was generous in spirit. From a very young age, the poet of the people loved to live in harmony with the common people. In addition to composing the lyrics himself, he used to create the rhythm of the song. Today, Hason Raja's song occupies a unique place in the world of Bengali music. Even today he is admired for his heartbreaking music to Bengali speakers.

His perfection in the beauty of the Hasan Raja's Vaishnavite absolute love, in Buddhist non-violent consciousness, and the influence of his own immersion in the world of Sufi spiritual and prophetical thought, have made him an exceptional poet. Throughout his life he has discovered the union of the Supreme Creator and creation by blending self-identity into the spiritual human consciousness. He sings of human love in Muslim, Hindu and other religious sentiments.

Among those notable names whose intellectual, thinking, writing, and career, have contributed to the career of Hasan Raja, are Rabindranath Tagore, Pandit Khitimohan Acharya, Prabhat Kumar Sharma, Mohammed Al-Chaudhury Mohd, Mohd, Mohd, Mohd, Mohd, Mohd, Mohd, Mohd, Mohd, Mohammed, Sufia Kamal, Dewan Mohammad Azharf, Shamsuzzaman Khan Worth it.

Ancestors and Hason Raja

In the Sultanate period in India, one of the primitive men of the Hasan Raja family was Raja Ramchandra Sinhadev. These men lived in Banarasi under the rich sun-dynasty. Many years later, Tilottam Chandra Singhdev, a descendant of Ramchandra Singhdev, moved from Banarasi to Raebareli for some unknown reason and married a princess of the Aoud dynasty in the kingdom of Ayodhya.

Their next descendant, King Vijay Singhadev, left Ayodhya in the middle of the sixteenth century due to the invasion of Mughals, the family feud and conflict and tmoved to Elahabad and later came to Burdwan. He was accompanied by his brother Durjoy Singhadev. Running after the fate, they migrated further east to Jessore district of Bengal and settled in the village of Kagdi in the Habeli pargana . At that time, this region was called the South Rhara area. With the help of Pathans, two brothers Vijay Singh and Durjoy Singh established a small continent of their own.

Most likely: This was the period of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir (1604-1627). At that time, younger brother Durjoy Singh, who was in charge of managing this small kingdom in the south, became so stubborn as to take it into his own hands. To avoid any quarrels with the brother, the elder brother Vijay Singhadev left the kingdom and traveled to the northeast of Bengal with a large group of people of different caste and different sections of Hindu society. Among them were the family Kulopurohit (clergyman), gurus, Brahmins, aristocratic kaiyasta, nappi, dhupa, teli, mali, kavirut, midi and fishermen. Eventually, he settled in a village known as the present Konaura under Bishwanath Upazila of Sylhet region. In writings, Dewan Muhammad Azarof mentions that the traces of Raja Vijay Singh's surrounding walls, ponds and mansion still found in the village of Kunaura, within the jurisdiction of the Kourya pargana. In the history of the Dewan house, it is stated that after the decoration of a queen's precious stone engraved on the nose of her queen, the descendant of the family belonged to Dewan Azizur king Chowdhury. After a long journey, Raja Vijay Singhadev(1559-1638) became physically exhausted and ill, and his son prince Ajit Shinghadev (1593-1678) took charge of this small kingdom.

Ajit Singhadev encouraged many people from far and wide to build new settlements in this area. When Ajit Singhadev died, his three sons, Raja Subhidram Singhadev (1623-1688), Raja Bethitoram Singhadev and Raja Srinath Singhadev, among them, eldest one took over the kingdom. Subhidram's two sons, Raja Abhimanyaram Singhdev (1651-1706) and Raja Pratap Singhdev (1654-1716). Later, Raj Ranjit Singhadev, the only son of Raja Abhimanyu Singhdev, used to travel frequently to the house of a Brahmin friend to play dice. The house of this Brahmin friend was on the bank of the river Kapana. Legend has it that King Ranjit never won a game with his friend. But once he played, he bet on the place and played the name of Lord Sri Ram and finally won for the first time in the game. Shortly after this victory, he left Kunaura and built his residence two miles southeast and named the area 'Rampasha' after his descendant, King Rama Chandra Singh Dev. He built a palace with a ramp on the ramp. The ruins of this fort are still bearing witness to history.

Ranjit Singhdev (1676-1748) had five sons, respectively: Sundaram Singhadev, Shapadram Singhadev, Banarasiram Singhadev, 5Jagatram Singhadev and Chandirama Singhadev. The third son, Banarasim Singh Sinhadev (1704-1781) was born during his parents' pilgrimage to Banaras town in northern India. His name in conjunction with the birthplace is named as 'Banarasiram'. Ranjit Singhadev's first son, Sundaram Singhadev, passed away. His second son, Samparam Singhdev, was always addicted to music and dancing. Banarasiram is the obedient and worthy son of his Father. His father Ranjitram Singh, the third son, entrusted him with carrying out the task. He focuses on development of his local area. Having maintained a close relationship with Ali Quli Beg, the faujdar of the Sylhet at that time, he became a very prominent local ruler in the northwest of the area. Note that the Sylhet all faujdars were then called as Nawabs. It is heard that Nawab Ali al-Quli (1744-1748) visited the historic enclosed house with walls at Rampasha. He was pleased to praise Banarasiram Shinghadesv for his benovelence and support to proletariat and poor people. He’s given his recommendation on the title of 'Dewan' to Banarasiram awarded by the superior Mughal ruler. Khan Bahadur Dewan Ghaniur Raja said that after recognizing the kindness and generosity of Banarasi Singhadev, he was awarded with complete one-year tax deduction from Faujdar Aliquli Beg

On the other hand, the hilly tribe Khasiya and the Kuki people, who lived on the border all over Sylhet since the time of Faujdar and Nawab Aliquli, often came down to the plain land and did various injustice to the people.

Nawab Nawazish Khan was a very liberal Nawab after Aliquli. He would win the hearts of many Hindu elights of the area by giving them assistance and land. At the beginning of the year 1959, Banarasi Singhadev met Nawab with his son Birendaram and thus a cordial relationship with the faujdar dwveloped. Raja Birendrama Singhadev (1729-1797), the father of our future poet Dewan Hasan Raja's grandfather. He lives within the Hindu conservative society and environment.

Sunamganj and Hasan Raja
Sunamganj is the birthplace of Hasan Raja.
In 641, Huyen Tsang was on the waterway and Ibn Battuta crossed the Great Sea and toured Sylhet in 1346. In the middle of the sixteenth century, Raja Vijay Singhadev, the ancestor of the Hason Raja, crossed the great marshlands, and subsequently, the resident collector, Robert Lindsay, crossed the a larger sea, arriving in Sylhet in 1778. However, the name of Sunamganj he didn’t mention in his biography but the geographical signs of the area and the image appears in the pleasant description of his arrival.
After the company's rule, the period of the British Raj was from 1858 to 1947. It is to be noted that during this term Hason Raja was born exactly four years before the beginning of the British Raj started and he died before it ended. Thus Hasn Raja’s lifetime was during the period of British Raj.
Until the rule of the British Raj, there was no such region by the name of Sunamganj before 1877. However, in the name of a person named 'Lakshmanram Das', a pargana named as Lakshnashri existed. This was probably the end of Sultanate period or the beginning of the Mughal period, the life of Lakshmanaram existed.

But historian Achuytacharan Tattanidhi took favour of imanigination Lakshnaram of Lakshmanri or any other local Dewan dynasty had a connection with the Dewan Hasan Raja dynasty and the historian tried to seek refuge with imagination and without any basis he wanted to establish the relationship between two assumed. Following the information given by Dewan Ganiyur Raja, the son of Hasan Raja, the idea is completely wrong. In Sunamganj, a former man of Ayyazdi Qureshi sent by the chief of the Nawabs of Murshidabad for patrolling Khasiya rebels during Mughal period. Ayyouzidi Qureshi became landlord in the area. In fact, Hassan Raja's grandfather, King Birendram Singh Singhadev alias Babu Raja alias Babar Raja, married the sister of the Ayazadi Qureshi. Hasan Raja's father Ali Raja and Amir Box Chowdhury were cousins. His uncle, Golam Ali, was an honorable man during the English period- Ghaniur Raja mentioned. Since he had no sons and daughters, he later gave up all properities and belongings to two of his nephews, Amir Box Chowdhury and Dewan Ali Raja. As a result, Hason Raja subsequently became the heir to all the property.

The kingdom of Laur was extended alongwith the whole of Sunamganj and other parts of Habiganj and Mymensingh. The records of that period of the Meus period refer to the parish of Lau. Speaking of the name of the pargana, the historian Sajjad Hossain mentions, "Atujaan, Jatua, Pagla, Lakshshree, Shikusanita, Dohalia, Hawley Sonita, Naigang, Sukhair, Pilgaon, Singhapair Doj, Behali, Gheragarel, Narang, Gheragate, Narang,"

Hason Raja grew up in a beautiful natural environment along the Surma River. From birth onwards, the only child was kept as a treasure by the mother Hurmatjan Bibi. Around the world, people had a colorful childhood like Hason Raja. The baby boy was a festive guest among the housemates. Oneday a day light erupting on the horizon as it came to his eyes. The northwestern horizon over the Surma touches the water, the Khasiya Hills surprised the boy Hason Raja. He wanted to reach the far side of the blue mountain. Shortly afterwards, during his adolescence a poetic meeting took place. The poetry of 'Sukhin Bahar' begins. At the age of six or seven, Hason Raja got closer to his sister Saifa Banu. He returned to Sunamganj after studying for three years at Syedia Madrasa in Sylhet. Hason Raja is not eight then. Despite the lack of a father's presence in childhood, his mother enlightened him around within the four walls. It was the beginning of his simple life with ten other village playmates. Running under the open sky, swimming in the water of pond, floating in the river, flying kite, hiding in the bushes, there is no limit to his happiness.

Hason Raja spent his childhood in the village. He was always associated with the weeping tears and happiness of the villagers. And that's why he has a special love for the village. Like most other ten zamindars, he could have lived in Lucknow, Kolkata, Dhaka or Sylhet for himself. But the busy atmosphere of the city did not attract him to ease. He never wanted to leave the village of Lakshmishri.

Once in his childhood he had the opportunity to watch wrestling, and another time he heard Ghatugan. These two types of amusement are the his big dislike. Seeing these, his mood would become worse...

When Hason Raja was only fifteen or sixteen years old. Father Ali Raja was at Rampasha. Once during the monsoon, the river Surma has blossomed. When the ferry from Lakshmishri to Achinpur overflowed with the flood water of the river, the sun did not touch the horizon. At that time, western end of the river rises from the water, catches Hason Raja's eyes as when a beautiful 14 years old girl having bath. Hason Raja was astonished. A sentiment engulfed him and he returned home to his mother. "Mother, I will marry the daughter of the landlord the daughter of a Hindu zamindar of Gauranga, next door to Lakkhansree Zaminder." The Hindu Muslim community wants nothing to do with it. Mother Hurmutjan Bibi was in severe danger. In this case, a jewelry boat was sent to bring Hassan Raja's only uncle, Emadad Aziz Chowdhury alias Turon Mia, from Balli. The next day, Mama arrived and Hason Raja expressed his wish to make the young lady his companion. Later, the issue of Hason Raja came up in a song

They shine brightly

The sparkle shines
Love Sign of the light
Without wires, I grew up
How do I do it
Oh my dear brother
I want to marry her
I didn't understand anything
About Hindus and Muslims.

Finally, with the intervention of mother and uncle, Hason Raja had to stop. In his early life, that formidable wishes remained unfulfilled forever. During the euphoria of beautiful affection, the immensely popular song took the form of poetry:

Hason Raja's heart is ignited
The blaze in the heart doesn't get extinguished
The burning scream hit me in my soul
The fire hardly extinguishes with the water of the river Surma
I can't survive without my Friend
The ceaseless fire continues burning
And doesn't anyway come at an end,
Oh Hason Raja, try to get the mystery of your goldmine.

Hason Raja has never been in favor of warfare for a very natural reason. He has always used good tactics, charity and kindness in dealing with the enemy. The family traditional sword kept at the Hason Raja Museum was never actually used by Hason Raja. He arrived in Shillong to meet Colonel RH Keating (1874 - 1878), the first Chief Commissioner of Assam. He had good discussion with Mr Keating about development at Sunamganj. (Note that a honorary certificate given by Colonel Keating to Hason Raja was kept at his Lakshmani home for a long time. In the war of independence of Bangladesh, in the year of 1971, some people also looted the house during the war of liberation, along with many items, the certificate was permanently removed.) Hason Raja lends a helping hand to development to control overflowing water in the town of Sunamganj. Mr Clay, the then deputy commisioner of Sylhet did not ignore the request. Haqson Raja provided manpower for the excavation of a large amount of soil from the jamwa and Bawan farming areas of his zamindar adjacent to the city. As a result, two bills artificially created the Jhawa Bill and the Baon Bill. Instead, the lower area of the then Sunamganj town was lifted up.

According to eyewitnesses and in his picture Hason Raja looks a real king. His appearance was so beautiful that Hason Raja can be seen obvious among thousands of people. He was a six-foot-tall, his color reddish-yellow, known as the gouro barna. The long nostrils, the bloody rectangles like the eyes of a sparkling, silky hair on the head, spread over the shoulders, the wide gown adorned with spreading a deep thought.

Hason Raja's costume was a very simple outfit. The white dhoti was a hollow barrier, like manure, a gauze in the body, with a shawl around his neck and shoulders over his head. This was his usual simple attire. Then there was a turban on his head. The favorite color of Hason Raja was purple. A sword and his walking stick still stands at the Hason Raja Museum in Sunamganj. Hason Raja's garment was the kind of garment that he sometimes used to wear as a sage and at other times he seemed to be a royal monarch in sultanate costumes.

In the words of Dewan Mohammed Azraf Sahib: Hasan Raja 'a man who was a zamindar of taste and a merciful man, a poet and a philosopher was so mixed up that everyone was amazed at the manifestation of one form after another. In the court of Lat Sahib, Shahanshahi Lebus later secured first class seats and preserved the dignity of himself and his family. It seemed strange to everyone when he sat next to the Giants and laughed like one of them.
Hasan Raja's departure

In 1920, Hason Raja became very ill. At that time, he went and stayed at his sister’s home in Sylhet, in hope for a treatment. This time that house was under the care of his third son, Ekalimur Raja. That's why Syed Murtaza Ali pointed out in his writing that when tthey went to see the Hason Raja, the poet was lying ill. The treatment he received in Sylhet did not work for his body at all. On the day when he left the Sylhet heading for Sunamganj, her mind was broken for various reasons. Dilaram's recollection is heard: On the way to Rampasha, that day the poet wanted to hear the song from the voice of Bolaria:

"And the thunderbolt will be broken
The buzzer is getting old,
The lumber is decayed,
I don't know

In begining of 1922, when Hason Raja was lying on his bed due to a mild stroke, his wife Labajan Chowdhury and sons Aftabur Raja and Ganiyur Raja did their best to serve his fragile body. The news of the announcement of the title of Khan Bahadur, the eldest son of Dewan Ganiyur Raja, came to house of Hason Raja that year. On receiving the news, Dewan Hasan Raja recovered from his illness on the moment. It was like jumping out of bed and saying out loud 'Oh! Ghani, O! Aftab, summon the whole area and arrange for a large scale feast. In this old age, the title of 'Khan Bahadur', in an attempt to establish the social solidarity and justice of the eldest son, was highly encouraged by the poet.

When Dewan Hasan Raja left the devotees, friends, pets, people and body, news of his death was spread around the world, and numerous people from different faiths rushed to visit him for the last time. Her relatives, along with his friends, went on mourning. The funeral activites were arranged in the cemetery of the village of Tegharia in Lakhshanri, which he had made with his own hands earlier. When the news of Hason Raja's death spread from his home to the country side, the loss of poet made the mind of people saddened, with a deep gloom.

The house where Hason Raja was born and died in Sunamganj has become a pilgrimage destination for thousands of tourists visiting the country and beyond. Over the past eighty years, the house has been quietly attracting millions of tourists and visitors. In this house he created poems and melodies and rhythms. The mystic poet has pursued thought-provoking constantly.

It is a place to capture anyone’s heart. Not everyone here is actually going to turn once in life. Here you can easily understand how Hason Raja has traveled around, under the mango tree, palm tree and coconut tree, or his silent moments in the pond. Whenever you come to the Hason Raja Museum, it will easily become clear to you as the light of day. One can grasp the knowledge of more famous celebrities who came here to explore Hason Raja.

The conclusion

In reviewing the life of Hason Raja, one thing becomes clear that the greatest source of contact with Dewan Hason Raja was his eldest son, Khan Bahadur Dewan Ganiyur Raja. It has to be clearly acknowledged that this article on present magazine has been arranged mainly on the basis of many information sources given by the Dewan Ganiyur Raja, as well as several texts and essays frpom other sourses narrated in the Book “nvmb ivRv I Zuvi MvbÓ written by myself and published by চৈতন্য প্রকাশন, সিলেট 2016