It may be no accident that the Indian subcontinent has produced, over millennia, such a diversity of religious groups. And there seems little doubt that the wealth generated by both early industrialisation in the Ganges basin, and the very early crossroads of trade that resulted in the Ganges delta, lie at the foundation of, at least, some, if not all, these developments.
The Ganges delta, of course, is the world’s largest such natural phenomenon. And many such, around the world, have a rich history of the development of international trade and cultural exchange, but few others, if any, act as such an access to so much diversity of developing cultures and civilisations.
The heritage of China, with such strong ties to ancient north east India, and of the subsequent development of the Tibetan Empire, as well as other Himalayan states, and that of the Ganges basin itself, certainly owe much to this vast natural resource.
From early animism and shamanism, both of which are still evident in this north eastern corner of the subcontinent, a large part of which is now the lands of Bangladesh, certainly evolved the great belief groups of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism.
Across the last one or two millennia, the lands have also collected and adapted more recent emerging philosophical beliefs, from a fairly unique derivative of Islamic-based Sufism, through such intriguing 19th century derivatives as the Baha’i, and even US originated theosophical philosophy.
Whilst all such philosophical beliefs represent, perhaps, something of both an emotional and intellectual challenge to most of us, it may well be that the Baul tradition, with such strong roots, particularly in Bangladesh, that might appear to offer a more emotional, audible, visual, and tangible manifestation of these great cultural traditions, holds the widest appeal in contemporary Bangladesh.
Whilst the tradition is often ascribed to Hindu roots, there seems, in fact, little doubt that one of the most significant influences derives from the Sufi tradition that appears to have emerged, probably not by accident, from the rich cultural traditions that evolved in the Middle East, especially with roots in the Abbasid caliphate of Baghdad, from the 10th century.
Literature is often one of the products of evolving civilisations, but so, too, inevitably, are such art forms as music and drama. Modern descriptions of Baul dwell significantly in its roots in Hinduism, and such Hindu based influences as Vaishnavism, and, of course, such as that other great influence that originated in north-eastern India, much of it now the lands of Bangladesh, Buddhism.
One suspects that less well-educated Muslims, today, are uncomfortable with the evidence that there is also the ancient, Islamic, Sufi influence in this extraordinary cultural tradition. However, reminding ourselves of those advanced cultural influences of the extraordinarily cultured, or, as we might reasonably say today, “civilised,” Abbasid traditions of the arts and sciences, we should not be surprised. And that the lands that are now Bangladesh very evidently became a happy hunting ground for Sufi missionaries in the major development of Islam in these lands of already deeply-rooted culture should confirm a, perhaps, unique genesis of these uniquely Bengali/Bangladeshi manifestation.
There seems little doubt that what brought this Sufi influence to the lands that are now Bangladesh, under the influence and protection of such as the Khilji invaders of the 13th century was the Mongol devastation of the Islamic traditions of central and western Asia.
Even today, the saffron clad minstrels, bearing, amongst other very portable instruments, their ektara and dubki, very evidently find a place in the social consciousness of a widespread of generations in Bangladesh.
We may well wonder at the origins of music, and its regular accompaniment of verse, but it is certainly believed to have originated over 50,000 years ago with the original “out of Africa” migrants who we know certainly passed through the lands of the Ganges delta in their epic migration across the eastern world.
Indeed, the history of almost all, if not all, developing cultures and civilisations across the world is rich in the stories of the culture and practice of troubadours and wandering minstrels, such as the Baul of Bangladesh.
It may, therefore, be reasonable to suppose that such public form of pleasure has deep roots in these lands of the delta. And that in these lands, many millennia ago, developed a people for whom Sanskrit, probably the most ancient of written traditions, took pleasure in vocal and instrumental leisure and pleasure. And it may not be unreasonable to suppose that such pleasure even predated its engagement with the evolution of more contemporary religious traditions.
We may well wonder just what music and verse formed part of the very evidently advanced societies we know existed in such urban centres from before the Common Era as those at Wari Bateshwar, Mahathangarh, Egarosindur, and of the early centuries of the Common Era as the great city of Bhitagarh.
The evidence of advanced craft skills certainly suggests that there was no shortage of artistic endeavour and pleasure in these ancient urban centres of Bangladesh.
Contemporary Baul artists do not identify with any specific organised religion or caste system, deriving their inspiration from many, sometimes even contradictory influences. In every sense of the term, free spirits, indeed!
Naturally, such freedom of spirit and soul can arouse discomfort and antagonism within the more fanatical of all belief groups, despite the evidence that some of the foundations of the tradition predate even the development of the great faith groups.
It also seems reasonable to suppose that even such early influences have been embraced within what is a rich cultural heritage unique to these lands.
The tradition, after all, may well be considered to reflect the experience of peoples; experiences, throughout history, certainly not unique to the African American experience.
Modern soul music, they say, represents the hybridisation of religious traditions with roots in African-American gospel music, together with the secular styles that have evolved out of a tortured and diverse cultural history.
Whether the fascinating, and diverse histories of the many migrants who comprise these lands can find comparison with that of these peoples of the African diaspora may be questionable, but there seems no doubt that there are, indeed, many strains of diversity and human experience that underlie such a soul searching form of music as the Baul tradition.
To many, within the tradition certainly lies a haunting expression of what it means to be, once a Bengali, today, a Bangladeshi.
Is there, we may wonder, any people, anywhere in the world, for whom there is no tradition of music and verse that represents a living, and vivid expression of all that is the history and experience of the people.
That it found such a flowering of expression in the late 19th century, especially in these lands that are now Bangladesh, including, even, both nationally and internationally recognised versifiers, here in Bangladesh it might well be regarded as not only a source of pride, but, indeed, a reflection of the soul of any Bangladeshi: Unique, distinctive and enduring.
