Mirza Sahiba

Mirza Sahiba is one of the four popular tragic romances of  the Punjab. The other three are Heer Ranjha, Sassi Punnun and Sohni  Mahiwal.

Mirza–Sahiban is a treasure of Punjabi literature. It is a  romantic tragedy. Sahiban was a love-lorn soul. Shayer Pillo raves  about her beauty and says," As Sahiban stepped out with a lungi tied  around her waist, the nine angels died on seeing her beauty.

Mirza  and Sahiban were cousins not childhood playmates,mirza was sahiba's  mother's brother's son as mentioned in many books and folk tales in  punjab, fell in love with each other. But when this beauty is about to  be wedded forcibly to Tahar Khan by her parents, without any hesitation  she sends a taunting message to Mirza, whom she loves, to his village  Danabad, through a Brahmin called Kammu.

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

Mirza  Khan was the son of Wanjhal Khan, the leader of the Kharal tribe in  Danabad, a town in the Jaranwala area of Faisalabad. Sahiba was the  daughter of Mahni, the chief of Khewa, a town in Sial Territory in the  Jhang district. Mirza was sent to his relatives' house in Khewa to  study, where he met Sahiba and they fell in love. Her family opposed the  relationship, and instead arranged a marriage with a member of the  Chadhar family.

This is the time you have to protect your self  respect and love, keep your promises, and sacrifice your life for truth.  Mirza arrived on his horse, Bakki the night before the wedding and  secretly carried her away, planning to elope. Sahiba's brothers got to  know about this and decided to follow them. On the way, as Mirza lies  under the shade of a tree to rest for a few moments, Sahiba's brothers  caught up with them.

Sahiba was a virtuous and a beautiful soul  who did not desire any bloodshed to mar the one she loved. She did not  want her hands drenched in blood instead of henna. She thinks Mirza  cannot miss his target, and if he strikes, her brothers would surely  die. Before waking up Mirza, Sahiban breaks his arrows so he can't use  them. She presumes on seeing her, her brothers would feel sorry and  forgive Mirza and take him in their arms. But the brothers attack Mirza  and kill him. Sahiban takes a sword and slaughters herself and thus bids  farewell to this world.

Some other facts include that Mirza's  horse which was named bakki was from shri guru gobind singh's (10th sikh  guru)horse's blood line. also,out of all the legendary stories, mirza  sahiba's story is the only story where the guy's name comes first and  then the girl's. all others start with girl's name for example: Heer  Ranjha,Sassi Punnun,Sohni Mahiwal,Shireen Farihad,Laila Majnu.

Innumerable  folk songs of Punjab narrate the love tale of Sassi and Punnu. The  women sing these songs with great emotion and feeling, as though they  are paying homage to Sassi with lighted on her tomb. It is not the  tragedy of the lovers. It is the conviction of the heart of the lovers.  It is firmly believed that the soil of the Punjab has been blessed. God  has blessed these lovers. Though their love ended in death, death was a  blessing in disguise, for this blessing is immortalized.

Waris  shah who sings the tale of Heer elevates mortal love to the same  pedestal as spiritual love for God saying," When you start the subject  of love, first offer your invocation to God". This has always been the  custom in Punjab, where mortal love has been immortalized and enshrined  as spirit of love.

Just as every society has dual moral values, so  does the Punjabi community. Everything is viewed from two angles, one  is a close up of morality and the other is a distant perspective. The  social, moral convictions on one hand give poison to Heer and on the  other make offerings with spiritual convictions at her tomb, where vows  are made and blessings sought for redemption from all sufferings and  unfulfilled desires.

But the Sassis, Heers, Sohnis and others born  on this soil have revolted against these dual moral standards. The folk  songs of Punjab still glorify this rebelliousness.

"When the  sheet tear, It can be mended with a patch: How can you darn the torn  sky? If the husband dies, another one can be found, But how can one live  if the lover dies?"

And perhaps it is the courage of the  rebellious Punjabi woman, which has also given her a stupendous sense of  perspective. Whenever she asks her lover for a gift she says,

" Get a shirt made for me of the sky And have it trimmed with the earth"