Syllabus for Sindhi Literature Optional

UPSC offers 28 language literature subjects as optional for UPSC IAS Mains 2020. Sindhi literature has a rich literary tradition. Sindhi works include religious, philosophical, and scientific texts. Sindhi for the civil services examination is written in both Devanagari and Persian scripts. Aspirants who have learned Sindhi during formal education, or have learned Sindhi as their native language can opt for this subject to score well in the Mains exam.

Section A

• Origin and evolution of Sindhi language-views of different scholars.
• Significant linguistic features of the Sindhi language, including those pertaining to its phonology, morphology, and syntax.
• Major dialects of the Sindhi language.
• Sindhi vocabulary-stages of its growth, including those in the pre-partition and post-partition periods.
• Historical study of various Writing Systems (Scripts) of Sindhi.
• Changes in the structure of the Sindhi language in India, after partition, due to the influence of other languages and social conditions.

Section B

• Sindhi literature through the ages in the context of socio-cultural conditions in the respective periods :
  • Early medieval literature up to 1350 A.D. including folk literature.
  • The late medieval period from 1350 A.D. to 1850 A.D.
  • Renaissance period from 1850 A.D. to 1947 A.D.
  • The modern period from 1947 and onwards.
• (Literary genres in Modern Sindhi literature and experiments in poetry, drama, novel, short story, essay, literary criticism, biography, autobiography, memoirs, and travelogues.)

Section A

References to context and critical appreciation of the texts included in this section.

• Poetry:
  • “Shah Jo Choond Shair” : ed. H.I. Sadarangani, Published by Sahitya Akademi (First 100 pages)
  • “Sachal Jo Choond Kalam”: ed. Kalyan B. Advani Published by Sahitya Akademi (Kafis only)
  • “Sami-a-ja Choond Sloka” : ed. B.H. Nagrani Published by Sahitya Akademi (First 100 pages)
  • “Shair-e-Bewas”: by Kishinchand Bewas (“Saamoondi Sipoon” portion only)
  • “Roshan Chhanvro”: Narayan Shyam
  • “Virhange Khanpoije Sindhi Shair jee Choond” : ed. H.I. Sadarangani Published by Sahitya Akademi
• Drama:
  • “Behtareen Sindhi Natak” (One-act Plays): Edited by M.Kamal Published by Gujarat Sindhi Academy.
  • “Kako Kaloomal” (Full-length Play): by Madan Jumani

Section B

References to context and critical appreciation of the texts included in this section.

• 'Pakheeara Valar Khan Vichhrya' (Novel): by Gobind Malhi
• 'Sat Deenhan' (Novel): by Krishan Khatwani
• 'Choond Sindhi Kahanyoon' (Short Stories) Vol. III.:Edited by Prem Prakash, Published by Sahitya Akademi.
• 'Bandhan' (Short Stories): Sundari Uttamchandani
• 'Behtareen Sindhi Mazmoon' (Essays): Edited by Hiro Thakur, published by Gujarat Sindhi Akademi.
• 'Sindhi Tanqeed' (Criticism): Edited by Harish Vaswani: Published by Sahitya Akademi.
• 'Mumhinjee Hayati-a ja Sona Ropa varqa' (Autobiography): by Popati Hiranandani
• “Dr. Choithram Gidwani” (Biography): by Vishnu Sharma