Perception of History in Popular Practices: A very short note on the Powadas of Shivaji Period

Abstract

The specificities of the culture of a society at any given point of time in history are usually reflected through its popular institutions and practices. Story telling in different styles, mostly with modulated voice and accompanying actions, to stir the imagination of the audience has been one such practice since the ancient times. In Maharashtra, in the post-Shivaji period, Powada-singing had become a very popular form of such a style of story-telling. Powadas or ballads were composed by Shahirs or bards, to glorify episodes of history dealing with heroic deeds of popular folk figures and leaders. This paper takes a brief overview of the Powadas which were composed during the time of Shivaji. It also takes into consideration the conscious efforts to re-write many of these Powadas during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and examines how, during the course of India’s anti-colonial struggle, these Powadas were used by the nationalist leaders to stir up patriotic sentiments in Maharashtra. It has been argued here that the Powadas proved to be an effective tool of mass mobilization against the British rule in India.