7th session of the Indian Literature Lecture Series.✨

Join us for an enlightening lecture titled “Kahat Kabir: The Voice of the People in the Vernacular Millennium” delivered by Associate Professor Purnendu Ranjan (PG Govt College of Girls, Punjab University, India) & Rajeev Kumar (Lecturer, Department of Comparative Literature, Ibn Haldun University, Turkey).

📅 Date & Time: 18 November 2024, Monday, 13:30 (Istanbul Time)
📍 Location: Zoom & Hyflex 10, Second Floor, IHU
🔗 Join Zoom Meeting: Click here
🆔 Meeting ID: 840 9820 6467
🔑 Passcode: 048856

About the Lecture: 

This lecture introduces students to Kabir, a 15th-century oral and performative poet-saint whose vernacular poetry has had a lasting impact on Indian literature, spirituality, and social dynamics. Known for his signature phrase Kahat Kabir (literally, “Kabir says”), Kabir’s teachings resonate as a “voice of the people,” challenging rigid social and religious norms while addressing universal themes of love, unity, and self-awareness. His work significantly contributed to the linguistic shift of the second millennium AD, where vernacular languages began to emerge as literary mediums. Kabir‘s poetry, often sung and performed, has found enduring relevance, particularly in Northern India and parts of Pakistan, where prominent singers like Abida Parveen and Farid Ayaz continue to perform his verses, keeping his message vibrant and relevant. These performances highlight Kabir’s poetry as both an organized tradition and a dynamic, evolving ethnographic practice reflected in oral and literary culture.

Through an ethnographic perspective, video clips of Kabir bhajans (devotional songs), and comparative analysis with the Ramayana, this lecture will explore Kabir’s Longing-Belonging Paradigm—how his teachings foster both a shared cultural identity (belonging) and a yearning for spiritual transcendence (longing). We will also discuss Kabir’s role in conflict resolution, as his poetry addresses Hindu-Muslim relations and caste divisions within Hindu society, offering a model for harmony and social critique. Furthermore, Kabir’s influence on the development of vernacular languages as literary mediums challenged the dominance of cosmopolitan languages like Sanskrit, Arabic, and Persian.

By contrasting Kabir’s works with Vedic, Buddhist, and Islamic orthodoxy, students will gain insights into two distinct strands of Indian literature: the structured, epic narratives on one hand, and the fluid, vernacular spirituality on the other. This lecture encourages students to reflect on Kabir’s relevance today, his influence on marginalized communities, and his role as a unifying yet subversive figure across both rural and urban contexts.

About the Lecturers:

Associate Prof. Purnendu Ranjan, 

PG Govt College of Girls, Punjab University (India)

Dr. Purnendu Ranjan, hailing from Bihar, completed his M.Phil and Ph.D. in Modern Indian History at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He specializes in the study of modern socio-religious movements in India. Dr. Ranjan has authored three books on the history of the Kabirpanth, a socio-religious movement active since the 16th-17th centuries. Additionally, he has contributed numerous articles to both national and international research journals. Currently, Dr. Ranjan is an Associate Professor at PGGCG-42, Panjab University, Chandigarh, where he has been teaching history since 2002.

Rajeev Kumar (PhD Candidate)
Lecturer, Department of Comparative Literature, Ibn Haldun University (Turkey)

Rajeev Kumar is a Ph.D. candidate at the Alliance of Civilizations Institute, Ibn Haldun University (IHU), Turkey. He also serves as a lecturer in the Department of Comparative Literature and a teaching fellow for World History Through Art and Literature in the Department of History at IHU, Istanbul, Turkey. Additionally, he is the managing editor of U-Talk Magazine and the founder of the Umran Green Perspective Foundation and Umran Green School.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in German Language and Literature from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, India, and a master’s degree in Civilization Studies from Ibn Haldun University. Before his academic career, he worked as a Project Manager for Integra Software Services in Pondicherry, managing publication projects for Springer, De Gruyter, Westermann, and Geographische Rundschau.

His areas of interest include Indic-Islamic literature, history and religions, civilizations, philosophy, culture, Bhakti-Sufi literature, as well as English and German literature. His research focuses on Bhakti-Sufi literature and history, with a specific emphasis on Kabir and the Kabirpanthis in India.

Don’t miss this unique chance to explore Kabir’s timeless voice in the vernacular!