The Rhythm of Early Hindi Poetry as Reflected in the Piṅgala Literature

Abstract

Abstract The Hindi treatises on prosody, called piṅgala, originated from the Sanskrit and Prakrit-Apabhraṁśa literary traditions. These texts emerged in the sixteenth century as supplementary works within the vernacular courtly kāvya literature of the Mughal era. Rooted in mora-syllabic metres in Sanskrit and Prakrit-Apabhraṁśa moraic metres, they were influenced by musical tāla. Piṅgalas were authored by court poets, reflecting the longstanding tradition of prosody studies in north Indian courtly culture since the sixteenth century, coinciding with Mughal empire’s expansion in north India, and the rise of bhakti movement in Braj. These poet-scholars likely served as experts on prosody for kings and poets. Although the piṅgalas do not explicitly mention changing rhythmic preferences, a prosodic shift occurred during that period with the convergence of the Perso-Arabic and Hindi metrical rhythms. For instance, native syllabic metres like kavitta and savaiyā gained popularity due to their compatibility with Persian metre.