The present book examines marsiya, a poetic form in Urdu. This form of expression originally started as an elegy but gradually evolved to epic. Through a close reading of a marsiya of Anis, is highlighted a colorful history of this genre in folklore, literature, art and religious piety of the Shi’i community. As such, all who are interested in the sociology of Literature will find much that is new and exciting in this book.

Dr. Sanobar Hussaini is an Assistant Professor of English at Mithibai College, affiliated to the University of Mumbai.She has published books on Business Communication and several research papers in refereed journals and collections. Her research interests include literature of Indian subcontinent (original and translation) and comparative study of Urdu and English literature.