Gul Bangulzai: Author of the first Novel “Dreehav” in Brahui Literature

Abstract

This research seeks to explore Gul Bangulzai's contribution to the emergence of Brahui literature, particularly his socio-cultural representation in Dreehav (1989) as being the first Brahui novel and its critical portrayal of Baloch tribal society. Brahui is an old language that has a solid oral tradition but only tardily, it began to deal with the post-modern fiction. The journey from folk literature, through short stories in the 1950s and ultimately to the novel is part of a wider societal and literary evolution. Gul Bangulzai was a prominent figure at this time that forms the modern Brahui prose. The method followed by this inquiry is a qualitative literary analysis of the primary texts and their critical reception in an attempt to offer interpretations of themes, characters and socio-historical references. The research claims that Dreehav powerfully articulates nomadic lifestyle, tribal hierarchies, class exploitation and gender discrimination in Baloch society. Bangulzai articulates rural marginality and feudal exploitation with vivid characters and narratives. His writings span oral tradition and contemporary fiction contributing to the canon of pacesetter genre in modern Brahui literature. More studies on the comparative analysis of Brahui novels and translations should be conducted. Universities need to consider Brahui literature so that this infant literary tradition is preserved and enhanced.