خیبر پختون خوا میں اُردو رباعی :قدیم ناموں اور ہیئتوں سے صنفی شناخت تک کا سفر URDU RUBAI IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA: FROM ANCIENT NAMES AND FORMS TO GENDER IDENTITY Section Urdu Literature

Abstract

No research work has been conducted so far on Urdu Rubai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This article attempts, for the first time at a research level, to trace the ancient roots of the Rubai genre in this region and describe its gradual evolution. It is revealed that Rubai in the form of folk songs has existed in some form among Pashtun poets since ancient times. However, the specific gender identity that Urdu Rubai possesses today did not exist before. The term "Rubai" was not reserved for a specific genre of poetry, and poets and singers used to present all kinds of verse as Rubai. This practice still exists in some places today. Rubai was known by various names such as Char Baita, Do Baiti, Char Baiti, Ghazal, Qaul, Qawwali, and others. Although Rubai entered Urdu and Pashto under the influence of Persian and Arabic, Pashtun poets did not strictly follow it; rather, they adapted it to their traditions and local rhythm, as evident in the Pashto poetry of Khushal Khan Khattak and Rahman Baba. However, the gender identity of Rubai is determined by its distinct meters derived from its  persian prosody and the behr e Hejaz meter, while its formal identity is recognized by its four-line structure. It took a long time for Urdu Rubai in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to establish its gender identity, during which the influences of Pashto and Persian cannot be overlooked. The article also sheds light on the gender identity and art of Urdu Rubai