Professor Dr. M. Shahinoor Rahman has become one of the most prominent folklorists with his interdisciplinary, extensive work that cuts across oral tradition, literature, and ethnographic works. His contributions, beginning with the reconsideration of Shakespeare in a folkloristic analysis and ending with his landmark study of Fakir Lalon Shah and the Khasi of Bangladesh, demonstrate his commitment to folklore studies. These academic works also show his mastery of folkloristic theory, ethnographic and performance studies, symbols, and culture's survival.
Shakespeare Canon Folkloric Re-evaluation: In his joint-authored book Re-evaluation of Folklore: Folkloric Aspects in the Works of Shakespeare (with Dr. M. Salma Sultana), Dr. Rahman brings to light the obscure folk roots of works by the Bard of Avon, in the light of oral tradition, popular beliefs, and myth. In such a manner, he questions the categorical differences between elite literature and folk culture, which is also the central issue in contemporary folkloristics.
He keenly describes folklore as the pulsating source of human expression in the preface, as if to drive home the point that folklore is an organic part of creating community awareness and the business of storytelling. When saying, he writes, "Folklore is not static but a living tradition," and this statement shows that the writer considers himself a supporter of such a folkloristic approach, according to which folklore can change with the society and remain the same, and evolve at the same time, transferring cultural codes.
His references regarding Shakespeare's origins also support his school of thought, as stated here: "Shakespeare drew inspiration for his works from various sources, including folktales, chronicles, and mythologies." Making the folk provenance of Shakespearean drama evident, through the use of witches in Macbeth, ghosts in Hamlet, and fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Dr. Rahman displays his academic interest in tracing the influence of folklore on major works of literature.
Besides, Dr. Rahman's symbolic and performance readings indicate the depth with which folklorists understand things. He writes, "To heighten the emotional impact of Shakespeare's plays… the playwright regularly uses symbolism and ritualistic components." His analysis reverberates primary folkloristic interests, including rituals of performance and symbolic communication.
He also puts his work in a global and cross-cultural perspective when he writes, "To heighten the emotional impact of Shakespeare's plays… the playwright regularly uses symbolism and ritualistic components." Such is the comparative analysis, which proves his role as a folklorist working in the domain of international traditions without betraying the vernacular heritage
Oral Tradition and Syncretism in the Baul Philosophy of Lalon: Dr. Rahman illustrates his folkloristic influence quite as effectively as in his book Bengali Poet Fakir Lalon Shah: Oral Poetry and Tradition in the Social Context of Contemporary Bangladesh (Indiana University, 1999). This is one of the pioneering works on oral literature in South Asia, and it shows that he has acquired an in-depth understanding of folk belief systems and syncretic spirituality.
Dr Rahman brings this to Fakir Lalon by saying, "Nothing was written down. The tradition is oral, and much of their song literature has been lost with time. Lalon also never wrote anything." This statement brings out the essence of folkoric inquiry, a focus of representation and interpretation of oral culture that was temporal, also changing, and it was based on performance
He also describes the incompleteness of Lalon's identity: "His antecedents are not adequately understood, and there are controversies about his native village and whether he was a Muslim or a Hindu." This ambiguity, which we have preserved and handed down to us orally, lies at the core of folklore studies, where identity, myth, and history become co-mingled in the collective memory.
The philosophy Baul refers to what Dr. Rahman calls "BAULIANA" as a quest for God in man. He comments, "Bauls belong to a non-sectarian unorthodox devotional tradition... influenced by Hinduism, Buddhism, Vaishnavism, and Islamic Sufism, yet different from them." Such interpretation indicates the work of the folklorist, the decoding of mixed belief structures, and the uncovering of marginalized people's ways to create alternative cosmologies that challenge institutionalized religious experiences.
In songs such as Khachar Bhitor Auchin Pakhi and Jaat Gelo Jaat Gelo Bole, Dr. Rahman interprets metaphors of body and soul and the abuse of the caste system. He adds, "Why are you so insistent on establishing your caste? What will happen to it when you pass away?" This analytical study of a song illustrates how he has been able to identify sociopolitical resistance embedded in folk performance.
Also, Dr. Rahman relates Lalon's heritage to present-day wise persons, especially Rabindranath Tagore. He quotes Tagore saying, "I discovered the man from the songs of Lalan who said that 'ai manushe ase se mon,' the 'man' is within yourself, where are you searching for Him." It reflects his interests in creating an account of the impact of folk culture on high literature and philosophical discourse, a second primary focus of folkloristics
Ethnographic reflections in the Khasi Community Study: Offering a widening of his folkloristic research on traditions of ethnic minorities, his more recent co-written book, Khasi Community in Bangladesh (2024), indicates that Dr. Rahman continues to put time and money into cultural documentation and preservation. The basis of this fieldwork is the ethnographic study in the Magurcharra Punjee enclave of Moulvibazar, where he studied the matrilineal pattern, beliefs, rituals, and transitions of the people of Khasi.
According to the authors, "It is crucial to recognize the difficulty of acquiring comprehensive information about the social structure of the Khasi people from external sources." The knowledge about this sensitivity to the interior knowledge and the significance of the participatory, ethical anthropological fieldwork is a recognition of a folklorist.
They point out the distinctiveness of Khasi matrilineality, noting, "The Khasi tribe possesses a significant matrilineal ancestry… wherein heritage is traced exclusively through the female line." The gendered succession and ritual beliefs that Dr. Rahman has recorded highlight the interest of a folklorist due to their concerns in kinship, tradition, and change of the minority culture.
More importantly, the authors do not neglect the influence of modernization: "These individuals experience significant societal transformations due to modernization, market forces, and technical progress." In this way, Dr. Rahman does not refer to folklore as a thing; instead, it is characterized as a process, which is influenced by and reacts to the larger historical forces, a key concept in modern folkloristics.
His final objective remains obvious: "We intend to create awareness of the Khasi people, and hopefully, our efforts will enrich the discourse among academicians interested in ethnic cultures." This statement affirms his cause as a folklorist to conserve, understand, and encourage cultural appreciation and understanding through academic credibility.
Professor Dr. M. Shahinoor Rahman, having conducted extensive research into folk motifs of Shakespeare, a comprehensive study on Baul mysticism, and ethnographic research on the Khasi people, has all the traits of a proper folklorist. His research on the fundamentals of the field: appreciation of orality, mixed cultural inheritances, symbolic interpretations, study of performance, and dedication to keeping marginalised voices alive. The geographies and genres that Rahman traverses in this work are, on one side of the spectrum, between the bard of Avon and the mystic of Kushtia; and on the other, between the matrilineal hills of Moulvibazar and discussions on heritage and identity all over the world. He recorded the folk culture and elevated it, establishing himself as an established, ethical, and ground-breaking ethnographer.
The writer is Chairman & Associate Professor, Department of English, Lalon University of Science & Arts, Kushtia, Bangladesh
