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Conversation in Mande village of Azamgarh

This is a conversation between four-five people. Maaz — accompanied by his father — visits his (late) paternal grandmother’s ancestral home in Mande village. His father and his grandmother’s sister-in-law have a conversation which was joined by her relatives too. Maaz finds the conversation quite interesting and decides to record it. It ranges from a discussion on the modern age and its issues on family members, religion, current issues, politics, etc.
Date: January 31, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Monologue on Mande village

This is a monologue on Mande village by Master Mohammad Khalid. The narrative is in the Northern (Mande) dialect of Azamgarhi. Frequent code-switching to Urdu can be easily heard even when pointed out to speak in the local language by the researcher in the beginning part of the recording.
Date: January 31, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Monologue on Naushad

This is a personal narrative about an incident of the childhood time of Naushad Shaikh, the paternal uncle of the researcher, in Mandē village of Azamgarh.
Date: January 31, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Performance of a joke

This is a recording of Mr. Anwar reciting a joke on the wit of an Indian involved in an argument with an American and a Russian.
Date: January 31, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Nisar
Object Type: Video
System: The UNT Digital Library

Performance of a joke

This is a recording of Mr. Anwar reciting a joke on the wit of an Indian involved in an argument with an American and a Russian.
Date: January 31, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Personal narrative of Mohammad Khalid

This is a personal narrative of the life of the speaker Mohammad Khalid. The narrative is in the Northern (Mandē) dialect of Azamgarhi with some code-switching to Urdu.
Date: January 31, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Retelling of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah

This is a retelling of one of the stories on Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the eleventh and last king of the Awadh Kingdom. Wajid Ali Shah was widely regarded as a debauched and detached ruler, and this story highlights the point.
Date: January 31, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Story of a couple

This is a story of a husband and wife who once had so little flour left in their house that only three chapatis could be made. The husband says that he will eat two chapatis, and the wife too says the same. A heated exchange took place between them, but they finally agreed that whoever speaks first will eat just one chapati while the other one, two. They lie down and silently stare at each other, and three days pass like this. The villagers, thinking of them being dead, go to their house, wrap them in a shroud and take them to the crematory. At last, the husband says to the wife, okay two chapatis for you!
Date: January 31, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Story of a king and three sisters

This is a story about a king who once takes a walk in his kingdom to check if everyone there is pleased with him. He finds three sisters wishing that if they marry the royal cook, the vizier, and the king, their lives will change forever. This happens, and the king marries the younger sister. She gives birth to a child whom the elder sister replaces with a kitten and leaves him flowing in the river. This happens thrice. The children were found by a gardener who brings them up very well. The story, which is in the Northern (Mandē) dialect with some instances of code-switching to Urdu, continues further.
Date: January 31, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Story of Master Sahib

This is a story of a teacher who once — while teaching his students — says, “I have made you human from donkey by beating, but you don’t understand.” A washerman who had no children passes by and hears this. He then approaches the teacher and pleads with him to turn a donkey into a son for his sake. The teacher agrees to this and asked him to return after six months. The washerman returns after six months and asks for his son. The teacher replies that he taught and trained him so much that he became a judge at the Allahabad High Court. The washerman then visits the court, and the story continues.
Date: January 31, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Interpretation of an Urdu poem on dowry system

This is a description of an Urdu poem, written by one of the speaker's relatives, on the dowry system prevalent in North India. The poem is in the Urdu language, and the speaker interprets it and explains its meaning and significance in Azamgarhi to the researcher.
Date: February 1, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Performance of the folksong Abbā kē nadiā ‘The river of the father’ along with discussion.

This is a performance of a traditional song by the title Abbā kē nadiā (Eng. The river of father) followed by a discussion on the same. This folksong is sung on the occasion of rukhsatī 'the bride's departure to her husband's home after the marriage'. It describes the differences in the emotional attachment that a daughter has with her mother, father, brother, and sister-in-law. The folksong is in the Bhojpuri language, the mother tongue of Asiya Khatoon, whereas the discussion is in Urdu and somewhat in Azamgarhi.
Date: February 1, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Performance of the folksong Bēṭī 'The daughter' along with discussion

This is a performance of a traditional song titled 'Beṭi' (Eng. The daughter) followed by a discussion on the same. This folksong is sung on the occasion of rukhsatī 'the bride's departure to her husband's home after the marriage'. It describes how differently the bride's blood-related family members—the mother, father, and brother—get strong memories of her absence. In contrast, the non-blood-related sister-in-law doesn't feel her absence at all—instead, she's glad that the bride left. In this, the daughters The folksong is in the Bhojpuri language, the mother tongue of Asiya Khatoon, whereas the discussion is in Urdu and somewhat in Azamgarhi.
Date: February 1, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Performance of various folk songs along with discussions on them and some conversations

This is a recording of various folktales which begin with a short conversation. After completing the narration of a story, Mehar Afroz asks Qamar Afroz to stitch a cloth. After which, she asks Asiya Khatoon to sing some folksongs along with her, followed by a discussion on each of them. These kinds of traditional songs are sung on the occasion of girls' marriage, varying from praising the beauty of the beloved daughter to vidāī — the girl's farewell from their parental home. The songs in this recording are in the Eastern dialect of Urdu. The discussions on them and some other conversations take place in a mix of Azamgarhi and Urdu.
Date: February 1, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Story of a prince and his stepmother

This is a story about a prince whose mother died and his stepmother would never like him. The story describes how she troubles him and never gives him good food to eat, but he was lucky enough to have the blessings of a miraculous cow and feed on her milk. Later on, when his stepmother realized this, she ordered that all cows be slaughtered. Still, the prince escapes along with the cow to a different country where he grows up in a healthy environment. After quite a few years, he returns to his village, reuniting with his father.
Date: February 1, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Story of Paňkhiā Bādshāh

This is a story in the Eastern (Fatehpur) dialect of Azamgarhi about a king who once asks his seven daughters that from whose fate they eat. Six of them reply, “We eat because you give.” The seventh one refuses to accept this at any cost. Hearing this, the king gets furious and sends her to a jungle where she, fortunately, finds a good hut to live, meets Paňkhiyā Bādshāh (the king who appears on a swing of Punkah or fan). Finally, they both marry and live happily. Realizing this, her other sisters become jealous and poison her husband. Still, he is lucky enough to survive owing to his miraculous powers.
Date: February 1, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Story of winters and springs

This is a story of a king who has seven children and once tells one of his children to bring a few things from the market. He instead brings a book that makes the king angry, and he evicts him. The son leaves the palace, goes to another village, and begins to stay there. He takes up a challenge and wins. The king gets pleased and marries his daughter with him. The prince then returns to his father’s kingdom, and the story continues. The story is recited by Asiya Khatoon, who is a Bhojpuri speaker hailing from Siwan district from Bihar, in (Eastern) Urdu. The researcher asks her maternal grandmother to interpret in Azamgarhi. She interprets in the Northern dialect.
Date: February 1, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Conversation about the current government and its policies

This is a video recording of an interview type conversation between the researcher and Aquil Ahmad on the current BJP government and its policies. At the researcher’s request, Aquil Ahmad presents his critical views related to the present Government, its policies, and its supporters and voters.
Date: February 3, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Video
System: The UNT Digital Library

Conversation on the phone

This is an audio recording of Wali, 16 year old boy, having a conversation with his friend on a mobile phone. He appears to be quite upset about an event at his one friend’s house during birthday celebrations. He narrates to his friend, on phone, the heated exchange of words between him and some other friend. The swear words are bleeped.
Date: February 3, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Reading and interpretation of Urdu article Khōkhlā vajūd 'Hollow existence' into Azamgarhi

This is a reading and simultaneous interpretation of an Urdu article Khōkhlā vajūd 'Hollow existence', which appeared in the Urdu daily newspaper 'The Inquilab' dated 26th of December 2019. The article was read by Naazli at her residence, and her cousin Faiza Khan simultaneously interpreted it into Azamgarhi. This was done at the request of Maaz, and the article was suggested to him by his grandfather.
Date: February 3, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Story of God in the form of guest

This is a story about a man who once dreams that God will come as a guest to his house. He does all the required preparation and was eagerly waiting since morning for Him to come. But instead of God, he finds a beggar at his doors and after some time a refuge seeker both of whom he turns away saying that God is about to come. And finally, a poor woman with her baby knocks on his door seeking help, and he refuses her too. It becomes dark but God doesn’t come. He sleeps and dreams again asking God why he didn’t come. God replies saying that He had visited him thrice.
Date: February 3, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Analytical discussion on the drama Gharphū̃kan patōh 'spendthrift daughter-in-law'

This is an analytical discussion — in Urdu — on a drama titled – Gharphū̃kan patōh (Eng. spendthrift daughter-in-law). It depicts a typical rural life of the North Indian plains where a woman and her family are very much sick of the misdeeds of the daughter-in-law because she is very spendthrift! Naazli helps Maaz understand some unfamiliar words and guides him through some of the sentences while she was sewing some clothes on the sewing machine.
Date: February 4, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Personal narrative about Pīr Miā̃

This is a personal narrative about an elderly person famous by the name Pīr Miā̃ who would travel by horse. He once arrived in the village of Khetaurā, the village next to Bairīḍīh. The speaker tells some events which took place at that time and talks about Pīr Miyā̃ along with his interaction with him.
Date: February 10, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library

Story of a princess and her stepmother

This is a story about a princess whose mother died and her father remarries. The stepmother gives birth to a daughter, and the princess and her stepsister spend their childhood in a friendly way. As time passes, the stepmother and daughter develop jealousy and animosity towards the princess and adopt every possible technique to trouble her. Even after suffering so much, the good fate of the princess always takes care of her. All inflicted hardship by the stepmother bounces back to her daughter. The moral of the story is — As you sow shall you reap. This story is told in the western variety of the Southern dialect of Azamgarhi.
Date: February 10, 2020
Creator: Shaikh, Maaz
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library