It is hard to say what is the reason for the literary tradition. Punjabi poets themselves do not know, it is not an inheritance, as far as I am aware, from Arabic, Persian, or Sanskrit literature. In all these three it is considered perfectly natural for Love poetry to be addressed to women. I asked a local poet once what was the reason for this peculiarity. He had apparently not noticed that fact before and was puzzled to find satisfactory explanation. Finally he suggested that it was more dignified for a man to be loved than to fall in love, and that the object of the tradition was to preserve the dignity and superiority of man. Another contemporary poet, whom I consulted on the subject, wrote to me saying "Eastern people have their own conception of modesty..... The poet could not take up a theme which, though therefore was compelled to take up some other theme..... Gradually, however, the woman came to be regarded as the personification of active love."

"Moreover," concludes the critic, who presuambly knew his own people, "the procedure is perfectly natural, because the Punjabi woman is decidedly more loving than the Punjabi man."

An other scholar tells me that the same literary tradition is common in popular Turk poetry of the present day and he adds: "It could probably be paralleled from more than one Eastern popular literature, but to trace the origin of this literary tradition would require much research and it is doubtful whether one would arrive at any satisfactory conclusion."

Whatever may be the reason of this curious literary tradition it may be remarked that it has most fatally improvising effect on the Love poetry of the Punjab.

"If I were to disclose the mystery, all would forget religious disputes and would find their neglected Friend" i.e. (Allah)...