Historical Novel hails Dr. Sheikh Sultan’s Cultural Renaissance

Pays glowing tributes to Sharjah’s Architectural Charm

Sharjah: The emirate of Sharjah has widely been appreciated as a haven of learning and culture, attracting international recognition such as ‘Cultural Capital of Arab World’ and the much-coveted UNESCO World Book Capital (2019). It is no wonder, then, if the charm of this cultural paradise inspired the literary flair of Mujeeb Jaihoon’s novel, The Cool Breeze From Hind.

“Sharjah figures predominantly in the setting of this historical fiction”, said the UAE-based Indian story teller who described his work as ‘a mystical discourse on Indian Indigeneity’. Adopting a mystic narrative reminiscent of medieval mysticism, the book also celebrates Sharjah’s magnificent cultural, educational and architectural legacy. The book also pays glowing tributes to the cultural and educational revival by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council member and Ruler of Sharjah, and often refers to him as ‘the Cultural Architect’. The author attributes the elegance of the enchanting architectural monuments at the Cultural Capital to the nobility of the Ruler’s heart, whose recent visit to Kerala, the author’s home state in India, was widely applauded by all. ‘Sharjah, the Bride of Arabia, never fail to catch the eye of the aesthetic minds’, added Jaihoon, whose creative journey has seen nine books so far, including the hugely popular Slogans of the Sage, an illustrated coffee table book of aphorisms by late Indian statesman and philanthropist, Sayyid Shihab Thangal.

The novel draws heavily on Kerala’s historical persons, places and happenings— including the popular duo: Samuthiri, the Hindu king, and Kunhali Marakkars, his trusted powerful naval fighters who fought Portuguese invasion of South India. Umar Qazi, Kerala’s well-known Arab poet and anti-colonial fighter, Sheikh Zainuddin Makhdum, known as Thucydides of Kerala, and PK Warrier, the legendary Ayurvedic physician, among others also find mention in this philosophically charged account of Kerala’s history and society told from the eye of an expatriate. Jaihoon also alerts readers about the dangers of the recent rise of the demonic Monoculture, which, he argues, would shame India’s centuries-old pluralistic and tolerant legacy.

The Cool Breeze from Hind, published by Delhi-based Adam Publishers & Distributors, will be released during this year’s Sharjah International Book Fair, at an event organized by the Indian Association Sharjah. Book lovers can also order online on Kindle ebooks Store.