Opnions expressed here are most interesting but at the same time questionable. Beauty is in the eye of beholder. Also, our observations are based upon our past experiences and those experinces are polluted by role models which are so pwerfully portrayed in media.
To generalise that a particular race, religion, region or ethnic group has superiority over another is gross irresponsible act on part of any author.
I have read Shaabnama. In my view the author was documenting his love for a 'woman' and words used to express that likeness was his personal choice to beautify that relationship. However, the author who genralise by stating that Hindu girls are, in some ways, superior, in their looks over other is mere infatuation, an attempt to trivalise, be controversal; I call this sort of writing to be 'attention seeking syndrome'.
If the author wished to praise his love then he failed to achieve his desired objective. The very fact that he compared her beauty with someone else is an admission that he is incapable of loving her as he can not praise her in her own right.
[This message has been edited by kashjh (edited May 14, 1999).]