Karakul (hat)

For other uses, see Karakul (disambiguation).

The fur karakul hat worn by Jinnah came to be known as the "Jinnah cap."

A Karakul (Qaraqul) hat (Urdu, Pashto, Persian: قراقلی) (or a Jinnah Cap in Pakistan for its frequent use by the country's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah) is a hat made from the fur of the Qaraqul breed of sheep, often from the fur of aborted lamb foetuses. The triangular hat is part of the costume of the native people of Kabul which has been worn by generations dating back in Afghanistan. The fur from which it is made is referred to as Astrakhan, broadtail, qaraqulcha, or Persian lamb. Qaraqul means Black fur in Turkic, similar types of hats are common among Turkic peoples. The hat is peaked, and folds flat when taken off of the wearer's head.

Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan, is often seen wearing a Karakul hat

The qaraqul hat is typically worn by men in Central and South Asia. Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan, wears a qaraqul hat. The folding Qaraqul was worn by the former king of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan in 1919. Thereafter, every Afghan king or president has worn this hat. It is a tradional Kabuli costume. name="foxnews" />

Soviet Politburo Hat

Leonid Brezhnev in Karakul hat in 1974

In the USSR the Karakul hat became very popular among Politburo members. It became common that Soviet leaders appeared in public, wearing this type of hat. The hat probably gained its prestige among Party leaders because it was an obligatory parade attribute of the Tzar and Soviet Generals.^{[citation needed]} By wearing the Karakul hat, Soviet leaders wanted to underline their high political status. In the Soviet Union this hat also took the nickname the Pie-hat^{[citation needed]} because it resembled traditional Russian pies.

Jinnah cap

President Ayub Khan (right) of Pakistan seen wearing the Karakul hat.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, regarded as the founder of Pakistan, was also seen wearing a Karakul hat during his later years

A Jinnah cap is a fur qaraqul hat named for the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The cap was worn by many of the early politicians of Pakistan, especially the founding party: the Pakistan Muslim League. The Jinnah cap and shalwar kameez are the national dress of Pakistan. Many Pakistani politicians and heads of state including President Ayub Khan have worn the Jinnah cap.

It is also worn in Nepal by men mostly of Indo-Aryan descent. It is called Dhaka topi and is the national hat of Nepal. The Jinnah Cap is particularly popular amongst Islamic religious scholars and the elder generation of Baluchistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir.

The velvet version of the cap is called a Rampuri cap, and was worn by the first Prime Minister of Pakistan Sahibzada Liaqat Ali Khan.

In 1937, the 25th Annual Conference of the All-India Muslim League was held in Lucknow under the chairmanship of Quaid-e-Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Before attending this historic session, Quaid-e-Azam wore a spotless Sherwani in which he appeared to be very elegant. At this occasion, Nawab Mohammad Ismail Khan offered his own cap (Qaraqul) to Quaid-e-Azam insisting that it would suit him well with the "Achkan" (a long jacket worn together with the Sherwani specific to Indian royals or nobles) on. Quaid-e-Azam graciously accepted the Nawabs' offer. With the Achkan and the cap on, as Jinnah Sahab appeared on the dais, the huge crowd consisting of 50,000 people burst into loud cheers and the slogans of "Allah-ho-Akbar" (God, The Great) dominated the atmosphere, after seeing their leader in this traditional attire. The clapping continued for a long time. Since that day onwards Nawab Mohammad Ismail Khans' cap, rather unknown to the masses, came to be known as the Jinnah cap all over the Indian Subcontinent and elsewhere in the world. Over the active period before eventually Pakistan was born, Nawab Sahabs' cap would be frequently lent to Jinnah Sahab for other sessions.

African variations

Karakul caps became popular among Africans and African-Americans in the 1960s. African Presidents, Modibo Keïta of Mali, and Ahmed Sékou Touré of Guinea wore the Karakul cap to show their independence from European colonial power. The Karakul cap is often worn by African and African-American Christians and Jews.

Both the velvet and faux fur versions are worn by men of African descent with Western suits, and African attire such as the Grand boubou. Muslims of African ancestry wear these caps with the dishdasha. In urban slang, the Karakul cap is called a fur kufi, while the Rampuri cap is called a velvet fez hat. When worn properly, these caps are always slanted at an angle, and never placed straight on the head. Leopard print Jinnah caps are common in Africa, but are rarely seen in the United States. In popular culture, Eddie Murphy wore the Jinnah cap in the movie, Coming to America.

See also

• Astrakhan (fur)
• Taqiyah (cap)

References

1. A crowning touch