Tawaif
A tawaif (Urdu: طوائف , Punjabi: ਤਵਾਇਫ਼ or ਕੰਜਰੀ, Hindi: तवायफ़) was a courtesan who catered to the nobility of South Asia, particularly during the era of the Mughal Empire. The tawaifs contributed to music, dance, theatre, film, and the Urdu literary tradition.[1] Tawaifs were the influential female elite, were largely a North Indian institution that became prominent during the weakening of the Mughal rule in the mid-18th century.[2]
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[edit] History
The patronage of the Mughal court before and after the Mughal Dynasty in the Doab region and the artistic atmosphere of 16th century Lucknow made arts-related careers a viable prospect. As well as the demand for (mostly) male music and dance teachers, many girls were taken at a young age and trained in both performing arts (such as Kathak and Hindustani classical music) as well as literature (ghazal, thumri) to high standards.[3]
Once they had matured and possessed a sufficient command over dancing and singing, they became a tawaif, high-class courtesans who served the moneyed and the nobility.[4] It is also believed that young nawabs to be were sent to these "tawaifs" to learn "tameez" and "tehzeeb" which includes the ability to differentiate and appreciate good music and literature, perhaps even practice it, especially the art of ghazal writing.
These courtesans would dance, sing (especially ghazals), recite poetry (shairi) and entertain their suitors at mehfils. Like the geisha tradition in Japan[5], their main purpose was to professionally entertain their guests, and while sex was often incidental, it was not assured contractually. High-class or the most popular tawaifs could often pick and choose between the best of their suitors.
[edit] Popular culture
The image of the tawaif has had an enduring appeal, immortalized even in Bollywood movies. Films with a tawaif as a central character include Devdas (1955), Sadhna (1958), Pakeezah (1972), Amar Prem (1972), Umrao Jaan (1981), Tawaif (1985), Devdas (2002)[6], and Umrao Jaan (2006)[7] and documentary film, The Other Song (2009). Other films depict a tawaif in a supporting role, often in situations where a man goes to them in loveless marriage or life.[8]
Today, the term in Urdu has undergone semantic pejoration and is now synonymous with a prostitute.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Mapping cultures". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 2004-08-11. http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/08/11/stories/2004081101090100.htm.
- ^ "Fall of a culture". Tribune India. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090920/spectrum/main2.htm. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^ "A hundred years of unsung love". Mid Day. http://www.mid-day.com/specials/2010/jun/130610-gauhar-jaan-first-gramaphone-record-artist-thumris-ghazals-mysore.htm. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^ "The Last Song of Awadh". Indian Express. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-last-song-of-awadh/502153/0. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^ "Courtesans resisted male dominance". Times of India. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-12-29/lucknow/27292450_1_male-dominance-oldenburg-lucknow. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^ "Umrao Jaan". Times of India. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2006-11-04/hindi/27807887_1_umrao-jaan-dream-lover-urdu. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^ "Ash glows at the mahurat of Umrao Jaan". Rediff. http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2005/oct/10ash.htm. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^ "The Black Woman". Washington Bangla Radio. http://www.washingtonbanglaradio.com/content/42323411-black-woman. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- Crooke, William (1999). The tribes and castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh. Asian Educational Services. p. 364. ISBN 8120612108. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MvAtxnxTWpwC&pg=PA364&dq=Tawaif. Retrieved 2008-05-10.
[edit] Further reading
- Martha Feldman, Bonnie Gordon. The courtesan's arts: cross-cultural perspectives. pp. 312–352.
[edit] External links
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