Karakul (hat)
A Karakul hat (Dari/Urdu/Pashto/Uzbek: قراقلی), sometimes spelled as Qaraqul hat, also called Jinnah Cap[1][2] and Uzbek hat[3] is a hat made from the fur of the Qaraqul breed of sheep. Karakul directly translates to black fur in the Uzbek language and the hat originally comes from Bukhara.[4][5][6][7] The fur from which it is made is referred to as Astrakhan, broadtail, qaraqulcha, or Persian lamb. The hat is peaked, and folds flat when taken off of the wearer's head.
The cap is typically worn by men in Central and South Asia. It was worn by , Amanullah Khan, the former king of Afghanistan and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan. The karakul, which had distinguished all educated urban men since the beginning of the 20th century, has fallen out of fashion in Afghanistan and Pakistan.[8][9][2]
Soviet Politburo hat
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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 czar 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.[citation needed]
Karakul worn in Russia, or the Soviet Union are cylindrical and are unlike the Gandhi cap worn in South Asia.
Kashmiri variations
Karakul caps have been worn by Kashmiris for the past several decades.[10] The Karakul cap is colloquially known as a "Karakuli" in the Kashmir Valley. The traditional headgear of the gentry in Kashmir has historically been the turban tied in a similar fashion to the Pashtun equivalent.
The Karakul caps are popular amongst most of the mainstream politicians. It is quite common for a Kashmiri groom to wear a Karakul Cap as he waits at his in-laws house for his bride to accompany him home.
African variations
Karakul caps became popular among Africans and African-Americans in the 1960s. African Presidents such as Modibo Keïta of Mali and Ahmed Sékou Touré of Guinea, who were themselves both of pre-colonial African royal descent, 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.[citation needed]
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 karakul caps are common in Africa, but are rarely seen in the United States. In popular culture, Eddie Murphy wore the karakul cap in the movie Coming to America.[citation needed]
Gallery
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Afghanistan former president, Hamed Karzai wearing a Karakul hat -
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Bukhara Karakul skins and Karakul hats -
Mathura sculpture depicting similar hat style
_Bucharische_Lammfelle_und_daraus_gefertigte_%27Persianer%27-M%C3%BCtzen.jpg)
See also
- Astrakhan (fur)
- Astrakhan (hat)
- Canadian military fur wedge cap
- Papakha
- Side cap (Pilotka)
- Taqiyah (cap)
References
- ^ "Decoding Afghanistan's colourful headgear culture". AlJazeera. 18 March 2022.
known as a Jinnah cap across the border in Pakistan, where it was popularised by the country's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah
- ^ a b Baig, Zulfiqar (9 October 2019). "Jinnah Cap – a dying legacy". The Express Tribune.
- ^ Ahmed, p. 85.
- ^ "Hamid Karzai's Famous Hat Made From Aborted Lamb Fetuses". FOXNews.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 1 May 2008.
- ^ "Qaraquls Burst Upon the Fashion World". Taipei Times. Associated Press. 27 May 2007. p. 12. Archived from the original on 16 December 2007.
- ^ Humane Society of the United States (12 December 2000). "HSUS Investigation Reveals Slaughter of Unborn and Newborn Lambs for Fur: Dateline NBC Features Undercover Investigation Documenting Animal Cruelty". Infurmation (Press release). Archived from the original on 31 May 2006.
- ^ "Transcript of NBC "Dateline" Feature on Karakul Production". furcommission.com. 11 December 2000. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008.
- ^ "Clothing in Afghanistan". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ^ Nordland, Rob (26 January 2010). "The Afghan Leader's Hat, Always More Than Just Headgear, Is Losing Its Cachet". New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
- ^ M. Ashraf (1 January 2013). "The Karakul Cap". GreaterKashmir.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.