Tawaifs: The Ones We do not Wish to Understand

Vandya Bisaria

Tawaifs: The Ones We do not Wish to Understand

India is a land of many cultures. Its history is a kaleidoscope of art, its culture brighter than the gleam of gold in the sun. There are many reasons for this vividness in India - its languages, its festivals, and its rituals. But there is more. In the nooks and crannies of the dark alleys of Lucknow, the wind whispers long-forgotten secrets. In the busy ghats of Banaras, hope for days gone by floats on the holy river. This rebellion, this hope is for those society has shunned and misunderstood. It is for the tawaifs of India, whose sexuality was their weapon and whose talent was unmatched.

Image Caption: The Tawaifs of Lucknow Source: The India Observer

The word ‘tawaif’ comes from the Arabic word “tauf” or “tawaf” which means circling around or circumambulation. Tauf is mentioned in the Holy Quran to refer to heavenly rewards for believers with their youthful servants who would circle around or wait on them. The term currently refers to the rounds Muslim devotees take of the Kaaba, their sacred space located in Mecca.

Tawaifs’ names would generally end in datta, mitra or sena. They could be identified by the suffix ‘jaan’ or ‘bai’ which denoted their professional status and resided in huge mansions called Kothas. Kothas had shops, saloons and brothels and were majorly of two kinds. Some were located in the countryside to cater to the economically weaker sections of society with women who were uneducated and not trained in the art of grace and elegance. The Kothas in the city, however, were home to women refined in the act of conversing and performing, so much so that noble families sent their sons to Kothas to learn etiquette or tehzeeb. These were women revered for their command over Persian and Urdu literature and their riveting recitations of poetry. They were at the eye of the cultural storm that ravished India - the stillness in chaos; the bricks to the foundations of the immortality of expression. The trials of time have ravaged these foundations. They persist but they grow frailer with each passing moment.

Tawaifs performed in famous mehfils or concerts, which only the wealthiest of the wealthy could afford. These celebrations began with light singing of thumri, dadra and ghazal along with facial and hand gestures to display bhava (emotion). These performances were sometimes clubbed with those of bhands - jesters who added sarcastic observations and allusions to the music. The last performance was saved for the most famous singer who would perform for only those who were genuinely interested. Tawaifs not only made ghazals popular but added Kathak to mainstream dance forms. A mixture of Persian and Indian compositions, this dance form was enjoyed in the courts of Awadh with thumri and ghazals. The most gifted of these singers and dancers were called ‘kanchani’ or gilded. They were trained from the age of five to attain mastery. There was no coercion involved.

Tawaifs were at the top of artiste history at a time when women had no space in the male-dominated public sphere. They were independent women who could earn and look after themselves. In fact, they were the ones who employed male musicians to teach them and sustained their livelihoods.

In the 19th century Lucknow, courtesans had royal patrons under the Mughal rule and were well cared for. They had so much power and social status that they could dismiss British officials and nobles if they did not wish to see them. Every once in a while, a powerful man struck by a particular tawaif, would pay a hefty sum and release her from the Kotha. They married into respectable societies, whose denizens quickly forgot their past and all the judgement was laid to rest. Even without this union, the relationships of tawaifs were based on their own free will and demands. For them, relationships were lucrative and powerful and there was no shame in wanting to have a life of luxury, power and lust.

It was in 1857 when things began going downhill. The Revolt of 1857 was raging in Delhi and Awadh. Rebel sepoys and messengers converged at the Kothas to relay important information about the way the rebellion had to be continued. When the British separated the beloved Nawab Wajid Ali Shah from his Oudh, not only did the reign of a king come to an end, rather, the golden age of music and dance which flourished under the talented ruler’s support fell into ruins.