By Saonli Hazra - September 30, 2019
In the movie Devdas (2002) directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the protagonist played by popular actor Shah Rukh Khan says, “Aurat maa hoti hai, bahen hoti hai, patni hoti hai, dost hoti hai … aur jab woh kuch nahi hoti, toh tawaif hoti hai“. That incidentally is a summation of our attitudes towards the Tawaif or Nautch Girls…women who were accomplished and highly acclaimed singers, dancers and poets, honed to perfection under the Hindustani Classical genre, but who were later relegated to the depraved status of prostitutes, driven to near penury under the Colonial rule and thereafter.
Courtesan history documents that young girls were taken under the tutelage of eminent classical musicians, dancers and poets in the Mughal period, a time when art and culture received much attention and aesthetics flourished like never before. As the patronage of music, dance and poetry/Shayeri in the Mughal courts grew, performing arts became a viable option for many who had interest, potential, and skill set. For years the girls were trained to achieve the heights in this musical and literary tradition.
CourtesanImage Source: DESIBlitz
Courtesan history documents that little girls were taken under the tutelage of eminent classical musicians, dancers and poets in the Mughal period, a time when art and culture received much attention and aesthetics flourished like never before.
In the Mughal courts especially in the Doab region, the tradition flourished. Thumri, Khayal, Dadra, Tappa, Ghazals took on a resplendence that dazzled. The women called Tawaifs entertained high class nobility and tutored young Nawabs in the finer nuances of language, manners and cultural refinement. These women were looked upon with respect and they were under no obligation to sexually service their patrons. Of course they could choose to be with any man of their choice and this aspect made them quite powerful.
Women like Begum Samru, Ad Begum, Moran Sarkar, Binodini Dasi, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Gauhar Jaan, Akhtari Bai, Rasoolan Bai and several others held sway over the music scene in the country and took forward the tradition of Hindustani Classical music. These women were stalwarts who not only sang but also created musical motifs set to a raaga. They used folk songs and put them to more complex constructions and created semi classical arrangements like Chaiti and Kajri. Sublime couplets were set to ghazals and thumris.
Read full article: feminisminindia
In the movie Devdas (2002) directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the protagonist played by popular actor Shah Rukh Khan says, “Aurat maa hoti hai, bahen hoti hai, patni hoti hai, dost hoti hai … aur jab woh kuch nahi hoti, toh tawaif hoti hai“. That incidentally is a summation of our attitudes towards the Tawaif or Nautch Girls…women who were accomplished and highly acclaimed singers, dancers and poets, honed to perfection under the Hindustani Classical genre, but who were later relegated to the depraved status of prostitutes, driven to near penury under the Colonial rule and thereafter.
Courtesan history documents that young girls were taken under the tutelage of eminent classical musicians, dancers and poets in the Mughal period, a time when art and culture received much attention and aesthetics flourished like never before. As the patronage of music, dance and poetry/Shayeri in the Mughal courts grew, performing arts became a viable option for many who had interest, potential, and skill set. For years the girls were trained to achieve the heights in this musical and literary tradition.
Courtesan history documents that little girls were taken under the tutelage of eminent classical musicians, dancers and poets in the Mughal period, a time when art and culture received much attention and aesthetics flourished like never before.
In the Mughal courts especially in the Doab region, the tradition flourished. Thumri, Khayal, Dadra, Tappa, Ghazals took on a resplendence that dazzled. The women called Tawaifs entertained high class nobility and tutored young Nawabs in the finer nuances of language, manners and cultural refinement. These women were looked upon with respect and they were under no obligation to sexually service their patrons. Of course they could choose to be with any man of their choice and this aspect made them quite powerful.
Women like Begum Samru, Ad Begum, Moran Sarkar, Binodini Dasi, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Gauhar Jaan, Akhtari Bai, Rasoolan Bai and several others held sway over the music scene in the country and took forward the tradition of Hindustani Classical music. These women were stalwarts who not only sang but also created musical motifs set to a raaga. They used folk songs and put them to more complex constructions and created semi classical arrangements like Chaiti and Kajri. Sublime couplets were set to ghazals and thumris.
Read full article: feminisminindia
