Tawaif
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Historically, a tawaif was a courtesan who catered to the Muslim nobility of South Asia, particularly during the Mughal era. They were skilled singers (North Indian classical music), dancers (usually Kathak), and poets (Urdu poetry). They were generally highly educated and refined[citation needed]. High-class tawaifs could often pick and choose between the best of their suitors.
The tawaif is celebrated in the Bollywood films, having given its name to Tawaif (film) (1985), Pakeezah (1972), Umrao Jaan (1981), Devdas (2002), and Umrao Jaan (2006 film) (2006), remake of the 1981 original version. Today, the term in Urdu has undergone semantic pejoration
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Crooke, William (1999). The tribes and castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh. Asian Educational Services, p. 364. ISBN 8120612108. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
