I GUESS YOU HEARD IT RIGHT. HEARING THE WORD 'TAWAIF' WOULD DEFINITIELY STRIKE A PICTURE OF SHAMA LIT KOTHAS, POT BELLIED MERCHANTS WITH THEIR MOUTHS STUFFED WITH PAAN THROWING AWAY MONEY , THE SCENT OF ALCHOHOL AND OPIUM FILLING IN THE ROOM, DANCERS DRESSED UP IN HEAVY ATTIRE....FRANKLY SPEAKING, BOLLYWOOD HAS RUINED IT ALL. GOING BACK TO THE COLONIAL AND PRE-COLONIAL ERA, THESE FORGOTTEN LEGENDS WERE NOT ONLY ACTED AS SPIES, BUT WERE ONE OF THE HIGHEST TAX PAYERS OF LUCKNOW.
Tawaif’ was once a word that people used to not shy away from. Considered as an authority on etiquette, courtesans were the epitome of adab, and custodian of etiquettes and poise, who apart from contributing to music, dance, theatre, and the Urdu literary tradition, went on to rule the empires, lead armies, work as spies and even redefined the socio-political discourse in many ways.
THE NAUTCH GIRLS OF INDIA
It is popularly believed that the sons from the noble families were sent to these tawaifs to learn tehzeeb and tameez, and the niceties of society, this also included the ability to differentiate good music and literature, and perhaps even practice it, especially the art of ghazal writing. By the closing of the 18th century, they had become the prime element of polite and refined culture in North India.
HOWEVER THE LEADERS WHO WERE ON THE FRONT LINE, WERENT THE ONLY ONE WHO TURNED THE DREAM OF FREEDOM INTO REALITY, SOME STORIES HAVE BEEN OBSCURED IN THE WRINKLED PAGES OF HISTORY.AMONG THOSE FIGHTERS WERE INDIA,S GALLANT 'TAWAIFS' OR COURTESANS, WHOSES TORIES OF SELF SACRIFICE HAVE HAD FEW EARS AND EVEN LITTLE MATERIAL TRACE.
AZEEZUNBAI'S BRAVERY IS ONLY HEARD IN WHISPERS WHICH SHOULD BE ACTUALLY A PROUDLY NARRATED ACCOUNT TO INSPIRE PEOPLE. SHE NOT ONLY SERVED AS A SPY AND A MESSENGER, BUT SHE WAS THE ONE SPOTTED ON A HORSEBACK DISGUISED IN MALE GARB AND ARMED WITH A BRACE OF PISTOLS, WHEN EAST INDIA COMPANY WERE LAYING SEIGE IN KANPUR IN 1857.
Courtesans like Azeezun allowed their salons known as balakhana or kothas (because they were on the first floor with ground floor being shops) to be used as meeting places for the "rebel sepoys" and helped pass on messages. They spied on their British clients, encouraging them to talk and relayed information to the sepoys.
HER HOUSE SERVED AS A GATHERING PLACE FOR SEPOYS. HER GROUP OF FEARLESS WOMEN WENT AROUND TREATING THEIR WOUNDS, AND DISTRIBUTING RIFLES AND SUPPLIES.
When the British were punishing the perpetrators of the uprising, the might of their wrath also fell on the courtesans. It was then that they discovered that the courtesans were in the highest income brackets, owning huge properties and enjoying an elevated status in society.
IN ADDITION TO AZEEZUNBAI, HOSSAINI WAS A MAJOR PARTICIPANT IN THE BIBIGHAR MASSACRE, WHICH RESULTED IN THE DEATHS OF OVER 100 BRITISH WOMEN AND CHILDREN HELD PRISONER.
GAUHAR JAAN, A FAMED COURTESEAN WAS ANOTHER SUCH PERSONALITY WHO ORGANISED A FUND RAISING PERFORMANCE CONTRIBUTING TO THE SWARAJ FUND.
GAUHAR JAAN
THE TAWAIFS HAD TO BEAR THE REPERCUSSIONS AS A RESULT OF THEIR ACTIVE PARTICIPATION. BUT BY THE 1900S, THEIR SOCIAL AND FINANCIAL STATUS HAD DWINDLED FROM ITS HEYDAY.
EVEN DURING THE NON COOPERATION MOVEMENT , A GROUP OF VARANASI COURTESANS FORMED THE TAWAIF SABHA TO SUPPORT THIS WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. HUSNA BAI PRESIDED OVER THE SABHA, ENCOURAGING MEMBERS TO BOYCOTT FOREIGN GOODS AND TO SHOW SOLIDATORY BY WEARING IRON SHACKLES INSTEAD OF JEWELLERY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEIR INTELLECTUAL AND ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTIONS HAS FADED INTO A WARPED PICTURE OF PROSTITUTION, ERASING THEM FROM HISTORY'S CONQUERING EPISODES.
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Well done 👍 nice information
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