67-539: Mirza Mu'izz-ud-Din Beg Muhammad Khan (10 May 1661 – 11 February 1713), better known by his title Jahandar Shah ( lit. ' The Owner of the World ' , Persian pronunciation: [d͡ʒaˈhɑːn.ˈdɑːr ʃɑːh] ), was briefly the ninth Mughal emperor from 1712 to 1713. He was the son of Emperor Bahadur Shah I , and the grandson of Emperor Aurangzeb . Jahandar Shah was the first puppet ruler of
134-600: A prince, which set him up for failure as a ruler. Abhishek Kaicker notes that nobles had themselves became more self-interested around the time of Jahandar Shah's accession, and that the "cruelty" of his reign was their defense for siding with Farrukhsiyar , who deposed Jahandar Shah. Jahandar Shah's accession invited the challenge of his nephew Farrukhsiyar, the son of Azim-us-Shan, who was based in Bengal. With little independent resources, he unsuccessfully attempted to find backing for his bid. He eventually found powerful support in
201-699: A region, the Mughals always sought to occupy a strategic fortress in some region, which would serve as a nodal point from which the Mughal army would emerge to take on any enemy that challenged the empire. This system was not only expensive but also made the army somewhat inflexible as the assumption was always the enemy would retreat into a fortress to be besieged or would engage in a set-piece decisive battle of annihilation on open ground. The Hindu Marathas were expert horsemen who refused to engage in set-piece battles, but rather engaged in campaigns of guerrilla warfare upon
268-689: A relationship was terminated, either due to the death of their patron or a mutual decision to part ways, would a tawaif look to enter into another relationship. However by the time the British Raj had annexed Punjab , the services of Tawaifs were no longer valued and even the most highly trained dancing girls were reviled as lewd by the Victorian standards of the British. Despite this, British men were happy to take local women as concubines and mistresses but were uninterested in becoming patrons of
335-418: A syncretistic mixture of Hinduism and Islam. Akbar allowed freedom of religion at his court and attempted to resolve socio-political and cultural differences in his empire by establishing a new religion, Din-i-Ilahi , with strong characteristics of a ruling cult. He left his son an internally stable state, which was in the midst of its golden age, but before long signs of political weakness would emerge. Akbar
402-535: A temple in the presence of a king who honoured her with titles and gifts and she would be well versed in temple rituals and took part in temple festivals. Devadasis were well received across North India and modern-day Pakistan and Chinese pilgrim Huein Tsang who visited India in the 7th century testified to the large number of dancing girls in the Sun Temple of Multan . Al-Biruni in his famous study of India in
469-420: A territory of more than 4 million square kilometres (1.5 million square miles). Mughal power rapidly dwindled during the 18th century and the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II , was deposed in 1857, with the establishment of the British Raj . The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur , a Timurid prince and ruler from Central Asia . Babur was a direct descendant of Timur , the 14th century founder of
536-609: A very young age, under the guidance and tutelage of renowned ustaads (masters). Young girls regularly spent hours in riyaz , learning songs and dance to the exacting standards set by their teachers. The term riyaz, from Arabic , connotes abstinence, devotion, discipline and hard labour. At a mundane level, regular riyaz is necessary for a flawless performance before an audience. Many well-known tawaifs practiced and learned music throughout their careers, seeking masters from different music traditions ( gharanas ) to add to their performance style. The tawaif's introduction into her profession
603-456: A young age and trained in both performing arts, including mujra , Kathak , and Hindustani classical music , as well as literature , poetry (particularly ghazal ), thumri , and dadra . The training of young tawaifs also encompassed urdu writing and enunciation, as well as social skills employed in cultivating patrons and retaining them, particularly the complex etiquette associated with their craft, in which they were seen as experts. During
670-569: Is a performer who thrives on sponsorship from the royal and aristocratic families, and the dancers are responsible for performing mujra dance with good manners. True mujra dance is elegant, complex, and artistic, presented in an elegant manner. At grand occasions such as a marriage or the birth of a male heir, the tawaif is also invited to perform. In such occasions, they usually perform a mythological or legendary story, like singing. The tawaifs would dance, sing (especially ghazals ), recite poetry ( shairi ) and entertain their suitors at mehfils . Like
737-555: The Indian Rebellion ), Gauhar Jaan (a notable classical singer who sang for India's first-ever record), and Zohrabai Agrewali . A number of television and film actresses from Pakistan were tawaifs, including Niggo , Nadira , and Naina . A number of singers from Pakistan also were tawaifs, including Zeenat Begum and Tamancha Jan . The annexation of Oudh by the East India Company in 1856 sounded
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#1732772511876804-473: The Indian subcontinent , with one of the earliest references to the profession being the character Vasantasena from the 5th century BC Sanskrit drama Mṛcchakatika . In early India, Gaṇikā referred to a courtesan or public dancing girl. Ganikas were trained in fine arts like dance and music in order to entertain kings, princes, and other wealthy patrons on religious and social occasions. Women competed to win
871-615: The Mughal Empire , who were all members of the Timurid dynasty ( House of Babur ), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were the supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent , mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India , Pakistan , Afghanistan and Bangladesh . They ruled many parts of India from 1526, and by 1707, and ruled most of
938-515: The Sayyid brothers , Husain Ali Khan and Abdullah Khan , administrators of Azim-us-Shan who had been removed from their postings by Jahandar Shah. With their resources and political connections, Farrukhsiyar assembled a rebel army and advanced on the throne. The underpaid imperial army was defeated in battle near Agra in early 1713. Upon defeat, Jahandar Shah fled to Delhi and sought refuge at
1005-682: The Timurid empire on his father's side, and Genghis Khan on his mother's side. Ousted from his ancestral domains in Turkestan by Shaybani Khan , the 40-year-old prince Babur turned to India to satisfy his ambitions. He established himself in Kabul and then pushed steadily southward into India from Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass . Babur's forces occupied much of northern India after his victory at Panipat in 1526. The preoccupation with wars and military campaigns, however, did not allow
1072-478: The geisha tradition in Japan, their main purpose was to professionally entertain their guests, and while sex was often incidental, it was not assured contractually. High-class or the most popular tawaifs could often pick and choose among the best of their suitors. Tawaifs performed at temples during holidays and participated in temple celebrations, which had been passed down from generation to generation. They also had
1139-558: The 11th century recorded that about 500 dancing girls were active in the Somnath temple. The patronage of the Mughal court in the Doab region and the subsequent atmosphere of 16th century Awadh made arts-related careers a viable prospect. Mughal Emperor Akbar himself was enchanted by a Portuguese expert dancing girl whom he named Dilruba (heart warmer). Many girls were taken at
1206-473: The British colonial period, some tawaifs became prostitute. The distinction between prostitutes and tawaifs began to blur. Some prostitutes also called their erotic dances mujra dance. Mujra dance gradually became associated with sex and prostitution. They used to be the only source of popular music and dance and were often invited to perform on weddings and other occasions. Some of them became concubines and wives of maharajas and wealthy individuals. They were
1273-897: The British rule. Tawaifs were largely a North Indian institution central to Mughal court culture from the 16th century onwards and became even more prominent with the weakening of Mughal rule in the mid-18th century. They contributed significantly to the continuation of traditional dance and music forms. The tawaifs excelled in and contributed to music, dance ( mujra ), theatre, and the Urdu literary tradition, and were considered an authority on etiquette . Indian writer and scholar Pran Nevile said: “The word ‘tawaif’ deserves respect, not disdain. A lot of them were singers and not sex workers. People think of them as prostitutes, undermining their value as great musicians.” On 12 May 2024, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper described tawaif as "cultural idols and female intellectuals ". Tawaifs have existed for centuries in
1340-506: The Marathas. The Indian campaign of Nader Shah of Persia culminated with the Sack of Delhi and shattered the remnants of Mughal power and prestige, as well as capturing the imperial treasury, thus drastically accelerating its decline. Many of the empire's elites now sought to control their own affairs and broke away to form independent kingdoms. The Mughal emperor, however, continued to be
1407-468: The Mughal dynasty, having been placed on the throne by powerful noble Zulfiqar Khan . His reign was short and turbulent, lasting less than a year. He was deposed by the Sayyid brothers and succeeded by his nephew Farrukhsiyar . Prince Mu'izz-ud-din was born on 10 May 1661 in Deccan Subah to Prince Mu'azzam . His mother Nizam Bai , the daughter of Fatehyawar Jang, was a noble from Hyderabad . He
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#17327725118761474-407: The Mughal period, prostitutes were known as randi, kasbi and thakahi ,some prostitutes also sing and dance, but many of them did not even have access to artistic training. Once a trainee had matured and possessed a sufficient command over dancing and singing, she became a tawaif , high-class courtesans who served the rich and noble. Unsurprisingly then, their training in music and dance started at
1541-421: The Mughal supply lines. The Marathas were unable to take the Mughal fortresses via a storm or formal siege as they lacked the artillery, but by constantly intercepting supply columns, they were able to starve Mughal fortresses into submission. Successive Mughal commanders refused to adjust their tactics and develop an appropriate counter-insurgency strategy, which led to the Mughals losing more and more ground to
1608-544: The area, Heera Mandi retained its reputation as a centre of the performing arts. After the partition, young and attractive tawaifs from Heera Mandi became the first choice of Pakistan filmmakers. Tawaifs from Heera Mandi joined the Lollywood industry and gained much fame and wealth. Some of the most skilled tawaifs performed as backup dancers in early Pakistan films. In Heera Mandi and surrounding areas, there were many dance classrooms and music classrooms, which were closed as
1675-402: The authority of the emperor, accepting him only as 'King of Delhi' and removing all references to him from their coinage. After the Indian rebellion which he nominally led from 1857–58, the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar , was deposed by the British, who then assumed formal control of a large part of the former empire, marking the start of the British Raj . Titular emperors Over
1742-1011: The course of the empire, there were several claimants to the Mughal throne who ascended the throne or claimed to do so but were never recognized. Here are the claimants to the Mughal throne historians recognise as titular Mughal emperors. (4 years, 8 months and 6 days) (9 years, 4 months and 21 days) 22 February 1555 – 27 January 1556 (11 months and 5 days) (49 years, 8 months and 16 days) (21 years, 11 months and 25 days) (30 years, 6 months and 12 days) Alamgir عالمگیر (48 years, 7 months and 3 days) (3 months 6 days) Shah Alam I (4 years, 253 days) (0 years, 350 days) (6 years, 48 days) (0 years, 98 days) (0 years, 105 days) (28 years, 212 days) (6 years, 37 days) (5 years, 180 days) (0 years, 282 days) (27 years, 301 days) (0 years, 63 days) (18 years, 339 days) (30 years, 321 days) (19 years, 360 days) Tawaif A tawaif
1809-525: The court, however, began to exceed the revenue being levied. Shah Jahan's eldest son, the liberal Dara Shikoh , became regent in 1658, as a result of his father's illness. Dara championed a syncretistic Hindu-Muslim religion and culture. With the support of the Islamic orthodoxy, however, a younger son of Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb , seized the throne. Aurangzeb defeated Dara in 1659 and had him executed. Although Shah Jahan fully recovered from his illness, there
1876-423: The dancing girls were fabulously rich and Domingo was "struck by their collars of gold studded with diamonds, rubies and pearls, bracelets on their arms, girdles below and, of necessity, anklets on their feet.". There were hierarchies among the performing artists, and the tawaifs were at the top, a class distinct from street performers and prostitutes. (A Tawaif is a dancer, not a prostitute.) Tawaif kothas, where
1943-499: The early 20th century, came from tawaif backgrounds, as did the first actresses of Parsi theatre and, later, the ‘talkies’, films with sound. A majority of tawaifs could not make this transition, however, and continued to perform within their kothas to a dwindling group of patrons. After the British colonization, although more brothels and prostitutes were operating in Heera Mandi , there were still tawaif performing activities in
2010-413: The empire between them upon victory (with Zulfiqar Khan serving as their common mir bakhshi ). Azim-us-Shan was defeated and killed, following which Jahandar Shah broke the alliance and turned on his brothers, defeating them and killing them with the help of Zulfiqar Khan, emerging as the victor of the succession struggle. Jahandar Shah was crowned on 29 March, 1712. His accession was not well-supported in
2077-543: The empire heavily in both militarily and financially. A further problem for Aurangzeb was the army had always been based upon the land-owning aristocracy of northern India who provided the cavalry for the campaigns, and the empire had nothing equivalent to the janissary corps of the Ottoman Empire. The long and costly conquest of the Deccan had badly diminished the "aura of success" that surrounded Aurangzeb, and from
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2144-657: The empire was wielded by an outsider to the dynasty. As the effective ruler during Jahandar Shah's reign, Zulfiqar Khan sought to establish amicable relationships with the Rajputs , Sikhs , and Marathas , and bring back peace in the empire. However, the empire's finances were deteriorating, continuing a trend that had begun with Jahandar Shah's predecessors, which decreased the empire's military effectiveness. The excessive power enjoyed by Zulfiqar Khan caused Jahandar Shah to conspire against him, creating political chaos. During his reign, Jahandar Shah married tawaif Lal Kunwar , who
2211-646: The empire's decline, but he ultimately had to seek the protection of outside powers. In 1784, the Marathas under Mahadaji Shinde won acknowledgement as the protectors of the emperor in Delhi, a state of affairs that continued until after the Second Anglo-Maratha War . Thereafter, the East India Company became the protectors of the Mughal dynasty in Delhi . After 1835 the Company no longer recognised
2278-403: The empire, and he was viewed as an illegitimate ruler. Hence, upon his coronation, Jahandar Shah moved to consolidate his authority by rewarding and promoting his supporters. He departed from previous Mughal succession practices by severely punishing the nobles who had supported his brothers in the succession, with several of them being executed. He also let the bodies of the defeated princes rot in
2345-464: The entertainment of singing and dancing. The 1993 Bow Bazaar bomb blast in Calcutta brought an end to the kothas in the busy commercial district. As dance bars and disco music replaced mujras, kathak and thumri, the tawaifs abandoned the profession. "Tawaifs & Kothas" cultural tour initiated by "Enroute Indian History". Explore the lives of the tawaifs or dancing girls on a heritage walk through
2412-457: The fabulous wealth of the Mughal court, but the glittering court hid darker realities, namely that about a quarter of the empire's gross national product was owned by 655 families while the bulk of India's 120 million people lived in appalling poverty. After suffering what appears to have been an epileptic seizure in 1578 while hunting tigers, which he regarded as a religious experience , Akbar grew disenchanted with Islam, and came to embrace
2479-544: The first death-knell for this medieval-era institution. It was soon looked down upon with disfavour by the colonial government, and the tawaifs were eventually forced to go into prostitution due to a lack of employment opportunities. Social reformers in India opposed them as social decadence. But some tawaif and institutions still survived until India's independence in 1947. Some of the famous tawaifs include: The tawaifs had actively participated in anti-British actions behind
2546-416: The first singers to record on gramophone with the emergence of that new technology. With the emergence of movies, however, they lost popularity. With their traditional spaces and modes of music rehearsal under attack, many tawaifs found space as performers in the newly emerging industries of mass entertainment, such as the gramophone, theatre and later films. The earliest singers to record for the gramophone, in
2613-569: The formerly well tolerated tawaifs of Lahore , and even less interested in spending lavish sums upon them. Some of the most prominent tawaifs in history were Anarkali , Mah Laqa Bai , Bhagmati , Lal Kunwar , Qudsia Begum , Zainabadi Mahal , Mubarak Begum and Begum Samru (who rose to rule the principality of Sardhana in western Uttar Pradesh), Moran Sarkar (who became the wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh ), Wazeeran (patronised by Lucknow's last nawab Wajid Ali Shah ), Begum Hazrat Mahal (Wajid Ali's first wife who played an important role in
2680-575: The highest manifestation of sovereignty. Not only the Muslim gentry, but the Maratha, Hindu, and Sikh leaders took part in ceremonial acknowledgements of the emperor as the sovereign of India. In the next decades, the Afghans , Sikhs , and Marathas battled against each other and the Mughals, revealing the fragmented state of the empire. The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II made futile attempts to reverse
2747-400: The house of Zulfiqar Khan and his father Asad Khan . However, the two imprisoned him and turned him over to Farrukhsiyar, in hopes of securing his favour. Farrukhsiyar had both Jahandar Shah and Zulfiqar Khan executed, with Jahandar Shah being beaten to death and then beheaded on 11 February, 1713. Jahandar Shah's body was paraded around Delhi in parts, hanging upside down from two elephants. He
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2814-515: The kingdom stretched to 3.2 million square kilometres, including parts of what are now India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. After his death in 1707, "many parts of the empire were in open revolt." Aurangzeb's attempts to reconquer his family's ancestral lands in Central Asia were not successful while his successful conquest of the Deccan region proved to be a pyrrhic victory that cost
2881-634: The kings and young princes. They would also familiarize the royalty with the finer nuances of poetry, music, dance and literature. By the 18th century, they had become the central element of polite, refined culture in North India. The kotha of a tawaif is a performance space and as a guardian of arts and culture, and is only open to the city's elite and wealthy patrons. In these rarified spaces, tawaifs would compose poetry, sing and dance with live musical composition, as well as performing at banquets, all of which required years of rigorous training. Tawaif
2948-568: The late 17th century onwards, the aristocracy became increasingly unwilling to provide forces for the empire's wars as the prospect of being rewarded with land as a result of a successful war was seen as less and less likely. Furthermore, at the conclusion of the conquest of the Deccan, Aurangzeb had very selectively rewarded some of the noble families with confiscated land in the Deccan, leaving aristocrats unrewarded with confiscated land feeling strongly disgruntled and unwilling to participate in further campaigns. Aurangzeb's son, Shah Alam , repealed
3015-689: The new emperor to consolidate the gains he had made in India. The instability of the empire became evident under his son, Humayun , who was driven into exile in Persia by rebels. Humayun's exile in Persia established diplomatic ties between the Safavid and Mughal courts and led to increasing West Asian cultural influence in the Mughal court. The restoration of Mughal rule began after Humayun's triumphant return from Persia in 1555, but he died from an accident shortly afterwards. Humayun's son, Akbar , succeeded to
3082-444: The open for several days before their entombment, unlike previous emperors who had insisted on a proper burial. With Jahandar Shah's accession, Zulfiqar Khan assumed the post of wazir . Due to Jahandar Shah's complete dependence on him, and the circumstances of his accession to the throne, effective power was wielded not by the emperor but by Zulfiqar Khan himself. This was the first occurrence in Mughal history that absolute power over
3149-519: The reign of Aurangzeb , the empire, as the world's largest economy and manufacturing power, worth over 25% of global GDP, controlled nearly all of the Indian subcontinent, extending from Dhaka in the east to Kabul in the west and from Kashmir in the north to the Kaveri River in the south. Its population at the time is estimated to be 158,400,000 (a quarter of the world's population), over
3216-611: The religious policies of his father and attempted to reform the administration. "However, after his death in 1712, the Mughal dynasty sank into chaos and violent feuds. In the year 1719 alone, four emperors successively ascended the throne". During the reign of Muhammad Shah , the empire began to break up, and vast tracts of central India passed from Mughals to the Marathas hands. Mughal warfare had always been based upon heavy artillery for sieges, heavy cavalry for offensive operations and light cavalry for skirmishing and raids. To control
3283-598: The same literary education as before, but they are not sex workers, "a courtesan is no less than a circus performer, balancing a bottle on her head". They are all trained in Kathak, to regale the men who visit them in the evenings. Another skill they are expected to master is singing. Ghazals, hori and thumris, they know it all to the best of their ability. But just enough to earn a livelihood. In addition to performing at kotha, tawaifs also performed during weddings at home, celebrations of child birth and other festivities, provided
3350-650: The scenes. Their buildings, known as "kothas", became meeting areas and hiding places for anti-British elements. Those tawaifs who accumulated wealth provided financial support to anti-British elements. Some tawaifs suffered retaliation from colonial authorities. Their kotha was searched and their belongings confiscated. The Victorian-era morality project, which placed a premium on women’s chastity and domesticity. As public performers, tawaifs were equated with prostitutes and their kothas were branded as brothels. Mujra dance originally did not refer to vulgar dance, but an elegant and ceremonial dance, usually performed by tawaif. During
3417-466: The sons of wealthy and elite families, who would often send their sons to kothas so that they could learn Urdu speaking, poetry and etiquette from tawaifs. The boys would be told to sit and observe how a tawaif goes about her interactions. The Tawaif's contribution to society came from a tradition of families and enjoyed a hierarchy. The uppermost echelon of tawaifs was entrusted with the responsibility of teaching adab (etiquette) and qa'ida (manners) to
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#17327725118763484-638: The subcontinent. Afterwards, they declined rapidly, but nominally ruled territories until the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , where they gave their last stand against the invading British forces in India. The Mughal dynasty was founded by Babur ( r. 1526–1530 ), a Timurid prince from the Fergana Valley (modern-day Uzbekistan ), was a direct descendant of both Timur and Genghis Khan . The Mughal emperors had significant Indian Rajput and Persian ancestry through marriage alliances as emperors were born to Rajput and Persian princesses. During
3551-428: The tawaifs and musicians left. With the development of time, the tawaif in India has gradually disappeared. In the 1980s, when kothas were no longer recognized as centres for aesthetics, and society disapproved of the tawaif’s art, as they felt it was sex work in the guise of adakari (performance). It was an era when tawaifs had to dodge guns, goons and Ghalib’s ghazals. The tawaifs who are still performing no longer have
3618-707: The tawaifs often lived and performed, would host meetings of local intelligentsia, presided mostly by the most senior tawaif of the kotha. Tawaifs enjoyed influence among writers, journalists and poets. The poets longed for a tawaif to sing their works and asked the famous tawaif if she could sing his poems. In those days, having tawaif perform his own work was a way to ensure that poetry would be remembered and passed down from generation to generation. A Tawaif had an unconventional approach to relationships, where female performers were expected to remain unmarried but were permitted to have relationships with patrons. Tawaifs traditionally served loyal mistresses to wealthy patrons. Only once
3685-525: The throne as Bahadur Shah. Upon his father's accession, Mu'izz-ud-din was awarded the title Jahandar Shah, and made governor of Thatta and Multan . Through the course of Bahadur Shah's reign, Jahandar Shah would stay at the imperial court, like the other sons of Bahadur Shah, because the emperor had ascended the throne at an old age, and the princes wanted to be within close reach of the throne in case of his demise. A war of succession began as Bahadur Shah lay on his deathbed in 1712. The most powerful prince at
3752-575: The throne under a regent, Bairam Khan , who helped consolidate the Mughal Empire in India. Through warfare and diplomacy, Akbar was able to extend the empire in all directions and controlled almost the entire Indian subcontinent north of the Godavari river . He created a new ruling elite loyal to him, implemented a modern administration, and encouraged cultural developments. He increased trade with European trading companies. The Indian historian Abraham Eraly wrote that foreigners were often impressed by
3819-537: The time of his death was his second son Azim-us-Shan , who had amassed significant resources as the s ubahdar of Bengal . Jahandar Shah was the weakest, with little-to-no military power or funds. Unlike previous Mughal wars of succession, the outcome of this war was engineered by a noble, Zulfiqar Khan , the mir bakhshi and one of the most powerful figures in the Mughal empire. He built an alliance between Jahandar Shah, and his younger brothers Rafi-us-Shan and Jahan Shah , proposing to them that they could divide
3886-464: The title of a Nagarvadhu . The most beautiful woman, and most talented in various dance forms , was chosen as the Nagarvadhu. For example, Amrapali is a famous Nagarvadhu or royal dancer. It is believed in folkloric history that Urvashi was said to have been born on earth as a devadasi and imparted the divine knowledge of dance unto humans. The first dance of the devadasi took place in
3953-518: The tradition of performing at the Burhwa Mangal bazaar in the spring after Holi festival. Such events provided significant platform for tawaifs, not just for the patronage but also for the opportunity it offered for tawaifs to showcase their skills to general audiences and, thereby, retain societal acceptability for their trade. As a result of their popularity many dancing girls became very wealthy, according to Portuguese traveller, Domingo Paes
4020-477: Was Muazzam's eldest son, and eldest grandson of reigning emperor Aurangzeb. Following Mughal tradition, his birth was grandly celebrated by the Mughal court. During Aurangzeb's reign, he participated in military campaigning in the Deccan for three years, after which he was permanently shifted to northern India. After Aurangzeb's death, Prince Mu'azzam won the ensuing succession struggle and in June 1707, ascended
4087-715: Was a highly successful courtesan singer ‚ dancer ‚ and poet who catered to the nobility of the Indian subcontinent , particularly during the Mughal era. Many tawaifs ( nautch girls to the British) were forced to go into prostitution due to a lack of opportunities by the time of the British Raj . Known variously as tawaifs in North India , Baijis in Bengal and naikins in Goa these professional singers and dancers were dubbed as “ nautch girl” during
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#17327725118764154-438: Was a succession war for the throne between Dara and Aurangzeb. Finally, Aurangzeb succeeded the throne and kept Shah Jahan under house arrest. During Aurangzeb's reign, the empire gained political strength once more, and it became the world's largest economy, over a quarter of the world GDP, but his establishment of Sharia caused huge controversies. Aurangzeb expanded the empire to include a huge part of South Asia. At its peak,
4221-476: Was also interested in elevating the way individuals view leaders with the stylings of his clothes and ensemble. Akbar's son, Jahangir , was addicted to opium , neglected the affairs of the state, and came under the influence of rival court cliques . During the reign of Jahangir's son, Shah Jahan , the splendour of the Mughal court reached its peak, as exemplified by the Taj Mahal . The cost of maintaining
4288-468: Was buried in Humayun's tomb . Jahandar Shah's first wife was the daughter of Mirza Mukarram Khan Safavi. The marriage took place on 13 October 1676. After her death he married her niece, Sayyid-un-Nisa Begum, the daughter of Rustam Mirza, on 30 August 1684. Qazi Abu Sa'id united them in the presence of Emperor Aurangzeb, and Prince Mu'azzam. The marriage was consummated on 18 September. Sayyid-un-Nisa Begum
4355-487: Was considered to be of lowly origins; she became his favoured wife, and subsequently her family gained unprecedent power and status. Jahandar Shah also indulged in feasts and entertainments. Contemporary chroniclers and later historians have pointed out such aspects of the emperor's personal life, and the cruelty meted to his opponents, as reasons behind the turbulence of his reign. However, recent scholars highlight other factors; Munis Faruqui emphasizes his political weakness as
4422-411: Was marked by a celebration, the so-called missī ceremony, that customarily included the inaugural blackening of her teeth. It is also believed that young nawabs -to-be were sent to these tawaifs to learn tameez and tehzeeb which included the ability to recognise and appreciate good music and literature, perhaps even practice it, especially the art of ghazal writing. They also became teachers for
4489-633: Was presented with jewels worth 67,000 rupees. The celebrations were supervised by Princess Zinat-un-nissa Begum . His full title was Shahanshah-i-Ghazi Abu'l Fath Mu'izz-ud-Din Muhammad Jahandar Shah Sahib-i-Qiran Padshah-i-Jahan (Khuld Aramgah) . Jahandar Shah reintroduced couplets and issued coins in gold, silver, and copper. Two couplets i.e. Abu al-Fateh and Sahab Qiran were used. Copper coins were issued in both weight standard i.e. 20 grams and 14 grams. Mughal emperors The emperors of
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