For the 1985 Indian film, see Tawaif (film). For the small kingdoms of Al-Andalus known as tawa'if, see Taifa.
Tawaif Mah Laqa Bai singing poetry
A tawaif 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.[1]
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 the British rule.[2] Tawaifs were largely a North Indian institution central to Mughal court culture from the 16th century onwards[3] and became even more prominent with the weakening of Mughal rule in the mid-18th century.[4] They contributed significantly to the continuation of traditional dance and music forms.[5] The tawaifs excelled in and contributed to music, dance (mujra), theatre, and the Urdu literary tradition,[6] and were considered an authority on etiquette.
^Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Rao, Soumya (20 June 2019). "Tawaifs: The Unsung heroes of India's Freedom Struggle". Dawn. Lahore.
^Schoffield, Katherine Butler (April 2012). "The Courtesan Tale: Female Musicians and Dancers in Mughal Historical Chronicles, c.1556–1748". Gender & History. 24 (1): 150–171. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0424.2011.01673.x. S2CID 161453756.
^"Fall of a culture". Tribune India. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
^Dance in Thumri, Projesh Banerji, Abhinav Publications, 1986, p. 31
^"Mapping cultures". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 11 August 2004. Archived from the original on 27 November 2004.
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