Tawaifs usually have a negative connotation associated with them. They are seen as shameless, vile, and corrupt women who pollute society. But this wasn't the case in the Mughal era. People appreciated their talents in music and dance and yearned to see their performances. They were respected and held in high esteem. They were differentiated from prostitutes and were seen completely from an artistic lens. But all of this changed with the arrival of Britishers and Christian missionaries who systematically broke the institution down. To protect Victorian morals, they started to blur the differences between tawaifs and prostitutes. As a result, tawaifs lost their identity and livelihoods forever.
Read more of this post
No comments:
Post a Comment