PURDAH A Visual Documentation
Noosheen Mehta Semester 5 Guide: Dr. Tridha Gajjar Documentation of a Visual Culture
Acknowledgments I would like to thank Anil Sinha for introducing this new course, that gave us the opportunity to research and document various cultures. I would like to thank my guide Tridha Gajjar for giving me the freedom and chance to explore this topic area without any constraints and also help me narrow down on my topic area. I would also like to thank Tarun Deep Girdher for his insights. I would not have been able to do research for this project without the help of Saman, Zunaira Naqvi, Burhan Ud Din Khateeb, Himani Patel, Raziya Shaikh, Mumtaz and Saryra. I would also like to thank Prof. Abid Shamsi for accommodating me and painstakingly answering all my questions and being extremely openminded. I would also like to thank Nazia Naqvi Rizvi, her help and insights, through Facebook, which were extremely invaluable.
Content
1.
The Purdah or Veil
2.
The Purdah - A History
3.
The Purdah in India
4.
The Purdah - Part of the Indian Culture
5.
Islam in India
6.
Hijab - Islamic Dress Code
7.
5 rules of Hijab
8.
Different kinds of clothes that Muslim women wear
9.
Inference
10. Bibliography
The Purdah or Veil The Purdah or the Veil is an innate part of Indian culture. It is highly influenced by Islamic culture. This is a study of the different types of purdahs in different cultures and religions. This is the study which has been narrowed down to understand the different types of purdah or veils that the Muslim women wear in India. Research regarding other communities like the Sikhs, Hindus, Christians and Parsis has been done but has not been documented.
The Veil - A History The first known references of the veil, appears in the Assyrian legal text of the thirteenth century BCE. It restricts veiling to respectable women and prohibits it for prostitutes. The MiddleAssyrian Laws from 750-612 BCE prescribe punishment for harlot or slave girl found wearing a veil in the street.
practice of veiling that makes women’s absence omnipresent and turns the veil into cause symbol of political, social and religious controversy.
Ovid (43 BCE -17BCE) in the Book IV of his Metamorphoses relies on the veil to convey a Babylonian love story. Pyramus and Thisbe fall in love, but their parents disapprove of their relationship. The lovers agree to meet in secrecy at the tomb of the Babylonian King Ninus. Thisbe, who arrives early, sees a lioness and flees into a cave, leaving her veil behind. The lioness, whose muzzle is dripping with the blood of a fresh kill, rips Thisbe’s veil. When Pyramus finds the torn blood stained veil, he concludes that the lioness has killed Thisbe and commits suicide with his sword. When Thisbe finds Pyramus’s dead body, she throws herself on his blade. In the Assyrian, Greco-Roman and Byzantine empires, as well as in preIslamic-Iran, veiling were the marks of prestige and symbol of status. Only wealthy families could afford to seclude their women. The veil was a sign of respectability but also of a lifestyle that did not require the performance of manual labor. Its absence was a sign of poverty and prostitution, and on the fields, unimpeded by the veil. It is the
Depiction of the story of Pyramus and Thisbe
The Purdah in India The Purdah or the veil is an article of clothing or cloth hanging that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. It is especially associated with women and sacred objects. How the Purdah system infiltrated the Indian culture is a debatable matter. Many historians believe that the purdah would not fit into the Indian context during the original vedic period. India has mostly been a settled agrarian culture where resources were plentiful. Life was not plagued by harsh climate or marauding hordes of bandits. On the other hand, Arabia was very much plagued by both harsh climate and bandits. So it made dual sense for the women to adopt the purdah. It offered protection from the elements and concealed the women from bandits or other warring tribes. They believe that the Muslim conquerors brought the purdah system, heir culture spread - partly in emulation and partly in self protection by the subject population. It exists in India today mainly among the Muslims and Hindus, and to an extent in very rural areas. On the other hand, historian Kegan Paul traces the practice of the custom back to the Vedic period and anthropologist Patricia Jeffrey says that seclusion and veiling of women was not unknown before the Muslim invasion. It appears that a social ideal recommending women to remain in seclusion to mark their
complete loyalty towards their husband already existed,� she says. Those who belong to this school of thought say that the Muslim invasion was a watershed when purdah is said to have become more widespread as a defensive reaction in troubled times among the Rajput royalty trying to protect their women. In fact, the case is unproven in the absence of statistical material that could establish a change in the extent of the practice of purdah. It seems plausible, however, that the practice became more widespread amongst the Rajput royalty in trying to imitate the custom of the new ruling classes. Interestingly, the peasant and working class women did not observe purdah. It was a feature primarily among upper classes. Over time, seclusion came to be combined with purdah/ ghoonghat and became a signifier of female respectability amongst the higher classes, and part of the feminine code of modesty.
Ghoonghat in India
The Purdah - Part of the Indian Culture A famous incident in history of Rajasthan can be seen as an evidence of how veil started in the Indian subcontinent. In fourteenth century a Muslim invader Alahuddin Khilji visited a Rajput King Rana Ratansen of Chittor Garha. The female quarters of the palace, though distant, was just opposite the quarter where the sultan was installed. A small lake divided his abode and the Rani’s palace. By chance he sees the Rani Padmini’s uncovered fa \ce in the lake water and falls in love with her. He plans to win her and returns back to attack Chittor Garh to steal the queen but what he gets are the ashes of this beautiful queen who decides to die then to submit to his lust. As a consequence the women in Rajasthan started to cover their face to avoid attracting men, specifically the Muslim invaders. Strong evidence in favor can be seen by the absence of veil among women in Southern India where there is no insistence on head cover or other such practices neither in public nor in private places. In contrast, in most northern states, the women are forced to cover their faces both in public and in privacy of their houses. The imposition of veil on Hindu women specifically on the women of North India comes as a defense mechanism against the Muslim invaders but the society ended up adopting this and even forcing the women to wear a veil even when
Muslim invaders Alahuddin Khilji
Islam in India Islam is the second-largest religion in India making up 14.4% of the country's population with about 176 million adherents of Islam. Islam arrived in north India in 12th century with Turkish invasions and has since become a part of India’s religious and cultural heritage. Over the years, there has been significant integration of Hindu and Muslim cultures across India and the Muslims have played a prominent role in India’s progress.
Prominent Sects of Islam in India Sunni Muslims include 84%–90% of all Muslims. Sunni means “tradition,” and Sunnis regard themselves as those who emphasize following the traditions of Muhammad and of the first two generations of the community of Muslims that followed Muhammad. Shiya Muslims comprise 10%–16% of all Muslims. Shiyas are the “party of Ali,” who believe that Muhammad’s son-inlaw Ali was his designated successor i.e. the Imam and that the Muslim community should be headed by a designated descendant of Muhammad. The Dawoodi Bohra Muslims, is a close knit trade community of Muslims. More popularly known as the Shia Ismaili Tayabli Dawoodi community and it practises Islam shaded with Hinduism. The Bohras believe in a cryptic interpretation of the Quran. According to historical data their place of origin is Gujarat. However, their trade gradually took them to Mumbai and they settled there too.
Bohra Muslims & Sunni Muslims
Hijab- Islamic Dress Code While many Muslims call ‘hijab’ an Islamic dress code, they in fact are oblivious of the fact that the concept of ‘hijab’ has nothing to do with Islam nor with the Quran. In fact, the ‘hijab’ is an old Jewish tradition that infiltrated into the hadith books like many innovations that contaminated Islam through the hadith. Any student of Jewish traditions would know that the head cover for the Jewish woman is encouraged by the Rabbis and religious leaders. Religious Jewish women still cover their heads most of the time and especially in the synagogues, at weddings and religious festivities. This Jewish tradition is a cultural not a religious one. Hijab was observed by the women of the civilizations that preceded the Jews and was passed down to the Jewish culture.
What does Hijab mean? Hijab in the broader sense of the word means modesty. It is not only about clothes. Hijab includes moral conduct, behavior, attitude and intentions of the individual. Hijab also means lowering the gaze to avoid the sins of the eye and the heart. The Quran first addresses men, urging them to “lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them” The Quran also instructs “Tell the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty, and not display their adornments except what is apparent. And that they should draw their coverings over their bosoms.”
Some Christian women cover their heads in many religious occasions while the nuns cover their heads all the time. The tradition of covering the head was practiced thousands of years before the Muslim scholars claimed the ‘hijab’ as a Muslim dress code. The traditional Arabs, of all religions, Jews, Christians and Muslims used to wear ‘hijab’ not because of Islam, but because of tradition. In Saudi Arabia for example, all men cover their heads, not because of Islam but because of tradition.
The Hijab
5 Rules of Hijab
Men must cover their bodies from naval to knees. It is also preferred that men cover their heads.
Women must be covered from their head to ankle, except for their faces, hands and feet.
There are 5 rules that must be followed by both men and women while dressing.
Both men and women must not wear transparent clothes.
Both men and women There rules any that mustare not5wear must be followed byto clothes that belong both men and gender, women the opposite while dressing. cross dressing is strictly prohibited.
Both men and women should not wear any clothes that are tight or glamorous or any clothes that attract the opposite sex.
Different kinds of clothes that Muslim women wear
Across the world, Muslim women wear different styles of clothes that are specific to their religion. They vary according to different regions and sects that the women belong to. The following are the different types of clothes Muslim women wear in India and in Asia.
Hijab
Many women opt out of wearing a full gown, more commonly known as the burqa. Instead they choose to wear any loose fitted clothes that meet with the basic requirements of covering ones body from neck to ankle. Contrary to popular opinion it is actually not compulsory for women to cover their hair, it is not even written in the Quran, but a woman’s long hair is considered a thing of beauty. Therefore it is preferred that she not display it. The head scarf which is very often referred to as hijab, can be worn in various styles and forms. Also very often the contemporary women choose to wear half sleeved shirts or t-shirts and pair them with elbow length hand gloves.
Niqaab
A niqab is a cloth which covers the face as a part of sartorial hijab. It is worn by some Muslim women in public areas and in front men who are not their father, brother or husband. The niqab is worn in the Arab countries of the Arabian Peninsula such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the UAE. Various forms of niqab are also worn in countries such as Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, India, some parts of Palestine, southern provinces of Iran, England and other areas with sizeable Muslim populations. Because of the wide variety of hijab worn in the Muslim world, it can be difficult to definitively distinguish between one type of veil and another. The terms niqab and burqa are often incorrectly used interchangeably; a niqab covers the face while a burqa covers the whole body from the top of the head to the ground.
Burqa
The burqa also known as chadri in Central Asia, is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions to cover their bodies when in public. The face-veiling portion is usually a rectangular piece of semi-transparent cloth with its top edge attached to a portion of the head-scarf so that the veil hangs down covering the face and can be turned up if the woman wishes to reveal her face. In other styles, the niqÄ b of the veil is attached on one side, and covers the face only below the eyes, allowing the eyes to be seen. Burqa is an Arabized Persian word of purda which means veil.
Ridha
The Bohra community that is found in Gujarat and Maharashtra wear a very different version of the hijab, which is colourful, it can be found in light colours like pinks, purple, light blues, light yellows etc. They very often have embroidery on them and can be very elaborate also. It is a two piece out fit. The upper garment is like a poncho which is hooded while the latter is a long skirt. The rida is an innovation brought about by their present Syedna Muhammad Burhanuddin Saheb. Earlier Bohri women used to wear black burqa or khes. The present Syedna has banned black color as it indicates mourning.
Abaya
The abaya which is a cloak, sometimes also called an aba, is a simple, loose overgarment, essentially a robe-like dress, worn by some women in parts of the Muslim world including in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.Traditional abayat are black and may be either a large square of fabric draped from the shoulders or head or a long caftan. The abaya covers the whole body except the face, feet, and hands. It can be worn with the niqÄ b, a face veil covering all but the eyes. Some women choose to wear long black gloves, so their hands are covered as well. The Indonesian and Malaysian women’s traditional dress kebaya gets its name from the abaya.
Chador
A chÄ dor or chÄ dar, also known variously in English as chadah, chaddar, chader, chadur and naturalized as is an outer garment or open cloak worn by many Iranian women and female teenagers in public spaces. Chador has ancient origins, at least from Achaemenid times. A chador is a fullbody-length semicircle fabric that is open down the front. This cloth is tossed over the woman's or girl's head, but then she holds it closed in the front. The chador has no hand openings, or any buttons, clasps, etc., but rather it is held closed by her hands or tucked under the wearer's arms. The 20th century Pahlavi ruler Reza Shah banned the chador and all hijab in 1936, as incompatible with his modernizing ambitions. Many women refused to leave the house in fear of being assaulted by Reza Shah’s police.
Jilbab
The term jilbÄ b or jilbaab refers to any long and loose-fit coat or garment worn by some Muslim women. Wearers believe that this definition of jilbab fulfills the Quranic demand for a Hijab.Jilbab, Jubbah or Jilaabah is also known as Manteau a French loan word, meaning "coat" by Persian speakers in Iran. The modern jilbÄ b covers the entire body, except for hands, face, and head. The head and neck are then covered by a scarf or wrap khimar. Some women will also cover the hands and face. In Indonesia, the word jilbab is used for a headscarf rather than a long baggy over-garment (Geertz). In recent years, a short visor is often included to protect the face from the tropical sun.
Inference The clothes that people wear are the most obvious identifiers of a culture. The different types of hijab that these women wear help them identify with the women of their region, community and sect. It is a tell of their religious identity. Especially in Islam where it is more than just a religion it is a way of life. It is said that every topic under the sun has been covered in the Quran, therefore many chose to follow their dress code to its absolute. Westernization, globalization and the rise of feminism in the twentieth century has let to a lot of debate surrounding the purdah in India and also around the world. Some countries like France have even banned the Hijab in public spaces. The all important question is the veil restrictive or not? This is a difficult question to answer. Many highly educated and modern women have said that they took up the purdah of their own free will and were happy to do so. They do not find it restrictive in any way. Many assert their identity with it and find that it is protective and liberating at the same time. There are also many of the opinion that it is a symbol of male domination and the subjugation of women. It restricts their movements and also curbs their independence. The debate is a long and on going one which does not seem to have any end.
This is a long standing cultural and historical practice which has infiltrated itself in the fabric of our Indian culture. Therefore it is important that we recognize and respect the choices that people make of their own free will.
Bibliography Books: What does the Veil Know? Purdah An anthology by Muslim Life Islam
The Internet www.religiondispatches.org/archive/ sexandgender/152/17_reasons_why_ women_wear_headscarves en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veil awomaninindia.wordpress.com/tag/ ghunghat/ www.apologeticsindex.org/505-muslimveils-hijab-burqa www.nairaland.com/935365/differenttypes-covering-muslim-women rosesakurajo83.deviantart.com/art/5facts-about-hijab-354879787 twentytwowords.com/2011/06/06/notall-headscarves-are-burkas-7-types-ofmuslim-headwear-for-women/ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_types_of_ sartorial_hijab www.religiondispatches.org/archive/ sexandgender/152/17_reasons_why_ women_wear_headscarves