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Tawaifnama
Dharmman Bibi rode into battle during the revolt of 1857 shoulder to shoulder with her patron lover Babu Kunwar Singh. Sadabahar entranced even snakes and spirits with her music, but eventually gave her voice to Baba Court Shaheed. Her foster mothers Bullan and Kallan fought their malevolent brother and an unjust colonial law all the way to the Privy Council—and lost everything. Their great-granddaughter Teema paid for the family’s ruination with her childhood and her body. Bindo, Asghari, Phoolmani, Pyaari … there are so many stories in this family. And you—one of the best-known tawaifs of your times—remember the stories of your foremothers and your own.
This is a history, a multi-generational chronicle of one family of well-known tawaifs with roots in Banaras and Bhabua. Through their stories and self-histories, Saba Dewan explores the nuances that conventional narratives have erased, papered over or wilfully rewritten.
In a not-so-distant past, tawaifs played a crucial role in the social and cultural life of northern India. They were skilled singers and dancers, and also companions and lovers to men from the local elite. It is from the art practice of tawaifs that kathak evolved and the purab ang thumri singing of Banaras was born. At a time when women were denied access to the letters, tawaifs had a grounding in literature and politics, and their kothas were centres of cultural refinement.
Yet, as affluent and powerful as they were, tawaifs were marked by the stigma of being women in the public gaze, accessible to all. In the colonial and nationalist discourse of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this stigma deepened into criminalisation and the violent dismantling of a community. Tawaifnama is the story of that process of change, a nuanced and powerful microhistory set against the sweep of Indian history.
This is a history, a multi-generational chronicle of one family of well-known tawaifs with roots in Banaras and Bhabua. Through their stories and self-histories, Saba Dewan explores the nuances that conventional narratives have erased, papered over or wilfully rewritten.
In a not-so-distant past, tawaifs played a crucial role in the social and cultural life of northern India. They were skilled singers and dancers, and also companions and lovers to men from the local elite. It is from the art practice of tawaifs that kathak evolved and the purab ang thumri singing of Banaras was born. At a time when women were denied access to the letters, tawaifs had a grounding in literature and politics, and their kothas were centres of cultural refinement.
Yet, as affluent and powerful as they were, tawaifs were marked by the stigma of being women in the public gaze, accessible to all. In the colonial and nationalist discourse of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this stigma deepened into criminalisation and the violent dismantling of a community. Tawaifnama is the story of that process of change, a nuanced and powerful microhistory set against the sweep of Indian history.
606 pages, Hardcover
Published July 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 7, 2020
A very, very good book after a very long time. An immersive chronicle of a family of tawaifs, this book successfully blends adept story-telling (mostly by the tawaifs themselves) and a historical narrative that begins in the 19th Century. The author has brilliantly woven the nuances of the varied experiences of members of the extended family into their stories.
ہر گلے را رنگ و بوے دیگر است
Highly recommended. 5+ stars
ہر گلے را رنگ و بوے دیگر است
Highly recommended. 5+ stars
April 27, 2020
Warning – Long review
Bisariho na Balam Hamar Sudhiya – Never forget my love, your memories of me.
Let me start by explaining what the word ‘Tawaif’ means. A ‘Tawaif’ was a highly sophisticated courtesan who used to cater to the Indian aristocracy, particularly during the Mughal era. These women excelled in and contributed to music, dance, theatre, and the Urdu literary tradition, and were considered an authority on ‘Tehzeeb’ (etiquette). ‘Saba Dewan’ has taken the time and tremendous amount of research in her book called ‘Tawaifnama,’ documenting the lives of these women who were once the epitome of grace and everything there was to learn about Urdu poetry and arts.
Today the word ‘Tawaif’ is considered a derogatory term to define women of loose character and has a stigma associated with it. However, the author has opened a world that was hitherto unknown or only seen in Bollywood movies, which as expected has created a stereotype of who a Tawaif is.
The muse of the author is a retired Tawaif, who remains unnamed throughout the book, giving up her former life of music and dance for her children, so they didn’t have to grow up with a stigma of being the children of a naachneywaali (one who dances). I found myself completely immersed in the story spanning generations of foremothers, mothers, aunts, sisters, daughters, and the protagonist herself and the thriving careers and lives that they led.
A matriarchal society where the women were the primary breadwinners and men were relegated to the shadows unless they were musicians or teachers who supported the Tawaif’s in their career, these women controlled their destinies. Sexually liberated, Keepers of arts, poems, and dance, they made Hindustani music famous in the days where there was no internet or social media to spread the word but just the power of their songs and their charm. Trained under the best music & dance teachers, they were intelligent and well versed in poetry, court gossip, and could discuss the politics without missing a heartbeat. In the times when men and women were not considered equal, these women held their own and very confidently at that.
Thumri, Dadra, Khayal, Tapa, Bhajan, and so many other Indian classical musical forms not only got tutelage under the Tawaif culture but also grew to exponential heights becoming an integral part of Hindustani classical music which is sort after now. Dancing & singing primarily in front of male audiences, these women held not only the center stage but also caught the attention of their many admirers who traveled far and wide and paid good money to see them perform.
The story of the heavily pregnant Dharmann Bibi fighting side by side with her lover Kunwar Singh in the revolt of 1857 is awe-inspiring. Then there was the beautiful ‘Sadabahar’ (forever-spring), whose voice could move Djinns, Snakes, Sufi saints, and mere mortals alike. These women were not pushovers but fought for their lives, dignity, and honor, and also for a country they called their home. But in a country where men usually tell the stories of women and where ‘Sita,’ the wife of Lord Ram is considered the epitome of virtue and womanhood, the tawaifs found themselves brandished as immoral and obscene. Fighting against odds, supporting not just their immediate family but hordes of extended family members, exploited and abandoned by most men who knew them.
Along with the cultural context of the era, the author has beautifully painted the rugged landscape of places like Jagdishpur, Chainpur, Bhabua, where these women thrived and survived. As an urban reader, I had never known that these places even existed, let alone were centers of cultural heritage.
The British, who had no understanding or tolerance for anything that didn’t fit in their moral codes, imposed heavy restrictions on their trade, making them an outcast in their own homes. And when there was finally a ray of hope in the name of national reforms, the men who were supposed to liberate them, cast these women aside, labeling them as prostitutes and a threat to the moral fabric of the very society which once held them in high regard. And then with the advent of nationalist pride, a lot of them had to abandon their Kothas (homes) and music in favor of respectable jobs and farce marriages to get these jobs so they could make ends meet. A lot of the Radio artists in the early 1900s, like Begum Akhtar and Rasoolan Bai, to name a few went on to become famous Gramaphone artists, were former Tawaifs.
As a reader, I was absorbed in this world, all 594 pages of it, which the author had so deftly created for me. A must-read if you wish to explore the lost heritage of this forgotten and abandoned community of women who were once the caretakers of our heritage.
Bisariho na Balam Hamar Sudhiya – Never forget my love, your memories of me.
Let me start by explaining what the word ‘Tawaif’ means. A ‘Tawaif’ was a highly sophisticated courtesan who used to cater to the Indian aristocracy, particularly during the Mughal era. These women excelled in and contributed to music, dance, theatre, and the Urdu literary tradition, and were considered an authority on ‘Tehzeeb’ (etiquette). ‘Saba Dewan’ has taken the time and tremendous amount of research in her book called ‘Tawaifnama,’ documenting the lives of these women who were once the epitome of grace and everything there was to learn about Urdu poetry and arts.
Today the word ‘Tawaif’ is considered a derogatory term to define women of loose character and has a stigma associated with it. However, the author has opened a world that was hitherto unknown or only seen in Bollywood movies, which as expected has created a stereotype of who a Tawaif is.
The muse of the author is a retired Tawaif, who remains unnamed throughout the book, giving up her former life of music and dance for her children, so they didn’t have to grow up with a stigma of being the children of a naachneywaali (one who dances). I found myself completely immersed in the story spanning generations of foremothers, mothers, aunts, sisters, daughters, and the protagonist herself and the thriving careers and lives that they led.
A matriarchal society where the women were the primary breadwinners and men were relegated to the shadows unless they were musicians or teachers who supported the Tawaif’s in their career, these women controlled their destinies. Sexually liberated, Keepers of arts, poems, and dance, they made Hindustani music famous in the days where there was no internet or social media to spread the word but just the power of their songs and their charm. Trained under the best music & dance teachers, they were intelligent and well versed in poetry, court gossip, and could discuss the politics without missing a heartbeat. In the times when men and women were not considered equal, these women held their own and very confidently at that.
Thumri, Dadra, Khayal, Tapa, Bhajan, and so many other Indian classical musical forms not only got tutelage under the Tawaif culture but also grew to exponential heights becoming an integral part of Hindustani classical music which is sort after now. Dancing & singing primarily in front of male audiences, these women held not only the center stage but also caught the attention of their many admirers who traveled far and wide and paid good money to see them perform.
The story of the heavily pregnant Dharmann Bibi fighting side by side with her lover Kunwar Singh in the revolt of 1857 is awe-inspiring. Then there was the beautiful ‘Sadabahar’ (forever-spring), whose voice could move Djinns, Snakes, Sufi saints, and mere mortals alike. These women were not pushovers but fought for their lives, dignity, and honor, and also for a country they called their home. But in a country where men usually tell the stories of women and where ‘Sita,’ the wife of Lord Ram is considered the epitome of virtue and womanhood, the tawaifs found themselves brandished as immoral and obscene. Fighting against odds, supporting not just their immediate family but hordes of extended family members, exploited and abandoned by most men who knew them.
Along with the cultural context of the era, the author has beautifully painted the rugged landscape of places like Jagdishpur, Chainpur, Bhabua, where these women thrived and survived. As an urban reader, I had never known that these places even existed, let alone were centers of cultural heritage.
The British, who had no understanding or tolerance for anything that didn’t fit in their moral codes, imposed heavy restrictions on their trade, making them an outcast in their own homes. And when there was finally a ray of hope in the name of national reforms, the men who were supposed to liberate them, cast these women aside, labeling them as prostitutes and a threat to the moral fabric of the very society which once held them in high regard. And then with the advent of nationalist pride, a lot of them had to abandon their Kothas (homes) and music in favor of respectable jobs and farce marriages to get these jobs so they could make ends meet. A lot of the Radio artists in the early 1900s, like Begum Akhtar and Rasoolan Bai, to name a few went on to become famous Gramaphone artists, were former Tawaifs.
As a reader, I was absorbed in this world, all 594 pages of it, which the author had so deftly created for me. A must-read if you wish to explore the lost heritage of this forgotten and abandoned community of women who were once the caretakers of our heritage.
July 10, 2022
Took a while to get through this but totally worth it! This book is brilliant and detailed and reflective and thoughtful, highly highly recommend!
July 14, 2021
Lately, I have been fortunate enough to read a few books which have left me speechless. Books which recounts the life of people which is so different from the sheltered lives we live. Books, at the end of which I can just stare at the wall, wondering do we live in the same world.
Tawaifnama is an account of an entire family of courtesan or tawaifs spanning through generations, who flourished in northern India in the nineteenth and twentieth century. A major means of entertainment and classical art, their kothas and mehfils hosted the many businessmen and influential elite of the Indian subcontinent.
The author has spent many months living with a tawaif family through their thick and thin to understand their past and present life and their struggles and predicament. She, becoming a part of the family at the end of the book narrates in detail the hardships and glory faced and lived by several generations of the tawaif family.
The book helped me understand the veil that we common men wear when it comes to people like courtesans and sex workers. These women were much more than what we assumed than to be.
For a reader who immensely enjoys history, this book is a delight to read. It jumps from history to the present, giving a glimpse of the changes India has seen since pre -independence time to now and the intertwined participation tawaifs had with the Indian culture and art circle.
Extensively researched and beautifully written, with meticulous emphasis to creating a vivid imagery, Tawaifnama by Saba dewan is a must read.
Tawaifnama is an account of an entire family of courtesan or tawaifs spanning through generations, who flourished in northern India in the nineteenth and twentieth century. A major means of entertainment and classical art, their kothas and mehfils hosted the many businessmen and influential elite of the Indian subcontinent.
The author has spent many months living with a tawaif family through their thick and thin to understand their past and present life and their struggles and predicament. She, becoming a part of the family at the end of the book narrates in detail the hardships and glory faced and lived by several generations of the tawaif family.
The book helped me understand the veil that we common men wear when it comes to people like courtesans and sex workers. These women were much more than what we assumed than to be.
For a reader who immensely enjoys history, this book is a delight to read. It jumps from history to the present, giving a glimpse of the changes India has seen since pre -independence time to now and the intertwined participation tawaifs had with the Indian culture and art circle.
Extensively researched and beautifully written, with meticulous emphasis to creating a vivid imagery, Tawaifnama by Saba dewan is a must read.
August 5, 2022
Got thoroughly engrossed in this book when I started reading, the book unfolded for me many nuances of tawaif culture, it brought to me the history of the post-Mughal era and the intricacies of cast system in western Bihar and Eastern UP. I got deeper insights into the pluralist culture of this region.
The evolving of music associated with Benaras and surrounding area, the Thumris, Dadaras and so on. I was pleasantly surprised to know the gayaki evolution of those times and the artists of those times who have the origin in this Tawaif culture.
If you really want to understand the tawaif culture's rich heritage and its contribution to Music of India, singing and preservation of a pularalist culture, the book is unputdownable. Kudos.
The evolving of music associated with Benaras and surrounding area, the Thumris, Dadaras and so on. I was pleasantly surprised to know the gayaki evolution of those times and the artists of those times who have the origin in this Tawaif culture.
If you really want to understand the tawaif culture's rich heritage and its contribution to Music of India, singing and preservation of a pularalist culture, the book is unputdownable. Kudos.
June 8, 2020
Brilliant narrative of a class of women whom the society has viewed with narrow sexual morality, and where punishment overrides compassion.
We are guilty of ignorance - of their contribution to our lives in multiple forms of art & music, charity and even participating in freedom movement.
The author brings forth these ideas through brilliant generational storytelling - blended perfectly with historical anecdotes.
We are guilty of ignorance - of their contribution to our lives in multiple forms of art & music, charity and even participating in freedom movement.
The author brings forth these ideas through brilliant generational storytelling - blended perfectly with historical anecdotes.
January 10, 2022
An excellent read on how the history of courtesans is a big part of India's history of music and dance through centuries. Nuanced and narrated by tawaif families themselves, this book brings another facet of India under the British rule to light. Highly recommended. I found it to be a bit slow at times and that is the only reason for rating it 4/5.
February 3, 2020
The best thing about this book is the writing style. The author appears to be sitting right next to you and narrates the story in a manner that more real and conversational!
The story of a Tawaif, her family, her acquaintances, her family history ( of Tawaifs - the matriarchal community which celebrates daughters, for a change) and the story of how the change in socio-political scenario wreaked the community is something you don't come across often. This book covers it all. You start with one tawaif that our author befriended and from there she built inroads into all possible aspects of her life, family and family history. She lived with them, traveled with them and chronicled a lot that our ordinary eyes would have missed.
Unfortunately, the author is not free from her biases. It's quite apparent that she abhors the Brhamins and whatever little control they have had in shaping the society. She quiet casually ignores the fact that it were the British who played the key role in marginalizing the community of Tawaifs along with, of course, the downfall of Nawabs and Rajas as well contributed to the cause.
Pick this one up. It's a good book. Just ignore the fact that our author - much like other liberals - find it easy to target Hindus for anything and everything that's wrong with the country.
The story of a Tawaif, her family, her acquaintances, her family history ( of Tawaifs - the matriarchal community which celebrates daughters, for a change) and the story of how the change in socio-political scenario wreaked the community is something you don't come across often. This book covers it all. You start with one tawaif that our author befriended and from there she built inroads into all possible aspects of her life, family and family history. She lived with them, traveled with them and chronicled a lot that our ordinary eyes would have missed.
Unfortunately, the author is not free from her biases. It's quite apparent that she abhors the Brhamins and whatever little control they have had in shaping the society. She quiet casually ignores the fact that it were the British who played the key role in marginalizing the community of Tawaifs along with, of course, the downfall of Nawabs and Rajas as well contributed to the cause.
Pick this one up. It's a good book. Just ignore the fact that our author - much like other liberals - find it easy to target Hindus for anything and everything that's wrong with the country.
February 9, 2020
On the whole, I like this book a lot.
The manner of writing about the history (of sorts) of tawaifs through the stories and history of three/four generations of tawaifs, is very good.
Saba Dewan really did get intimate with them, allowing them to open up to her, and allowing us to peek behind the veil of misinformation that surrounds tawaifs today.
The closest equivalent to a tawaif is a geisha. However, the geisha is not as stigmatised as the tawaif is today.
Saba shines when she puts the stories into the context of the changes to Indian society over the last two hundred years.
It's hard to figure out if she has added her own creative license to some of the stories, and the stories do seem to have been embellished somewhat, by memory.
What I don't like, is that she keeps referring to the modern-day tawaif by the word 'you', and wiring 'you did this' and 'you did that'. It almost seems accusatory and does detract from what is otherwise a really fine book.
The manner of writing about the history (of sorts) of tawaifs through the stories and history of three/four generations of tawaifs, is very good.
Saba Dewan really did get intimate with them, allowing them to open up to her, and allowing us to peek behind the veil of misinformation that surrounds tawaifs today.
The closest equivalent to a tawaif is a geisha. However, the geisha is not as stigmatised as the tawaif is today.
Saba shines when she puts the stories into the context of the changes to Indian society over the last two hundred years.
It's hard to figure out if she has added her own creative license to some of the stories, and the stories do seem to have been embellished somewhat, by memory.
What I don't like, is that she keeps referring to the modern-day tawaif by the word 'you', and wiring 'you did this' and 'you did that'. It almost seems accusatory and does detract from what is otherwise a really fine book.
February 16, 2020
As someone who has spent a fair amount of time in Banaras, this book showed me a different but important part of its history and life. I look at Dal Mandi and the music scene of Banaras with new eyes (and ears).
This book has been well researched and I can tell there was a lot of heart put into writing it.
I was not expecting the gut punch of a last chapter. I had to fight back some tears.
While it is a bit of a long read, you'll be surprised with how fast the pages go by as you immerse yourself into the family history and stories of the twaifs.
This book has been well researched and I can tell there was a lot of heart put into writing it.
I was not expecting the gut punch of a last chapter. I had to fight back some tears.
While it is a bit of a long read, you'll be surprised with how fast the pages go by as you immerse yourself into the family history and stories of the twaifs.
August 6, 2020
Deep insight and wonderful write up... It not a story , in my humble opinion , It is journey , a history of evolution of Hindustani Classical music . Well documented and heart wrenching journey of Tawaif..
September 19, 2020
Loved it. The author manages to evoke a bygone era expertly. I couldn't put it down and now I'm looking forward to read more on the subject.
July 21, 2021
A moving history of the Indian courtesans set in and around the 1800s. A story of familial ties, love and heartbreak.
November 21, 2022
Beautifully written. I have no words to describe it.
July 7, 2020
I enjoyed this book a lot.
April 11, 2022
I was so excited to read the book after I heard the author's interview on 'The Seen and the Unseen' podcast with Amit Varma. But sadly, the book is sub par. The story of the main protagonist is so rich, but is told in an extremely choppy way with too many characters and their stories thrown in, and fails to retain interest. There is so much depth in the story of a tawaif - origin, history, context, musical history and culture, story of coming to the present state of tawaifs. The book tries to touch everything and misses on most things. Unlike the name, this book is not a 'Tawaifnama' but merely the story of 'a tawaif family' in Benares. I felt that the author didn't do justice to any of the topics touched upon and wrote a 500+ pages saga of every keyword associated with a tawaif. I had a lot of expectations from the book - writing and the story, but this was one of the most disappointing reads for me.
However, the interview was interesting and to listen to the podcast click here: https://seenunseen.in/?s=saba+dewan+
However, the interview was interesting and to listen to the podcast click here: https://seenunseen.in/?s=saba+dewan+
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews