Tawaif
Historical term for courtesans in India / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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.