The role of Khwajasaras (eunuchs) in promotion and preservation of Azadari (practice of mourning) has been praiseworthy. But history has somewhat remained biased towards their role in promotion of Muharram (mourning month of Shia Muslims; first month in Islamic calendar) rituals in Awadh Kingdom. It is unfortunate as their contribution to preserve the sacred memory of the martyrs of Karbala is second to none. Historians deliberately overlooked eunuchs or fell prey to forgetfulness while penning down various shades of azadari during the era of Lucknow Nawabs? This question may always shroud in mystery but grave injustice meted out to them still remains a harsh reality and efforts should be initiated to put them on Hussainiyat’s roll of honor.

The court eunuchs served as an interface between the interiors of the royal harem (household) and the world that existed beyond it. As they had access to both Harem and outside world, Begums who were required to confine themselves within the harem had to avail the services of eunuchs to seek outside information and convey their instructions and advice to the officers of the durbar (court).The chief of these eunuchs was called Khwajasara. He was not only significant but often enjoyed great influence on the ruler and his queens. Some Khwajasaras even had managed to assumed power to the extent that they could manipulate matters that were placed into their confidence.

The rulers were always on the lookout of trustworthy eunuchs. Most of them came from the families of Rajput warriors captured in battles. Male youths of these families were castrated and brought up in harems. The Nawabs often entrusted their eunuchs with official duties, such as managing their owners’ estates or even tax-farming entire provinces, transforming them into a mamluk (slave-ruler) substratum of the government. The slave eunuch officials accumulated vast properties that legally belonged to their masters, although they often could influence the disposition of their property.

One such Khwajasara was Mian Almas Ali Khan who served as ‘Amil’ during the reign of Nawab Asaf Ud Daula. He was an able administrator and created new records in tax- collection. His efforts not only increased the state revenue but he himself amassed huge wealth. Mian Almas also commanded lot of respect from British. He was born in a Jat family but after his castration, he embraced Islam and like his master developed great affection towards the progeny of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad. Almas Khan spent generously on the construction of Imambaras and mosques. He is credited with the construction of the first Imambara of Kanpur district at Bithoor. He also erected Imambaras o n Kakori road  in Lucknow,  Etawah, Auraiya and Kora Jehanabad in Fatehpur district. The Khwajasara also developed a town Mianganj in Unnao district and dotted it with an impressive Imambara that is no longer in existence but its traces ate somewhat still visible.    

Another eunuch Jawahar Ali Khan, a faithful Khwajasara of Bahu begum, also built an Imambara at Faizabad. The imambara is known as Jawahar Ali ka Imambara and a prominent center of azadari even today. Another Khwajasara Darab ‘Ali Khan also contributed to promotion of azadari after Jawahar Ali Khan. He took care of imambara of Jawahar ‘Ali Khan after the latter died. Tahsin Ali Khan, yet another notable Khwajasara of Nawabi era of Lucknow also promoted and preserved azadari. He was supervisor of Nawab’s old harem in Faizabad and held a land grant (jagir ) in addition to large amounts of movable property. He was so attached to Asaf-ud-Daulah that on the death of the latter he left all his worldly belongings and remained at his grave as its keeper, wearing the garments of a fakir (mendicant) in mourning. The son of Asaf-ud-Daula, Wazir Ali, the next ruler, persuaded him to return to the palace. He bestowed upon him the khilat (robe of honor) and elevated him to the post of Nazir (estate superintendent) for the royal palaces. Tahsin built an imambara and a mosque in Lucknow. While mosque is still in a good condition in Chowk locality, his imambara has fallen prey to land grabbers. Afreen Ali Khan who was also attached to the royal court of Awadh also encouraged the promotion of azadari. Khwajasara Bahar Ali Khan also strived for preservation of azadari rituals in Faizabad. He even played a pivotal role when the disputes between two powerful Iranian groups emerged as a potential threat to the unity of Imam’s devotees.  

Karbala Dayanat –Ud- Daula in Lucknow is also a fine example of the reverence and love that Khwajasaras had in their hearts for Ahle-E-Bait. It was built by Dayanat-ud-Daulah, a khwajasara of Nawab Wajid AN Shah. His original name was Mohammed Ali Khan and Dayanat-ud-Daulah was the title conferred upon him. The Karbala became the much famous in May 1854, when One Mehndi Hasan brought a unique “zarih”, (replica of imam Husain’s shrine at Karbala) specially made of khak-e-shifa (clay believed to contain curative power and unearthed from the shrine of Imam) on his return from Karbala after stayimng there for nearly two decades. The Zarih was placed reverently Karbala Dayanat-ud-Daulah. Nawab  Wajid Ali Shah with his nobles and officials, all dressed in black (symbolizing  mourning)  visited Karbala Dayanat- Ud- Daula in a royal procession for the ‘Ziarat’ of Zarih Mubarak. Basheer-Ud-Daula had also built an Imambara near Hazratganj but it was destroyed by British in 1857.The location of this Imambara is where now Jehangirabad palace stands.History reveals that Basheer-ud-Daula was well decorated and very impressive and its destruction had shocked Imamis. 

With gilded dome and Quaranic verses in excellent calligraphy on its interiors, this Karbala is not only beautiful but also reminds that influential Khwajasaras preferred to preserve azadari by spending lavishly and they refrained from wasting money on worldly affairs, perhaps a message for all those who wish to contribute to the ongoing mission of Imam Husain against all kinds of Oppression.

(Tornos conducts a special tour during Muharram : “Weeping Lucknow” (on 1st day and again from the 6th till the 10th day of Muharram and yet again on 50th & 68th days of Muharram)

Nautch girls were a product of Mughal times; they spread their wings during the Nawabs and British Raj later they survived until the beginning of the twentieth century. There was hardly any town in the country without its own troupe of nautch girls to provide entertainment at ceremonial functions and festivities.

A symbol of oriental luxury, the nautch girl embodied in herself so much of India’s past and present that a study of her life and importance would unfold not only her contribution to preserving the classical arts of dance and music but also the social milieu in which she flourished.

Over the years, Lucknow in the north and Tanjore in the south emerged as the dominant centres of dance and music in the country. The Nautch girls of Lucknow were generally known as tawaifs. The tawaifs of Lucknow had well-organized establishments, which were centres of musical and cultural soirees, attended by the most eminent of poets and scholars. These were presided over by the chief tawaif or the chaudrayan, who was usually a person advanced in years but endowed with wealth and fame acquired in the prime of life through her accomplishments in dance and music. She would recruit beautiful young girls with melodious voice and well-formed hands and feet. She looked after their training, discipline and welfare.

Good-looking ‘with large sparkling eyes, regular features and an intelligent pleasing appearance’, these girls started their training from the age of five or so. Before sunrise they received lessons for an hour each in singing and dancing and this exercise was again repeated in the afternoon. These girls were taught to read and write, appreciate poetry, participate in polite conversation and have refined manners. They were given intensive training in dancing and singing from their early childhood by experienced teachers. After a three-year training they were allowed to give a public performance but their training and practice continued throughout their career.

In their dress and attire, the nautch girls favoured rich and gorgeous costumes embellished with heavy gold work and embroidery. They adorned themselves from head to toe with a wide variety of jewels and ornaments of gold, diamonds and pearls. Their dress was modest itself and nothing but their faces, feet and hands were exposed. Some wore ghagras (long skirts) and saris; other boleros and pyjamas held at the waist by a zarbandor silk cord studded with pearls. The ordhni or dupatta (veil or covering cloth) ‘transparent and soft as the web of the gossamer spider’ was the most graceful part of their costume. Their ungeah (bodice) which was of varied texture and decor was made to fit the bust. It was fastened at the back with silk cords.

According to Grose, the nautch girls had perfected a peculiar mode of preserving their breasts. They enclosed them in a pair of perfectly fitted hollow cups or cases of very light wood linked together and buckled at the back. These cases prevented the breasts from growing ‘to any disgustfully exuberant sizes’ but being smooth and supple, the cases played freely with every motion of the body and did not crush the exquisitely tender texture of the flesh in that part, like the stiff whalebone stays in use among Europeans. Their outside covering was of thin gold or silver plate studded with stones or gems. This formed the richest part of their dress.

They use to tint their fingertips, palms of the hand, toes and soles of the feet with henna. The lips were stained. Red and powdered saffron was used to add a golden hue to the skin. Among the marks of beauty, much appreciated were the natural dimple on the cheek and the black dot at the most precise spot in the face. The inferior edges of the eyelids were rubbed with soorma (antimony powder) and the eyelashes and brows were darkened with kajal (lampblack) which served to accentuate the size of the eyes and gave them a languishing softness and a lustrous appearance. Sometimes, the skin at the corner of the eyes was cut in childhood to increase their length and give them more room to display wantonness in the rolling of the eyes. Their black hair, smoked with fragrant incense and parted in the middle, was combed back and usually twisted into a single plait, ornamented with jewels and sweet-scented flowers. Not only locals but European also were spectators were greatly impressed by the glittering robes and ornaments worn by the nautch girls.

They made extravagant use of scents and perfumes. Much in favour were the heavy perfumes of jasmine, frangipani, attar of roses, sandalwood and musk.

These votaries of pleasure were indeed the most fashionable class of the age. They acquired refinement and glamour for the benefit of their profession and so took great care in enhancing the charm of their appearance.

In their daily lives they had some diversion or the other. They rose late and spent the long afternoons either in chatting with the musicians or going out for shopping in the bazaars. The usual topics of conversation were about the rivals in the profession and the changing fortunes of the patrons. Fond of chewing betel, they kept their paan boxes tidy and regularly replenished with ingredients that were rolled into the betel leaf. They would sing and dance until late hours of the night. It was a life of quiet ease, leisure and indolence in a way, but by no means one of dissipation. They were religious minded and devout in their observance of rituals and generous in making donations to mosques and temples and officiating priesthood. They also composed verses which they recited at mushairaas (poetry symposiums).

It was a matter of prestige and pride for a tawaif to belong to an established khandani (aristocratic) household. At times young girls for the profession were enticed away or even bought by procurers, who went around the countryside for this very purpose. Every establishment had its own team of proficient male musicians belonging to prestigious gharanas (musical lineages).

Sadly today this institution does not exist anymore in Lucknow, and then the forms of entertaining too have changed, not leaving any chance for such an institution of art to be appreciated and respected by us now in this era, but as a part of Tornos’ Heritage Walk that takes you through the lanes and by-lanes that were once filled with sound of music, giggles of beautiful young tawaifs and scent of flowers and attar. This walking tour and another one, Wajid Ali Shah Walk explains this institution in detail taking you back into the bygone era of the Nawabs and the Raj.

An epic film Umrao Jaan by Muzaffar Ali is a befitting tribute to this institution and portrays a life of a Tawaif from her childhood days till the prime. We at Tornos as a part of our Wajid Ali Shah Walk take you to Muzaffar & Meera Ali’s Lucknow home, the Kotwara House where our guests not only enjoy a refreshing cup of tea, go around the house, appreciate the home décor, but also have an opportunity to watch a clip from this award winning period film ‘Umarao Jaan’ at Muzaffar’s personal theater within his house. If Muzaffar & Meera are in residence they are always happy to meet. Muzaffar & Meera Ali’s home can also be visited through us, independent of any walking tour under Kotwara Insight.