Muslim culture of Hyderabad
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The Muslim culture of Hyderabad refers to the culture associated with Muslims of Hyderabad State, India. With its origins in the Muslim Deccan sultanates, the culture became defined in the latter half of the reign of the Asif Jahi dynasty in Hyderabad. The culture exists today in Hyderabad and among the Hyderabadi Muslim diaspora around the world, in particular, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the Arab Gulf states, USA, and the United Kingdom.
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[edit] History
The Deccan plateau acted as a bulwark sheltering South India from the invasions and political turmoil that affected North India. This allowed the Muslim-ruled state of Hyderabad to develop a distinctive culture during the Qutb Shahi dynasty and later the Asaf Jahi dynasty of the Nizams.
The Nizam was the Muslim ruler of the vast princely Hyderabad State. While the state's major population was Hindu, the capital city of Hyderabad was primarily Urdu-speaking Muslim until the Independence of India and subsequent rise to dominance of Telugu-speaking people of Andhra. The state's economy was agrarian, and Hyderabad was primarily a government and administrative hub, run mostly (but far from exclusively) by Muslims. The aristocracy, jagirdars (wealthy landowners), and even minor government officials could afford to hire servants, usually also Muslims, in a social order similar to the class system of Victorian England. The Nizam allied himself with the British early on, with ensuing political stability. The Muslim upper and middle classes were free to concentrate on a care-free and leisurely lifestyle involving clothes, jewelry, food, music, literary arts, and other indulgences, little of which trickled down to the servant class, known as naukar (a word originally used for the Mughal Emperor Babur's closest feudal retainers).
The relative isolation of Hyderabad until Independence, its distinctive dialect of Urdu and the strong web of interconnecting family relationships that characterizes Hyderabadi Muslims sometimes leads to charges of parochialism from other Indian Muslim communities, but it also ensures a Hyderabadi Muslim identity endures among the Indian diaspora and Hyderabad still has a strong Muslim Political Party by the name of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen which still is consideed to be the voice of the Muslims of Hyderabad led by its leader Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi.
[edit] Language and literature
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Muslim culture of Hyderabad |
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Indian Muslim nationalism • Indian Wahabi movement |
One of the most identifiable markers of Hyderabadi Muslim culture is the local dialect of Urdu. It is distinct by its mixture of vocabulary from Marathi and Telugu, as well is some vocabulary from Arabic, Persian and Turkish that are not found in the standard dialect of Urdu. In terms of pronunciation, the easiest way to recognize a Hyderabadi Muslim is their pronunciation of letter "qāf" (ﻕ) as "kh" (ﺥ).The most distinctive aspect about the city of Hyderabad is the fact that the local Hindu population also speaks Hyderabadi Urdu as their native language unlike their counterparts in the rest of the state regions of Andhra Pradesh(Andhra and Rayalseema) who speak Telugu.
Certain words are very typical of Hyderabadis:
Nakko (instead of Nahi in Traditional Urdu) =No
Hau (instead of Han in Traditional Urdu) =Yes
Kaiku (instead of Kyun in Traditional Urdu) =Why
Mereku (instead of Mujhe in Traditional Urdu) = For me
Tereku (instead of Tujhe in Traditional Urdu) =For you
Mye (instead of Mai in Traditional Urdu) =Me
These are some examples of liaisons that are peculiar only to Hyderabadi Urdu:
Jatiyun (Jaati Hoon)= I'm going (female)
Aatiyun (Aati Hoon)= I'm coming (female)
Kartiyun (Karti Hoon)= I'm doing (female)
Bolinge (Bolangay)= They will sa
Karlinge (Karlangay)= We will do it
Jainge (Jayangay)= We will go
Aainge (Aayangay)= We will come
Thairinge (Theheraingay)= We will stay
Hyderabadi Urdu is very reflective of the relaxed attitude of the Hyderabadi citizens which allowed the coinage of words, much like ebonics.
[edit] Cuisine
Some famous Hyderabadi dishes that are served at weddings are: Hyderabadi Biryani, Haleem, Khubani ka Mitha, Gil-e-Firdaus, Dabal ka Mitha, Luqmi, Dum ka qimah, Muthhi Key Kebabs, Mirchi ka Salan and Baghare Baigan.
Other popular food items are: Chakna, Tamate ka Kut, Khatti Dal, Dalcha, Shirmal, Rawghani Roti, Nihari, Pasande, Pathar Ka Ghosht, Dum Ka Murgh,Khagina, Katchi Biryani, Khichri and Qabuli.
Many Hyderabadi dishes are very sour. As a result, Hyderabadis are sometimes jokingly called khatte ("sour" in Urdu).
[edit] Clothing and jewelry
[edit] Khara Dupatta
The Khara Dupatta (standing veil) is an outfit composed of a kurta (tunic), chooridaar (ruched pair of pants), and 6 yard dupatta (veil) and is traditionally worn by Hyderabad brides. Sometimes the kurta is sleeveless and worn over a koti resembling a choli. The bride also wears a matching ghoonghat (veil) over her head. The accompanying jewellery is:
Tika (a medallion of uncut diamonds worn on the forehead and suspended by a string of pearls)
Jhoomar (a fan shaped ornament worn on the side of the head)
Nath (a nose ring with a large ruby bead flanked by two pearls)
Chintaak (a choker studded with uncut diamonds and precious stones)
Karan phool (earrings that match the Chintaak and consist of a flower motif covering the ear lobe and a bell shaped ornament that is suspended from the flower. The weight of precious stones and gold in the Karan phool is held up by sahare or supports made of strands of pearls that are fastened into the wearers hair.)
Satlada (neck ornament of seven strands of pearls set with emeralds, diamonds and rubies)
Ranihaar (neck ornament of pearls with a wide pendant)
Jugni (neck ornament of several strands of pearls with a central pendant)
Goat (Shellac bangles studded with rhinestones and worn with gold colored glass bangles called sonabai)
Payal (ankle bracelets)
Gintiyan (toe rings)
[edit] Sherwani
The Sherwani is the traditional men's garb of Hyderabad. It is a coat-like tunic with a tight-fitting collar (fastened with hooks), close-fitting in the upper torso and flaring somewhat in its lower half. It usually has six or seven buttons, often removable ones made from gold sovereigns for special occasions. The material is usually silk or wool. A groom may use gold brocade for his wedding sherwani, but otherwise good taste dictates understated colors, albeit with rich and textured fabrics. The sherwani is usually worn over a silk or cotton kurta (long shirt) and pyjamas (baggy pants with a drawstring at the waist).
The sherwani is closely associated with Hyderabad, although it has spread since to the rest of India and to Pakistan. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru adapted its design and turned it into his trademark Nehru Jacket, further popularizing the garment.
[edit] Religion
Hyderabad has both Sunni and Shi'ah Muslims, The majority of them being Sunni.The Sunni Muslims mostly follow the Hanafi school of Islamic Jurisprudence, although there are a few who follow the Shafi'i school of thought and mainly reside in areas close to Barkas, the former Military Barracks of the Nizam, an area where the residents are mainly of a Yemeni descent (especially from Hadhramawt).
The Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda that founded Hyderabad was Shia. There is still a strong Shia Muslim community in Hyderabad, especially in the "Old City" (area of Hyderabad south of the river Musi). Many of them claim their roots to Iran and Persia. After Lucknow, Hyderabad is one of the most prominent Shia Muslim strongholds in the Indian Subcontinent.
The Shia Hyderabadis gather in Ashurkhanas (congregation halls) during the months of Muharram and Safar, to mourn the martyrdom of Imam Husain. The Ashurkhana houses ornate silver Alams (copies of the standards carried by Imam Hussain to the battle of Karbala) that are placed on a stand and covered with a cloth and flowers. A majlis or mourning ritual typically comprises a salaam (introductory poem), marsiya, hadis (sermon), and nauha. During the course of a nauha, the alams may be removed from their respective stands and carried by little children in an orderly manner around the ashurkhana so that the elderly may get their tawaf (touch) of the alam. They are then covered with a white cloth and symbolically laid to rest. The majlis ends with a Ziyarat-i Warisa (intercessory prayer for the deceased).
A notable aspect of the mourning ritual is self beating or ma'tam done during the Nauhas (elegies and lamentations) to visually express sorrow for the death of Imam Husain who was the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. It ranges from a silent rhythmic touch to the chest in keeping with the chant of the nauha to flagellating oneself with steel chains and swords.
Religious knowledge and its propagation flourished under the Nizam with institutions like the world famous Jamia Nizamia (Jami'ah Nizamiyyah) of Hyderabad. The Grand Mosque of Hyderabad, the Makkah Masjid gathers congregations of two hundred thousand and more on special occasions of Eid prayers and especially of Jumu'at-al Wida' ( the last Friday of Ramadan )
[edit] External links
- Hyderabad on the net
- Exlpore Hyderabad
- The Siasat urdu newspaper published from Hyderabad
- English version of the Siasat newspaper
- The Munsif Urdu Daily published from Hyderabad
- The Etemaad Urdu newspaper also published from Hyderabad
- Online forum: Dakhni-Mahfil - The Old World Hyderabad
- Audio clips of humorous Urdu poetry in Hyderabadi dialect, by Ahmad Sharif Pagal Adilabadi
- Website for Shia Congregation of mourning called as Majlis
- Article on some aspects of life in erstwhile Hyderabad state
- Account of a Hyderabadi Wedding ceremony
- Hyderabad Muslims online
