Mughals - JA(REAL) is not Fiction-Pt4 - Author/TM's note on Pg1 and 91

Hi friends..
Giving a break to my normal series of JA...for some time..This time, back with some paintings.!!.





Links for my previous threads:

Part-1Mariam Zamani - Some unknown facts
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/3782915
Part2: Akbar Ruqayya, Ruqayya Miscarriage Incident, Akbar-Amer relations, etc.
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/3809107
Part3: GLORY OF FAITH : Akbar with Mariam Zamani Begum - Their Famous Painting
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/3826749



After this, i have 2 more threads, Part-5 and Part-6 in this series.>

Part5 : Nausena-Pt5-JA not Fiction-AKBAR-a TITLE?.P27+ MAHACHUCHAK BEGUM - P30
https://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3

PART6 :  Akbar - MUZ Kids :: Part-6 : JA is NOT Fiction


Found something on Holi celebration in Mughal times...And, Mughal WOMEN dressing style.

(here, i am adding my explanations in brackets..)

                        How festival of Holi started under Mughals...
"

Babar and Humayun may not have taken part in the festival.

The following info was normal. I was expecting something of this kind:--->read..>

But the festival developed as a "RITUAL" under Akbar!!! The emperor "started" taking part in Holi with his Rajput wife.       (The name of his Rajput wife was not mentioned, so i am also not writing here. But you may guess, who she may be.)           (BTW: It was also mentioned that he started taking part in "Krishna Janamashtmi" celebrations with his wife.. Let's see how, this one is shown in the serial.)

The following line caught my attention -->>..

" Mughal Emperors  too fancied Holi, for its association with color and romance. Akbar is no surprise, known for his secular conviction and his Hindu Queen, brought the practice of playing Holi to the courts and palaces."

Later his other Hindu wives also participated. The emperor was very famous for his love of festival of colors. ( HOLI celebration is also given in Akbar's biography, in the end i have explained, and also in many contemporary accounts...It was NOT a MUGHAL Tradition..was started by Akbar..)

Regarding the topic Of HOLI, some lines from Mughal court::

(English translation in brackets..)

Kyo Mo Pe Rang Ki Maari Pichkaari
Dekho Kunwar Ji Doongi Mein Gaari
(Why drench me with color spray,
now my prince, I will swear at you)

Bahut Dinan Mein Haath Lage Ho Kaise Jane Doon
Aaj Phagwa To Son Ka Tha Peeth Pakad Kar Loon.
(After long have you come in my hands, how will I let you go?
Today is Holi, and perfect time to catch hold of you)

Jahangir/Salim did not mind it and had colour being applied to his forehead by his mother, who belonged to the royal house of (Amer)Amber.(here, it is sure who his mother was.) He has also mentioned Holi, in his memoirs, which read as follows..

"On the eve of this day Hindus light fires in all the lanes and streets. When it is daylight they spray powder on each other's heads and faces for one watch and create an amazing uproar. After that, they wash themselves, put their clothes on, and go to gardens and fields. Since it is an established custom of among the Hindus to burn their dead, the lighting of fires on the last night of the year is a metaphor for burning the old year as though it were a corpse.' - 

From Jahangirnama, vol-1, page-245

jahangir playing holi

Another one ...Jahangir...Holi..

                                             

Shah Jahan did not indulge in the joys of Holi, "probably" except when he was in revolt against his father and stayed under the protection of his friend, a Rana of Rajputana. (probably, Udaipur.)

The following info was a shock for me..(for some of you also):...Read furthur...

Aurangzeb was an orthodox follower of Islam who regarded the colouring of the body a violation of religious tenets, though he too is "said that", at least once had his forehead smeared with gulal(color) 😲 by his favourite wife, Zainabadi.(Disclaimer: i am not calling her favorite, the accounts call her favorite, though i myself do not know about this wife issue.) To please her he had even agreed to taste a cup of wine,😲 but the beloved, seeing that he was in real earnest, desisted from pressing the request to that extent.

Again, some sources put that he used to play.!! I am leaving it aside..

              

Again, the following was not down my throat:..

His son, Bahadur Shah I, was a "friend !!! " of Guru Gobind Singh, and since Sikhs have no ritual of splashing of colours as such, he too did not take part in the festival..

                                  

"
Though, i got some information..about future Mughal rulers also...Some of them took part in Holi celebrations. But, not mentioning, here since, that is of not much use...

                                        
The above pic, shows a Mughal prince, i am not sure which one..So, not writing the name..

References for above. ::
1.
Again,Mughal exhibition in Delhi. (must visit it...for all such stuff.😉.)
I had posted that exhibition info on my thread.
Did any one of you visited..??...It's a treat to be there, near CP in Delhi...If you are interested in Mughals really...

Link for Mughal exhibition update:It's on till 31 December 2013:
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/96517551

2.
Following information, can be easily verified otherwise also..
There is nothing BIG or new, which i have written.

From Rajputana School of painting


Now, some extra information..(this is AN  interesting READ..😊)..

1.
Ain-i-Akbari gives about the MAJOR Mughal "tyohar" , means MAJOR Festivals celebrated are mentioned.in it...
(well, diwali and many other festivals were mentioned...i ll take it other time..this time holi.)

One of them is Holi.(means it is a Major festival).

u know that Akbar started celebrating Holi.(from info above...)

In Ain-i-Akbari, it's explained that-->> "people light fire and throw various things into it and fling coloured powder upon each other and indulge in much merry making.
Songs of Krishna were sung in a broad and coarse manner."

>REF:->Akbar's chronicles, Ain-i-Akbari,3, (near page-300)..
Also,
Red and Yellow were most used colors...
and, Yellow color was considered auspicious..!!...Why??..any idea.???.    (is their again a connection with Lord Krishna.?????..)

Again, the foll. pic also has, ladies in yellow color during Holi..








2.

The following info throws some light on dressing style of Mughal women.

(This has nothing to do with the HOLI festival, only writing because in my last thread, few forum friends got confused about mughal women dressing style.

Again, this is to elucidate the point, put forth by Myself, KDR81 and Lizzy2012...
Wherein, i mentioned about the lady with a Non-Muhammadan attire and also kdr81 mentioned about the fusion of styles of dressing.and were bombed with questions...So, back with some interesting info..






Following were adorned :

Following were common:to both wives..
(1). Bathing.
(2). Applying oil.
(3). Braiding the hair.
(4). Decking head with jewels
(5). applying sandal-wood oinment...(mostly when ruqs is in bath-tub..u know..??..)
(6). Tinting eyes with lampblack ...(i feel this is Kajal in eyes.??)
(7). earrings.
(8). ornaments round neck.
(9). Decorating feet with gold ornaments.
(10.) Staining hands. (this is mehendi.?..❓?...rajputana culture again?.or Henna - Persian culture...😕..)

Till now, dressing style was common, now the difference starts:-->>...
(explaining along wid statements in brackets.)


(1). "The dressing sense are/were of different kinds".<<---THIS STATEMENT IS EXPLICITLY STATED IN AIN-I-AKBARI..!!.. (it again shows, dressing was different..the point for which i wrote all this..)


(2). The sleeves of some women are upto fingers(like Ruqs), and of some women are upto the elbows(MUZ)...


(3). Women wear "angiya dress"❓, chiefly worn, and a "lahanga" a waist-cloth joined at both ends, sewn at the top through which cord passes... >>(i do not know if any one got this or not, but i only know that this type of dress is worn by muslim women. nothing more...u can search angiya dress on google.if u want...this type of dress is worn by ruqs and salima...thats all i can say)..

Other women wear "dandiya dress" which is ---->>>>

1. a large cloth worn over the "lahanga",...    .( ghagra ...?????as Jo's..??)
2. part of which is drawn over the head ...          .( dupatta..?????)and
3. the other end fastened at the waist. ...         .( chunari / choli ..????)
                                                        
      These three are necessary. The wealthy wear other garments over this.

( dandiya dress is part of rajputana culture ..MUZ wears this type of dress in show. )




(4). Sectarial marks of caste,(here abul fazl is clearly distinguishing between two ladies of different religion...the point AGAIN being Hindu and Muslim wives had different styles..) decked with pearls(mostly mughal women) and golden ornaments(mostly rajputana women).

(i feel NOW we can easily distinguish the type of jewellery worn by Ruqs(pearls) and MUZ(gold).??)...
Adding 1 more point here--> Rajputana culture jewellery along wid Gold has pearls struck in it..But, Mughal culture had explicitly..pearls...!!...


(5).nose-rings of pearls(mughal style-ruqs) and gold(rajputana style-muz).


(6).garlands of flowers or pearls.  (same difference as above)


(7.. Wearing a belt hung with small bells. (this is a highly and totally dominant rajputana style...in starting episodes of JA, u must have seen MUZ wearing a "kamar-band", i mean that string around waist.. if u noticed..??)...

BTW::-->> Mughals also HAD such objects, around their waist,...the difference being...they had gold chain with beads...Such ornaments, they wore in special ceremonies.!!
But, these waist ornaments were dominant part of Rajputana culture. Moreover, they were HEAVIER..

--> this was From Ain-i-Akbari,3


Also, hindu wives had Mughal influence on their Rajputana style of dressing, but they had their own dressing sense, which is clearly EXPLAINED SEPARATELY in ain-i-akbari...it seems there was a fusion of both styles..!!.

The following picture.DEMONSTRATES..Both styles of dressing were present.Mughal and Rajputana .in Mughal household..each uniquely defined...

This picture:...(shows Diwali...)

        

Not only MUZ's dressing style was influenced, ..Even, Akbar's dressing style was modified NOT to a small extent...But to a very LAAARGE EXTENT...on few occasions.

Let me mention a few more events::-->>(though there are many..but will give 1 only..)

1.
"Akbar adorned Hindu dressing style, especially on days of Hindu festivals. A very famous incident relates to a event of Raksha Bandhan festival,(also of Diwali festival)  when AKBAR shocked everyone by wearing a total Hindu attire." This was from Badayuni's chronicles.

"MUZ adapted to her surroundings well..."...this statement is wrt her dressing sense, which had mughal influence also.

2.
Though, this incident is for my future threads, but i m mentioning here. When christian missionaries arrived in Akbar's court for first time and saw him, their remark was-->>"By no way, EAECHBAR, looks like a MUHAMMADAN."

EAECHBAR means Akbar only..In their accounts they have used such confusing language, like----->
Man Singh --> Maaoun Sinng
Bhagwan Das --> Bhaogwaon Daos
Badayuni----->> Budauaouni...and many more..!!!.


Another picture depicting fusion of dressing styles...



NOTE-1::-->> Akbar also celebrated Diwali..
NOTE-2::-->> Had more pics, not posting due to MILD explicit postures.

I was reading an account...And, came across this piece of info.. And, i could connect something with the show instantly, so shared with you all...


Minor Updates - inside on Pages - 6,8,9,14,16

Though something is there on every page..New updates on following page..
Page 6    - MUZ
Page 8    - Tansen and Mughal dresses(updated)
Page 9    -'Wali Ni'maat'.another title given to Heera Kunwari.apart from MUZ
Page 14  - Mughal dresses(new update)
Page 16  - Some OLD graves unearthed..!!..About MUZ..

More updates on Page -20,28,29,30,31,42,56,67,68,70,76,81,83,MUZ-86. ALmost entire thread/all pages is/are full of discussions.!!.


Edited by history_geek - 9 years ago

wow,thanks for this piece of info...😊

Abhay,
My lap froze ,so had to restart n I lost whole writeup...Am typing again...so pls wait till I do so... 😊

Absolutely fabulous Abhay 👏 👏

a great thread 😊 infact veryy interesting ..

Such is the "atmosphere" of our forum these days..😉
It seems..

The promo is showing it's TRUE colors, every where...😆..

anyways, that picture posted above is ENOUGH to understand, that both Styles existed independently.

Really, that dress question was about to blow the previous post.😲..



Edited by history_geek - 9 years ago

Welcome.😊

Thnx..

Really..
This "proof " has become an INTEGRAL part of these threads..😆
Before, writing ANYTHING, first proof is required..now..a..days..😉.u see after each info, i have given reference..😕.

Don't u feel if dresses are different...and even Ain-i-akbari, has mentioned all this..😕
Still...many of us feel that hindu begums were converted to other religion..??.(which is not true at all..coz these books STATE that they weren't...)

Abhay,
  1st of all, a big 👏 for u ...for having dug out all these info on Festivities and fashion...which I am sure would be interesting to all the Ladies and Gentlemen here...😃 And the Paintings are simply Awesome...😃

After reading this I hope, the confusion of the members ' whether Holi was celebrated Before Heera's marriage or only After by Akbar' will be dispelled considerably.

Why?? Becoz if that had been a custom before Heera's entry in Akbar's life , then there wouldn't have been explicit portrayal of Hindu/Rajput Begum/Ladies in all the paintings of the Mughal Royalty. Also we can't forget that Jahangir and Shah Jahan having strong Maternal connection with Rajputs(read Ameris), obviously had the ritual alive in them and hence more prone to celebrate these festivals than other later Mughal emperors.

Regards,
Kamal
P.S. Having exchanged views on this already with you earlier, so I don't think I should write anymore as of now...rather shall wait for others to comment.😃
Edited by KDR81 - 10 years ago

Komal, and Abhay start adding more info. Where is the information about the palace? 🤔😆 yeah, don't give me some link saying u already.. I want more detail information.It's both of your fault for releasing a hungry monster to know more about their history.😆