History of Sherwani - Icon of Deccani Tehzeeb
By: Dr. Shabeena Pasha
It
is claimed that the sherwani originated in British India during the 18th
century as a fusion of the Indo-Persian achkan and chogha with the British frock
coat in an attempt at producing a westernized form of traditional attire. Both
the contentions do not standup to a critical evaluation of medieval Indian
couture through a study of paintings and illustrations of which we are
fortunate enough to have quite a few examples in collections spread across the
world. In Hyderabad itself one finds a portrait of Sultan Quli Qutubul Mulk,
founder of the Golconda Kingdom, attired in a collared frock coat, the upper
part snugly held together by six gem encrusted buttons and flaring into a wide
skirt below the waist. The exquisite garment, trimmed at the sleeves with
intricate embroidery which matches the pattern of the collar, lays to rest the
presumption of a British frock coat ever being the precursor of the truly indigenous
sherwani.
The
sherwani most certainly evolved from Indo-Persian dress patterns which
underwent notable change during the late 19th century mainly due to
a lifestyle transformations precipitated by socio-political developments.
Gentlemen were no longer required to be ever ready to mount a horse and charge
off into battle and this freedom from constant vigil made the wide skirt
redundant. As more befitting and graceful costumes evolved, the sherwani gained
wide acceptance and became the most favored garment in the wardrobe of
discerning Indian males. Preference for the sherwani as formal dress by a
majority of the key players in the freedom struggle and its extensive usage by Jawaharlal
Nehru ensured its being declared as the national dress of India following
independence. Interestingly it was also adopted as the official garb of Sri
Lanka where it had been introduced by the Mudaliars.
Although
the sherwani is mentioned as one of the garments favored by the second Nizam,
it came into vogue in Hyderabad only during the reign of Mahbub Ali Khan,
sometime at the end of the 19th century. For the last Nizam, Osman
Ali Khan, it became the dress of choice and subsequently gained official status
as mandated court attire. Salar Jung III is credited with introducing the use
of handloom fabrics, enabling the sherwani to emerge as a daily wear garment
due to the resulting affordability and it has remained the distinctive apparel
of Hyderabadi gentlemen ever since. Though constant usage today is restricted to
a few, the people of Hyderabad invariably don the sherwani on momentous
occasions in their life and it remains obligatory wear for the bridegroom at
Hyderabadi wedding.
The
Hyderabadi sherwani is readily identifiable due to its unique fit and frappe in
contrast to its north Indian manifestation which barely covers the thighs, the
Hyderabadi version is considerably longer and extends to slightly below knee
level. The six buttons rule, first apparent in Sultan Quli’s attire, is
scrupulously followed by the people of Hyderabad barring the rare case of an
exceptionally tall individual who is forced to adopt the Hindustani style of
seven buttons to ensure a proper fit. Additionally six smaller sized studs,
three for each sleeve complete the embellishment. Other distinctive features of
the Hyderabadi sherwani, like a high collar and flaps covering breast pockets,
are no longer in use. The loss of these distinctive features is largely due the
limited clientele which fails to generate enough business for really good
masters to practice the art and pass on their expertise to the next generation.
John Burton, the Nizam’s own couturier who was the most sought after sherwani
craftsman of Hyderabad, left behind a legacy which remains unmatched.
The
post independence scenario at Hyderabad witnessed a drastic change in attire
with the erstwhile residents of the city being relegated to the background. The
few who refused to give up icons of old culture suffered greatly and most began
restricting their cultural identity within the four walls of their homes.
It
is said that once when a request for funding of a seminar on the contributions
of sherwani to Deccan History was labeled the concerned minister flew into a
rage and screamed at the organizers for attempting to resurrect icons of a dead
culture. His secretary, one of the few surviving old timers in administration,
had to enlighten him that it was the great historian, Padmsree Haroon Khan
Sherwani and not the garment that was proposed to be discussed at the meet!
Such were enlightened successors to Hyderabad’s rich and multi faceted legacy.
Despite unreasonable bias against iconic markers of Hyderabadi ethos, the
sherwani continues to be a prime symbol of cultural identify for Indians.
-Dr. Shabeena
