History of Sherwani - Icon of Deccani Tehzeeb by Dr. Shabeena Pasha

 

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 19^th 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 19^th 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