Tawaif

Glossary

A dancer, singer or entertainer trained in Hindustani classical music, ghazals, dance forms such as Kathak, literature and shayari (poetry). They were also considered to be experts in etiquette and catered primarily to Mughal and Nawabi nobility and courtiers in Northern India. From the Hindi and Urdu word tavayaf, meaning “courtesan.”

FILED UNDER

Tawaif%newline%A dancer, singer or entertainer trained in Hindustani classical music, ghazals, dance forms such as Kathak, literature and shayari (poetry). They were also considered to be experts in etiquette and catered primarily to Mughal and Nawabi nobility and courtiers in Northern India. From the Hindi and Urdu word tavayaf, meaning “courtesan.”

Chicago	MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. “Tawaif”. Accessed December 17, 2024. https://mapacademy.io/glossary/tawaif/
MLA	“Tawaif.” MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. https://mapacademy.io/glossary/tawaif/. Accessed 17, December, 2024.
Harvard	MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. (2022) Tawaif. [Online]. Available at: https://mapacademy.io/glossary/tawaif/. (Accessed: 17, December, 2024)