Published Paper Details:

This paper focuses on the story of Tawaifs and Courtesans in the state of Awadh from 18 th to 20 th century. It tries to bring out the role, influence and status held by them under the Nawabs, the categories in which they were divided, their interference into the state politics through their royal and rich patrons like Governors and Ministers, their rich and lavish lifestyle which they maintained with great skill even without any fixed assignment of jagirs with, their attempt to rule out the norms of the patriarchal society and achieving a separate identity of their own. Their role in shaping, preserving, polishing and popularising the culture of Awadh throughout India, their national awakening and the attempt to contribute to the Independence Movement by registering active presence initially in the revolt of 1857 and later on, by being the part of Congress Meetings and the Movements led by Gandhi. In the later part, the paper highlights their sad downfall, loss of patronage with the coming of the Britishers as a political power and annexation of Awadh, the cruel treatment done by the them, assimilating and merging the dignified Courtesans and Tawaifs into the category of Prostitutes and using them for the pleasure of their soldiers, apart from the role of Britishers, their dignity was also lowered by the changing norms of the society and definition of purity, which was now attached to marriage and veil. Thus, in the changing times i.e. after the downfall of Nawabs and with the coming of the Britishers, Courtesans and Tawaifs always lived on the margins of the cultured society.