Tawaif

Historically, a tawaif was a courtesan of the Muslim noble classes in South Asia, particularly during the Mughal era. They were known to be very knowledgeable in North Indian forms of singing, dance (usually kathak), and Urdu poetry. They were generally regarded to be highly educated, erudite ladies, and the high-class tawaifs could often pick and choose between the best of their suitors.

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The tawaif culture was made famous by the Indian films Pakeezah and Umrao Jaan.

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Today, the term in Urdu is almost synonymous with prostitute.

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Courtesan: A courtesan is a person paid and/or supported for the giving of social companionship and intimate liaisons to one or more partners. The word is generally reserved for those who enjoyed the most social status for such services. Although the term has been applied to people from several cultures and hi...

Muslim: A Muslim (Arabic: ????) is an adherent of Islam. Literally, the word means someone who has submitted him or herself to God....

South Asia: :Southern Asia sometimes refers to all of Asia that was not part of the Soviet Union....