Guest Post by Mast Qalandar (MQ)
In a recent post I had described the different Pugrees worn across Pakistan, including the famed and flamboyant Peshawari Patkaiy or Kullah. There is an interesting story passed down by generations of students of Islamia College Peshwar about how this particular turban, once part of the prescribed college uniform, was abandoned by the College.
As a background information I should add here that Islamia College Peshawar (ICP) was founded in 1913 by Sir Sahibzadah Abdul Qayyum, a Pushtun, and Sir George Roos-Keppel, the then British Chief Commissioner of NWFP, who was a virtual Pushtun in that he spoke Pushto fluently and also understood and adopted many of Pushtun customs.
While founding the ICP the two gentlemen tried to model their institution after the Aligarh Muslim College, which was founded 35 years earlier by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. Following Aligarh’a example they also chose black achkan as part of the uniform for ICP students. To the achkan they added the local turban as head-wear. Both gentlemen, I should add, we proud turban-wearers themselves.
Thus the Peshawar Kullah along with black achkan, white shalwar, and black chaplis/shoes became the uniform of ICP students. However, the turban didn’t last long and was soon discarded. One reason for giving it up was that it didn’t sit too well on mostly 16-17 year olds who were usually too skinny at that age to sport this bulky head-wear. The other reason was more interesting and requires a bit of explanation.
In all the college hostels (there were 7) a bell would ring early in the morning and the students would stream out of their rooms into the hostel’s courtyard and line up, all dressed up in black achkan, white shalwar, black shoes and, of course, the Patkaiy or turban. First there would be a roll call to ensure that everyone was present, followed by an inspection. The hostel superintendent would pass by each student to see if he was properly dressed, which meant a properly buttoned up achkan, its collar hooked, no azarband hanging loose, the shoes shined and the shamla of the turban flared and proudly standing up.
Ditching the “dress parade” (that is what it was called) or turning up improperly dressed at the parade was considered almost a felony and the culprit was fined. Since boys were and will always be boys, they couldn’t resist pulling pranks on each other. When everyone was rushing out of his room to join the dress parade, one tug at the tail of someone’s turban would unravel the turban and the student would end up missing the parade.
And this happened not too infrequently. As an insurance against such mishaps the students would keep an extra turban ready to wear. If one were pulled apart at the last minute, the ‘victim’ would quickly fetch the other, don it and rush back to join the parade.
But there was not always a happy ending to such episodes. So, legend has it, the college administration mercifully decided to abandon the turban altogether - to the relief of the latter generations including mine.
Mast Qalandar is a proud alumnus of Islamia College Peshawar.
Adil,
Earlier, you asked about a picture of Professor Close. In a few days I will be returning to Pakistan. I will see if I can find one and send it to you. Doing a post on him and similar other teachers is a good idea. Another name that comes to my mind is of Dr. Edmund (I don’t remember his full name) a longtime Principal of Edwards College Peshawar. As I said earlier Edwards college is another very old (older than Islamia College) and a renowned college of NWFP that has been admirably serving the people of Peshawar and NWFP in general.
Incidentally, early this year some citizens of Peshawar chose to pay back their debt of gratitude to the College by attacking the building and damaging it. They were protesting the Danish cartoons!
Thats good news, I wonder why at first hand they removed the image of ICP from 100 Rupee?
I don’t know if I am decendent of Moses it was my late father and still his family who strictly believe and claim. I am just curious to know how much this all is accurate.
Yes MQ, there are many things to dig,who knows the dress code including Kulla has to do something with Hebrew tradition, as one Rabbi say, “They(Pathan) wear a four-cornered garment, to which some of them attach fringes on the corners. (like Jews do)”. I believe you have seen a Pathan with bit longer curls coming out of his Kulla, “As for Jewish customs, the Pathani are quite strict about not shaving their sidelocks (peot), which is in accordance with the Torah command, ‘Don’t shave the sides of your head’ (Leviticus 19).”
http://www.kulanu.org/pathan/pashtunjewishroots.ht ml
Some old pictures:
http://www.khyber.org/pictures/historypaint.shtml
Very interesting news on Islamia College. Accoridng to The Daily Times:
Saadia,
Yes, I am vaguely aware that Saadia is a Hebrew name. The 9th century Rabbi with this name was born in Egypt. His name in Arabic was Sa’id bin Yosef. Saadia is the Hebrew equivalent of Sa’id.
It is appropriate that you, being descendant of Moses, which you said you were, have chosen a Hebrew name Saadia.
It’s fascinating how our discussion branched off from Islamia College and kullas to Moses and Hebrew names. Wait a minute! kulla and patkaiy might also have originated from the Hebrew people. How about digging into that, too?
Saadia, with two A’s is often a man’s name in the Jewish tradition.
I believe Adil Najam has written some articles on Jews in Pakistan that I saw on the web.
Adil, if God will bless me two sons then I will give them names Aadam (Adam) and Ibrahim ;)..(just kidding, I doubt my husband will give me a liberty to choose alone their names).
MQ, We all should do the research on our side, I have a great interest in it and thats why have started working on it. Oh yes, do you know Saadia not Sadia or Sadiya is an old hebrew name, probably you know about Philospher Rabbi Saadia Gaon. In Jewish families this name is both for males and females. A Jewish friend told me that in Hebrew (with 2 division) it means God protects the person.
I believe the world is small, at end we all are Adams children ;)
MQ… Wow, peopel do read what we write here carefully ;-)
Yes, I had mentioned in a post long ago that my eldest son is named ‘Musa’. Given that Christmas is near, I should add that my youngest is names ‘Eesa’.
Lest there be any indignation on the part of the super-sensitive, let me hasten to say that the middle name of both is ‘Muhammad’.
So, chose whichever prophet you prefer, folks. From where I stand, the core message of each is exactly the same!
Interesting discussion. In support of their argument a few of my pathan friends have also indicated to a culture of lending money on interest in the rural areas. They say the lender almost never likes to be paid the actual principal amount. This along with what discovery channel and bbc documentaries have shown is just facinating to me.