The epics & Puranas equated women with property. Even Buddhism did very little for women. Though Mourya kings often employed female bodyguards, spies but their status was still quite bad. Upper class ladies accept Purdah system. Arthashastra imposed more stigmas on women as Kautilya dismissed women's liberation & they were not free even to go elsewhere without her husbands permission. The Arthashastra in many ways more liberal than the religious law books, lays down quite stringent rules for the immodest wives. A woman who insolently takes part in games or drinks against her husband wishes, is to be fined three panas. If she leaves her home without husbands permission to visit another women she is to be fined six panas; if she visits a man the fine is twelve panas.
They became worse off in the Gupta period. The Smritishastras abused them ; Manu dictated a women would be dependent on her father in childhood, on her husband in youth and on her son in old age. Apart from Sati and child marriage, prostitution & devdasi system became widespread. Prostitution, Devdasi, Courtisans were important part of ancient Indian society.
Temple prostitution is most common in the south & their earliest literature shows that. That'swhy religious prostitution came naturally for Dravidians.
As in ancient Greece courtesans were often literate snd skilled in music, dancing, singing, acting, composing of poetry, flower arrangement, and garland making, the preparation of perfumes and cosmetics, cooking, dress making and embroidery, tongue twisters and other puzzles, gymnastics, teaching parrots, and clay modelling besides the usual sexual services. Regular prostitutes engaged in their trade in busy places. Repentant courtesans and prostitute sometimes went into buddhist nunneries.
Typical of such accomplished courtesans was Ambapali/Amrapali, the hetaira of Vaishali, famous in Buddhist legend. Her life gives a significant indication of the status of the better type of courtesan in ancient India. Ambapali was immensely wealthy, highly intelligent and famous throughout the civilized portion of India.
She was one of the most treasured possession of her city and mixed on equal terms with princes. Ambapali is said to have become a Buddhist nun and one of the most beautiful poems of the pali con is attributed to her.
From the example of the play "The Little Clay Cart" it would seem that a prostitute might became an honest women by marriage, for te heroine, the high souls courtesan Vasantasena ultimately becomes the second wife of the brahmin hero Charudatta.
Even In the Mughal period, the courtesans of India had a turbulent reputation. Once they have seen as advisors to the Mughal courts.
Imagine a vast hall with the roof seemingly with intricate murals and curvings soaked in real gold leaves, huge mirrors, and wall to wall Persian carpets. Crystal chandler's so vivid and vibrant that it seems the entire sky is engulfed in them.
Among all of this a dainty petite figure of a women sitting in the middle of the hallbeing the focus of thirsty glances of kings and courtiers alike. The men admiring her and the women hidden behind a purdah aspiring to be her.
The Mughals were very fond of such intellectual yet attractive women. The story of Salim (Jahangir) -Anarkali provided the evidences of that. Not only Salim but Shah Jahan had Noor Begum and Gauhar Jaan. Aurangzeb was bedazzled by Moti Bai.
Historically speaking, courtesans were devdasi or who used to sing and dance for the presiding deity of the temple. These women were married to the presiding deity but the kings and courtiers also had a pleasure to witness their art of poetry, singing, dancing. They often quenched the pleasures of the rich. Now comes a surprising fact can you imagine that all Indian classical dances like Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Odissi are just residuary art forms left behind by these courtesans?
Today one may hear the term "Kothewali" and immediately club it together with a perception of women with lowly charecter involved in prostitution. This wasn't always so. It was the British who condemned the practice of Devdasis, they bifurcated the pricely kingdoms causing a loss of patronage for the courtesans. For these reasons the courtesans now called the "Nautch Girls ", were forced to become mere sex workers because they needed to feed themselves and theirs families.
These courtesans now started catering to the rich and poor simultaneously. The art and culture in their performances became significantly lessen to mere sexual acts and dancing remained came under the canopy of "Mujra".
"Mujrewali or Kothewali" became the generic terms of prostitutes. The thin line between the learned courtesans and lowly sex workers was vanished. Incidentally a "Mujra" when seen has an uncanny resemblance with Kathak, a classical dance form of India still common today.
Te courtesans performed "Mujra" for British soldiers and other men. The men who came to visit them now didn't care about hearing poetry or watching inciting dancing and singing, they were just interested in sex. The era of the British raj is rightly called the dark ages of these heavenly courtesans.
Some of the vast halls, cravings, murals, are still present in Indian sub-continent, standing alone screaming for their glory which is robbed by the Britishers. They are screaming to share their glory, fame, pride.
Theye are still standing and tell us in evry moment that "we are the burning truth of India, the temple of mankind. Our courtesans is our goddess, once they were worshipped by the kings, courtiers and intellectuals of the society and they are gifted by the art, poetry dance and music.
After Mughal period came the colonial era, the worst phase for the courtesans. The golden era of the Indian courtesans was now gone but the culture of classical dance, music and poetry which they gifted to us must be preserved and their story must be shared to the world.
