.·;,,_; .i · !·: ···.,, . ;;'r ENCYCLOP JEDIA IRANICA .;Jo,• : .; ., j . ,_, ·:,.,..,...··.. ... /. •, ! 'f .~ ' ..... ' ,- .. ·\ -:;,,>\w· !;, , . ., . ··~) .·- <'·1,.':; _r.r ,,·. ,·• ....:- · '· J.·! ·:· _.:.:--· --· ·: ·=:, EDITED .~ J,:t~=)ij,;:,;- ~~') .:;.. , _ _,_" ~,'::~'. EllSAN YARSHATER _'\_;~/(\\>,~·:.":1tt -_,:•,'''.. c~4i~~~~;l,:5;:;f~~;fi) f ~;,'.;';;~/;~;'.,;, '! . i. VolumeV_ ,. ~ • t , ;. ' '.\ ' .,... ~ . t ,' t · ~ • '' ' ~. 'i ~ I ' , . , I·' ,, -tr - ', k , . -l 1_i ; CLOTHING XI.-XIII. CLOTHING IN AFGHASISTAN 811 men dressed in Western style in the street. Some even S./1978. R. M. Savory, "Social Development in Iran adopted the headband ('eqiil) in imitation of leftist during the Pahlavi Era," in G. Lenczowski. ed .. Iran Arabs. but it was unpopular, and they soon abandoned under the Pahlavis, Stanford, Calif., 1978, pp. 85- it. 127. F. Stark, The Valley of the Assassins. London. For women the situation was far more difficult. In 1934, tr. 'A.-M. Saki as Safar-niima-ve Alamiit. the mid-l 970s many rural families had migrated to the Lorestiin wa 1/iim, Tehran, 1364 S./1985_-D. Wilber. major cities, panicularly Tehran, in search of employ­ Riza Shah Pahla\'i. The Resurrection and Recon­ ment. Most were unskilled, uneducated, and tradi­ structionof /ran, Hicksville, N. Y., 1975. E. Yagma'i. tional in their outlook and convictions. After the Kiir-niima-ye Re iii Siih-e kabir, Tehran, 2535= 1355 Revolution, encouraged by religious leaders who had S./1976,pp.170, 178,216,499. E.Zozef,"Rokn-al­ become government officials, women from this group Din Mo~tar ... ," Rahiivard 7/23, 1368 S./1989, pp. harassed women who were not wearing the veil in 274-75. public. Many educated women, panicularly university ('ALi-AKBARSA'iDi SiRJANi) students, had adopted traditional dress associated with Islam as a symbol of opposition to the Pahlavi regime, xii. QAJARAND PAHLAVIMILITARY CLOTHING. See and the mass demonstrations during the Revolution MILITARY had included large numbers of such women wearing black ciidors (Plate CXXVII). But they had not ex­ xiii. CLOTHINGINAFGHANISTAN pected to be forced to wear them after the Revolution; they staged a few brief protests, which, however, were The medley of tribal and ethnic populations in the met with insults and physical threats. As the state diverse landscape of Afghanistan live mainly in rural gradually consolidated its power, all women were towns and villages and nomadic camps. Hardly 5 forced to adopt the "Islamic" mode of dress in public. percent lead urban lives. Traditional clothing reflects It consists of a loose gown covering the entire body in these geographic and residential variations and also such a way that all curves, including the breasts, waist, serves to express individual and group identity, social and calves, are hidden. Only the hands, from fingenips and economic status, stages of the life-cycle, and to wrists, and the face are not covered by this gannent. changing sociopolitical trends, which ultimately lead The head and neck are to be entirely covered either by to new styles, as well as to exchanges of clothing types a black ciidorora thick scarf (meqna'a). If the distance (L. Dupree, pp. 238-47). Although tenninology for all between the ground and the hem of the d~ss is greater items of Afghan clothing varies widely, the central than ten inches the calves of the legs, already swathed role of dress in Afghan culture is clear from the fact in thick black stockings, must be funher hidden under that new garments are essential for family, religious, full trousers. These requirements have been met with and seasonal celebrations. the same reluctance and resistance that greeted Reza Headgear. The most diagnostic item of clothing is Shah's enforced ban on the same kind of clothing. headgear, and even the ubiquitous turban (Pers. langotii, Many men still wear jackets and trousers, though dastiir, Pashto pa(kay, pagri), which can vary in length most omit neckties. from 3 to 6 m, takes on distinguishing characteristics, Bibliography: F. Adamiyat, Andisa-ye tarraqi wa depending on the arrangement of folds (L. Dupree, pp. ~okumat-e qiinun. 'A,sr-e Sepahsiiliir, Tehran, 1351 71, 162). White cotton is the most common turban S./1973. 'A. Agari, ed., Tiirifs-e mo,sawwar-e Reiii cloth. though cenain Pashtun groups prefer black and Siih-e kabir, Tehran, I 345 S./1976 ( useful for il­ prestigious silk turbans tend to be woven in muted lustrations). M.-ij. Adib Heravi, If adiqat al­ grays, browns, and pinks (Plates CXXVIII, CXXIX). razawiya, Mashad, 1327 S./1948. Mol)ammad-1:fasan Whatever the material, the longer the turban, the more Khan E'temad-al-Saltana, Cehel siil tiirifs-e lriin dar fashionable the man. A young boy signals the coming dawra-ye piidsiihi-e Nii,ser-al-Din Siih I. al-Ma'ii[er of manhood by ceremoniously donning a turban. The wa' l-ii[iir, ed. i. Afsar, Tehran, 1363 S./1984. M. easily recognizable shapes and decorative designs of Farro~ (Mo'ta~em-al-Saltana), {Sii(eriit-e siiisi-e the caps (Pers. koliih, Pashto fsolay) worn under tur­ Farrofs, ed. P. Lavasani, Tehran, 1347 S./1968, pp. bans are also distinctive indicators. Cylindrical silk­ 388, 391. 395. N. Sayfpiir Fatemi, "Reza Sah wa embroidered caps distinguish the Uzbek and Tajik (see kiideta-ye 1299," Rahiivard 7/23, 1368 S./1989, pp. xv, below), fitted skullcaps of quilted chintz and felt 160-80. M. Mo~ber-al-Saltana Hedayat, {Sii(eriit o (barrak) the Hazara (see xiv, below), and the famous fsa(ariit, 2nd ed., Tehran, 1344 S./1965, p. 407. M. cylindrical caps embroidered with gold and silver Ka?,emi, Ruzgiir o andisahii, Tehran, 1350 S./1971. thread (goliibatuni) the Pashtun ofQandahar; foldable N. Keddie, Roots of Revolution. An Interpretive caps encrusted with shiny colored-glass beads History of Modern Iran, New Haven, Conn., 1981. (maridiirii) are also made in Qandahar (N. H. Dupree, 'A. Mas'iidi, Er,elii'iit dar yak rob'-e qarn, Tehran, 1977, p. 286 ). The Baluch set round mirror fragments 1950 S./1971. 'I. $adiq, Yiidgiir-e 'omr II, Tehran, (sisa) into their designs (see xviii, xix, below). Coni­ I 345 S./1966. $. Safa, Giih-niima-ye panjiih siil cal caps of wheat straw (druzaw fsolay) are unique siihansiihi-e Pahlavi l, n.p., n.d. J. Sahri, Gusa-i az among the Sinwari eastern Pashtun, as are the small, tiirifs-e ejtemii'i-e Tehriin-e qadim I, Tehran, 1357 round felt caps found in the high mountains of the 812 CLOTHING xm.CLOTHING IN AFGHANISTAN nonheast. Other male headgear includes busby-like ties, therefore, wear variations of large or small rectan­ shapes (tilpak) made from sheepskin, worn by the gular headscarves, commonly called cadar (see C.i.DOR), Turkmen (L. Dupree. p. 182; see xxvi, below), round with or without small hats similar to the men's kolah. fur-trimmed hats and quilted hats with earflaps worn The cadar is made of soft cotton, often but by no means by the Kirghiz (Dor and Naumann). and flat-topped always in a solid color. Among cenain Pashtun woollen caps with rolled rims worn in Niirestiin (pakol tribeswomen the cadar is an ankle-length mantle re­ generally; sukokuf in KamvirI; Michaud, 1980, ill. sembling a cape. bordered with heavy gold embroidery 91 ). The modified cylindrical hat made from Persian (Michaud, 1980, ill. 67). In contrast to the cadar, the lamb (qarakoli), which had distinguished all educated cadari is composed of a close-fitting cap from which urban men since the beginning of the 20th century finely pleated colored silk or rayon falls, completely (Charpentier, 1977), is currently out of fashion. enveloping the figure, with only an openwork em­ Head coverings for all women are prescribed in broidered or crocheted grid over the eyes (Nicod, ills. Islam. Most women in traditional Afghan communi- 57, 59). Another style, with a separate see-through face veil, is called boqra (< Ar. borqo'; Heral) and PLATECXXVIIl paranji (Kondiiz). All cadaris are primarily urban gannents (N. H. Dupree, 1978). The most specta<;ular headgear is worn by Turkmen women. Although the shapes of these tall (up to 45 cm) headdresses (Turkic bojmaq, Pers. qa!aba) differ from group to group, as do the silk wrappings, silver studs, and festooned ornaments that decorate them, all mark major stages in the lives of their owners. The exuberant creations worn by brides are replaced by more modest versions once they become mothers, and after menopause the silver ornaments are set aside entirely (Stucki, 1978). Uzbek bridal headdresses, though similar, are not as elaborate (P. Centlivres). Individual creativity is also expressed in the decoration of baby bonnets with a profusion of pompoms, feathers, baubles. and beads. Garments. The basic costume for men, women, and children is made from lightweight cotton and consists of loose-fitting. long-sleeved shins worn outside wide trousers (Pers. tanban. ezar, Pashto partiig) gathered on a drawstring (ezarband). The length of the men's shin (peran, korta), which is typically collarless and buttoned atone shoulder(N. H. Dupree, 1977, p. 388). varies from region to region, from knee to mid-calf or even lower. The finely embroidered Qandahiiri shin fronts (gara. gan4a) are renowned. Waistcoats (waskal) are universally popular and may be made of black and red velvet decorated with gold braid or embroidery. as found in Qandahar (called sadri) and among some Pash tun nomads, or fashioned from local materials, like barrak (see BARAK) in the Hazarajat. Many men, however, prefer Western vests purchased. along with Western coats and jackets, from second-hand clothing bazars. Indigenous types of outer garment are also worn. They include dressed-sheepskin coats worn with the fleece inside, with sleeves (postin) or without (postinca), and often embroidered, a spe­ cialty in the Pashtun area around Gazni.