Lahore, a city layered by the ghosts of Mughal emperors and the clamor of modern commerce, operates on visible and invisible economies. When one speaks of an “Original Escort Service” in this ancient metropolis, the term demands immediate historical recalibration, moving beyond modern transactional norms to acknowledge the complex, sophisticated foundation of professional companionship and patronage that once thrived within its old city walls.
The true original service was not a clandestine affair defined by fleeting transactions, but a recognized, powerful social institution—the culture of the Tawaif—centered primarily in the famed quarter known as Heera Mandi (The Diamond Market), the heart of Shahi Mohallah.
The Original Companions: Custodians of Culture
In the courts of the Mughals and the subsequent rise of independent princely states, the Tawaif served a role far removed from the simplistic definitions of today. They were, in essence, the cultural anchors of the elite. To engage their services was not merely a physical transaction; it was an investment in culture, education, and refinement.
These women were arguably the most literate, articulate, and economically independent women of their era. Their ‘service’ was a carefully managed portfolio of skills:
- Classical Arts: Tawaifs were masters of Kathak dance, expert vocalists of the Ghazal and Thumri forms, and fluent in refined Urdu and Persian poetry (adab). A Nawab’s reputation rested on his ability to appreciate and sponsor the nuances of their art.
- Etiquette and Diplomacy: They were finishing schools for young noblemen, teaching them refined manners, conversational wit, and the subtle art of courtly negotiation. Their salons were often neutral ground where political rivals could meet under the guise of artistic appreciation.
- Economic Autonomy: Unlike respectable married women who often lacked property rights, the Tawaif owned their mansions (kothas), managed substantial finances, and paid taxes, commanding a respect born of their financial power.
This was the original, highly organized, and prestigious form of sophisticated companionship—an interwoven tapestry of art, power, and patronage.
The Collapse of the ‘Kotha’
The profound shift from this sophisticated model to the hidden, stigmatized service of modernity was driven largely by two forces: British colonialism and subsequent post-independence moralism.
The British administration, often viewing native culture through a lens of Victorian morality, failed to grasp the complexity of the Tawaif’s role. They equated the highly specialized tradition with common prostitution. Legislation aimed at sanitization and moral reform, particularly the Contagious Diseases Act, stripped these women of their legal and social status as artists and independent property owners.
The Tawaif was no longer seen as a guardian of high culture but as a moral contaminant.
After Partition in 1947, Lahore continued this moral purge. The grand art of the kotha was systematically shut down or pushed underground. The art forms—the classical dance and music—were separated from the practitioners; the Ghazal was adopted by mainstream singers, and the classical dance migrated to institutional settings.
What remained in Heera Mandi was the economic necessity, divorced from the cultural prestige. The comprehensive ‘service’ of refinement and art was truncated, leaving only the transactional component hidden behind closed doors.
