Sherwani is a long coat-like garment worn in the Indian subcontinent, very similar to a Western frock coat or a Polish and Lithuanian żupan. Originally associated with Muslimaristocracy during the period of British rule, it is worn over a kurta with the combination of either a churidar, a dhoti, a pajama, or a shalwar/sirwal as the lower-body clothing. It can be distinguished from the achkan by the fact that it is shorter in length, is often made from heavier suiting fabrics, and by the presence of a lining. Sherwani is worn on formal occasions.
History
According to Emma Tarlo, the sherwani evolved from a Persian cape, which was gradually given a more Indian form, and finally developed into the sherwani, with buttons down the front, following European fashion. It originated in the 19th century British India as the European stylecourt dress of regional Mughal Muslim nobles and royals of northern India, before being more generally adopted in the late 19th century. It appeared first at Lucknow in the 1820s. It was gradually adopted by rest of the Muslim royalty and aristocracy of Subcontinent, and later by the general population, as a more evolved form of occasional traditional attire. The name of attire is possibly derived from Shirvan or Sherwan, a region of present-day Azerbaijan due to the folk dress of that area which resembles Sherwani in its outlook. Therefore, the garment may also be a direct derivative of the Caucasian dress due to ethnic and cultural linkages of Muslims of Subcontinent with other Muslim regions. Like Urdu, Sherwani also became a symbol of Muslims during Aligarh Movement and Pakistan Movement.
In Bangladesh, the sherwani is worn by people on formal occasions such as weddings and.
India
In India, the achkan sherwani is generally worn for formal occasions in winter, especially by those from Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi, Jammu, Uttar Pradesh and Hyderabad. The achkan sherwani is generally associated with the Hindus while the simple sherwani was historically favoured by Muslims. The two garments have significant similarities, though sherwanis typically are more flared at the hips and achkans are lengthier than simple sherwanis. The achkan later evolved into the Nehru Jacket, which is popular in India. In India, the achkan or sherwani is generally worn with the combination of Churidar as the lower garment.
In Sri Lanka, it was generally worn as the formal uniform of Mudaliyars and early Tamil legislators during the British colonial period.
Modern sherwanis
Sherwanis are mostly worn in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. These garments usually feature detailed embroidery or patterns. One major difference between sherwani wearing habits is the choice of lower garment, while in India, the dress is distinguished by their preference for churidars or dhotis, in Pakistan and Bangladesh, it is mainly worn with shalwar instead. Sherwanis have also been designed by the Indian designer, Rohit Bal for British Airways cabin crews serving on flights to India. Music director A.R. Rahman also appeared in a black sherwani to receive an Academy Award. Pakistani journalist, filmmaker and activist, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy appeared in sherwani to receive Academy Award in 2012 and 2015.
