Jump to content

Draft:Parda-khwani

Add links
From wikishia
Parda-khwani
Dervish Muḥammad ʿĀrifīyān performing Parda-khwani in Khalilabad, Khurasan Razawi.[1]
Dervish Muḥammad ʿĀrifīyān performing Parda-khwani in Khalilabad, Khurasan Razawi.[1]


Template:Infobox ritual Parda-khwānī (Persian: پرده‌خوانی; Curtain Reading) is a type of Iranian religious and folk performance in which a person known as a parda-khān narrates the tragedies of religious figures, especially the Shi'a Imams, with a rhythmic tone while pointing to images painted on a curtain curtain. Parda-khwani is considered to have had a significant impact on the formation of traditional Iranian national and religious plays.

The artistic foundations of Parda-khwani are considered to be the ritual of Naqqali and Coffeehouse painting. The book Rawḍat al-shuhadāʾ is regarded as the most important narrative source in Parda-khwani. The Safavid era is considered the period of this ritual's prevalence, and the late Qajar period is marked as the peak of its popularity.

Parda-khwani relies on two elements: the content of the curtain and the parda-khān. The content of the curtains paintings generally relate to the Event of Karbala, the miracles of the Imams (a), descriptions of Heavenly blessings and hellish punishments, or ethical and religious stories. The parda-khān is considered a dervish or naqqāl who, relying on the sequence of events in the curtain's painting, narrates the story for his audience.

Folk paintings, based on the painter's imagination and historical or legendary written and oral narratives on canvas or muslin curtains, along with a staff called a miṭraq with which the parda-khān points to the images, are counted among the tools of Parda-khwani. The execution process of the Parda-khwani ritual is reported to include various stages such as pre-event reading, praise reading, description of the event, and lamentation.

Nature and Status

Who is this young warrior, water-skin on shoulder and banner in hand?Template:Vr Abbas, the fighting lion of the desert of Karbala [2]

Description of the image of Hadrat 'Abbas (a) on a Parda-khwani curtain

Parda-khwani is regarded as a type of Iranian religious and folk performance in which a person titled parda-khān narrates the tragedies of religious saints, particularly the Shi'a Imams, with rhythmic speech from images painted on a curtain.[3] Parda-khwani is considered to have a significant influence on the formation of traditional Iranian national and religious plays.[4] This art was registered in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2012 in the name of Iran.[5]

Parda-khwani is considered a type of dramatic storytelling,[6] and its artistic foundations are believed to be the Naqqali ritual and folk painting, known as Coffeehouse painting.[7] Accordingly, some have classified Parda-khwani as a type of Naqqali in which the naqqāl'/parda-khān enhances the impact of his performance by relying on the art of painting.[8] Parda-khwani is considered the most dramatic type of Naqqali after Ta'ziya.[9] The book Rawḍat al-shuhadāʾ, written by Mulla Husayn Wa'iz Kashifi, is regarded as the most important narrative source in Parda-khwani (both in painting and performance).[10]

Parda-khwani has also been called portrait circulating,[11] curtain keeping,[12] image reading,[13] and unveiling.[14] This ritual art is considered related to other ritual arts such as Ta'ziya, nawḥa-khwānī, manqabat-khwānī, rawḍa-khwānī, and ḥamla-khwānī, containing elements from them.[15]

Parda-khwani in Takht-e Fulad cemetery in Isfahan, early 1970s (Telegram channel of the Library of History of Islam and Iran).

Background and History

Bahram Beyzai, a researcher of the history of theater in Iran, traces the historical context of the emergence of Parda-khwani back to the pre-Islamic era and the art of qawwālī, considering its reliance on Naqqali.[16] In his view, qawwālī was a type of rhythmic narration accompanied by musical instruments, and likely after the advent of Islam, due to restrictions on music, its musical aspect was removed, and its narrative aspect was enhanced (aided by paintings in Parda-khwani).[17]

Based on Mulla Husayn Wa'iz Kashifi's discussion of some rituals similar to Parda-khwani in the book Futūwat nāma-yi sulṭānī,[18] the existence of this ritual in the pre-Safavid era has been inferred.[19] However, the Safavid era is considered the period of its prevalence;[20] it is said that Parda-khwani was used to incite Shi'as to join the Safavid army to fight the Sunni Uzbeks during the reign of Shah Isma'il I.[21]

The peak period of Parda-khwani is considered to be the late Qajar era, coinciding with the peak of Naqqali and Coffeehouse painting.[22] It is said that following this period, with the decline of the art of Naqqali due to the gradual prevalence of radio and television, the gradual forgetting of Parda-khwani also occurred.[23] According to a report from 2009, Parda-khwani in Iran has had no historical interruption since the Safavid era, but the number of parda-khāns in the country has decreased to 30.[24]

Content of the Curtain and the Performer

Parda-khwani relies on two elements: the content of the curtain and the parda-khān (performer):[25]

Content of the Curtain

According to some reports, the painting of the Parda-khwani curtain included dramatic content narrated with narrative continuity in one or more curtains.[26] The content of these paintings is generally reported to be related to the Event of Karbala and associated events (such as the captivity in Syria or events related to the Uprising of al-Mukhtar) or the miracles of the Imams (a) (such as the story of the Guarantor of the Gazelle) or descriptions of Heavenly blessings and hellish punishments, or ethical and religious stories, such as the story of disobedience to parents and Javanmard-i Qassab (a mythological figure in the literature of futuwwa).[27]

This curtain, until the Day of Resurrection, in the worldTemplate:Vr Takes pride over all curtains of the universe [28]

Description of the curtain in a Parda-khwani session

According to some reports, the faces of the Infallibles (a) and women on the curtain were usually not shown due to religious barriers and were covered with a halo of light. However, the faces of their children and helpers were painted in a pleasant manner.[29] In contrast, the faces of their enemies were painted as very ugly and monstrous.[30] It is also reported that the prominent figure of the saints in the story of the curtain (such as Imam Ali (a) in the story of the Battle of Khandaq and Hadrat 'Abbas in the event of fetching water) was painted large in the center of the curtain.[31]

The Parda-khan

Parda-khwani

The parda-khān is considered a dervish or naqqāl who, with a rhythmic narrative and relying on the sequence of events in the curtain's painting, narrated the story of the curtain for his audience.[32] It is said that in his work, he strove to influence the audience and in doing so looked for God's satisfaction and the favor of the Infallibles (a).[33] Among famous parda-khāns, Dervish Bulbul Qazvini is mentioned, of whom some sources report 72 Parda-khwani sessions.[34] Husayn Arafian, Dervish Parvana, Dervish Mahmud Maddah, Qasim Danish-pazhuh, and Mirza Ali Khandan are other parda-khāns mentioned in sources.[35]

A Parda-khwani curtain from the late Qajar period.

Certain skills were necessary for the parda-khān, including: familiarity with the art of "iconography" to recognize faces, having a reservoir of various narratives and stories in mind to avoid repetition, audience awareness and situational assessment to manage the session, having a good voice, the ability in opposing reading for the power to transfer from one role to another by changing tone and intonation, mastery of colloquial language and folk culture (catchphrases, idioms, prayers, curses, etc.), the power of improvisation and quick-wittedness for potential questions, clapping hands and using the miṭraq, and knowledge of the titles of the saints and villains to make the session attractive.[36]

Also, in the art of Parda-khwani, the existence of an assistant for the parda-khān is mentioned, who was responsible for pulling the curtain[37] and learned the art of Parda-khwani from the master parda-khān orally and chest-to-chest.[38]

Performance Tools

The Parda-khwani painting was painted on curtains made of muslin or canvas' with different dimensions and was covered with a white curtain to preserve its sanctity and show the end of the Parda-khwani.[39] It is said that these paintings were categorized as folk coffeehouse paintings; paintings that were painted based on the painter's imagination and on the basis of historical and legendary written and oral narratives.[40]

The likeness of His Holiness, the Best of Humankind, the Pride of the Family of Khalil, the Master of His Excellency Gabriel... [41]

Introduction of the image of the Prophet Muhammad (s) in a Parda-khwani session

Attention to the details of traditional Iranian "iconography" art in painting the curtains to distinguish between faces and knowledge of all historical events, legends, and side narratives related to the curtain are counted among the necessary skills for the Parda-khwani painter.[42] Prominent Parda-khwani painters include Husayn Qullar-Aghasi (d. 1966), Muhammad Mudabbir, and Husayn Dastkhush Hamadani (d. 2005), and their works are considered the peak of the evolution of Parda-khwani painting.[43]

Besides the curtain, other tools of the Parda-khwani ritual include a staff called "miṭraq"[44] or "miṭrāq",[45] with which the parda-khān pointed to the images on the curtain and sometimes used as an auxiliary tool in performing the play (for example, a sword).[46]

A curtain containing 150 narratives, by Husayn Dastkhush Hamadani.[47]

Performance Procedure

The execution process of the Parda-khwani ritual, from the beginning of the session to the end, is reported as follows:

  • Preface or Pre-event, which is usually like shabīh-khwānī, a lamentation sung to gather people.
  • Supplication, which was sung, during which the parda-khān asked God for help to confront opponents.
  • Manqabat-khwānī, before addressing the main sessions, during which eulogistic content regarding each of the holy figures present in the curtain was stated.
  • Speaking of the sanctity of the curtain because the Divine saints were described in it.
  • Reading a sermon to open the speech.
Parda-khwani with content of the events of the Islamic Revolution during the Iran-Iraq War.[48]
  • Reciting hadiths and side stories to warm up the arena and prepare the audience to hear the sorrowful events of the tragedy of Karbala with anecdotes about Hell and Paradise to inform the audience, and ethical anecdotes.
  • Description of the main event by the parda-khān, creating excitement and describing the details of events with the help of a question and answer method with an assistant.
  • Digressing/Transitioning, a technique used by the parda-khān. The parda-khān, paying attention to the audience's mood and his skill in diagnosing the atmosphere of the session, creating a link between the story of the session and daily issues the audience were dealing with using this technique.
  • Nawḥa-khwānī accompanied by weeping to extract tears from the audience, which was considered the main reason for holding the session.
  • Promising the audience to narrate a more attractive story in the next session.
  • Circulating to collect tips and rewards.
  • Praying for the Parda-khwani audience and gathering the curtain.[49]

Notes

  1. ↑ Sayyidī & Ḍiyāʾī, "Guzārishī az āyīn-i 120 sāla-yi Parda-khwānī-yi Khalīlābād ki īn rūzhā mīrāth-dārī nadārad", in Shahrārā News.
  2. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", p. 105.
  3. ↑ Ṣabāḥī, "Parda-khwānī", p. 552; Gharībpūr, "Hunar-i muqaddas-i ṣūrat-khwānī (= Parda-khwānī)", p. 56; Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", p. 105.
  4. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", p. 102.
  5. ↑ Sayyidī, "Wāpasīn parda-yi zindagī-yi parda-khwānān", in Shahrārā News.
  6. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", p. 102.
  7. ↑ Ṣabāḥī, "Parda-khwānī", p. 552.
  8. ↑ Bayḍāʾī, Namāyish dar Īrān, 1344Sh, p. 74.
  9. ↑ Bayḍāʾī, Namāyish dar Īrān, 1344Sh, p. 74.
  10. ↑ Gharībpūr, "Hunar-i muqaddas-i ṣūrat-khwānī (= Parda-khwānī)", p. 57.
  11. ↑ Bayḍāʾī, Namāyish dar Īrān, 1344Sh, p. 73; Malikpūr, Guzīda-ī az tārīkh-i namāyish dar jahān, 1364Sh, p. 135.
  12. ↑ Bayḍāʾī, Namāyish dar Īrān, 1344Sh, p. 73.
  13. ↑ Gharībpūr, "Hunar-i muqaddas-i ṣūrat-khwānī (= Parda-khwānī)", p. 56.
  14. ↑ Hamāyūnī, Taʿziya wa taʿziya-khwānī, p. 28.
  15. ↑ Gharībpūr, "Hunar-i muqaddas-i ṣūrat-khwānī (= Parda-khwānī)", pp. 63–64.
  16. ↑ Bayḍāʾī, Namāyish dar Īrān, 1344Sh, p. 60.
  17. ↑ Bayḍāʾī, Namāyish dar Īrān, 1344Sh, pp. 60–61.
  18. ↑ Kāshifī Sabziwārī, Futūwat nāma-yi sulṭānī, 1355Sh, pp. 302–305.
  19. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", pp. 102–103.
  20. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", p. 103.
  21. ↑ ʿAnāṣirī, Darāmadī bar namāyish wa niyāyish dar Īrān, 1366Sh, pp. 175–176.
  22. ↑ Ṣabāḥī, "Parda-khwānī", p. 553.
  23. ↑ Bayḍāʾī, Namāyish dar Īrān, 1344Sh, p. 81.
  24. ↑ "Īrān mutaqāḍī-yi thabt-i āyīn-i parda-khwānī dar mīrāth-i jahānī ast", in IRNA website.
  25. ↑ Ṣabāḥī, "Parda-khwānī", p. 553.
  26. ↑ Gharībpūr, "Hunar-i muqaddas-i ṣūrat-khwānī (= Parda-khwānī)", p. 60.
  27. ↑ Bayḍāʾī, Namāyish dar Īrān, 1344Sh, p. 74; Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", p. 108; Ṣabāḥī, "Parda-khwānī", p. 553.
  28. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", p. 104.
  29. ↑ Bayḍāʾī, Namāyish dar Īrān, 1344Sh, p. 74; Hamāyūnī, Taʿziya wa taʿziya-khwānī, p. 28.
  30. ↑ Hamāyūnī, Taʿziya wa taʿziya-khwānī, p. 28.
  31. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", p. 106.
  32. ↑ Gharībpūr, "Hunar-i muqaddas-i ṣūrat-khwānī (= Parda-khwānī)", p. 61; Ṣabāḥī, "Parda-khwānī", p. 553.
  33. ↑ Gharībpūr, "Hunar-i muqaddas-i ṣūrat-khwānī (= Parda-khwānī)", p. 62.
  34. ↑ Gharībpūr, "Hunar-i muqaddas-i ṣūrat-khwānī (= Parda-khwānī)", pp. 58–60.
  35. ↑ Sayyidī, "Wāpasīn parda-yi zindagī-yi parda-khwānān", in Shahrārā News.
  36. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", p. 105.
  37. ↑ Gharībpūr, "Hunar-i muqaddas-i ṣūrat-khwānī (= Parda-khwānī)", p. 61.
  38. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", p. 105.
  39. ↑ Gharībpūr, "Hunar-i muqaddas-i ṣūrat-khwānī (= Parda-khwānī)", p. 60; Ṣabāḥī, "Parda-khwānī", p. 553.
  40. ↑ ʿAnāṣirī, Darāmadī bar namāyish wa niyāyish dar Īrān, 1366Sh, pp. 197–198.
  41. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", p. 104.
  42. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", pp. 106–107.
  43. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", p. 107; Sayyidī, "Wāpasīn parda-yi zindagī-yi parda-khwānān", in Shahrārā News.
  44. ↑ Ṣabāḥī, "Parda-khwānī", p. 553.
  45. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", p. 105.
  46. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", p. 105.
  47. ↑ Sayyidī & Ḍiyāʾī, "Guzārishī az āyīn-i 120 sāla-yi Parda-khwānī-yi Khalīlābād ki īn rūzhā mīrāth-dārī nadārad", in Shahrārā News.
  48. ↑ "Parda-khwānī-yi inqilāb", in The Design Studio of Naghsh website.
  49. ↑ Nāṣirbakht, "Parda-hā-yi darwīshī: hunar-i parda-khwānī wa naqqāshī-yi parda-hā-yi darwīshī", pp. 103–104; Gharībpūr, "Hunar-i muqaddas-i ṣūrat-khwānī (= Parda-khwānī)", p. 61.

References

Retrieved from "https://en.wikishia.net/w/index.php?title=Draft:Parda-khwani&oldid=201118"