Salwar or shalwar is cloth worn from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately. It is the lower-garment of the shalwar kameez suit which is widely-worn in South Asia. It is known for its lively hues, rich fabrics, and embroidery.The Tribune Pran Nevile 27 May 2000Lois May Burger (1963) A Study of Change in Dress as Related to Social and Political Conditions in an Area of North India Textiles, Costumes, and Ornaments of the Western Himalaya by Omacanda Hāṇḍā The outfit has been a part of Punjabi tradition of India and Pakistan for centuries.1892 Punjab Gazeetter Kumar, Raj (2008) Encyclopaedia of Untouchables Ancient, Medieval and Modern It is also the national dress of Pakistan,Basic facts about Pakistan, Issue 5 (1950)Nelson,Lise . Seager,Joni (2008) A Companion to Feminist Geography and since the later 1960s, the salwar is being used in government offices in Pakistan.Qadeer. Mohammad (2006) Pakistan - Social and Cultural Transformations in a Muslim Nation Salwar can be distinguished from the Punjabi suthan which is shorter than the salwar.
Types Afghani shalwar – tends to be loose. Anarkali shalwar – slim fitted salwar. Peshawari shalwar – is very loose down to the ankles. Balochi shalwar – has a very roomy salwar using large lengths of cloth. Punjabi shalwar – is straight Patiala shalwar – is wide at the top but fits closely to the legs and is gathered at the ankles. Saraiki shalwar – is very wide and baggy with many voluminous folds. Sindhi salwar – is less plaited at the waist. Sindhi kancha – has long pancha (cuffs) at ankles.
History Early history Shalwar is a lower garment, with different regions having different types. The earliest form of the shalwar originated in Central Asia and its use was spread to South Asia as well as the Arab world, Turkey and wherever the Turks established their empires in the 12th century.Jirousek, Charlotte. "Islamic Clothing." In Encyclopedia of Islam. New York: Macmillan Pub. 2005. The Ottomans spread the use of the salwar throughout its empire.Annette Lynch, Mitchell D. Strauss (2014) Ethnic Dress in the United States: A Cultural Encyclopedia Salwar was brought in South Asia after the arrival of Muslims in the 13th century. It was first worn by Mughal nobles.
In Punjab, there is a similar but older dress similar to the salwar known as suthan.Dr Singh, Daljit (2004) Punjab Socio-Economic Condition (1501-1700 A.D.) The Punjabi suthan suit which is made up of the head scarf, kurta/kurti and Punjabi suthan.Sidhu Brard, Gurnam Singh (2007) East of Indus: My Memories of Old Punjab There are also the Jammu dress and the churidar. The term salwar kameez also includes the Kashmiri Phiran/suthan outfit.
In the Punjab region, the salwar was made using a large amount of material but had no pleats or folds. The large salwar eventually gave rise to the Punjabi salwar.Paintings and Lifestyles of Jammu Region: From 17th to 19th Century A.D Raj Kumar
Punjabi salwar In its strictest sense, the salwar is baggy and loose straight down the legs, and gathered loosely at the ankles. During the medieval period, people adopted the Iraqi style of salwar in Multan and neighbouring Sindh.Kumar, Raj (2008) Encyclopaedia of Untouchables Ancient, Medieval and Modern Said,Hakim Mohammad (1990) Road to Pakistan. 1. 712 - 1858 This type of salwar is traditionally very baggy and gathered at the ankles. It is still worn by the Kurdish community in Iraq. The presence of the baggy salwar was noted by Alberuni in the 11th century A.D. and continued to be envogue between the 16th and 18th centuries C.E. in MultanDasti, Humaira Faiz (1998) Multan, a province of the Mughal Empire, 1525-1751
The Multani salwar is similar to the loose Punjabi suthan. Therefore, the distinction between the loose Punjabi suthan and the loose Multani salwar is fine and centres on the tight ankle band in the suthan, and on the suthan beginning to fit closer to the legs below the knees.
The original Punjabi loose salwar was not as baggy as the Multani style but was wide, with the gathering at the ankles being wide enough to cover the feet. Originally, up to ten yards of cloth was used to make Punjabi salwars.Yarwood, Doreen (2011) Illustrated Encyclopedia of World Costume The original Punjabi salwar was also not as baggy as other forms of the salwar, such as the type worn in Afghanistan (partug), the Balochi salwar,Punjab district gazetteers, Volume 7, Part 1 (1923) or the loose Punjabi suthan, and gathers more quickly below the knees and ends in a tight band. Eventually the modern Punjabi salwar came into being which is slim fitting and does not have wide ends as before.
Another style of salwar is the Pothohari salwar of the Pothohar area of the Punjab region.Mohinder Singh Randhawa. (1960) Punjab: Itihas, Kala, Sahit, te Sabiachar aad.Bhasha Vibhag, Punjab, Patiala. The Pothohari salwar retains the wideness of the Punjabi suthan. The kameez is also wide. The chunni is a remnant of the large chadar popular in West Punjab known as salariKehal, Harkesh Singh (2011) Alop ho riha Punjabi virsa Lokgeet Parkashan and the large Phulkari worn in various areas of the Punjab region. However, the Pothohari salwar suit did not attain universal acceptance. The Bahawalpuri salwar is also wide and baggyCurrent Opinion, Volume 25 (1899) with many folds. The material traditionally used for the Bahawalpuri shalwar and suthan is known as Sufi, which is a mixture of cotton warp mixed with silk weft and gold threads running down the material.Extracts from the District & States Gazetteers of the Punjab, Pakistan, Volume 2 (1976) The Pakistan gazetteer, Volume 5 (2000)
Punjabi kameez The Punjabi Kameez is a traditional outfit worn by both men and women in the Punjab region of South Asia, which includes parts of India and Pakistan. It consists of a long tunic or shirt, typically with long sleeves and a loose fit, paired with loose-fitting pants called salwar. The outfit is often accompanied by a scarf or stole, known as a dupatta, which is draped over the head or shoulders. The Punjabi Kameez is known for its vibrant colors, intricate embroidery, and rich fabrics, which vary depending on the occasion and the wearer's social status. It is a popular and versatile garment that can be worn for both casual and formal occasions, and has gained popularity worldwide due to its comfort and style.
Female dress: Punjabi salwar suit The Punjabi salwar suit is worn in the Punjab in India and Pakistan. It consists of the (head scarf), (kameez) and the salwar when worn by women. The can be of varying lengths. The () is made up of two rectangular pieces sewn together with side slits, similar to a tunic. A kurta is also worn.
The salwar is similar to pajamas or pants, wide at the top and tightened loosely around the ankles with hard material, called . In the Punjab, the salwar kameez is also known as the chunni jhagga salwar suit.
Male dress: Punjabi salwar suit In some parts of the Punjab region, especially the urban areas of Punjab, Pakistan,Malik, Iftikhar Haider (2006) Culture and Customs of Pakistan males wear the men's Punjabi suit. The upper garment is made of the straight cut kurta/kameez and the salwar resembles a slim fit pajama. In the past, the suthan was also commonly worn by men,Punjab District and State Gazetteers: Part A (1911)Land revenue settlement reports 1876 a trend which can still be seen in some parts of the region (especially Jammu and Himachal Pradesh).
Jhagga The Ghaznavid Turks popularised the salwar/tunic attire in Afghanistan.Jirousek, Charlotte (2004). "Islamic Clothing". In Encyclopedia of Islam. New York: Macmillan Pub.Flood, Finbarr Barry (2009). ..Objects of Translation: Material Culture and Medieval "Hindu-Muslim" Encounter...
Kashmir region The use of the suthan or the salwar has been adopted in other areas. People in Jammu have changed the traditional attire from the peshwaj (flowing to the ankles)Textiles, Costumes and Ornaments of the Western Himalayas O Handa to the kurta and Dogri suthan. The Phiran is worn in KashmirPaintings and lifestyles of Jammu Region: 17th to 19th Century A.D Raj Kumar traditionally flowed to the ankles, is now of varying lengths and is worn with a loose suthan. Kashyap Bandhu is regarded as the person responsible for spreading the use of the suthan with the phiran amongst the communities that resisted to adopt its use, eventually leading to the use of the salwar.Cultural Heritage of India- Kashmiri Pandit Contribution. The Publication of Kashmir Sabha, Calcutta (1999-2000) However, the traditional Kashmiri suthan is loose, similar to the styles worn in AfghanistanAsoke Kumar Bhattacharyya, Pradip Kumar Sengupta Foundations of Indian Musicology: Perspectives in the Philosophy of Art and Culture (1991) with some wearing styles similar to the Dogri suthan. The Punjabi salwar suit has also become popular.Dhar, Somnath (1986) Jammu and Kashmir folklore
Elsewhere in India and Pakistan, Muslim communities have traditionally worn the style of salwar worn by the Mughals combining them with Mughal upper garments such as the jamma. However, the salwar is now worn by members of various communities in India and Pakistan.Subba, J.R (2008) History, Culture and Customs of Sikkim
Sindh In Sindh, Shalwar Kameez or (Suthan ain Khamis) in Sindhi worn by men are of two types, one is worn usually in lower/south of Sindh which has wider ankles and does not get narrow at ankles this type of Shalwar is called (Kancha), other has narrow ankles worn mostly in upper/north of Sindh and is called (Suthan/Salwar), both has very less pleats, the Khamis is also made of different styles, traditionally Sindhi men used to wear either short or long Angrakho which is tied at either side or in middle, the shorter one was called Angelo, other style was called Kiriyo/Puthiyo, then the short Kurtas called (Pehrān/Pehriyān) were commonly worn, which used to be collarless like Angrakho and was tied at either side or in middle, and had half way slit opening in front unlike angrakhas which used to be completely slit in front. The Pehrān/Pehriyān were also used to be embroidered with Sindhi bhart and mirrorwork. Above Angelo and Pehrān men also wore (Koti, Sadri, Gidi). During British Raj, the colllars were introduced in Sindh, the Sindhi men started wearing Pehran with collars and buttons, also during that time the English long coats and jackets were introduced. The upper garment of Sindhi men was mostly short either till waist or till midway to thighs, except for some men, but today the modern Khamis reaches at least till knees, the modern Khamis can have (Gol daman) round cut at end corners or (Chokor Daman) square cut, this is now an everyday clothing of Sindhi men. The clothes are adorned with Ajrak and topi or Patko (Turbans), but usually on everyday life, a various colored floral or checkered piece of cloth on shoulder or as turban, also used as a handkerchief, and for the protection from the heat of sun.