Kabootar

Hamzanama or Dastan-e Amir Hamza, is a series of stories about the adventures of Amir Hamza which originated in 11th century Persia and was narrated in the oral storytelling form of ‘dastan’. This cycle of dastans follows the hero’s exploits in different fantastical worlds, involving rival kings, jinns, sorcerers, demons and fairies, narrating romantic interludes and grand wars.

Amar Ayyar, is a trickster and central character in the Tilism-e Hoshruba series. Ayyār, literally meaning vagabond, refers to a class of warrior in 9th-12th century Iran. The Persian essence of the word can be translated to rogue, fighter, or deceiver. The term has also been used to describe characters that play the role of the Thief, or the Trickster in Arab literature. Interpretations of ayyari from Urdu have become synonymous with an intelligence that errs on the side of mischief and trickery. Musharraf Farooqi’s translation of the story ascribes the word trickster to ayyar. The untranslatability of ‘ayyar’ allows Amar

to play the role of a trickster who is simultaneously a fighter, paid assassin, and court jester.

Amar Ayyar, is a trickster and central character in the Tilism-e Hoshruba series. Ayyār, literally meaning vagabond, refers to a class of warrior in 9th-12th century Iran. The Persian essence of the word can be translated to rogue, fighter, or deceiver. The term has also been used to describe characters that play the role of the Thief, or the Trickster in Arab literature. Interpretations of ayyari from Urdu have become synonymous with an intelligence that errs on the side of mischief and trickery. Musharraf Farooqi’s translation of the story ascribes the word trickster to ayyar. The untranslatability of ‘ayyar’ allows Amar to play the role of a trickster who is simultaneously a fighter, paid assassin, and court jester.

Amar Ayyar, is a trickster

and central character in the Tilism-e Hoshruba series. Ayyār, literally meaning vagabond, refers to a class of warrior in 9th-12th century Iran. The Persian essence of the word can be translated to rogue, fighter, or deceiver.

The term has also been used to describe characters that play the role of the Thief, or the Trickster in Arab literature. Interpretations of ayyari from Urdu have become synonymous with an intelligence that errs on the side of mischief and trickery. Musharraf Farooqi’s

translation of the story ascribes the word trickster to ayyar. The untranslatability of ‘ayyar’ allows Amar to play the role of a trickster who is simultaneously a fighter, paid assassin, and court jester.

Amar’s actions are often dubious and his random side quests

add endless conflicts and adventure to an otherwise straight-forward narrative. His practice of ayyari is unique to his character, compared to historical meanings of the role, and defies any royal/bourgeois code of conduct in place.

‘It rejects a clear-cut resolution of the tale, allowing the dastangos(storytellers) to continue the cycle of stories endlessly.’ (Pirzada, p.4)

It’s hard to tell who his real friends and enemies are based on his actions. Amar is close to and loyal to Amir Hamza in the greater mission against the sorcerers in Hoshruba, but also has no qualms about embezzling from Hamza or questioning his authority more than other ayyars and soldiers. Amar's moral ambiguity makes him neither innocent nor evil. And what’s a drag icon without a few problematic tricks up their sleeve?

Amar’s actions are often dubious and his random

side quests add endless conflicts and adventure to

an otherwise straight-forward narrative. His practice of ayyari is unique to his character, compared to historical meanings of the role, and defies any royal/bourgeois code of conduct in place.

‘It rejects a clear-cut resolution of the tale, allowing the dastangos (storytellers) to continue the cycle of stories endlessly.’ (Pirzada, p.4)

It’s hard to tell who his real friends and enemies are based on his actions. Amar is close to and loyal to Amir Hamza in the greater mission against the sorcerers in Hoshruba, but also has no qualms about embezzling from Hamza or questioning his authority more than other ayyars and soldiers. Amar's moral ambiguity makes him neither innocent nor evil. And what’s a drag icon without a few problematic tricks up their sleeve?

The written description of Amar’s body and appearance is carnivalesque and difficult to picture. He has a "head like a dried gourd, eyes the size of cumin seeds, ears like apricots, cheeks resembling bread cake, a neck that was threadlike and limbs akin to rope" (Jah, p.130), and is sometimes compared to a demon, ghost, or spectre in the story. Amar seems to be amorphous with no fixed appearance, which allows him to disguise himself as various odd characters to aid him in his schemes.

In early chapters, Amar comes across as misogynistic and aromantic (or at least averse to heterosexual affairs) - scoffing at Prince Badiuz and Tasveer’s romance as a frivolous distraction from the mission of warfare against the sorcerers. He also mocks Princess Mahjabeen and Prince Asad’s affection for her, and tends to show little to no respect for women in the royal court and some of the female sorcerers. He is a bit more partial towards the ayyar/trickster girls, like Sarsar, and respects them for their military skill and bravery while condemning sorcerers like Queen Sharara for her powers and sexuality. (there's a fair share of misogyny through the narrative but that's an essay for another day)

However, later in the narrative Amar engages in non-normative sexuality and gender performances. In one scene, Amar dresses himself as a "false damsel" to attract Afrasiyab, the emperor of Hoshruba, and enter his court before promptly revealing himself and attacking the sorcerers present. At other times he seems to perform on a whim - disguising himself as a young boy to seduce and rob a sorcerer as well as her husband, reminiscent of the trope of paederasty in Greek and Indo-Islamicate literature

and art.

"Amar Ayyar sat down in his secluded nook and with his trickster paints and lotions made himself into the likeness of a sixteen-year-old boy. He masked his mustache and whiskers and gave himself the look of youthfulness. He lined his eyes with collyrium and tinged his hands with red henna. He dressed in a yellow shirt, sported a bracelet, and wore tasseled slippers strung with threads of pearls." (Jah, p.140)

However, later in the narrative Amar engages in non-normative sexuality and gender performances. In one scene, Amar dresses himself as a "false damsel" to attract Afrasiyab, the emperor of Hoshruba, and enter his court before promptly revealing himself and attacking the sorcerers present. At other times he seems to perform on a whim - disguising himself as a young boy to seduce and rob a sorcerer as well as her husband, reminiscent of the trope of paederasty in Greek and Indo-Islamicate literature and art.

"Amar Ayyar sat down in his secluded nook and with his trickster paints and lotions made himself into the likeness of a sixteen-year-old boy. He masked his mustache and whiskers and gave himself the look of youthfulness. He lined his eyes with collyrium and tinged his hands with red henna. He dressed in a yellow shirt, sported a bracelet, and wore tasseled slippers strung with threads of pearls." (Jah, p.140)

However, later in the narrative Amar engages in non-normative sexuality and gender performances. In one scene, Amar dresses himself

as a "false damsel" to attract Afrasiyab, the emperor of Hoshruba, and enter his court before promptly revealing himself and attacking the sorcerers present. At other times he seems to perform on a whim - disguising himself as a young boy to seduce and rob a sorcerer as well as her husband, reminiscent of the trope of paederasty in Greek and Indo-Islamicate literature

and art.

"Amar Ayyar sat down in his secluded nook and with his trickster paints and lotions made himself into the likeness of a sixteen-year-old boy. He masked his mustache and whiskers and gave himself the look of youthfulness. He lined his eyes with collyrium and tinged his hands with red henna. He dressed in a yellow shirt, sported a bracelet, and wore tasseled slippers strung with threads of pearls."

(Jah, p.140)

Amar’s subversion of gender presentation allows him to enter into inaccessible spaces like the zenana (a secluded place where women of different regional, religious, ethnic, caste, and class backgrounds would mingle). He enters the zenana in drag as

a woman named Shagufa and engages in drunken, theatrical lesbianism by dancing with and romancing the sorcerer Queen Sharara, his disguise strong enough for

the women to be swept away by its beauty.

Amar’s subversion of gender presentation allows him to enter into inaccessible spaces like the zenana (a secluded place where women of different regional, religious, ethnic, caste, and class backgrounds would mingle). He enters the zenana in drag as a woman named Shagufa and engages in drunken, theatrical lesbianism by dancing with and romancing the sorcerer Queen Sharara, his disguise strong enough for the women to be swept away by its beauty.

Amar’s subversion of gender presentation allows him to enter into inaccessible spaces like the zenana (a secluded place where women of different regional, religious, ethnic, caste, and class backgrounds would mingle). He enters the zenana in drag as a woman named Shagufa and engages in drunken, theatrical lesbianism by dancing with and romancing the sorcerer Queen Sharara,

his disguise strong enough for the women to be swept away

by its beauty.

Amar often cruises through conflicts with his mastery in disguise, invisibility cape, and ridiculous plot armor. There are about a dozen instances of Amar disguising himself as various characters, and half of them are him in cross-dress seducing and robbing emperors, empresses, and sorcerers alike - a klepto queen who seems to rarely engage in trickery for the noble mission of warfare and more often does so for his own enjoyment. Amar's dubious exploits and queer performances make him an entertaining and subversive treat in a traditional medieval fantasy/romance.

Amar often cruises through conflicts with his mastery in disguise, invisibility cape, and ridiculous plot armor. There are about a dozen instances of Amar disguising himself as various characters, and half of them are him in cross-dress seducing and robbing emperors, empresses, and sorcerers alike -

a klepto queen who seems to rarely engage in trickery for the noble mission of warfare and more often does so for his own enjoyment. Amar's dubious exploits and queer performances make him an entertaining and subversive treat in a traditional medieval fantasy/romance.

Amar often cruises through conflicts with his mastery in disguise, invisibility cape, and ridiculous plot armor. There are about a dozen instances of Amar disguising himself as various characters, half of them being him in cross-dress seducing and robbing emperors, empresses, and sorcerers alike - a klepto queen who seems to rarely engage in trickery for the mission against sorcerers and more often does so for his own enjoyment. Amar's dubious exploits and queer performances make him an entertaining and subversive character in a traditional medieval fantasy narrative.

Tilism-e Hoshruba is a 19th century addition, inspired by and unofficially inserted into the original Amir Hamza series (Hamzanama) when it made its way to India. Several volumes of stories about Hoshruba were eventually transcribed and published and this article focuses on material from the first book, ‘Hoshruba: The Land and the Tilism’. (‘Hoshruba’ is

a tilism or magical world once created by

a group of sorcerers, which defies the physical laws of earth through magic and transmutation.) Its first English translation by Musharraf Ali Farooqi appeared in 2009.

Tilism-e Hoshruba is a 19th century addition, inspired by and unofficially inserted into the original Amir Hamza series (Hamzanama) when it made its way to India. Several volumes of stories about Hoshruba were eventually transcribed and published and this article focuses on material from the first book, ‘Hoshruba: The Land and the Tilism’. (‘Hoshruba’ is a tilism or magical world once created by a group of sorcerers, which defies the physical laws of earth through magic and transmutation.) Its first English translation by Musharraf Ali Farooqi appeared in 2009.

Tilism-e Hoshruba is a 19th century addition, inspired by and unofficially inserted into the original Amir Hamza series (Hamzanama) when it made its way to India. Several volumes of stories about Hoshruba were eventually transcribed and published and this article focuses on material from the first book, ‘Hoshruba: The Land and the Tilism’. (‘Hoshruba’ is

a tilism or magical world once created by a group of sorcerers, which defies the physical laws of earth through illusions, transmutation, and magic.) Its first English translation by Musharraf Ali Farooqi appeared in 2009.

Hamzanama miniature painting, commissioned by Mughal emperor Akbar, (India, 16th century CE)

an amusing hyper-masc superhero interpretation of Amar in Urdu comic series 'Umro Ayyar'

(Kachi Goliyan, Pakistan, 2013)

an amusing hyper-masc superhero interpretation of Amar in Urdu

comic series 'Umro Ayyar'

(Kachi Goliyan, Pakistan, 2013)

Amar defeats a dragon, Hamzanama

(India, 16th century CE)

Amar defeats a dragon, Hamzanama

(India, 16th century CE)

A drunken Qazi caught with his young lover,

(India, 17th century CE)

A drunken Qazi caught with his young lover,

(India, 17th century CE)

A drunken Qazi caught with

his young lover,

(India, 17th century CE)

"Sharara was so enraptured, and as she broke into tears from ecstasy, the false Shagufa stopped. The sorceress called out, ‘Do not stop the song now! You have brought me this far! Take me now to the end!" (Jah, p.23)

"Sharara was so enraptured, and as she broke

into tears from ecstasy, the false Shagufa stopped. The sorceress called out, ‘Do not stop the song now! You have brought me this far! Take me now to the end!" (Jah, p.23)

"Sharara was so enraptured, and as she broke into tears from ecstasy, the false Shagufa

stopped. The sorceress called out, ‘Do not stop the song now! You have brought me this far! Take me now to the end!"

(Jah, p.23)

Ladies of the zenana on a terrace,

(Ruknuddin, India, 17th century CE)

Ladies of the zenana on a terrace,

(Ruknuddin, India, 17th century CE)

Ladies of the zenana on a terrace,

(Ruknuddin, India, 17th century CE)

Female Trouble, 1974