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Karakul hat

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Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, wearing a Karakul.

The Karakul hat (قراقلی), also known by other names,[a] is a hat made from the fur (either Karakul fur [ru] or karakulcha) of the Karakul breed of sheep.[4][5][6][7] The fur from which it is made is referred to as Astrakhan, broadtail, qaraqulcha, or Persian lamb.[citation needed] The hat is peaked, and folds flat when taken off the wearer's head.[citation needed]

Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, Hazara leader in 1944 from Afghanistan, wearing Karakul.

The cap is typically worn by Muslim men in Central and South Asia. It was worn by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, where it is known as the Jinnah cap. The karakul, which had distinguished all educated urban men since the beginning of the 20th century, has fallen out of fashion in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.[8][9][3][10]

Design and production

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In terms of design, the cap is peaked and has several parts. It folds flat when taken off the head. The cap has been particularly popular among the Muslim population of Central and South Asia, however, there is no religious significance attached to it.

The cap is made of the fur of the Qaraqul or Karakul breed of sheep, which is found in the desert areas of Central Asia. The sheep have been named in connection to the city of Qorakoʻl, a town in the Bukhara Region of Uzbekistan. Later, the cap became popular in Mazar Sharif, a city in Afghanistan, after which Uzbek craftsmen also brought the business to Pakistan.[11][12]

The karakul fur is obtained from a newly-born sheep, which gives the cap its tough and curly texture as well as a specific pattern.[13][14] The karakulcha (diminutive of "karakul"), a finer and more expensive material, is taken from lamb fetuses or miscarriages.[4]

Kashmiri variations

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Karakul caps have been worn by Kashmiris for the past several decades. The Karakul cap is colloquially known as a "Karakuli" in the Kashmir Valley. The traditional headgear of the gentry in Kashmir has historically been the turban tied in a similar fashion to the Pashtun equivalent.[15]

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See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Karakul caps.

Notes

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  1. ^ It is sometimes spelled as Qaraqul hat and also known as an Astrakhan hat, Uzbek hat,[1] and Jinnah Cap.[2][3]

References

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  1. ^ Ahmed, Akbar S. (2005) [First published 1997]. Jinnah, Pakistan, and Islamic tity: The Search for Saladin. London: Routledge. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-134-75022-1.
  2. ^ "Decoding Afghanistan's colourful headgear culture". AlJazeera. 18 March 2022. known as a Jinnah cap across the border in Pakistan, where it was popularised by the country's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah
  3. ^ a b Baig, Zulfiqar (9 October 2019). "Jinnah Cap – a dying legacy". The Express Tribune.
  4. ^ a b "Hamid Karzai's Famous Hat Made From Aborted Lamb Fetuses". FOXNews.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 1 May 2008.
  5. ^ "Qaraquls Burst Upon the Fashion World". Taipei Times. Associated Press. 27 May 2007. p. 12. Archived from the original on 16 December 2007.
  6. ^ Humane Society of the United States (12 December 2000). "HSUS Investigation Reveals Slaughter of Unborn and Newborn Lambs for Fur: Dateline NBC Features Undercover Investigation Documenting Animal Cruelty". Infurmation (Press release). Archived from the original on 31 May 2006.
  7. ^ "Transcript of NBC "Dateline" Feature on Karakul Production". furcommission.com. 11 December 2000. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008.
  8. ^ "Clothing in Afghanistan". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  9. ^ Nordland, Rob (26 January 2010). "The Afghan Leader's Hat, Always More Than Just Headgear, Is Losing Its Cachet". New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  10. ^ KO (24 March 2022). "The Royal Headgear: Qarakul - Kashmir Observer". Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  11. ^ Yasin, Aamir (8 December 2019). "The last Jinnah cap maker in Rawalpindi". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  12. ^ "Jinnah Cap – a dying legacy". The Express Tribune. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Jinnah Cap – a dying legacy". The Express Tribune. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  14. ^ "Why we stopped selling Karakul Caps". KashmirBox.com. 6 April 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  15. ^ M. Ashraf (1 January 2013). "The Karakul Cap". GreaterKashmir.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
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