TURBAN The turban is essentially a headgear that uses

fabric of varying width and length, which is twisted and

turned around the head. The wrapped folds derived produce
a “fitted effect” akin to a stitched or an engineered
head covering. Though length, style, color, and fabric may
vary as geographical locations change, the basic concept
and construction of the turban remains unaltered. This is
probably the widest and most flexible definition of this
garment considering the many forms in which it exists.
Little is conclusively known of the origins of the turban.
The earliest evidence of a turban-like garment is
from Mesopotamia in a royal sculpture dating from 2350
B.C.E. Thus, it is known that the turban was in use before
the advent of Islam and Christianity, therefore the
origin of the turban cannot be ascribed to religious reasons
alone. It is also mentioned in the Old Testament
and Vedic literature from India. Sculpture from Central
India (100 B.C.E.) provides detailed visual evidence of the
use of turbans. These headdresses were originally worn
by royalty and spiritual leaders and used to commute
power, often being adorned with jewels and accessories
to display wealth and grandeur.
In some form or another, the turban has been important
in many cultures and religions. It is still in use
in rural areas in Persia, the Middle East, Turkey, parts
of Africa, and the Indian subcontinent where wrapped,
as opposed to stitched headgear, continues to be preferred.
Historically, draped clothing has always had a
special significance in eastern culture. Watson notes that
“certain strict Hindus still do not wear cut or stitched
cloth as for them a garment composed of several pieces
sewn together is an abomination and defilement” (p.11).
Though turbans are worn primarily by men, literary evidence
reveals that they were used by women on rare occasions
in the past. “In Vedic literature Indrani, wife of
Indra, wears a headdress known as usnisa” (Ghuyre, p.
68). Some of the earliest terms for the turban in English
are turbant, tolibanl, and turband. These represent the
TURBAN
E N C Y C L O P E D I A O F C L O T H I N G A N D F A S H I O N 343
French adaptation of the Turkish tulbend, a vulgarism
for the term dulbend from Persia, didband, a scarf or sash
wound around the neck.
In India this headdress is known by many different
names locally. Potia, usnisa, pag, pagri, safa, and veshtani
are some of the names used for the turban. The Sikhs, a
community that dictates its followers to wear the turban,
call it dastaar, while the Muslim religious leaders refer to
it as the kalansuwa. In the earliest times, cotton was the
fabric most commonly used as turban material. This is because
it was affordable and abundant, apart from being
the most comfortable fabric to use in tropical or temperate
climates where it was most worn. Fabrics such as silk
and satin saw limited usage among the more affluent and
powerful class. Though there are innumerable variations
in the turban, they can easily be divided into two broad
types—long turbans and square turban pieces. The long
piece is seven to ten meters long with the width varying
from twenty-five to one hundred centimeters. The square
pieces could vary in size between one to three meters per
side, with one to one-and-a-half meters constituting the
most useful size. There are an amazingly wide variety of
turbans across different cultures and religions. Distinctions
are made on the basis of size, shape, material, color,
ornamentation, and method of wrapping. In the Muslim
world, religious elders often wear a turban wrapped
around a cap known in Arabic as a kalansuwa. The shape
of these caps can be spherical or conical and this produces
variations in the turban shape. In Iran, leaders wear black
or white turbans wrapped in the flat, circular style. In the
Indian state of Rajasthan the style of turban may vary even
within the distance of a few miles. The Rajput turbans are
remarkably different from the kind worn in any other region
in India. There are specialists called pagribands whose
skill is in the art of tying the turban and were employed
by the erstwhile royalty for their services. Some famous
styles from Rajasthan are the Jaipur pagri and the Gaj
Shahi turban, the fabric of which is dyed in five distinctive
colors and was developed by Maharaja Gaj Singh II
from the Jodhpur royal family.
The turban as a headdress is not merely a fashion
statement or cultural paraphernalia; it has symbolic meaning
beyond the obvious. It serves to identify the wearer
as a member of a particular group, tribe, or community,
and serves as an introduction to their cultural, religious,
political, and social orientations. Sikh men commonly
wear a peaked turban, that serves partly as a covering for
their hair, which is never cut out of respect for God’s creation.
The turban has significant associations with the
concepts of respect and honor. A man’s turban is supposed
to signify his honor and the honor of his people. The exchange
of turbans is considered a sign of everlasting
friendship, while presenting someone with a turban is considered
a great token of esteem. An exchange of turbans
also signifies a long relationship and forges relationships
between families. Thus, the turban is an intrinsic part of
all ceremonies from birth until death.
Conversely, it is considered a grave insult to step over
or pick up another man’s turban. It is linked intrinsically
to the “ego” of a person. To remove a turban and lay it
at another’s feet symbolizes submission and an expression
of humbleness. The turban at a glance conveys the
social and economic status of the wearer, the season, festival,
community, and the region. It is also distinctive by
the style of wrapping—each fold telling its own story.
The tightness of the drape of the headgear, the lengths
of the hanging end, the types of bands which are created
on the surface, all say something about its wearer.
The colors of turbans vary in different cultures and
are imbued with complex connotations, emotional context,
and rich association. They are used to convey mood,
religious values, customs, and ceremonial occasions. In
India, ocher is the color of the saint, saffron denotes
chivalry, and prosperity. White turbans, considered by
some Muslims to be the holiest color, are used for mourning
and by older men, whereas dark blue is reserved for
a condolence visit. Among Sikhs of north India, blue and
white cotton turbans are essentially religious in nature.
In the Middle East, green turbans, thought to be the color
of paradise, are worn by men who claim descent from the
prophet Muhammad. Shape and size of the turban are
determined by many conditions. Chief among these are
the climate, status, and occupation of a person. Turbans
are big and loose without hanging tails in the hot desert
and thus serve a protective function. Merchants involved
in more sedentary activities would wear ornamental turbans
with long hanging tails.
The turban was introduced into fashionable European
dress in the early fifteenth century and its usage
continued until the sixteenth century. It has been revived
many times in women’s fashion at intervals since the sixteenth
century. The turban has acquired a more contemporary
form in the twenty-first century. Though it
continues to exist in various parts of the world in its more
traditional form, of late various fashion designers and
couturiers have adapted the turban to give it a more fashionable
and chic look, making it a popular fashion accessory.
Even though in its more contemporary form the
turban may not retain the same symbolism that is attached
to its more traditional form, it nevertheless reinforces
the importance of this garment.
See also Headdress.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Steel,V. (2005), Encyclopedia of clothing and fashion, New York, Thomson Gale