Analysis of Typological Evolution of Chini-khanas of the Sethi Havelis, Mohalla Sethian, Peshawar

Abstract

The Sethi havelis are located in the walled city of Peshawar, constructed between 1823 and the 1920s by the businessmen of the Sethi family. Their context is the city of Peshawar, which was an international trading post connecting Central Asia – Bukhara and Samarkand, Afghanistan and Iran – to India. This influx aided the mixture of culture and traditions, and bought together architectural and decorative traditions from Persia, Central Asia, and Mughal India. The layers of cultural influences on the city are best reflected in the architecture and interiors of the Sethi havelis, which combined the various influences of the prevalent culture – its arts, crafts, and traditions – and expressed them through its elements of design and form.

This paper analyses the evolution of the typology of the chini-khana in the Sethi havelis, based on the hypothesis that forms have the ability to adapt to socio-cultural changes and needs in societies. The designs of these chini-khanas are reflective of the social, economic, political, and spiritual/symbolic needs of the particular culture of the time. They were constructed over a period spanning 90 years and display a rich variety of materials and techniques. The study undertakes a spatial analysis of chini-khanas in three Sethi havelis, essentially exploring the evolutionary paradigms of the decorative element of chini-khana within the concepts of culture and cultural change.

Keywords:

• Sethi
• haveli
• Peshawar
• chini-khana
• decorative
• elements
• Mughals

Notes

1. S. A. Hussain, The Frontier Town of Peshawar: A Brief History (Peshawar: The InterLit Foundation, 1993); Gazetteer of the Peshawar District, 1897-1898 (Lahore: Sang-i-Meel Publications, 2004), p. 220.

2. S. F. Dale, Indian Merchants and Eurasian Trade, 1600–1750 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002).

3. E. Koch, ‘Mughal Art and Imperial Ideology’, in Shah Jahan and Orpheus: The Pietre Dure Decoration and the Programme of the Throne in the Hall of Public Audiences of the Red Fort of Delhi, ed. by E. Koch (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2001).

4. G. Michell, The Majesty of Mughal Decoration: The Art and Architecture of Islamic India (London: Thames & Hudson, 2007).

5. A. Okada and J.-L. Nou, A Jewel of Mughal India: The Mausoleum of I'timad ud-Daulah, trans. by E. Levieux (Milan: 5 Continents, 2003).

6. Koch, p. 81.

7. E. Baer, Islamic Ornamentation (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1998).

8. The diffusion of the chini-khana from royal into domestic architecture took place subsequently. Chini-khanas became prevalent in the houses of the wealthy in Peshawar in the nineteenth century. Many stylistic variations governed the use of materials and techniques; plain and painted gachbori, naqqashi, and aina-kari were all used in various combinations for ornamentation.

9. R. Qizilbash, Decorative Woodwork in Muhalla Sethian (master's thesis, University of Peshawar, 1991).

10. Concave mirror in-lay work in gypsum plaster.

11. A mixture of gypsum plaster and egg white (see Qizilbash) and a lattice or trellis.

12. Bought by Ahmad Gul Sethi on a trip to Moscow as a gift for his wife (Saleem Sethi, personal communication, December 2010).

13. Gardener china and Bukhara glass were rare commodities after the Russian revolution and the subsequent Russian takeover of the Central Asian states of Bukhara and Samarkand. The revolution also saw the decline of the Sethis’ business empire in Central Asia and the sliding of their fortunes in Peshawar (N. Sethi, personal communication, 15 November 2008).

14. See Baer, Islamic Ornamentation.