Suhail Yusuf - Mirāsītude: Interfaith and Inclusive Ways of Resistance in North India and Beyond

How does democracy work in a culture where discrimination and essentialism attempt to define and assert authority? When India achieved independence in 1947, Hindustani music was foregrounded as an ideal cultural artifact. However, Mirāsīs were excluded from this rosy view as they were accompanists to Tawaifs (courtesans) and bards in both spiritual and folk music practices. The Mirāsī, are now regarded as a low caste of Muslim musicians, dancers, genealogists, and other kinds of tradition-bearers. They were central to forming a pluralistic set of cultural practices in North India but have been marginalized socially and economically by Indic caste hierarchical ideologies and British colonial policy. Highlighting Mirāsī musical methodologies actively dismantle the communal barriers that perpetuate caste and social hierarchies. It offers a contextual framework around a newly coined term “Mirāsītude,” to celebrate Mirāsī identity as a source of empowerment, repositioning Mirāsīs as custodians of Hindustani music. Drawing on Mirāsī case studies, “Mirāsītude” serves not only as a poetological expression but also as a concept intricately woven into the cultural fabric of music cultures. The history of Mirāsī music-making in Sufi, Hindu, Sikh, and Christian music practices might pave the way for interfaith musical exchanges. The integration of interfaith and intra-faith musicality—deeply embedded in the music practices of Mirāsīs—provides a valuable model to help foster inclusive music communities in an era that is seemingly divided by sectarian strife.