<p>In the sweltering heat of Indian summers, men and women of the British Empire sought refuge under the gentle swing of a large cloth fan. A colonial anglicisation of the Hindustani term pankha (derived from the Sanskrit paksha, meaning ‘wing’), ‘punkah’ in the late 18th century referred to hand-operated fans. In the early 19th century, it was synonymous with a large, rope-pulled, cloth wrapped around a rectangular cane or a wooden frame, hung from the ceilings in offices, courtrooms, barracks, churches, and hospitals. By the mid-1800s, this device had travelled to other colonised parts of Southeast Asia and the American South. Its constant movement relied on a rope-pulley system manually manoeuvred by the punkah-wallahs, from the common Hindi suffix, wallah, denoting their occupational association.</p><p>Punkah-wallahs fared low in the hierarchy of servants in British India; many belonged to lower castes who were sweepers or palanquin-bearers employed in the service of upper-caste households. Initially hired to operate the punkah during the hotter months between March and October, they later became permanent additions to the staff.</p>.<p>Once it made its way into homes, the punkah was initially used in rooms that were occupied frequently or for long hours. By the early 19th century, it was installed in nearly all rooms of elite homes, including the bathroom, and was also used at night. Punkah-wallahs worked in shifts to keep their employers cool, pulling the fan from an adjacent room, sometimes with their feet as they lay on their backs. They were deliberately made to work in uncomfortable conditions — the ends of their hair often tied to a string lest they recline and fall asleep. Employers often subjected punkah-pullers to brutal punishment for dozing off, which at times is known to have led to death.</p>.<p>Beneath the ruthless cruelty of colonial officers lay a debilitating, persistent fear. With the punkah-wallahs huddled at the corners, British servicemen were uneasy about them listening in on confidential discussions. In the American South, enslaved punkah-wallahs stumbled upon secrets while overhearing conversations about slave auctions, active abolitionists, and resistance movements. Determined to prevent this in British India, officials began to employ people with limited hearing ability. Caste segregation was maintained by having the rope of the pulley pass through a hole in the wall, keeping the punkah-wallah outside the room, or even outside the house. Treated as mere machines, punkah-wallahs were deprived of food, allowances, and basic human necessities as they ceaselessly worked in the oppressive heat, generating cool air for their European and Indian masters indoors.</p>.<p>The growing discontentment among punkah-wallahs, including a strike in 1898, likely put pressure on the colonial government to seek alternatives. In the early 20th century, the electric ceiling fan was developed, and the punkah became obsolete. Historic punkahs can still be found across India, usually in colonial buildings, such as the barracks at Agra and the All Souls’ Church in Cawnpore, now the Kanpur Memorial Church, both in Uttar Pradesh, as well as in the Church of St Francis at Fort Kochi in Kerala.</p>.<p><em>Discover Indian Art is a monthly column that delves into fascinating stories on art from across the subcontinent, curated by the editors of the MAP Academy. Find them on Instagram as @map_academy</em></p>
<p>In the sweltering heat of Indian summers, men and women of the British Empire sought refuge under the gentle swing of a large cloth fan. A colonial anglicisation of the Hindustani term pankha (derived from the Sanskrit paksha, meaning ‘wing’), ‘punkah’ in the late 18th century referred to hand-operated fans. In the early 19th century, it was synonymous with a large, rope-pulled, cloth wrapped around a rectangular cane or a wooden frame, hung from the ceilings in offices, courtrooms, barracks, churches, and hospitals. By the mid-1800s, this device had travelled to other colonised parts of Southeast Asia and the American South. Its constant movement relied on a rope-pulley system manually manoeuvred by the punkah-wallahs, from the common Hindi suffix, wallah, denoting their occupational association.</p><p>Punkah-wallahs fared low in the hierarchy of servants in British India; many belonged to lower castes who were sweepers or palanquin-bearers employed in the service of upper-caste households. Initially hired to operate the punkah during the hotter months between March and October, they later became permanent additions to the staff.</p>.<p>Once it made its way into homes, the punkah was initially used in rooms that were occupied frequently or for long hours. By the early 19th century, it was installed in nearly all rooms of elite homes, including the bathroom, and was also used at night. Punkah-wallahs worked in shifts to keep their employers cool, pulling the fan from an adjacent room, sometimes with their feet as they lay on their backs. They were deliberately made to work in uncomfortable conditions — the ends of their hair often tied to a string lest they recline and fall asleep. Employers often subjected punkah-pullers to brutal punishment for dozing off, which at times is known to have led to death.</p>.<p>Beneath the ruthless cruelty of colonial officers lay a debilitating, persistent fear. With the punkah-wallahs huddled at the corners, British servicemen were uneasy about them listening in on confidential discussions. In the American South, enslaved punkah-wallahs stumbled upon secrets while overhearing conversations about slave auctions, active abolitionists, and resistance movements. Determined to prevent this in British India, officials began to employ people with limited hearing ability. Caste segregation was maintained by having the rope of the pulley pass through a hole in the wall, keeping the punkah-wallah outside the room, or even outside the house. Treated as mere machines, punkah-wallahs were deprived of food, allowances, and basic human necessities as they ceaselessly worked in the oppressive heat, generating cool air for their European and Indian masters indoors.</p>.<p>The growing discontentment among punkah-wallahs, including a strike in 1898, likely put pressure on the colonial government to seek alternatives. In the early 20th century, the electric ceiling fan was developed, and the punkah became obsolete. Historic punkahs can still be found across India, usually in colonial buildings, such as the barracks at Agra and the All Souls’ Church in Cawnpore, now the Kanpur Memorial Church, both in Uttar Pradesh, as well as in the Church of St Francis at Fort Kochi in Kerala.</p>.<p><em>Discover Indian Art is a monthly column that delves into fascinating stories on art from across the subcontinent, curated by the editors of the MAP Academy. Find them on Instagram as @map_academy</em></p>