Pehlwani, Indian Martial Art

  

Pehlwani or Kushti is a popular style of Indian wrestling that was developed during the Mughal period. Pehlwani is a fusion and combination of Varzesh-e Bastani of Persian origin and malla-yuddha of Indian origin.

Origin of Pehlwani
Pehlwani is an evolved and enhanced variation of the ancient Indian wrestling form known as Malla Yuddha, which was practiced during the 5th century BC. It can be described as the oldest and the traditional forms of Wrestling in India. Malla Yuddha is even described in the Malla Purana, a treatise formed in the 13th century. During the Mughal invasion in Indian in the 16th century, Malla Yuddha underwent a complete transformation as the Central Asian Mughals promoted Persian customs and culture. Malla Yuddha was hugely influenced by Mongolian and Persian (Varzesh-e Bastani) form of wrestling and thus Pehlwani was created. The various instructors and practitioners gradually developed it.

History of Pehlwani in India
There were several great and renowned wrestlers in India, like Ghulam Muhammad, popularly known as Gama Pehlwan, and Jatindra Charan Guha, famous as Gobar Goho, who brought the country international recognition in wrestling. In the IV Asian Games or Jakarta Games, India reached the summit of glory as all the 7 Pehlwans received medals, including 12 medals in freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling. Again at the Commonwealth Games, conducted at Kingston, Jamaica, all of the 8 Indian wrestlers received medals for their outstanding performances. By 1960s, the country was ranked amongst the top 8 wrestling nations in the world. Due to their glorious history in wrestling, India hosted the World Wrestling Championships in New Delhi in 1967.

Development of Pehlwani in India
The practitioners of Pehlwani nowadays incorporate various Asian martial art styles in their training routine like including the grappling aspects of Jujutsu and Judo. The conditioning and sparring techniques of Pehlwani have been introduced into various aspects of Shoot Wrestling and Catch Wrestling, including the derivative systems. These also incorporate numerous throws, takedowns and submissions of Pehlwani.

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