Encyclopedia of Islam

puberty rites

  See 

children

; 

circumcision

.

purdah

A Persian and Urdu word meaning curtain, pur-

dah most commonly refers to practices of sexual 

segregation by Muslims and Hindus in the Indian 

subcontinent (i

ndia

, p

akistan

, b

angladesh

). This 

separation of the sexes may be organized spatially, 

delegating separate areas for men and 

Women

in 

hoUses

 or in public spaces. A barrier such as 

a screen or curtain may divide joint spaces, or 

different rooms in a building (or separate build-

ings altogether) may be assigned to each sex. The 

practice of purdah may also make use of women’s 

garments, such as head scarves or the 

bUrqa

.

Muslim practices of purdah are intended as a 

safeguard against illicit sexual contact between 

members of the opposite sex. Muslims in India 

likely assimilated the practice from Hindu cus-

toms that preceded the emergence of Islam in the 

area, although those bear significant historical 

differences from Muslim adaptations.

Muslim practices of purdah most likely devel-

oped as a way of enforcing the sexually modest