A Shoqa (Khowar: شوقہ), also known as a Choga, Chogha (Urdu: چوغہ; Hindi: चोग़ा), is a long, loose-fitting, open-fronted robe or coat with long sleeves, worn by men over other clothing. It has been worn as an outer garment in Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent and neighbouring regions. Two main traditions can be distinguished:
In the courts of Mughal India and the Indian princely states, the choga was a ceremonial garment of silk or wool, richly decorated with metal-thread embroidery or woven patterns.
In the mountains of northern Pakistan, especially Chitral, the shoqa is a warm woollen robe made from the local handwoven cloth shu.
Etymology
According to the Impart Encyclopedia of Art, the name derives from the Turkish çuha, meaning 'cloth'. Shoqa is the name used in Khowar, the language of Chitral. Related words are used for different garments elsewhere, including the Chokha of the Caucasus and the Chogha of the Bakhtiari people of Iran, which is a sleeveless striped tunic.
Description
The choga is a long jacket or robe with loose sleeves and an open front. In India it was worn over a jama or angarkha, usually together with a stole or shawl. It was cut loose enough to fit over these garments. Chogas were made of silk or wool depending on the season. Common decorations include:
floral motifs on the sleeves in zari metal-thread work;
hunting scenes, and the bel (vine) and buti (small flower) motifs.
Some examples are made of gold brocade with a pattern of tea roses and smaller flowers.
History in the Indian subcontinent
The choga is believed to have originated in Central Asia. It became popular in India in the 17th century, when it was worn at the Mughal court, as Mughal miniature paintings show. Scholars disagree on its date of arrival: some date its introduction to the reign of Babur in the 16th century, while others believe a similar outer garment had existed earlier in Rajasthan and Gujarat, where the harsh climate required protective clothing.
The early Mughal rulers established and supported royal weaving workshops across the country. Their patronage raised techniques such as intricate tapestry weaving to new heights, and some chogas were woven in this technique. During the Mughal period, chogas were made to order for members of the court by artisans in Banaras and Dacca. By the mid-18th century, the long choga gave way to shorter half-sleeved or sleeveless versions, known as farzi. From the 19th century onwards, chogas are thought to have been embroidered in stem stitch.
The choga was a garment for special occasions and ceremonies. It is no longer in everyday use, but it strongly influenced the design of the modern sherwani.
Surviving examples
Several chogas are held in museum collections:
Kashmir tapestry-woven choga (Metropolitan Museum of Art): made in Kashmir about 1803–1856 of wool and metal-wrapped thread. It is woven in the double-interlocking twill tapestry weave (kani) that was a speciality of Kashmir. The pattern shows multicoloured ambi (mango-shaped) motifs within a meandering vine. The coat later belonged to Said bin Sultan, Sultan of Zanzibar and ruler of Muscat and Oman.
Kimkhab choga (Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad): a 19th-century choga of red velvet bordered with kimkhab brocade in yellowish floral designs, with a green zari border around the hem and neck.
In Chitral, the shoqa developed from a robe of coarsely woven, usually dark wool into a refined cloak. It is still worn in winter and remains a symbol of respect and nobility. A finer variety is the embroidered white woollen chugha. The shoqa is traditionally worn by the Kho people and the Shina people, and similar robes are worn in Gilgit-Baltistan.[citation needed]
Shu cloth
The Chitrali shoqa is made from shu (called patti in Urdu), a windproof, pure woollen cloth that is both handwoven and felted. The knowledge and skills of making shu are a renowned heritage of the people of Chitral. They turn the cloth into warm clothing for themselves and trade it across borders. The craft is considered endangered because of climate change, an ageing village population and declining interest among younger people. Since 2022 a project hosted by National Museums Scotland has been documenting it in the Garam Chashma valley.
Example and trade
The Horniman Museum in London holds a Chitrali choga acquired in 1947. Its body is of shu woven and felted in the villages around Garam Chashma. The lapels are embroidered with floral and tulip-head motifs, and the cuffs are decorated in the same way. Rosettes outlined in silver thread appear on the breast and back.
Handmade Chitrali chughas were traded through the Chitrali Bazaar in Peshawar, established in the late 1940s. They were in demand throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and among foreign visitors. This trade declined sharply after 2001 as the regional security situation worsened.
Wider distribution
According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the choga has been worn as an outer garment in Central Asia, Russia, North Africa and the Indian subcontinent. In India it is especially associated with Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.[citation needed]
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