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Pahalwan ( Urdu پہلوان the word is originally derived from Persian ) also pronounced as Pehelwan, Pahelwan or Pehalwan means Wrestler in English. In hyderabad India, the word Pahalwan is generally called and related with two types of People.
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Initially in Hyderabad, the Pahalwan were mostly Arab's (locally known as Chaush), Thus the name Pahalwan was given to those Chaush Wrestlers, and this brought them into the public eyes (Thus most of the people in Hyderabad understand, that all the pahalwan are chaush). In early days, they were respected by residents and were encouraged to settle public issues.
History
History of Chaush Pahalwan can be traced to the Nizam's era. It was in 1818 AD during Mir Akbar Ali Khan Sikander Jah, Asaf Jah III some of the Hadramut Arabs migrated to Hyderabad from Bhoslas of Nagpur and their discharge from Poona ( now Pune). Relations with Arabs became more stronger when the Nizam, Mahbub Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VI, gave asylum to the Sultan of Mukalla, Yemen. At that time foot soldiers were also brought in large numbers and settled in Hyderabad outskirts in barracks, the area which later came to be known as Barkas, They became part of the Nizam's irregular army and the Nizam also used them as Royal Guard.
Their decline started soon after India gained independence and the Nizam's reign was brought to end. In 1948, many descendants of families from Yemen were asked to leave by the Indian government, even as others stayed back arguing they were now Indian citizens. They said they were Hyderabadis and they spoke a distinct Hyderabadi lingo. Many of them were wrestlers and also promoted wrestling in Hyderabad. They had their own Akhada and Ustad.
Growth
Initially in Hyderabad, the Pahalwan were mostly Arab's (locally known as Chaush), Thus the title Pahalwan were given to those Chaush wrestlers, and this brought them into the public (Thus most of the people in Hyderabad understand all the pahalwan are chaush). In early days, they were respected by residents and were encouraged to settle public issues.
Pahalwan's used to get there earnings from small eateries or dairy farms or a small fruit business, they are now property owners and dealers. When local residents started going to Middle East ( Gulf countries ) for jobs in the 70's and some of those relatives are married to Middle East Arabs they would come back on vacations and buy plots. They were many empty sites in the Hyderabad specially Old City Hyderabad and at that time neither the revenue department nor the Wakf board used to have any control on the lands in those period.
Pahalwan are mostly Chaush but not all, started getting money from their children who had left for Gulf Countries (GCC). By late 70s and early 80s they started getting into the business of land dealings. They started settling land disputes and seeking a good margin out of these deals. Areas such as Talab Katta, Shaheen Nagar, Babanagar, up to Pahadi Shareef among others witnessed many land transactions. As land transactions here grew, and the money pouring into these deals multiplied, so did pahelwans.
But now Pahalwan, are known to be too big to be touched by the local police (the police, it is said, take no interest in the pahelwan cases) and too important to be patronised by many political parties. The growth of pahelwans is linked to the rising realty prices in Hyderabad over the last couple of decades. Specially with the boom in Real Estate and due to the development of Hyderabad International Airport in Shamshabad the neighbouring of Barkas.
Politicians in Hyderabad owe their growth, both financially and politically, to the Pahalwan. Political leaders have played a crucial role in making pahalwan bigger, stronger and their spirited political backing is always there.