Izzat ( hi, इज़्ज़त; ur, ; bn, ইজ্জত) is the concept of
honour
Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...
prevalent in the culture of
North India
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Centr ...
,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million pe ...
and
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
.
It applies universally across religions (
Hindu,
Muslim and
Sikh), communities and genders.
Maintaining the reputation of oneself and one's family is part of the concept of ''izzat'', as is the obligatory taking of revenge when one's izzat has been violated.
The concept of ''izzat'' has been viewed as curtailing the freedom of women, yet characterised on a general level as a concept that cuts across social hierarchy and enforces "''equality in giving, but also equality in vengeance''."
The idea of
reciprocity
Reciprocity may refer to:
Law and trade
* Reciprocity (Canadian politics), free trade with the United States of America
** Reciprocal trade agreement, entered into in order to reduce (or eliminate) tariffs, quotas and other trade restrictions on ...
, in both friendship and enmity, is deeply embedded in ''izzat''. It is required that a person come to the assistance of those who have helped that person earlier.
To not do so is to dishonour one's debt and lose ''izzat''.
Dushmani and Badla
Violations or perceived violations of ''izzat'' are key to the development of both personal and family enmities (''dushmani'', दुश्मनी/, দুশমনি) as the wronged party seeks revenge (''badla'', बदला/, বদলা), which could result in cycles of counter-revenge, sometimes spanning generations.
The concept of reciprocity applies to ''badla'' as well. The nature and intensity of the revenge, "''and what is taken - life, resources, or position - is governed by izzat (honour), which is the principle of reciprocity or equivalence in all things.''"
Because social relations in the region emphasize social debts and "''unrestricted reciprocity''" among kin, enmity can spread to individuals who were not involved in the original infractions of ''izzat'' and "''rarely remains localized.''"
In politics
''Izzat'' has played a significant role in the political dynamics of India and continues to do so to the current day. Various state rulers in the pre-1947
princely state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, subject to ...
s of British-ruled India resisted British involvement in their kingdoms, despite nominally acknowledging British sovereignty, because such "''intervention constituted an attack on their izzat.''"
In post-independence India, the "politics of ''izzat''" has been cited as a key reason for the rise of elected politicians from hitherto-backward communities, who have done little to economically benefit their communities but have created greater ''izzat'' for them by creating powerful political blocs.
Politicians in power often frame populist policies in terms of ''izzat'', such as with the 2009 ''Izzat Scheme'' launched by Indian Railways Minister,
Mamata Banerjee, which provides a subsidy for poorer citizens to travel by train.
In military culture
The armed forces of India incorporate the concept of ''izzat'' as a powerful motivator. Several units of the military use the term in their mottos, such as the Indian
Regiment of Artillery's "''Sarvatra Izzat O Iqbal''" (''Everywhere with Honor and Glory'').
See also
*
Honour killing
*
Namus
*
Pashtunwali
References
{{reflist, 2
Indian culture
Pakistani culture
Bengali culture
Bangladeshi culture
Warrior code
Codes of conduct
Honor