Naanthusiasm: Exploring our Love of Naan, Its Origins, and Connections to Indian Society’s ongoing transformation

Rohan Narendra

Picture this: You’re on your way home from a long day and you’re starving. Okay, not starving of course, but hungry nonetheless. The thought of opening the fridge and cooking your own meal is, in your current state, wholly unappealing. Your mind immediately travels to takeout. What better cuisine than Indian to satisfy your craving for a hot and spicy meal to enjoy in front of your TV at home? For many urban Americans, Indian food is a celebrated takeout staple. This notion may be divisive; some Americans can’t handle, don’t like, or rarely crave Indian food. For our purposes here, however, bear with this generalization for as long as you can stomach it. When thinking about Indian food, what is one of the first foods which comes to mind? Yes, I’m thinking it too: naan. Whether you favor plain, garlic, or other variants, naan is an almost universal favorite for American lovers of Desi - an umbrella term for persons or items of Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi origin - cuisine.

Now, to get back on track, what are the origins of this takeout staple? One of the earliest records of naan in Western sources can be found in British diplomat William Tooke’s 1803 travelogue. In his work, he refers to naan as a pancake due to its shape. Now, here’s what may surprise you: Tooke’s travels did not take him to South Asia. Instead, he found naan in Persia (modern-day Iran, which I’ll refer to by its historical designation). In deepening your confusion, I’ll also mention that the Persian language’s word for bread translates to none other than naan, while in India the more widespread corollary to bread is “roti”, not naan. Yet, naan dominates our popular perception of Indian food. This dominance highlights a question of serious interest to me, and one which I believe should interest anyone of Desi origin or who’s fascinated by these cultures. How did Persian culture influence South Asian culture, and in what specific areas does it do so?

In naan’s case, cuisine and language are two key areas that demonstrate Persia’s impact on South Asia. In the words of William Dalrymple, a historian focused on Muslim South Asia, “generations of Persians had been welcomed to the various Muslim courts of India, where they were honoured as bearers of high culture and inheritors of a sublime literary tradition.” Naan exemplifies a food which was brought as a component of this high culture borne by Persians as they settled in South Asia. Naan was first described in the 14th century by celebrated Indian poet Amir Khusrau, following which there were continued references to it in South Asia. Notably, 16th century chroniclers in the Mughal imperial court, centered in northern India, made note of naan and its variants. Not only did Persian food significantly influence South Asian cuisine—as shown by naan’s origin in the cultural milieu of Persian-influenced South Asia—Hindi also heavily borrowed from Persian. Little known to many outside India—and perhaps within as well—is Persian’s widespread usage in the subcontinent until the 19th century, when British influence in South Asian politics replaced that of those Muslim courts who could no longer patronize waves of Persian immigrants. For example, the aforementioned records found of naan were written in which language? Persian. Cuisine and language are just two aspects of South Asian culture which have been extensively informed by their neighbor to the west.

As we wrap up our exploration of the worlds which naan inhabits, these questions offer us a glimpse into the bigger picture. The degree to which the Middle East and Central Asia have influenced South Asia is highly relevant to achieving a better understanding of the region’s modern social and political issues. Since 2014, India’s ruling party has attempted to remove perceived Muslim influence in Indian culture and society, marketing Islam and its adherents in India as historical invaders who shattered Hindu society. There are a variety of issues with this stance, first amongst which is that it’s based in the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s fallacious interpretation of Indian history, purposefully designed to galvanize the usually “silent” Hindu majority into supporting measures against the Muslim minority.

A prominent example of these efforts is a 2018 policy in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (where Amir Khusrau originated more than 700 years ago) which changed the ancient city of Allahabad’s legal name to Prayagraj. Ostensibly, this effort was brought about “to restore the city's ancient identity as a major Hindu pilgrimage centre,” but it more likely occurred due to the fact that “BJP leaders were peeved by the fact that the city's 435-year-old name was given by a Muslim ruler” (Biswas). The Muslim ruler in question, the Mughal Emperor Akbar, is renowned even today for his tolerance towards the Hindu majority and sense of justice. Akbar, his court, and his dynasty were also heavily influenced by Persia, and the replacement of Allahabad marks a BJP victory in its campaign against Muslim influence in India’s identity. Persian influence in India is heavily intertwined with Muslim, Turkic, and other influences after centuries of cultural exposure, thereby ensuring that any attempts to degrade Muslim heritage take aim at a cultural legacy that has contributed so much to the country. Attempting to expunge this rich history makes the BJP’s efforts especially harmful to a culture that has thrived because of its syncretic identity.

Without Persian, and therefore Muslim, influence, naan would not have made its way to India, and it wouldn’t have dominated our popular perceptions of Indian food oceans away and centuries later in the United States. So many highly valued components of Indian culture including concepts, practices, and ideas would not exist without this influence, and the BJP’s revanchist attempts to paper over this history of tolerance and cultural diffusion are nothing short of negligent. This article is the first in a series of articles that will explore Persian influence in the region and India’s ongoing culture war, spearheaded by the BJP and its affiliates.

Photo taken July 2019 by Rohan Narendra; naan courtesy of the Trader Joe’s frozen section

Works Cited

Biswas, Soutik. “Is India Waging a 'War' on Islamic Names?” BBC News, BBC, 13 Nov. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-46191239.

Eaton, Richard. India in the Persianate Age: 1000 - 1765. Penguin Books, 2019.

“History of the Naan.” DESIblitz, 20 June 2017, www.desiblitz.com/content/history-of-the-naan.

Tooke, William. Russia: or, A Compleat Historical Account of All the Nations Which Compose That Empire. Printed for J. Nichols, T. Cadell ..., H. Payne ... and N. Conant, 1780.

W., Dalrymple. White Mughals. Penguin Books, 2002.