Pehlwani (
Urdu ???????,
Hindi ???????), or
kushti (
Urdu ????,
Hindi ??????) is a form of
wrestling that is predominantly played by people in
India and
Pakistan. It is a synthesis of the indigenous
malla-yuddha, which dates back at least to the 5th century BC,
[1][2]A practitioner of this sport is referred to as a pehlwan or pahalwan.teachers are known as ustaad, whilst Hindu teachers are called guru.[2] The undefeated champions of India hold the title Rustam-i-Hind meaning "the Rostam of India", denoting Rostam the hero of the Persian Shahnameh.
Through the ages, western training methods and nonclamenture from Iran and Europe were introduced into pehlwani. Wrestling competitions, known as dangals, held at village levels, have their own rules which vary from place to place. Usually a win is awarded by decision from the panel of judges, knockout, stoppage or submission.
The ancient South Asian form of wrestling is called malla-yuddha[2]. Practiced at least since the 5th century BC [3] and described in the 13th century treatise Malla Purana, it was the precursor of modern pehlwani.[1]
