history of indian costume

8/11/2019 History of Indian Costume

1/212

Page1

History of Indian Costumes


2/212

Page2

INDEX

Unit I .................................................................. 4

Lesson 1: Ancient India Civilizations ..................... 5

Unit - II ............................................................... 27

Lesson 2: Mauryan and Sunga Periods (321-72B.C) ..................................................................... 28

Unit -III .............................................................. 58

Lesson 3: Satavahana (Andhra) Period (200 B.C-A.D 250) .............................................................. 59

Unit-IV ................................................................ 99

Lesson 4: Kushan Period ................................... 100

Unit - V .............................................................. 130

Lesson 5: Gupta Period (Early Fourth to Mid-EightCentury Ad) ....................................................... 131

Lesson 6: Medieval Period, Mughal Period ......... 182

Books for Further Reference ............................. 212


3/212

Page3


4/212

Page4

Unit I

Lesson 1: Ancient India Civilizations


5/212

Page5

Lesson 1:Ancient India

Civilizations

Structure

1.1 Indus Valley Civilization Daily Life 3000-1500

BC

1.2 Aryan Civilization Daily Life, the Vedic andEpic Periods (1500 500 BC)

1.1 Indus Valley Civilization Daily Life3000-1500 BC

We know very little about this civilization, but whatwe know is fascinating! Over 4,000 years ago, in the

Indus Valley, people built huge, planned cities, withstraight streets, and brick homes with private baths!Kids played with toys and women wore lipstick!

How do we know this? In 1922, archaeologistsfound something exciting! They found the remainsof an ancient city called Harappa. They foundanother city, located 400 miles southwest of

Harappa, called Mohenjo-Daro. Other ancient citiesfrom the same period, arranged in the same way,have been found since. Collectively, this civilization

is referred to as the Indus Valley Civilization(sometimes, the Harappan civilization). This

civilization existed from about 3000-2,500 BC toabout 1500 BC, which means it existed at about the

same time as the Egyptian and Sumeriancivilizations. What was life like, over 4,000 yearsago, in Harappa and in Mohenjo-Daro, two busy

cities of about?


6/212

Page6

35,000 people each? Would you have wanted tolive in one of these flourishing ancient cities? (I

think they sound neat!) Let's see what you think!

Homes:Houses were one or two stories high made

of baked brick, with flat roofs, and were just aboutidentical. Each was built around a courtyard, withwindows overlooking the courtyard. The outside

walls had no windows. Each home had its ownprivate drinking well and its own private bathroom.

Clay pipes led from the bathrooms to sewers locatedunder the streets. These sewers drained into nearly

rivers and streams. This was a very advancedcivilization!


7/212

Page7

Mohenjo-Daro, the great bath harappan

culture 2300-1750 BC

Clothing: Men and women dressed in colorful

robes. Women wore jewelry of gold and preciousstone, and even wore lipstick! Among the treasuresfound was a statue of a woman wearing a bracelet.(Bracelets with similar designs are worn today inIndia.)

Entertainment: A beautiful small bronze statue ofa dancer was found, which tells us that they

enjoyed dance and had great skill working withmetals. In the ancient city of Mohenjo-Daro,scientists have found the remains of a large centralpool, with steps leading down at both ends. Thiscould have been a public swimming pool, orperhaps have been used for religious ceremonies.Around this large central pool were smaller rooms,

that might have dressing rooms, and smaller poolsthat might have been private baths.


8/212

Page8

Food: Dinner might have been warm tasty wheatbread served with barley or rice. It would appear

they were very good farmers. They grew barley,peas, melons, wheat, and dates. Farms raisedcotton and kept herds of sheep, pigs, zebus (a kindof cow), and water buffalo. Fish were caught in theriver with fishhooks! Each town had a large centralstorage building for grain. Crops were grown, andthe harvest stored centrally, for all in the town to

enjoy.

Cooking bowls


9/212

Page9

Toys: Some of the toys found were small carts,whistles shaped like birds, and toy monkeys which

could slide down a string!

Art: This ancient civilization must have hadmarvelous craftsmen, skilled in pottery, weaving,and metalworking. The pottery that has been foundis of very high quality, with unusually beautifuldesigns. Several small figures of animals, such as

monkeys, have been found. These small figures

Toys


10/212

Page10

could be objects of art or toys. There are also smallstatues of what they think are female gods. So far,

scientists have found no large statues. They havefound bowls made of bronze and silver, and manybeads and ornaments. The metals used to makethese things are not found in the Indus Valley. So,either the people who lived in this ancientcivilization had to import all of these items fromsome other place, or more probably, had to import

the metals they used to make these beautiful thingsfrom somewhere else.


11/212

Page11

Impression and seal from Mohenjo-Daroshowing a seated yogi figure surrounded byanimals, harappan culture,c.2300-1750 BC.

National museum of Pakistan, karachi


12/212

Page12

Sculptures: One of the great civilizations of the

ancient world, the Indus valley civilization flourished5,000 years ago in the valley of the river Indus.Twice as extensive as its contemporary civilizations-

-the Old Kingdom of Egypt and the Sumerian city-states of Ur and Lagash--it was a culture of greatsophistication and power. Its people built hundreds

of planned cities, the first in the world, and had

trade links with Mesopotamia and Oman. For sevenhundred years the civilization flourished; then forunknown reasons it disintegrated and wasforgotten.in the 19th century by archaeologists, this

great civilization has remained virtually unknown toAmerican audiences.

This spring, the Asia Society brings together morethan a hundred ancient artifacts from Pakistan inGreat Cities, Small Treasures: The Ancient World of


13/212


14/212

Page14

(Priest-king) Seated male sculpture, or Priest-

King, Mohenjo-darolow-fired white steatite, National Museum,

Karachi, Courtesy of the Department ofArchaeology and Museums, Ministry of Culture,

Government of Pakistan

Carnelian and copper alloy necklace or belt,Mohenjo-daro

Carnelian and copper alloy, Mohenjo-daro

Museum, Courtesy of the Department ofArchaeology and Museums, Ministry of Culture,

Government of Pakistan Discovery


15/212

Page15

The minuscule and finely carved seals and tinypolished gemstones with perfectly-centered drill-

holes are among the small treasures on show. Theseartifacts reveal something about the exquisite abilityof the Indus craftsmen. Jewelry made in by Induscraftsmen has even been found in the royal burialsat Ur. Other objects offer tantalizing if partialglimpses into the daily life and religion and beliefs ofthe Indus people. There are seals depicting

mysterious rites; shell vessels that may have beenfor ritual libation, and the famous "Priest-King"sculpture which may depict a person of sacred and

secular authority.

Humped bull seal, Mohenjo-daro

unfired tan steatite, Islamabad Museum,Courtesy of the Department of Archaeologyand Museums, Ministry of Culture, Government

of Pakistan

The conditions that led to the rise and decline of the

Indus valley civilization remain obscure, in partbecause linguists and archaeologists have been

unable to decipher its writing system. The ancient


16/212

Page16

writings of Egypt and Mesopotamia have beendeciphered; they provide scholars with unique

perspectives on the history of these peoples. Incontrast, the language of the Indus valleycivilization remains a mystery. What we do know islearned chiefly through the interpretation of the itsancient artifacts. These small treasures provide uswith tantalizing glimpses into the life and culture ofthe peoples of the ancient cities of the Indus Valley.

Ornaments

This head ornament was made of steatite microbeads, each measuring only one millimeter indiameter. It was found on the head of a male buriedin a cemetery at Harappa and probably served as a

hair decoration.

Micro beads


17/212

Page17

Manufacture of micro beads

The manufacture of these incredibly tiny micro

beads involved drilling each rough-cut piece ofsteatite carefully while holding it on the palm of thehand, stringing them together and polishing theminto the characteristic disc shape on a flat stone.

The beads were then hardened by carefullycontrolled heat. This is but one technologicalprocess that demonstrates the skill and versatility of

the Indus craftspeople.

Different types of beads

The ancient Harappans went to great efforts toobtain exotic colored stones for making beads of

different shapes and sizes.

Figurine

Female figurine with three sets of chokers andnecklaces. This is one of the largest female figurinesfound at Harappa and it has the common fan shaped

headdress with cups on either side of the head.


18/212

Page18

Traces of black pigment or soot have been foundinside the cups, and suggest that they were filled

with oil and used as a sacred lamp. On the other

hand, a sooty black pigment may have been appliedto depict black hair. The forward projecting face ismade separately and attached to the body after allof the ornaments had been applied.

Transportation: The people used camels, oxenand elephants to travel over land. They had cartswith wooden wheels. They had ships, with onemast, probably used to sail around the Arabian Sea.

Seals with a pictographic script, which has not asyet been deciphered, were found at the Indus Valleysites. Similar seals were found in Mesopotamia,

which seems to indicate possible trade betweenthese two civilizations.


19/212

Page19

The Riddle of the Indus: What does it take tobuild a city with straight streets and well-designed

sewers? It takes smart engineers and a lot ofplanning! These well organized cities suggest a wellorganized government and probably a well-developed social life.

What is amazing is that it appears the Harappancities did not develop slowly, which suggests thatwhoever built these cities learned to do so inanother place.As the Indus flooded, cities wererebuilt on top of each other. Archaeologists havediscovered several different cities, one built over theother, each built a little less skillfully. The most

skillful was on bottom. It would appear that buildersgrew less able or less interested in perfection overtime. Still, each city is a marvel, and each greatlyadvanced for its time.

So far, scientists have found no wall carvingsor tomb paintings to tell us about their life.We

do know they had a written language, but only afew sentences, on pottery and amulets, have beenfound. We dont know what it says. Scholars have

quite a few mysteries to solve about the ancientIndus civilization. For one thing, the people wholived in these marvelous cities disappeared around1500 BC. Perhaps they ran out of wood to hold back

flooding, or perhaps their soil gave out and nolonger would grow crops. No one knows whathappened these people, or where they went.

Historians are very curious. It will be interesting tosee what archaeologists "dig up" next!

UPDATE ON THE INDUS VALLEY! (Spring,

1998) Thanks to modern technology andinternational rivalry, nearly 1,400 Indus sites


20/212

Page20

(towns!) have now been discovered. That is a verybig civilization, large enough to be called an empire,

only there is no evidence that these peoplewere governed by emperorswho lived in palacesor large estates. Rather, the opposite has beendiscovered. Some homes are a bit larger thanothers, but that might be due to a larger family unit.

What else have scientists discovered about thisfascinating culture? LOTS! Their towns were laid outin grids everywhere (straight streets, well builthomes!) These people were incredible builders!Scientists have found what they think are giant

reservoirs for fresh water. They have also found thateven the smallest house at the edge of each town

was linked to that town's central drainage system.(Is it possible that they not only drained wastewater out, but also had a system to pump fresh

water into their homes, similar to modern plumbing?What a neat thought! Who were these people?Remember-these systems were built over 3,500years ago!)

Although scientists cannot yet read the language,they are beginning to believe these people had a

common language! That's incredible! As well,scientists have found artifacts at different sites(Towns) with the same or similar picture of a

unicorn on them. India Today suggestedhumorously that perhaps it was a logo - like Pepsi

and Coke, only this one was Unicorn!

What next? Scientists remain very curious aboutthese people, who lived about the same time in

History as the ancient Mesopotamians and theancient Egyptians. Did these ancient civilizations


21/212

Page21

Know each other in ancient times? My personalopinion is - yes! As scientists continue to unravel

The riddle of the Indus, we may find we will have torewrite history! Was it the ancient Mesopotamianswho first invented the sailboat and the wheel, orwas it perhaps the people in the Indus Valley?Where did these people come from, and where didthey go? It's a fascinating riddle.

1.2 Aryan Civilization Daily Life, the Vedic& Epics Periods (1500-500 BC)The Red Dot on Foreheads: Have you everwondered why Indian women place a red dot ontheir foreheads, between their eyes? We did, so weasked a few people what the red dot meant. Here

are two replies!

"This goes back to Aryan days! In ancient times, agroom used to apply a spot of his blood on hisbride's forehead, in recognition of wedlock! Today,married Indian women may choose to wear this

mark. A married woman does not have to do this,but she can if she wants. However, if a woman is

single, divorced or a widow, she cannot wear thismark. It's a sign of marriage!"

"At one time, the tilak or bindi as it is called, was a

sign of a happily married woman. Today, it is muchmore a fashion accessory--it can be any colour, anyshape or size, and women often wear more thanone." (Gerald L Harrison; Adult educator: AsianStudies Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Canada)

Things do change over time. Things certainlychanged in the Indus Valley when a new group


22/212


23/212

Page23

Period. It is named after these two great epics, theRamayana and the Mahabharata.

How did the Aryans live?

The Aryans clans, or tribes, settled in differentregions of north-western India. The tribes werecalled Gana (literally a "collection" - of people). The

chief of each tribe was an hereditary job. If yourfather was the chief, someday, you would be chief.It was the only way to become a chief. The chief

made decisions, after listening to a committee, orperhaps even to the entire tribe. People had a voice,

but the chief was the boss.

Aryan Houses: The people in the Vedic periodlived in straw and wooden huts. Some homes weremade of wood, but not until later, during the Epics

Period.

Yagna (central fire-place)

The life of the tribal Aryans was focused around the

central fireplace called the Yagna. Dinner time wassocial time. The tribe would gather around the

central fireplace, and share news, and the days


24/212

Page24

openings. Those who tended the central fireplacealso cooked for the rest of the tribe. This was a very

special job. The fire tenders were the go-betweenbetween the fire god and the people. These firetenders, later on, formed the caste of priests. TheAryans ate meat, vegetables, fruit, bread, milk, andfish. The word for guest was Go-Ghna or eater ofbeef. What did they do when they were notworking or fighting each other? The Aryans

loved to gamble. They introduced the horse toancient India and raced chariots. They playedfighting games. They loved to tell stories. The

ancient Aryans were proud and fierce, and deeplyreligious. They had many gods and goddesses.

Jobs

As theAryans settled in and began to grow crops,people started to have occupations. In eachtribe, people began to belong to one of four groups:the Brahmana (priests), Kshatriya (warriors),Vaishya (traders and agriculturists), and Shudra(workers). In the beginning, these were just

occupations. You could move from group to group.

This changed over time, until a person's occupationor group depended upon birth. If your father was afarmer, you had to be farmer. Change from onegroup to another became very difficult.

Education

Kids were taught by a guru (a teacher).Even chiefssons had to obey the guru. All students followed arigorous course of studies which were impartedorally. Writing was done on bark and leaves, andhence was perishable, so we have very few rock

edicts to tell us what they studied or what theywrote.


25/212

Page25

Clothing

Clothingwas initially made of animal skins. As the

Aryans settled down, clothing began to be made ofcotton.


26/212

Page26

Intext Questions:

1. Make a project on Ancient Indian civilization.

2.

Vividly illustrate the main feature exhibited bythem.


27/212

Page27

Unit - II

Lesson 2: Mauryan and Sunga Period


28/212

Page28

Lesson 2:Mauryan and

Sunga Periods (321-72B.C)

Structure

2.1 History and Social Life

2.2 Costume Men and Women

2.3 Headgear and Hairstyles

2.4 Jewellery

2.5 Military Costume

2.6 Religious Persons

2.7 Textiles and Dyes

2.8 Style

2.9 Illustration of Men and Women Costumes

Chandragupta Maurya lived in considerable state. Inthe processions held on festive occasions, elephantsdecked in gold and silver, four horsed chariots andyokes of oxen took part...


29/212

Page29


30/212

Page30


This age witnessed the emergence of Indias firstgreat empire. When Alexander entered the Punjab

just before the establishment of the MauryanEmpire, it was with the view to develop its immense

commercial resources. Trade with Babylon had longbeen established. As such, there were man culturalcrosscurrents between China, Persia, and India.

Alexander founded trading posts all along hiscourse, and left behind Greek colonists who finally

intermarried with the Indians. Chandragupta Mauryahimself married a princess from the Greek SeleucidCourt.

Chandragupta Maurya lived in considerable state. In

the processions held on festive occasions, elephantsdecked in gold and silver, four horsed chariots andyokes of oxen took part. In the towns peopledressed in flowered muslin embroidered with jewels.The palaces are said to have been truly luxurious,with great-pillared rooms of state, like those in Iran,

the golden pillars decorated with embossed vine

leaves and silver birds. These palaces were set inlovely parks full of shady trees, many of which hadbeen imported to give variety, and boating as asport was popular on artificial lakes full of fish.

This was an age of plenty, even for the poor, as thefields were fertile, the basic crops being rice, barley,wheat, millet, and sugarcane. Metals including gold

and silver were mined. The state gave the peoplesecurity and protection, maintained roads, andprovided reservoirs and wells. All this helped tocreate a sense of well being in the populace. A cattlebreeding was as important during the Vedic Age as

it is now, and in addition to milk products providedskin, leather, horn, hair and wool, which were usedin various crafts


31/212


32/212

Page32


33/212


34/212

Page34

2.2 Costume

Men and women continued to wear three unstitchedgarments, as in Vedic times. The main garment was

the antariya of white cotton, linen or floweredmuslin, sometimes embroidered in gold andprecious stones. For men it was an unstitched

length of cloth draped around the hips and betweenthe legs in the kachcha style, extending from thewaist to the calf or ankles or worn even shorter bypeasants and commoners. The antariyawas secured

at the waist by a sash or kayabandh, often tied in alooped knot at the center front of the waist. Thekayabandhcould be simple sash, vethaka; one withdrum-headed knot at the ends, muraja; a very

elaborate band of embroidery, flat and ribbon-shaped,pattika; or a many-stringed one, kalabuka.The third item of clothing called uttariya was

another length of material, usually fine cotton, very


35/212

Page35

rarely silk, whichwas utilized as a long scarf todrape the top half of the body.

The uttariya was worn in several ways to suit the

comforts of the wearer: very elegantly by those atcourt, who drape it on both shoulders or one

shoulder, or diagonally across the chest and casuallyknotted at the waist, or it could even be worn

loosely across the back and supported by the elbowsor wrist, and in many other ways according to thewhims of the weather. But for the labourer and the

craftsman, it was more a practical garment to betied around the head as protection from sun, ortightly around the waist leaving the hands free forwork, or again as a towel to mop the face whensweating. Its uses were endless for the poorsections of the society and for them it would bemade of coarse cotton.

Women tied their antariya in different ways.Originally opaque, it later became more and more


36/212

Page36

transparent. A simple small antariya or strip ofcloth, langotiwas attached to the kayabandhat the

center front, and then passed between the legs andtucked in at the back. A longer version of theantariya was the knee-length one, being firstwrapped around and secured at the waist, thelonger end then pleated and tucked in at the front,and the shorter end finally drawn between the legs,Kachcha style, and tucked in at the waist at the

back. Another version, the lehnga style, was alength of cloth wrapped around the hips tightly toform a tabular type of skirt. This was notdrawn

between the legs in the kachchastyle.

The uttariyasof upper-class women were generallyof thin material decorated with elaborated bordersand quite often worn as a head covering. Their

kayabandhswere very similar to those of the men.In addition, they sometimes wore a patka, adecorative piece of cloth attached to the kayabandhin front by tucking in one end at the waist. The

patka was made from plaited wool or cotton, twisted

yarn or leather, and at times it was also woven.

Although, footwear is often mentioned in Vedicliterature there is no sculptural evidence for thisperiod, except in the case of soldiers who wear thePersian boot. It may be because shoes could not betaken inside a stupa or Buddhist temple, that theywere not depicted on the sculptures on stupas.

In the more remote villages and jungles, shepherds,

hunters and people of similar occupations weremostly aboriginal or belonged to the lowest caste.They generally wore simple unbleached coarsevarieties of the cotton antariya and turbans, muchthe same as we find today, and the practice of

tattooing was fairly common. The more primitivetribes who lived in the forest wore garments made

from grass (Kusa), skin, and fur.


37/212

Page37

2.3 Headgear and Hairstyles

Women generally covered their heads with theuttariya, worn straight or crosswise, oftenresplendent with be beautiful borders. The hair,centrally parted, was made into one or two plaits or

in a large knot at the back. The uttariya could be

worn simply hanging down at the back or secured tothe head with a headband, or with one end arranged


38/212


39/212

Page39

corals, rubies, sapphires, agates, and crystals.Pearls too were used and beads of all kinds were

plentiful including those made of glass. Certainornaments were common to both sexes, likeearrings, necklaces, armlets, bracelets andembroidered belts. Earring or karnikawere of threetypes-a simple ring or circle called Kundala, acircular disc earring known as dehri and earringswith a flower-like shape known as Karnaphul.

Necklaces of two kinds were worn. A short onecalled Kantha which was broad and flat, usuallygold, inlaid with precious stones, and a long one,

the lambanam. These chain or bead necklaces weresometimes three-to-seven stringed and were named

after the number of strings of which they werecomposed. At the centre of each string of beads was

an amulet for warding off evil forces. Baju bandorarmlets of gold and silver beads were worn on theupper arm, and were occasionally studded with

precious stones. Bracelets called Kangan, very oftenmade of square or round beads of gold, and richlyembroidered cloth belts completed the maleensemble. Women, in addition, wore girdle called

mekhala, a hip belt of multi-stringed beads,originally made from the red seed kaksha but nowmade of gold and silver beads, with shapes rangingfrom round to square and oval. Dancing girls addedon to these, chains of gold and silver to which bellswere attached. All women wore anklets and thumb

and finger rings. The rings were plain and crowded

together on the middle joints of the fingers. Ankletswere often of gold in this period, though silver wasmore common. They could be in the form of asimple ring, Kara, a thick chain, sankla, oran

ornamental circle with small bells called ghungru.

There is no evidence of nose-rings in the period.Forehead ornaments for women were quite commonand worn below the parting of the hair and at thecenter of the fore-head. These consisted of thin


40/212

Page40

plate of gold or silver stamped in various patterns,as well as a star-shaped sitaraand bina. And a tiny

ornament called bindi. The only material evidencewe have of a piece of Mauryan jewellery is a singleearring found at Taxila dated second century BCwhich similar to Graeco-Roman and EtruscanJewellery.

2.5 Military CostumeSewn garments, which had been used by thePersian soldiers, were sometimes utilized formilitary dress by the Mauryans. This consisted of asleeved tunic with cross straps across the chest to

carry the quiver, and a leather belt with sword. Thelower garment was more often the Indian antariya

rather than the Persian trousers. The headgear wasusually the turban or headband, whereas thePersians had worn the pointed cap. The mixture of

foreign and indigenous garments is interesting as itshows one of the early phases of evolution in thecostumes of Indians. This came about in the colder

north, where the Persian garments were more

suitable, climatically and functionally, in case ofsoldiers. Although, coats of mail are mentioned inthe Arthshastra there is no visual evidence of it inthis period.


Of the three religions- Hinduism, Buddhism andJainism, it was Hinduism which evolved from earlyVedic sources with sacrifice as its main ritual andhad as its keepers of religion the Brahmin priests,who belonged to what later came to be the highest

category in the caste system as practiced in India.


41/212

Page41

Later in life, a Brahmin man or woman became asadhuor sanyasin, seeking detachment.

The Brahmanical Sadhu (Sanyasin) was an asceticwho lived either in a hermitage or visited holy

places. He wore a shaped kilt-like garment made ofstrips sewn together, which was tied at the waistwith a cord. A short rectangular cloak covered the

left shoulder and breast, leaving the right sideexposed. The hair and beard were allowed to grow,

the former being plaited and arranged in a spiral atthe top of the head. He sometimes wore aheaddress in the shape of a cap. Women asceticstoo wore this cloak and what appeared to be a cap.These garments, often made from leaves or thecomplete bark of tree, were tied with a cord. Such abark garment is still worn by the Kumbipatta sect in

Orissa. Skins of antelope and goat called ajinawereused by anchorites and wild ascetics, muni, as acovering for the chest. Men ascetics did not cut theirnails, hair and beard and carried there fewpossessions on a yoke balanced on the shoulders.

Buddhism, founded by Gautam Buddha, b.fifth

century BC, had no caste division. It had a religiousorder of monks, bhikshu, and nuns, bhikshuni, whoset up monasteries where they studied theirreligion, later leaving to preach and collect alms.

Buddhist monks normally shaved their heads and

beards but kept the head covered with a headdress.If unshaven, the hair was worn in a knot on top ofthe head. Lay brothers wore theirs on the right side

of the head. Their dress was the common antariyawith an uttariya and a larger chadder, all dyedsaffron. Buddhist monks, bhikshu, had fewpossessions and their clothes were made of rags

patched together and dyed red or yellow. Theseconsisted of a lower garment antaravasaka, an


42/212


43/212

Page43

its natural color but when bleached called patrona,were used. Kaseyyaka (High quality cotton or silk)

and the bright red woolen blankets of Gandharawere worth a small fortune each. A rainproof woolencloth was available in Nepal. Resist dyeing and handprinting in a pattern on cloth has been mentioned byGreek visitors to the court of Chandragupta Maurya,as is the Indian glazed cotton cloth, which was incommon use by 400 BC. Material similar to the

khinkhwab (which is the interweaving of silk andgold or silver wires beautiful floral pattern) was ingreat demand and even exported to Babylon long

before the Mauryas. Cotton, wool and a fabric calledkarpasa were available in the north in both coarse

and fine varieties. There were also fine muslinsoften embroidered in purple and gold and

transparent like later-day material, which came tobe called shabnam (morning dew). The coarsevarieties were used by the populace. Woolen cloth,

avika, from the sheeps wool was either pure white(bleached) or dyed pure red, rose, or black.Blankets or kambala were either made bycompleting the edges with borders or braids, or

woven wool strips were joined together. The processof felting (pressing the fibers together, instead ofweaving) was also making known. All varieties ofwool were available, coarse for making head-dresses, trappings and blankets for richer class.

Washermen were also dyers, rajaka, and theyperfumed garments after washing them. Four

primary color were recognized in the dyeing oftextiles: red (dyed with safflower and madder),white (through bleaching), yellow (natural color ofyarn and saffron), and blue (indigo leaves). Fabrics

were also woven in patterns and printed for use ascarpets, bedcovers, blankets, and clothes.


44/212

Page44

2.8 Style

Forceful sculptures carved during the Mauryan-

Sunga period in the first century BC in the north atBharut and Sanchi give us a feeling of superhumanpower. The drapery hangs heavy folds and the

jewellery is massive and somewhat coarse. Turbans

coil and twist with the hair to form protuberances,with serpentine armlets and anklets closing in onstrong limbs. The head veils of the woven are

voluminous; long-beaded aprons and crossedscarves at he chest suggest fruitful abundance, and

necklaces and strings with amulet boxes suspendedon the breasts indicate a fear of evil and dark forcesaround. With the coming of the Sunga dynasty thereis greater emphasis on detail in the elaborate

jewellery of the women, which is more elegant and

finer and adorns the figures seen in soft relaxedpostures.


45/212

Page45

Yakshi


46/212

Page46

2.9 Illustration of men and women

costumes:

Donor Figure [Bharut]

Antariya : Lower cloth, calf length, of fine cottonwith fluted ends in front, worn in kachcha style, thatis between the legs.

Uttariya : Upper cloth of printed cotton worncrosswise on the head.

Kayabandh : Embroidered flat cloth band, pattikastyle, worn in a looped knot with Fringed ends.

Mekhala : Six-stringed hip belt of gold or silverbeads.

Lambanam :long necklace made of chains held atintervals by flat bands, phalakahara style.


47/212

Page47

Kantha :Short necklace of five strings of beads ingold or silver.

Karnika: Trumpet-shaped earrings.

Kangan : Ten bracelets adorning each hand.

Baju Band : Decorative armlets worn on upperarms.

Kara :Anklets of twisted wire worn on both ankles.

Sitara :Star shaped forehead ornament of gold orsilver with a stamped pattern.

YAKSHI [Baranmara]

Antariya : langoti style small strips of cloth drawnbetween the legs and attached to a cord at the

waist.

Uttariya : There are two: one has an embroidered


48/212

Page48

border and is worn crosswise over the head with ajhalar (networking fringe) at the forehead; the other

is draped across the back and over both arms.

Kayabandh : Flat cloth band, pattika style, worn ina looped knot.

Mekhala : Four stringed beads hip belt.

Patka : A strip of woven beads tucked in at thefront of the waist reaching the ankles

Atkan : bead necklace worn aslanr over the leftshoulder and under the right arm.

Kangan : five bead bracelets on each wrist

Baju Band : three row of beads on the upper arms

Karnika : trumpet shaped earring

Lambanam : long necklace of beads

Kantha : Short necklace of beads

Sankla :anklets made of thick chains


49/212

Page49

Kuvera Yaksha [Bharut]

Antariya:Kachcha style, both equal ends being taken

between the legs after knotting the front; theseends are then held diagonally, fluted and tuckedinto the waist at the back to hang between the legsup to the ground.

Uttariya :upavita fashion, worn

across the chest and over the left shoulder

Kayalbandh :muraja style, drum-headed knobs at

the ends, tied in a looped knot


50/212

Page50

Baju Band :armlets with elaborate incised pattern

Kangan : several bracelets on each wrist

Karnika :trumpet-shaped earring or karnaphul

Mauli : turban of printed cloth held by decorativebands wound over the top knot of hair and at the

side of the head


Antariya : worn in same style as in the KuveraYaksha except that only one long end is tucked in atthe back, the other is a finely pleated apron tuckedinto the centre front of The antariya.


51/212

Page51

Uttariya : looped at the chest and thrown back

over both shoulders.

Kayabandh :embroidered flat

cloth band, Pattika style.

Lambanam : phalakahara style necklace.

Baju Band : simple leaf-patterned armlet.

Kangan : three bracelets of beads on each wrist

Karnika :trumpet-shaped earrings, Karnaphu

Mauli :turban in which the long hair and cloth aretwisted together, wound around the head and madeinto a top knot in front, the cloth then continues tobe wound around the head and fixed with aseparate band


Uttariya : printed or woven in a lozenge design instripes, with a border; it is worn crosswise on the

head and thrown back hanging to the waist likepouch.


52/212

Page52

Warrior [Bharut]

Antariya :knee-length, worn in kachcha style with

fluted end tucked in at centre front

Tunic : one of the earliest depictions of the cut andsewn garment; it has short sleeves and a round

neck, full front opening with ties at the neck andwaist, and is hip length.

Boots:fitting to the knees

Head band :tied at the back over short hair Abroad flat sword with cross straps on the sheath issuspended from the left shoulder.


53/212

Page53

COURTIER [Bharut]

turban is wound around the long hair tied in a top

knot; to fix the turban in place a decorative bandhas been used; large disc-type earrings and twostrings of beads adorn the neck.

Kantha :short necklace with granulated design

lambanam :in phalakahar a style

Hair ornament :jewelled and worn below centre

parting of the hair


54/212

Page54

COURTIER [Bharut]

long hair is twisted into a top knot at the left around

which the turban is wound so as to completelycover it, an ornament heart shaped brooch is fixedon the right front and a decorative band visible atthe forehead is tied under the turban

Girdle [Bharut]

Mekhala : elaborate seven-stringed saptaki, thetwo outer strands are square, interspersed withrows of beads across and aslant the hips in gold orhard stone, and are early mitations of the strings ofred rati seeds that were originally worn; the pattika,a flat ribbon-shaped embroidered gridle of cloth ofgold is also worn


55/212

Page55

Necklace [Bharut]

Kantha :short neckalce called tilari (three-

stringed); each string consists of graduated peaarlsand a central gem four-stringed : chaulari

five-stringed :paklari

seven-stringed :satlari

Armlets [Patna]

serpentine armlets are of the Achaemenid type anddepict the Iranian influence on Indian jewellery ofthis period; he wears an antariya in the lehngastyle, an uttariya and a thick many-stringed

kayabandh with knotted ends-kalabuka.


56/212

Page56

Earring [Bharut]

Karnika: this style of earring in the form of a

triratna or triple gem of Buddhist triad, was peculiarto the Buddhist; this symbol was used on necklacesand to decorate soldiers, scabbards and the top ofstandards


57/212

Page57

Intext Questions:

1. Make project documentation on Mauryan &

Sunga period.

2. Illustrate their main stylization in design &

clothing.


58/212

Page58

Unit -III

Lesson 3: Satavahana Period


59/212

Page59

Lesson 3:Satavahana(Andhra) Period (200 B.C-

A.D 250)

Structure


3.2 The Royal Way of Life

3.3 Early Satavahana (Detailed Study)

3.4 Late Satavahana (100 B.C A.D 250)

3.5 Illustration of Men and Women Costumes

Main archaeological sites of interest for costumes

Sanchi Gateways

Ajanta Carves IX, X

Amaravati 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th period

Goli

Nagarjunakonda


The Satavahana or Andhra Empire was next greatempire after the Mauryan, and was established inthe Deccan just as the Mauryan, and was coming toan end. It endured for 460 years in unbrokencontinuity and ran parallel, for a while to the Kushanempire with which it struggled for almost a century.

On the whole it was peaceful and economically

prosperous period and trade and industry increased


60/212

Page60

tremendously, especially with Rome. The Romansbrought in a continuous flow of Roman gold which

helped to raise the level of economic life a greatdeal.

Racially, the early people of the Deccan were ahybrid race, a mixture of abdoriginal Dravidians andScythians, Parthians, Greeks, Buddhism and Muryan

culture had built up a civilized structure even beforethe satavahanas established were ousted by the

Ikshvakus, who were themselves from the Deccan.

3.2 The royal way of life

From as early as the Mauryan-sunga period there

were six emblems to denote a royal personage.These were the ushnisha or turban, a pair offlywhisks, umbrella, sword, -sandals, and the royal


61/212

Page61

standard. Of these, the two most important andalmost always used on all format occasions were the

umbrella and the flywhisks. The umbrella was whiteand gold for kings and nobles, and was carried bythe chattradhara or umbrella carrier. The flywhiskswere made of yak tails with gold handles, usuallytwo, which were waved alternatively by the chauribearers. In addition to this another attendant waveda fan of palm leaves gaily chequered and made of

bark, usira grass, or peacock feathers.

A female attendant, the khadgavahni, on hershoulder, carried the sword, a symbol of power. She

normally stood close behind the king. Throngedsandals originally of boar skin were the kingsprerogative. Both sword and sandals were said to

rule the kingdom in the absence of the king.

3.3 Early Satavahana

The people of the Deccan were a hybrid race, amixture of the abdoriginal Dravidians and foreign

invaders. In the first century B.C their costumes toowere an interesting mixture of foreign andindigenous garments. All these clothes are

represented in caves IX and X in Ajanta.

In the first century B.C we find tunics, kancuka inthe stripes design worn by attendants. The kancuka

are of mid-high length with short sleeves, in some

the opening is on the left side and in others it is atthe front. The tunic worn by a king in hunting dresshas no discernible opening at the neck, so it isprobably at the back. Necklines too differed in that

some were V-shaped and others were round inshape. With the tunic a thick kayabandh was woundonce around the waist. An elaborate turban ushnisa,intertwined with the long black hair of the aboriginewearers was also worn. In addition to these, hunters


62/212

Page62

wore two-bar type sandals with a strap for buckling,which is still seen in the Deccan. As influences from

the north and from foreign invaders percolated, theDravidian aboriginal village women too changedtheir costume using short antariyas, large uttariyaswith elaborate broad borders covering the head andback, tikkas on the forehead and a series of conchbangles on the arms. Except for the skirt, theylooked very much like the Lambadis who are a

gypsy tribe of the Deccan today.

In the royal court dress of the Mauryan-Sungapeople the female attendants wore transparent longantariyas with loose kayabandhs tied in a knot atthe center having beautiful ornamental tips. Theirmany stringed girdles were made of beads.Shoulder length hair held by fillets tied at the center

of the head seems to denote that these attendantswere foreigners, although nothing in the garmentswore seems foreign. The king and most of hiscourtiers wore the indigenous antariya short andinformal ceremonial occasions. With this the

decorative kayabandh was tied in different stylesand knots. The kayabandh could be tied like a thick

cord looped in a semi-circle at the front withconspicuous side tassels, or be made of thicktwisted silk. The ushnisa was always worn and a

crown was used when necessary.

Headgear and Styles

The aboriginal jungle women wore rolls andheadbands with peacock feathers attached. Villagewomen and commoners wore their hair in a simpleknot at the nape covered by a large uttariya, which

at times had elaborate broad borders. Courtattendants and women of the richer classes wore

their hair more fashionably, either in a topknot onthe right side with a loop of flower suspended in a


63/212


64/212

Page64

3.4 Late Satavahana (100 B.C A.D 250)

Costume

Clothing was generally sparse and made of thincotton. The three articles of clothing, the antariya,uttariya, and kayabandh were widely used, butinteresting mixtures of foreign and indigenous

garments were fairly prevalent.

The uttariya for both men and women was usually

white and of cotton or silk. It was however, attimes, of beautiful colours and embroidered. Mencould wear it across the back and over bothshoulders or merely thrown over the chest, and theystill worn by both sexes in the kachcha fashion

which meant that one end was passed between thelegs and tucked in behind, but this way normally to

the knees or even shorter. Generally, the antariyaappears to have been made of almost transparentcloth and was worn very tight and clinging in the

case of women. It is almost invisible in the earlyAndhra sculptures with only double incised lines toshow the drape. Te nivi bandha knot to tie the

antariya at the waist is often alluded to in the

literature of ancient India.

The kayabandh tied in a bow-shaped knot wasworn by both sexes to give further support to theantariya at the waist. This item was worn in avariety of ways. The kayabandh in the form of asimple sash was called the vethaka. The women

also wore the patika which was made of flat ribbon-shaped pieces of cloth, usually silk. A heavy lookingthick jeweled roll with hanging tassels-Kakshyabandha-was worn by men. the kalabukawas a girdle made of many strips plaited together,

and the mauraja had drum headed knots at theends instead of tassels.

It is in the distinctive ways of wearing these threesimple garments the antariya, uttariya, and


65/212

Page65

kayabandh and in the headgear and jewellery, thatwe can trace the evolution of the costumes and the

fashion of the times in areas of India where theywere in use. The true yajnopavati thread is found onthe sculptures of this period. Before this, it existedmore in the form of the uttariya worn draped overthe left shoulder and under the right arm in theupavita fashion from which the term yajnopavaticonsisted of three cotton threads each of nine

twisted strands, but of hemp for the Kshatariya andof wool for the vaishya. At a later stage this sacredthread continued to be used in a limited way by

other castes but was retained most strongly by theBrahimns.

Attendants, grooms, guards, and so on in the kgscourt and attendants in the womens apartments in

the palace, frequently used a stitched shirt likeforeign garment called the kancuka. Women toowore the short kancuka with an indigenous antariyaor when calf-length it was worn with kayabandh anduttariya, and in many other ways.

Headgear and Hairstyle

The ushnisa of the men was generally wrappedaround three times after first covering the top knotof hair with one end. It was normally white butcould also be of dyed cloth, and smple turbans wereheld in position by ornamental gold strips. Gold

turbans were worn on special occasions. Kirita werealso in use, of which one type was a short cylindricalcap studded with gems and ornamented withdesigns. The maulibandha was an elaborate turbanwound with itself was decorated with strings of

pearls wreaths. The turban normally covered thehair which was arranged in a large topknot at center

front, and could have jewelled clasp at the center tohold in place the folds of the turban. This topknot


66/212

Page66

could also be pear-shaped to give it variety. Withoutthe turban., the hair could be worn in one or two

topknots, one loop and one topknot. Short hairparted in the middle and reaching the neck wasfairly prevalent, especially among the commonpeople.

Women wore their hair in several ways. One was in

the form of a plait, praveni, at the back, decoratedwith jeweled strips and tassels, as Bharat Natyam

dancers do today. Another common style was thecoil with five delicate plaits dangling from it, afavorites with all classes of women. In the kesapasastyle the hair was looped closed to the head in anelongated knot at the back of the head down at thenape. This could have a veni, a small fillet offlowers, around it or a short garland of flower

dangling from it. If the hair was made in a simpleknot it was known as kabaribandha. The dhammiliawas elaborate dressing of the hair with flowers,pearls and jewels that often completely covered thehair like a close cap or turban. This style was greatly

admired in the satavahana kingdom.

Women no longer wore the turban of earlier periods.Special ornaments wore designed to be worn in thehair. The chudamani was lotus-shaped, its petalscomposed of pearls and precious stones. It wasworn normally in the center of the knotted hair. Themakarika was shaped like fish-crocodile and worn atthe front parting of the hair, very like the gold

ornament worn by the uriya women in the northernCircars. These were also small crownlike filletsthrough which the hair was drawn and then plaitedor hung loose.


67/212


68/212

Page68

replaced by mango-shaped pieces of gold or goldset with gems like the contemporary mangamalai of

south India. Men and women wore bracelets valayaof solid gold set with precious stones. The moredelicate ones were made of filgree and elegantrope-shaped ones of fine gold wire worn generallyby women. They also used bangles of ivory andrhinoceros horn. Slab like gems when set intobracelets like the phalakahara necklace were called

phalakavalaya.

Armlets for both sexes were close fitting and couldbe engraved or set with jewels, or be in the shapeof a snake, also they could be straight-edged orhave an angular top edge, jeweled girdles of one ormany strings, mekhala, were worn only by women.These were made in several varieties from the

tinkling kanci with bells to the rasana style made ofa linked chain with pearls, beads or precious stones.These girdles, besides being very attractive held upthe lower garment or antariya. In addition clothgirdles like those of the men described earlier in this

chapter, were also used for the same purpose.

Anklets worn again only by women had anastonishing variety. The manjira was hollow andlight, coiling several times around the ankles looselyand tinkling when in motion as it had gems insertedin the hollow. This type is still worn in Marwar. Thenupura was plain while te kinkini had small bellssuspended. A heavier looking one was the tulakoti

whose two ends were enlarged at their meetingpoint. This fom is stil worn in Andhra. Tinklinganklets of any kind were not worn by the wife in theabsence of her husband. The finger ring is visible onsome of the satavahana sculptures but not only

after A.D 150.

The hemavaikasha was an ornament worn by

women, seen more frequently in the Kushan period.


69/212

Page69

It consisted of two long wreaths of flowers crossedat the breasts.

Military Costume

Andhra soldiers wore an antariya, which wasshortened by lifting at the hemline and tucking itinto the waist to facilitate marching, and style is stilused in Tamil Nadu. A cloth sash was wound tightly

many times around the waist for support and wassometimes crossed at the chest for protection. Thisdeveloped in later times into the channavira, whichwas similar in function to the early Babylonian andAssyrian sword at the chest with a metal buckle in

the center. In addition, the military personal of thisperiod occasionally were earrings and simple

jewellery.

Saka foreign soldier were employed by some of theAndhra kings in the royal bodyguard. They wore a

heavy tunic with ruched sleeves, which reached tothe knees. With it was worn a form of churidartrousers, and their helmet had earflaps. A wide sash

was worn at the waist. Sometimes a short quiltedtunic was worn with a heavy drape over the left

shoulder along with a turban- a mixture of theforeign and indigenous garment. Footwear was notincumbent than indigenous troops.

The equipment of a trained fighter was mainly hissword, shield, bow, axe and spear; sometime

themace, club and javelin were used. Swords wereeither curved and could have a sharp edge on oneor both sides. They were 30 inches long and

beautifully crafted. Handles of ivory and hilts ofprecious metal encrusted with jewels were carriedby those in command, and the common soldier usedsimpler onesw of bamboo or wood. These swords intheir sheaths, kosha, of fin-tooled leather werenormally fastened on the left side of the waist. Gold


70/212

Page70

chains fastened Similar and gold chains fastenedmore ornamental swords and daggers.

Shields mainly rectangular in shape were purelyfunctional and large enough to protect the body.

The club could be short but was immensely heavyand was used for striking the enemy forcefully. Thebow made of wood or horn was painted red and

gaily bowstring was made of iron, bone, wood, andwere carved into animal and other shapes, and had

shafts of feather affixed in poison.

Religious Persons

The Buddhist monks were now in a very powerfulposition and more or less abjured their vow of

poverty. Their clothes now retained a semblance ofpatchwork but were composed of rich pieces of cloth

of the same colour, symmetrically arranged togetherin checks and most probably presented to the

Buddhist order by rich donors as referred to in thejatakas.

Hindu ascetics continued to wear their bark strip

garment valkala with a deer skin over the leftshoulder in the style known as ajinayajnopavita.Their hair was tied in a heavy bundled topknot ofmatted locks called the jata-bhara and sometimesthe hair was worn in small plaits. The priest was

Brahmins who were white garments but added a redturban when officiating at ceremonial functions.

Jain monks and nuns have retained their whiterobes to this day, and all their belief and customshave remained unchanged because of their strong

conservatism.

Textiles and Dyes

From Mauryan times and even earlier, themanufacturer of textiles in India had flourished and


71/212

Page71

there are constant references to its variety in thebrahmanical, Buddhist and Jain works. Coarse and

fine varieties of cotton were in part of the richpersons wardrobe. A very cheap material made ofhemp was worn by the weavers and by laborers ofall kinds. Wool was not needed much in the part ofIndia ruled by the Satavahanas, which had a warmclimate, but it is used in the form of chaddars inwinter.

StyleThe late Satavahana style expressed more directlythe full impact of the Dravidian-Andhra ethos. Withthe crowded compositions of lean and strong bodiesand the ferocious figures looming over terrifiedcrowds, we feel a sense of frenzied activity and

turbulence. The kayabandhs make complexarabesques, but there is less differentiation betweenthe court and the people as they throng together.

Village Women

(Ajanta cave X)


72/212

Page72

Antariya

Short and worn in kachcka style

UttariyaOf heavy material with elaborate broad bordersworn straight crosswise over the head and thrownback over the shoulders

MekhalaWoman on the right wears a two stringed bead hipgirdle.

LambanamNecklace of the women on the left is in thephalakahara style, the other wears a simple string

of beads.

KarnikaWoman on the right wears disc type earrings calleddehri.

Kanganconch or ivory bangles in graded sizes are worn bythe woman on the right.

KaraThe woman on the right wears single, heavy

anklets, the other wears three on each ankle, with agranulated design.

Baju BandSingle flat band with raised edges bands.

HairstyleLarge bun at the nape.


73/212

Page73

BindiEither painted on the forehead.

Court Attendant

(Ajanta cave X)

AntariyaOf sheer cotton

KayabandhNarrow pattika tied in a bow at the front of the waist

KanthaPhalakahara style necklace


74/212

Page74

KarnikaSimple disc type earrings called dehri

KanganBoth granulated and plain seen on the left arm.

HairstyleCenter parting, hair hanging loose to the shouldersand decorated with ornamental chains.

Sitara

Large disc at the forehead, either painted.

Naga King(Ajanta cave IX)

Kantha

Broad and flat short necklace with four pendant

pieces


75/212

Page75

Karnika

Large cylindrical earrings with a decorative design

Kangan

Heavy and cylindrical bracelets

Baju Band

Thick cylindrical armlets with pendant pieces.

Head Dress

Turban is twisted around the head and held with adecorative band; hair is long ; as worn byaboriginals and is arranged in a top knot and five

crest with ribbons like serpents hoods

King As Hunter

(Ajanta cave X)

Kancuka

mid thigh length tunic with round neck and short

magayar type sleeves.


76/212

Page76

Kayabandh

Wide, worn wrapped around the waist a couple of

times and tucked in

Ushnisa

Turban cloth wound with hair and twisted into atopknot; the rest of the cloth is then wound around

the head.

Karnika

Ring like earrings, kundala type

Prince

(Amaravati, Ist period)


77/212

Page77

Antariya

Wore in kachcka style to below the knees; the strips

indicate the folds of the drape.

Kayabandh

Kakshyabandha style, a thick roll worn aslant at thehips with beautiful ornamental tips and tied in a

large loop knot.

Belt

With granulated pattern worn higher than theantariya

Attendants

(Ajanta cave X)

attendant on the left wears her hair parted at theleft and hanging loosely to the shoulders, her


78/212


79/212

Page79

hair is brought forward in a conch-shell knot anddecorated; the fillet is probably used to keep it in

place; earrings are disc-type and necklace is of thephalakahara style with chains held at intervals byflat pieces.

Naga prince

(Ajanta cave X)

hair is arranged in a large top knot at the centerwith the turban wound around the head aftertwisting it around the knot, a brooch decorates thecenter of the top knot; earrings are of the doubledisc type; necklace; bracelets and armlets are madeof base metal and are probably hollow.


80/212

Page80

Soldiers

(Ajanta cave X)

Kancuka

mid thigh length tunic with short sleeves

Uttariya

Tied around the neck to free the arms


81/212

Page81

Karnika

Disc-type earrings called dehri

Ushnisha

Turban twistedaround and through double to knotsof hair.

Soldiers

(Ajanta cave X)


82/212

Page82

Kancuka

Both have short-sleeved tunic with round necks

opening is obviously at the back.

Karnika

Kundala or ring type earrings

Hairstyle

Simple top knot at the center of the head very like

that worn by the Hillman of south Manipur andBurma called the Chins.

Woman

(Ajanta cave X)


83/212

Page83

Ghagri

Gathered calf-length skirt probably with a

drawstring at the waist.

Kayabandh

Simple vethaka style, but long and wound severaltimes around the waist.

Uttariya

Wrapped loosely around the hips and draped overthe left arm.

Valaya

Several bangles of ivory horn.

Kundala

Ring type earrings.

Manjira

Hollow light anklets, coiling twice around andprobably making a tinkling sound in movement.

Hairstyle

Drawn back into a simple knot at the nape


84/212

Page84

King(Nagarjunakonda)


85/212

Page85

Antariya

Falling to the ankles, worn in kachcka style with

pleats tucked in at the back and visible in the frontbetween the legs.

Kayabandh

Elaborated rolledand twisted at the waist; falling in

graceful loops at the sides with one rope like loop in

front.

Belt

Ornamental belt

KanthaShort necklace

Keyura

Straight edged armlets with pressed decoration

Kundala

Ring type earrings

Valaya

Simple bangles at the wrists


86/212

Page86

Hairstyle

Loose to the shoulder with a small fringe at the

forehead

Headgear

An ornamental disc attached to a head band ortopknot.

Prince

(Goli)


87/212

Page87

Antariya

Worn in the same style as in figure

Kayabandh

Twisted rope like around the waist, then twistedtwice to form a knot at the right hip; the other endsuspended in front ends in two ornamental tips.

Belts

Ornamental belt

Kantha

Three of different sizes worn together to form acollar

Keyura

Flat and decorative

Valaya

Three bracelets on each hand of some heavy metaland incised with patterns

Kundala

Ring type earrings with tassels suspended

Headgear

Ornamental disc worn in front of jatta or knot of hair


88/212

Page88

Prince

(Nagarjunakonda)

Antariya

Worn in kachcka style and spread out after tuckingin at the back, in double fish tail style; the little frillsin the front could be just a puff of the antariyapulled out at the waist over the nada.


89/212

Page89

Kayabandh

Rolled twice at the waist, then looped in the front so

that the two ends are worn loosely spread out as afrill at each side.

Kantha

Collar like necklace

Hairstylein top knot

Chattradhara:Umbrella Bearer

(South India)


90/212

Page90

Antariya

Ends a little above the ankles; kachcka style, with

the pleated ends passed between the legs andtucked in at the back center.

Kancuka

Fork length tunic with long sleeves and round

neckline

Kayabandh

Simple sash vethaka style, tied at the back with

hanging ends

Umbrella

White with gold work on the handle

Hairstyle

Simple, worn hanging loose at the back.


91/212

Page91

Dvarrala: Door-keeper

(Nagarjunakonda)

Kancuka

Knee length tunic of heavy cloth with ruched sleevesand gathered neckline


92/212

Page92

Churidar

Narrow ruched trousers

Kayabandh

Wound several times around the waist

Headgear

Helmet with peaked top called sirastra, sometimeswith ear flaps

Torque

Necklace of twisted wire.

Attendant

(Nagarjunakonda)


93/212


94/212

Page94

Ushinisa

Turban tied casually in a knot with one end going

down and the other up.

Kundala

Suspended disc type earrings.

Female

(Ajanta cave X)

Kirti

A crown like headgear with semicircular motifs in

front and larger lotus petal designs at the back

Kundala

Large ring type earrings


95/212

Page95

Prince

(Nagarjunkonda)

long hair is drawn up into several twisted loops heldby two twisted coils, the shorter hair being allowedto hang loose around the face.


96/212

Page96

Buddha

(Goli)

Antariya

Worn in lehnga style

Uttariya

The upper cloth has a border and is worn in aninteresting drape on the left shoulder and hangs atthe back loosely to fork length.

HairstyleIn topknot


97/212

Page97

Buddha

(Goli)

Antariya

Worn in lehnga style almost up to ankle length

Uttariya

Wide upper cloth draped across the body to fromfolds and resting on the left arm

Hairstyle

In top knot


98/212

Page98

Intext Questions:

1. Make a project on Satavahana period with

illustrations displaying the people main areaof design& stylization.


99/212

Page99

Unit-IV

Lesson 4: Kushan Period


100/212

Page100

Lesson 4:Kushan PeriodStructure

4.1 Introduction of Kushan Empire

4.2 Costume: Men and Women

4.3 Headgear and Hairstyles: Men And Women4.4 Jewellery




4.8 Style

4.9 Illustration Of Men And Women Costumes

4.1 Introduction of Kushan Empire


101/212

Page101

The Kushan established their empire in the firstcentury AD and were contemporaneous with the

Satavahana (Andhra) and west Satraps kingdomduring part of the second century. A unlike thepolitician stability of the Mauryan empire, this periodmarked by continuous changes in the boundaries ofpower and immense cultural and linguisticdifferences.

The on cohesive factor was trade, which has beeninitiated in the Mau period, as a stable governmentensured communication between parts of theempire and encouraged active internal trade.Contact was established with many parts of western

Asia and the Mediterranean by it of envoys. Thisnaturally helped foreign trade, and the influx offoreigners, Kushans, Sakas and Indo-Green evenmore impetus to trade relations with these areas.

There are two completely distinct styles in Kushanart. Gandharva, in the northern part of the empire,

was by craftsmen from eastern Rome who wereemployed by patrons of Buddhism. These craftsmen

brought with the Graeco-Roman style, particularly inthe drapery of the sculpture, so that the buddhistsrepresented them were dressed in the classicalGreek and Roman garments, the chiton, rimation,stola, tunica, chlamys, etc.

The second style in Kushan art was that which arosein Mathura, the southern capital of the empire. Thiswas a direct continuation of the native Indianschools of Bharut and Sanchi. But a clearer pictureof the act Kushan costume is seen in the sculpture

at Surkh Kotal in Afganisthan, the influence on stylethere being Partian.


102/212

Page102

The Partians themselves were of scythic stock likethe Kushans, and their costume is much the same

and resembles closely the portrait of Kanishka, thegreat Kushan king, found at Mathura. The latterwears in to his tunic and trousers, a fur- lined coat,which is also seen at Surkh Kotal.

As mentioned earlier, there was no uniformity in thisperiod and the dress of the people to varied witheach region. The ordinary dress consisted as usualof an antariya, uttariya and kayabandh, with aturban for me. With the advent of the Kusnans thiswas extended and the fashion of wearing sewngarments of central. A pattern seems t ohave

headway with al classes of Indian in north India.The cut and sewn garmer which are rarely visible inthe sculpture of the previous periods, are commonlyfound in this period.

4.2 Costume: Men and Women

Kushan costumes may be divided into five types:

the costume worn by 1. indigenous people-theantariya, uttariya and kayabandh 2. guardians andattendants of the harem-usually the indige andsewn kancuka, red brown in colour 3. foreignKushan rulers and their entourage and 4. other

foreign such as grooms, taders, etc. there are fiftycategory a mixture of foreign and indigenous

garments. This category os of great interest as itshows how clothes changed and evolved, how someof the purely draped garments of the Indians were

replaced by cut and sewn garments. Especially innorth and northwest where influences were feltmore keenly, and where climatically sewn garmentswere more suitable.


103/212

Page103

The Kushan dress had evolved from a nomadculture based on the use of the horse. It is at

Mathura, Taxila, Begram, and Surkh Kotal inAfghanistan. The dress was worn by most ofScythian and races and resembled particularly thatof the Partians. It consisted of ruched long sleevestunic with a sleeve neck opening, simple decorated.The close fitting knee length tunic was sometimesmade earlier, and with it could be worn a short

cloak length woolen coat, worn loose from right toleft and secured by a belt of leather. Besides thesetwo upper garments, occasionally third garment the

chugha was used. The chugha was coat-like anddecorated with a bored down the chest hemline, and

had slits to fascinate movement. The trouser couldbe of linen, silk in summer but woolen in winter.

These loose fitting trousers, chalana, were tuckedinto soft padded board with trappings, khapusa.Along with this was worn the Scythian pointed cap

of felt, bashylk or pea helmet or head band with twoends tied at the back.

Although, the clothes were simple, they were oftenadjourned with stamped gold or metal plates,

square, rectangular, circular or triangular sewn inlines or at the central seams of the tunic. Theirpurpose was not decorative but functional as well,

as they helped lift the tunic in the middle for riding,by gathering the cloth along seams. This helped togive the distinctive draped effect with four sharppointed ends at the her. The drape of trousers too

as held in place by means of these gold platesstitched down the center. It is interesting to notethat elaborate embroidered panels later replacedthese gold plates. An early version was used by the

Saka warriors, where the tunic was simply picked upand tucked into the belt at center front, to free thespread of knees when riding a horse.


104/212

Page104

Clothes for women were varied. At Gandhara thereare figures wearing a sari-like garment, which

seems to evolve. From palmyrene. This is the pallapinned at the left shoulder. The difference in someof the Gandhara female figures is that they wear, inaddition, an antariya, which is exterior in length.This long antariya is worn in the kachcka style butone end continuous over the left shoulder andbroached there like the palla. The total ensemble

looks very much like the Deccan sari today. Thelong sleeves are visible underneath and could beshortened version across the back and over both

arms, and Indian jewellery completes the ensemble.The wearing of an uttariya with sari is still seen in

the fisher folk of Maharashtra.

These Gandhara figures are some of the most

intriguing sculptures of the Kushan period, and maywell beginning of the sari and one of the earlierattempts to create a garment to cover the breasts.This would far under the category of foreign andindigenous garments. In yet another figure we find

a Persian-influenced knee or mid-thigh length tunic,stanamsuka, worn with the antariya. The latter is

not between the legs as the kachuka style, but isworn crossed over in the lehnga style. Simplestitched skirts, ghagri, with a side seam and nada to

hold them up at the waist are also seen. They aregathered folds from length about 6-8 feet, and havea decorative border at the hem and at the centerfront seam. The tunic, stanamsuka, is from-fitting

with long sleeves, a simple round neckline andflaring at the hemline. Besides the abovementioned, the lehnga style antariya and uttariya issometimes worn. But very little in the way of

elaborate jewellery is used.

There are also some figures of women wearing close

fitting ruched trousers with a long sleeved jacketand uttariya. In the earlier period, trousers were


105/212

Page105

worn by Greek znd Persian. It is said the amazonswere trousers formed the royal guards of the king.

These females adapted their own phygian costumeto tight mid-thigh length jacket with crossover atthe neck and a gathered skirt worn with the antariyaalong with a crossed valikaksha with metal buckleshield and sword. Servants and dancers from manyparts of the world were brought into the countryfrom a very early period in Indian history. The

pravara, a large shawl, continued to be worn byboth sexes as protection against the cold and it wasknown to have been perfumed with bakul, and other

scents. The purely indigenous antariya, uttariya,and kayabandh continued to be the main costume of

Indians with slight modifications. The kayabandhbecame a more loosely worn informal piece of attire

was a wide twisted sash used mainly by women inmany delightful ways to enhance the suppleness.

4.3 Headgear and Hairstyles:

Women

The wearing of the uttariya on the head seems tohave almost disappeared in this period and most ofthe women in indigenous costume are seenbareheaded. They were their hair tuff at the coversthe line of parting. This tuff is in the form of a ball.

The rest of the hair is drawn back, folded in heldwith a broonch at the nape or worn in chignon which

protrudes at right angle to the neck almost verticallyupwards. Sometimes a bow of cloth is placed saucilyon top of the bun by a ribbon. At times, a band ofdiadem, or twisted cord or scarf is tied around thehead around the head and over the bun.

Ratnavali, a jeweled net, and brooches anddecorative hairpins continued to be worn. Turbans

wound around the foreign pointed scythic cap madeof striped fabrics and decorated with rows of pearls


106/212


107/212

Page107

4.4 Jewellery

In relation to the Mauryan-Sunga period, we noticed

a tendency towards greater refinement andsimplicity in this period. Gold was much in use andwas called hiranya and suvarana, silver was knownas rupya, and copper as tamra, and these continued

to be for making jewellery. Gold and silver wereoften encrusted with ratna or jewels. These includedcarnelians agates, lapis lazuli, amethysts, garnets,

coral and pearls. Saptopaz, diamonds and cats eyeswere embedded stung in various ways and worn as

ornament. Besides this, the art of enameling wasknown, as well as inlay work in shell and mother ofpearl. Gold were beautifully filigreed with lack, whileothers had cores of jasper and turquoise paste andwere stay on thread to be worn as necklace called

nishka was in vogue. Foreigners wore the torque, asimple necklace of gold wire. It was a characteristicornament of the Scythian and celtic people and wasworn as mark of distinction by the Persian andparthians, all of whom were of the same stock, aswere the Sakas and Kuskhans. Shell and terra-cotta beads continued to be strung and worn by the

poorer classes.

The earrings, Kundala, were of three types andmost often of gold though there is evidence of ivory

ones. The pendant type often had decorativerosettes and granulation. The ring type Scythian inorigin, could be simple with a gold wire wound

around of both types that is a ring elaboratelydecorated with be as well as bud like pendants. Of

these men except for foreigners who are designedas wearing none used the simpler kind.

Armlets were known as keyura and bracelets as

valaya. Both men and women wore these. Those forwomen were often thick sheets of gold with hingedclasps, and elaborately ornamented and inlaid. Thebangle of glass, shell or ivory was also used. Head


108/212

Page108

ornaments were varied. As the turban and headveiled women went out of fashion they were

replaced by a jeweled diadem or crown calledmukuta, or headband called opasa. These were usedin addition to the garlands of flowers, sraja, whichremain popular. Gold or silver hairpins withattractively ornamented heads held up hair. Mencontinued to wear the mauli. The mekhala wasmainly of beads and along with nupura was worn

only by women. This was simple and lighter thanthat in the previous period. There is an absence offorehead ornaments like the sitara and bindi of the

Mauryan Sunga period.Finger rings were of solidgod, plain others incised with tiny fingers. Ivory was

used extensively to make combs, brooches,hairpins, boxes and other objects.


It is in the military dress of the Mauryan Sungaperiod we find the earliest traces of foreign influenceon indigenous garments. At the Gandhara site of

Kushan is a soldier of Maras army wearing the

Indian antariya and turban with a Graeco-Romanstyle of breastplate of mail. But the soldier coat ofmail appears to be made of metal scales, attachedto be backing rather woven wire. This could be aforeign garment in the same army. His coat of mailis worn over a short tunic, which is visible at thehem, and sleeves and his bare legs are encased ingreaves. On his head is a three or helmet, whichsuggests the well-known whitish gray felt cap of the

Tibetans and Khorezmians, Khorez, Bactria, andSogdiania in central Asia, had at one time beensome of the most important cultural of the ancientworld. They were later taken over by the Persians,Greeks and then the Kushans. The third in this army

of Mara wears the purely Indian antariya and hashis uttariya wound around his waist. All three


109/212

Page109

soldiers carried shields and equipments of variouskinds. Foot soldiers are said to have used six-foot

bows very long arrows, tall shields made ofundresses, and board swords three men carriedsmaller shields and were equipped with two lanceseach, but rode without saddles.


Brahmin hermits continued to wear garments madeof bark leaves and live austere lives in forests orother isolated places. The clothes of bhikshucontinued to be yellow or red in colour andconsisted of same antaravasaka, uttarasanga,

samghati and kushalaka as being along with abucked belt. Only now the cloth of their garments

was most probably donated the monastery bywealthy merchants and was not made of rags. Thesign of physical and spiritual perfect in the Buddha

figures is the protuberance on the head, whichevolved from the topknot worn by Brahmins.Another symbol is the urna of hair between the

eyebrows, representing the third eye. The elongated

ear lobes are yet another sign of perfection.


For the first time trade with China was directlyestablished through the ancient silk route. Indian

traders set down in Chinese Turkestan, which wasannexed by kaniska, the Kushan king. This includedkashgar, and Yakhand. Buddhists missions too weresent to china. In Rome, Augustus encouraged tradewith India exports increased resulting in aflourishing merchant class. In the northwestern is

coarse cotton and wool was used for lightweight

cotton, tulapansi. Both indigenous and foreign silkswere plentiful but still very expensive. Antariya were


110/212

Page110

rarely decorated and when they were, they appearto have been either embroidered, printed in

diagonal check designs enclosing small circles.Turban cloth for rich women were often diagonalwith every third line made of pearls. This bejeweledmaterial was also used to cover beds and seatsmany geometric patterns of check, strips andtriangles were also printed and woven. It is onlyfrom literary somewhat we know of the textiles and

dyes available in the earlier period. There is noevidence of actual fabrics made in India before thetwelfth century. But a large variety of fabrics were

recovered from the burial grounds along silk route,which can be dated to between the first century BC

and the second century AD. Based on this evidencewe may presume that the dyes and textiles of

Chinese are available long this route would surelyhave found their way into India. Hence, it is possibleto maintain that many of the patterns and colours

would be similar. We know for the beautiful ultra-marine and lapis lazuli blue were sent along thetrade route from the famous mines at Badakshan inCentral Asia. There is in addition much literary

evidence of sophistication of Indian textiles for theearliest times. In a list compiled of fabrics recoveredfrom the ancient silk route, fabrics in the followingof were found bright blue, light blue, dark bluecooper etc. these are all variants and mixtures ofthe colours in dyes that were available in India in

this period.

4.8 Style

The Kushan influence was felt in what developedinto the Gandhara art and the art of Mathura which,while retaining the massive scale of Bharat andSanchi, had carvings more sophisticatedand images

more sensuous than had been seen before. It is anif in the proactive display of courtesans with their


111/212

Page111

bodies in the trichina pose and the delicate flowerlike gesture of the hands, the foreigners had found

the Indian experience tat fired their imagination.

In the same period however there are the wall

paintings at Kizli in Afghanistan, where the wiry lineof the flat brilliant colours dominated by lapis-lazuligives a heraldic appearance, static and frozen, like

the portrait statues found at Mathura. The latterhave the still, formal depiction of the Kushan Kings,

shown complete detail the kind of heavy garmentsthey wore. The Kushan were not originally anartistic people. Scythian origin, their only expressionhad been the metal work displayed in their horsetrappings, hunting and in the ornamental plaques,which they stitched on their garments.

But they lived for many years in Bactria beforeentering India and this prepared them for the rolethey have to play as great patrons of the arts, asseen in the development of the Gandhara art and

the evolution of the indigenous art of Mathura. Laterboth these styles fused to create the Renaissaince ofGupta Art.

4.9 Illustration of Men and Women

Costumes

COURT LADY [Begram]

Antariya : worn extremely short in kaccha style;

the end that is passed between the legs has beentucked in at the back; the other piece is looped tomid-thigh in front and the end tucked in a small

looped frill at the center


112/212

Page112

Kayabandh: there are two : one is a wide

sash tied in a loop on both sides to the knees withsteamers at each side of the hips hanging to floorlength; the other is kakshyabandha, a thick jewelledroll worn aslant which has a large clasp at the lefthip

Mekhala: five-stringed pearl or jewelled hip belt, it

holds the antariya and cloth kayabandh in place

Hara : necklace of pearls, probably strung onthread or wire and worn betweenthe breasts

Kantha: Short necklace of beads with centralpendant and looped chains

Keyura: simple armlets, of looped design


113/212

Page113

in gold or silver.

Valaya: bracelets of two kinds : the central one

consists of a series of rings like a wrist band; onboth sides are larger rigid bracelets

Kundala: square earrings decorated with a flowermotif and with pearls suspended

Nupura: anklets-wide rings with an elaborate

designAnguliya: finger rings of solid gold

history of indian costume

Documents