FC ancient Indian costume

Dr. Nidhi L Sharda,Associate Professor, NIFT, Bangalore

Ancient indian costumes

Dr. Nidhi L Sharda, Associate Professor, NIFT, Bangalore

Major Early civilization

Indus valley civilization, region of modern-day Pakistan,

Mesopotamia civilization between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern-day Iraq,

Nile valley of Egypt

Island of Crete and in Mycenaean Greece in the Aegean Sea,

Roman ,


Indus Valley Civilization (3300–1700 BC, flourished 2600–1900 BCE),

Another name for this civilization is the Harappan Civilization, after the first of its cities to be excavated, was Harappa.

Its culture, formed the earliest urban civilization on the Indian sub-continent, and one of the earliest in the world.

Its unique urban characteristics ensure it a place in the annals of world architecture.


Indus Valley Civilization (3300–1700 BC, flourished 2600–1900 BCE),

Abbreviated IVC, was an ancient Civilization that flourished in the Indus and Ghaggar-Hakra river valleys primarily in what is now Pakistan and western India, parts of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.


Society & Culture..

IVC was the setting for one of the world's earliest urban societies.

Over 4,000 years ago, in the Indus Valley, people built huge, planned cities, with straight streets, and brick homes with private baths! Kids played with toys and women wore lipstick!

With the rise of the Indus cities, technology and crafts appear to have become an essential mechanism for creating unique wealth objects to distinguish socio-economic classes and reinforce the hierarchy of these classes in an urban context.


City planning

Harappa was a city in the Indus civilization that flourished around 2600 to 1700 BCE in the western part of South Asia.


Great Bath of Mohenjo Daro

These cities were well planned with wide streets, public and private wells, drains, bathing platforms and reservoirs. One of its most well-known structures is the…


Ancient Indus Valley City: street, covered drains, Well, Mohenjo-daro, Sindh


Ox- or water buffalo-drawn cart with driver from Harappa


Pot shred from Harappa Stamp seal depicting a rhinoceros from Mohenjo-daro

Wheel-made pottery—some of it adorned with animal and geometric motifs—has been found in profusion at all the major Indus sites.


Collection of burial pottery without any painted designs.


The ancient Indus Civilization script has not been deciphered.

Many sherds inscribed after firing have single geometric signs.

The Unicorn Seal


Sixteen three sided tablets (c. 2300 BC) with incised inscription on each face were found all together in the debris.

The use of inscribed seals, along with various forms of writing on a wide range of artifacts appears to be directly associated with the need to communicate social or ritual status and for economic control.


Seals and sealing


Material culture and the skeletons from the Harappa cemetery and other sites testify to a continual intermingling of communities from both the west and the east.

This burial was disturbed in antiquity, possibly by ancient Harappan grave robbers.


Textiles

The people Indus valley civilization used homespun cotton for weaving their garments.

Although Copper and bronze were in use, iron was unknown.

"Cotton was woven and dyed for clothing.


Costumes

Source of information about clothing and personal adornment comes from terracotta, and occasionally bronze and stone, figures found at Harappan sites.


Clothing: Women Men and women dressed in

colorful robes.

Women wore jewelry of gold and precious stone, and even wore lipstick!

Among the treasures found was a statue of a women wearing a bracelet.

Indus Valley: 3300-1300 B.C.


At the peak of the Indus Civilization or the Harappan Period, the most common dress for female figurines was the belt and/or short skirt usually situated at the same point on the hips as the figurine’s hands.

Female figurine with a decorated belt and "skirt" from Harappa


• Another style of Early Harappan female figurine holds a round object, possibly a vessel, with both hands at the waist above a flaring lower body which ends in a (broken) forward-extending base.

• The hair is bound at the back of the head into a tiered hairstyle.

• Details such as a necklace with long pendants, bangles, and grid-like lines possibly depicting textile designs are painted in black.


Female figures with headdresses and jewelry

The wide variety of headdresses and ornament styles on female figures may reflect the ethnic diversity of the cities as well as the continuously changing styles.

The massive hairstyles represented on female figures may have required the hands of a skilled hairdresser.


The fan-shaped headdress was one of the most commonly depicted Indus headdresses.

Figurine headdresses were typically decorated in a variety of ways through the addition of terracotta cones, twisted ropes (possibly representing hair), flowers and other applied ornaments.


Female figurine with locks of hair from Harappa.

Female figurine with a "turban" from Harappa.


These figures are heavily adorned with multiple chokers, necklaces, and belts. The stylized flowers arranged over the forehead may represent actual flowers or flower-shaped ornaments.


Female figurine with three chokers/necklaces from Harappa.


Male costume

Most male figures have beards. The stone figures show a long

cloak or shawl draped over the edge of the left shoulder, covering the folded legs and lower body, but leaving the right shoulder and the chest bare.

A lower garment is worn around the waist and drawn through the legs to be tucked in the back.


Figures of men are not as varied as those of women. Some wear turbans or headbands. Stone sculptures

show elaborate braids and hair tied into a double bun or twisted bun at the back of the head.


Four male figurines with horned headdresses from Harappa


Jewelry…

Both men and women wear chokers and bangles.

The necklaces probably represent beaded ornaments of gold, bronze, carnelian, and agate.

The wide belt was probably worn over a short skirt of finely woven cotton or woolen cloth.


Many of the ornaments depicted on the figures, both male and female, can be correlated to actual ornaments, belts, fillets, necklaces, and bangles.


Belt, ca. 2600–1900 B.C.; Harappan. Indus Valley, Mohenjo-daro,

String of beads, 2600–1900 B.C.; Harappan. Indus Valley, Mohenjo-daro, Gold, vesuvianite or grossular garnet, agate, jasper, and steatite; . Mohenjo-daro Museum, Courtesy of the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Ministry of Minorities, Culture, Sports, Tourism, and Youth Affairs, Government of Pakistan.

The hollow gold beads are filled with a sandy matrix that was probably mixed with resin. The pendant agate and jasper beads are attached with thick gold wire, and steatite beads with gold caps separate each of the pendant beads.


This collection of gold and agate ornaments includes objects found at both Mohenjo-daro and Harappa.

At the top are fillets of hammered gold that would have been worn around the forehead.

The other ornaments include bangles, chokers, long pendant necklaces, rings, earrings, conical hair ornaments, and broaches. Such ornaments were never buried with the dead, but were passed on from one generation to the next. These ornaments were hidden under the floors in the homes of wealthy merchants or goldsmiths.


Copper/bronze bangles, one from Harappa and the other from Mohenjo-daro.

Terra cotta bangles, Mohenjo-daro.


Fired steatite beads appear to have been extremely important to the Indus people because they were incorporated into exquisite ornaments, such as this "eye bead" made of gold with steatite inlay found in 1995 at Harappa [Harappa Phase].

The Harappans developed a very compact glassy faience that was produced in a variety of colors, ranging from white, to blue green, deep blue and even red-brown.

Dr. Nidhi L Sharda,Associate Professor, NIFT, Bangalore

Costumes in & Vedic period



The coming of the Aryans around 1500 BC from Central Asia, gave the final blow to the collapsing Indus Valley civilisation. They entered India through the Khyber Pass between B.C. 2000 and B.C. 1500.

They first settled in seven places in the Punjab region which they caned Sapta Sindhu. Slowly they moved towards the Gangetic Valley. It was known as Arya Vartha, The Aryan Civilization was a rural civilization.

The Aryans are believed to have brought with them the horse, developed the Sanskrit language and made significant inroads in to the religion of the times. All three factors were to play a fundamental role in the shaping of Indian culture


The four Vedas, namely, Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva form the main literary sources for this period Veda means knowledge.

Among the four Vedas the Rig is the earliest one. It consists of 1028 songs divided into 10 parts.

The Brahmanas, Upanishads, Aranyakas, Puranas, Mahabbarata and Ramayana are the other literary sources for this period

This civilization is the foundation of Hinduism and the associated Indian culture that is known today.

Vedic age is divided into two periods: EARLY VEDIC OR RIG VEDIC AGE LATER VEDIC PERIOD (B.C. 1000 - B.C. 600)


EARLY VEDIC OR RIG VEDIC AGE During this period, the kingdom was tribal in character.

Each tribe formed a separate kingdom.

The basic unit of the political organization was family (kula).

A number of families formed a Village (Grama).

Its head was the Gramani. A group of villages constituted a large unit called clan (vis) Several clans formed the tribe (Jana)

Their leader was Rajan, the Vedic king. He protected his people from enemies He was assisted by the purohita or priest, the senani of commandant, the Sabha and the Samithi in administration.


Social Life Family was the basis of the society.

The Aryan society was patriarchal in nature. Father was the head of the family. He was called Grahapathi. Vedas lay great stress on the sanctity of marriage and family life.

Women enjoyed a respectable position in the early Vedic society.

They had freedom to choose husbands. The wife was the mistress of the house. They participated in public meetings.

There were women scholars like Lopamudra, Visvavara, Ghosha, Sikata, Nivavari and Apala. They were treated equally.

But their position changed in the Later Vedic period.


Economy..

Hunting was a major activity. Cattle, horses, sheep, goats, asses and dogs were reared.

When they settled down in particular places, agriculture became their main occupation.

People developed the arts of weaving, training, carpentry and metal work.

Trade developed through the exchange of goods or the barter system. External trade with Western Asia and Egypt was carried on.

The coins were called nishka. They were used for trade purposes.

Cosmetics, sandalwood and ivory were the export items. Horses and dates were imported.


Religion

During the early Vedic period religion was in the form of nature worship.

Fire, sun, wind, sky and trees were worshipped.

Prayers were offered to Agni, Vayu and Surya. Agni and Varuna were the most favourite Gods.

Yagas and Yajnas were the most common rituals.

Since Gods had no definite shape, there were no statues and even temples.


Costumes Rig Veda refers to weaving in

ancient period. Men wore a garment like Dhoti.

The upper garment was like a shawl. They wore turbans and grew beards.

Women wore vasas (under garments), nivi (dress worn at the waist) and Athivasas (the upper cover).

Dresses were made up of cotton and wool.

Both men and women wore different kinds of ornaments. Ear rings, necklaces, bangles and hair bands were used. Chappals made of leather were also used.



Woolen and Cotton dresses were used by the people. Ornaments made of gold and silver were worn. The other metals used by the Later Vedic period were iron, copper and tin.



LATER VEDIC PERIOD (B.C. 1000 - B.C. 600) This age is also called as the Epic Age because the two

great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata were written during this period. The Aryans during this period moved to the Gangetic Valley.

The Sama, Yajur, Atharva Vedas, Brahmanas, Upanishads, Aranyakas and the two epics are the sources of information for this period.


Social Life Family continued to be the basic unit of the society. The father was the

head of the family. Joint family system was quite common.

Varna or Caste system developed during the later’ Vedic period.

To start with the fourfold caste came into existences, namely, the Brahmins Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras. The Brabmins were priests and teachers. ‘The Kshatriyas were rulers and soldiers. They enjoyed high position in the society. The Vaishyas were traders, artisans and farmers. The Sudras were the uneducated workers who served for the other three castes.


According to the religious texts, the life of an individual was divided into four stages or Ashramas.

They were Brahmacharya or student life, Graihasta or life of a father and husband. Vanaprasta or life as a hermit and finally Sanyasa or total renunciation of the world.


Women in society.. There was a decline in the status

and dignity of women during the Later Vedic period. Women were subordinated. Submissiveness was considered as an ideal virtue of a wife.

Women were not allowed to participate in public affairs. They could not own property.

Child marriage was not prevented. Widow Remarriage was not

allowed. Though monogamy was the rule,

polygamy was practised Women degradation started from the later Vedic period.


Religion Many changes occurred in the field of

religion. The Gods of early Vedic age lost their significance.

In the Later Vedic period, people worshipped new Gods like Prajapathi, Pasupathi, Vishnu and Krishna.

Prayers and scarifies became important ways of worshipping God.

Animals were killed during sacrifice. The religion became complex affair.

The theory of Karma and the theory of incarnation were accepted.

People believed that the God is the supreme head and he was not only a creator but also a destroyer. They believed in the concept of Moksha.


The costume The costume worn in early

Vedic items consisted of three parts-nivi or undergarment, paridhana or vasa (garment) and adhivasa (mantle).

From the Sari to the turban and the dhoti, ancient India clothes were mostly wrapped around in various ways.


Ramayana and Mahabharata also speak of a variety of fabrics of those times. The Ramayana refers to the rich stuff worn by the aristocracy on one hand… and simpler for normal class


The weaver-saint Tiruvalluvar is part of Hindu history.

Living in South India around 200 BCE, he wrote the ethical masterpiece Tirukural to guide humanity along the right path.

Here he is etching verses onto a palm leaf, while his family spins thread and looms cloth.


Cotton and wool were the most abundant, since silk was not introduced from China until around the 1st century B.C.E.

Besides cotton, wool and animal skin (ajana) served as materials for clothing.

Males and females wore practically the same dress.

The upper garment was called adhivasa and the lower garment was called vasa.

An embroidered garment called pesas seems to have also been used.


Men’s clothing

Men usually wore a Dhoti (vasa), which is a length of fabric wrapped around the waist.


This could be left as a skirt or brought through the legs and made into a pants type garment.



Women

Due to the large area of India many differences in clothing emerged, mainly due to climate differences.

Northern women adopted a fitted upper garment to be worn under the loose fitting one.

Clothing was made from resources found in each region.


Ancient India clothing was mainly cloth tied around various parts of the body.

Even though needles are said to have existed not much use was made of it in ancient Indian clothing.

The sari was worn with a breast-band tied with a knot at the back.

Women


Women in Vedic society wore a variety of garments.

The lower garment worn by women, much like a sari or Dhoti of later times, is reminiscent of the descriptions of the Niti in Vedic literature.

Second is a sari, which is a length of fabric wound around the body with the loose end (pallu) thrown over the shoulder. Sometimes a choli would be worn with this.

The last garment was worn mainly by tribal women. The Adivasi is a length of fabric tied around the waist with no upper garment worn.




Both men and women wore ornaments. Early ornaments were mostly made of terracotta beads or shells strung together till metals came on the scene. Jewelry like necklaces, bangles and earrings etc were common.


Both men and women oiled and combed their hair, which was plaited or braided. The men grew beards and moustaches, but sometimes also shaved them.

Ornaments made of gold and silver were worn.

The other metals used by the Later Vedic period were iron, copper and tin.


Plants extracts from plants like Mehendi were used to decorate palms etc. The use of flowers as ornaments was also common. Use of coloured make up like Kohl and sindoor seem to date back to ancient India.

Elaborate head dresses, with tremendous decorations and pannier-like projections, give some clue to the range of fashions prevalent in this regard.


Even children just wore a piece of cloth tied around the waist with strings.

People also enjoyed lavish embroidery and embellishments.

Gold being the preferred, though there was also an abundance of silver and precious gems.


head-dress The mention of turban in the sacred Indian

scriptures, like the Vedas, proves that it was a crucial part of Indian men's costume, even during Vedic times.

Basically, the head-dress made from a fabric, as distinguished from a crown worn by kings and deities spoken of in literature, took the form of a turban of an unstitched kind.

The wearing of the turban costume in India has many connotations. In old days, the long strip of the turban cloth was soaked in water at a well and then wrapped around the head. The layers of wet cloth provided the much-needed relief from the scorching sun outside.


Vedic age depiction by Films







The increase in population, development of the agrarian economy, increase in local trade, the caste factors, the emergence of the ruling class, and hereditary nature of kingship, etc., all led to the rise of small kingdoms and republics, out of which emerged some of the first great empires of ancient India.

The Vedic Age laid the foundation of Hinduism and religious practices associated with it. It also paved way for the rise of kingdoms and empires.

The Vedic Age has contributed immensely in the field of Indian literature and philosophy, through its various treatises and epics.

The past traditions of the textile and handlooms can still be seen amongst the motifs, patterns, designs, and the old techniques of weaving, still used by the Indian weavers.


Costumes and coiffure in ancient India www.ancientweb.org/India/index.htm

www.hinduwisdom.info centripetalnotion.com

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FC ancient Indian costume