HISTORY OF INDIAN COSTUMESSATAVAHANA PERIOD

(200 B.C-A.D 250)

BY, SMITHA

B.Sc 1st Year

INTRODUCTION

• Established in Deccan and endured for 460

years.

• Based from Dharanikota and Amaravati in

Andhra Pradesh to Junnar (Pune) and

Prathisthan (Paithan) in Maharashtra.

• The Early Satavahanas ruled Andhra and

present Telangana regions

• They were one of the first Indian state to

issue coins struck with their rulers embossed.

• Early people of Deccan were a hybrid race, a

mixture of aboriginal Dravidians and

Scythians, Parthian, Greeks, Buddhism and

Mauryan culture.

POLITICAL CONDITION

• The hereditary monarchy based on Military-cum-Feudal

Bureaucracy was the political system of Satavahanas.

• Other officials were 'Mahamatra' (in charge of religious fares),

'Bhandagarika' (Superintendent of stores), 'Husinik' (Treasurer),

'Mahasenadipate (Commander-in-chief of forces).

• The king was claiming 1/6th of the produce of tax wage

SOCIAL CONDITIONS

• Chaturvarna system- division of people into

Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras

• Varnasankara (marriages outside varna).

• There were also tribes outside Aryan Varma system

and people where known according to their

profession Halika (cultivator), Kolika (weaver), Sethi

(Merchant)," Gadhika (druggist), etc.

• Polygamy prevailed in the society, and patriarchal

Joint family system was prevalent.

SOCIAL CONDITIONS

• Society was divided into four classes.

ROYAL LIFE

• They followed 6 emblems of royal patronage

– Ushniha (turban), pair of flywhisks, umbrella,

sword, sandles and the royal standards.

– Umbrella was white and gold for kings and nobles,

carried by Chattradhara (umbrella carrier).

– Flywhisks were made of yak tails with gold

handles, waved by Chauri bareers.

– Khagavahni- Female attendant carried sword on

her shoulder.

– Thronged sandals were made out of boar skin.

ATTENDANTS

CHATTRADHARA

COSTUMES OF EARLY SATAVAHANA PERIOD

• MEN’S COSTUME

– KING AND COURTIERS: wore the indigenous antariya with decorative

kayabandh tied in different styles and knots. Ushnisa was always worn and

crown was used when necessary.

– CIVILIANS: Tunics, Kancuka in stripes or behive design were worn, along

with thick kayabandh around the waist.

• Kancuka: Were mid-high length with short sleeves and opening on the left

side or in front with V or round shaped neck lines

– KING’S during hunting also wore tunic which had no discrenibel opening at

the neck along with an elaborate turban ushnisa.

– HUNTER’S: In addition to this also wore two-bar type sandals with a strap for

buckling

WOMEN’S COSTUMES

• Women’s costumes had an influence of foreign

invaders.

• ATTENDANTS- Wore transparent long antariyas

with loose kayabandhs tied in a knot at the center

along with beautiful ornaments.

• CIVILIANS-Their changed costumes included

short antariyas, large uttariyas with elaborate

borders covering their head and back.

HAIRSTYLE AND HEAD GEAR

• Jungle women wore rolls and

headbands with peacock feathers.

• Village women and commoners

wore their hair in a simple knot at

the nape covered by a large

uttariya.

• Court attendants and women of the

richer class wore- topknot on the

right side with a loop of flower

suspended in a plait.

HEADGEAR- MEN

• Worn intertwined with lengths of

clot to from an ushnisa in a

variety of ways.

• Most common style of top know

covered with a cloth of the

turban.

• This knot could be at center front

ovet the forehead in a ‘counch-

shell’ shape

JEWELLERY

• Indigenous Men’s jewellery

consisted of lambanam, earrings,

and a pair of kangan and baju

band ,

• Women’s wore large number of

bangles made of conch or ivory,

disc type earrings, the lambanam,

and tikka.

• Women attendants wore mekhala.

MILITARY COSTUME

• Soldiers wore short-sleeved

tunics, with elaborate headgear

consisting of either a turban with

top knot, chin band and ear flaps,

or two top knots with a turban.

• They were equipped with axes

and bows and arrows or carried

sickles.

SOLDIER

LATE SATAVAHANA COSTUME (100 B.C-A.D 250)

• Antariya, Uttariya and Kayabandh was the three main costumes wore by

both men and women.

• MEN’S COSTUME

– ANTARIYA: Usually transperent

• Te nivi bandha knot was used to tie the antrariya at the waist

– UTTARIYA: It was usually white made out of cotton or silk. At times it was dyed

and embroidered also.

• It was worn in different styles- across the back and over both shoulders, thrown over

the chest or in kachcha fashion.

– KAYABANDH: Tied in bow shaped knot to support anatriya

• Vethaka: Simple sash form of Kayabandh.

MEN’S COSTUME CONTD…

• Attendents, guard at king’s palace wore stitched shirt

like foreign garment called KANCHUKA.

• The YAJNOPAVATI THREAD evolved in this era, which

was derived from uttariya which was draped over left

shoulder and under right arm in the UPAVITA FASHION.

• YAJNOPAVITI THREAD- consist of 3 cotton threads each

of 9 twisted strands- Brahmins, Hemp- Kshatariya,

Wool- Vaishya.

WOMEN’S COSTUME

• ANTARIYA- Made of almost transparent cloth and worn very tight

and clinging to body.

• UTTRARIYA- Usually white at times with bright colors and

embroidered in case of royal costume and worn in Kachcha style.

• KAYABANDH- Bow shaped to support antariya.

– Patika made of lat ribbon-shaped pieces of cloth(silk)

– Kalabuka- girdle made of many strips plaited together.

– Mauraja- Had a drum headed knots at the ends.

• Attendants in the women’s apartments in the palace wore the

short kanchuka with an indigenous antariya/ when calf-length it

was worn with kayabandh and uttariya

HEADGEAR AND HAIRSTYLE-MEN

• USHNISA- was generally wrapped around 3 times covering the top knot of

hair which was usually white or dyed with ornamental gold strips.

• KIRITA- a short cylindrical cap studded with gems and ornamented with

designs.

• MAULIBANDHA- an elaborate turban wound decorated with strings of pearls

wreaths.

• HAIRSTYLE:

– Tied the hair in large topknot at center front covered with turban jewelled

to hold the turban in place.

– At time the top knot could be Pear-shaped .

– The hair could also be worn in one or two topknots, one loop and one top

knot.

– Short hair parted in the middle prevailed among civilians

KING KING AS HUNTERATTENDENT AT

COURTDWARAPALAKA

MEN’S COSTUMES

HEADGEAR-WOMEN

• Wore their hair in several ways

– Plait, praveni at the back, decorated with jeweled strips and tassels.

– Coil with five delicate plaits dangling from it.

– Looped closed to the head in an elongated knot at the back of the head down at

the nape decorated with small fillet of flowers around it or a short garland of

flower dangling from it.

– KABARIBANDHA- hair worn as a simple not.

– DHAMMILIA- Elobrate dressing of hair with flowers, pearls and jewels- most

admired.

• HEADGEAR:

– CHUDAMANI-Lotus-shaped jewel with its petals made of pearls and precious

stones normally worn in the center of knotted hair.

– MAKARIKA-Fish-crocodile shaped worn at the parting of hair

JEWELLERY

• Strands of pearls were main in all forms of jewellery.• Both men and women wore earrings, bracelets, armlets and necklaces.• EARRINGS

– KUNDALA- Coil shaped earring– TALAPATRA- small strip of ivory or gold palm leaf shaped rolled and

studded with a gem stone.– KANAKA-KAMALA- full blown lotus design studded with ruby worn along

with a dangler called JIMIKI• NECKLACES

– HARA- Strings of pearls.– EKAVALI- Single string of pearls– YASHTI- A necklace of gems and gold beads with larger central bead– PHALAKA- Slab-like gems – PHALAKA HARA- Several strings of pearls held together by phalakas– KANTA- Shorter form of necklace– NIKSHA- Gold coin strung necklace with silk or plaited gold cord.– MANGAMALAI- Mango shaped pieces of gold or gold set with gems strung

necklace

JEWELLERY CONTD..

• MUKTAYAJNOPAVITA- Yajnopavita made of pearls.

• BRACELETS

– VALAYA- Bracelet made our of solid gold set with precious stones

– PHALAKAVALAYA- Slab like gems set into bracelets.

• ARMLETS- snake, straight edge, angular top edge

• MEKHALA-Jewelled girdles of one or many strings.

• Types- tinkling Kanci with bells, linked chain with pearls

• ANKLETS

– MANJIRA- Loose hollow and light coiling along with gems inside the hollow that

provided the tinkling sound.

– NUPURA-Plain with suspended tinkling bells.

– TULAKOTI- Heavier looking coiling with tow ends enlarged at meeting point

WOMEN’S COSTUMES

ATTENDANT VILLAGE WOMEN

COURTIER

RELIGIOUS PERSON

MILITARY COSTUME

• ANDHRA SOLDIERS

– Wore an short antariya which was tucked in.

– Cloth sash was either tied around the waist or crossed at the tchest for protection

– Occasionally wore earrings and simple jewels.

• FOREIGN SOLDIERS

– Wore heavy tunic with ruched sleeves- reached knees along with churidar form of

trousers, helmet and earflaps.

– Wide sash was worn on the waist

• Equipment- sword, shield, bow, axe and spear

– SWORD- Either curved and could have a sharp edge on one or both sides.Handles were

of ivory and hilts of precious metal encrusted jewels.

– SHIELD- Rectangular to protect the body.

– BOW- Made of wood or horn, bow string- iron, bone, wood and had shafts of feather

affixed in poison.

TEXTILES AND DYES

• Coarse and fine varieties of cotton

were available.

• A very cheap material made of hemp

was worn by weavers and laborers

• Wool was woven into chaddars

ASSIGNMENT

• Make a project on Satavahana period

with illustrations displaying the

people main area of design and

stylization