ancient fashion history

Clothes History .. Ancient IndiaAn attempt to understand why are our clothes, the way, they are..

The story of our clothes… ancient India 'Harmonious co-existence of a wide variety of layered chaos'

India lives simultaneously in many centuries.

The Clothing diversity of India has its roots in our Geography & History

Influenced by……

Seafarers, traders. .in south

Invasions in NorthIndo Aryans Persians Indo Greeks Parthian Sakas Kushans Huns Turks Mughals

Roman traders Arab traders Portuguese French Dutch British

Restricted by the Himalayan ranges in the east and the Vindhyas in south

Diversity painted by the geographyOf the Indian Subcontinent

Migrations from Tibet Burma, china

Created an eclectic mix of people and clothing

Dravidian type

Census of India (1901)"The [Indian] census report of 1901 divided the population of India into seven distinct racial types

the Turkic-Iranian

Indo-Aryan Mongol-Dravidian

Mongoloid

DravidianScytho-DravidianAryo-Dravidian

Epic or the Vedic age

Maurya Greeks

KushansPartho-Synthians

Guptas

Islam

Evidences but no Documentation

No Evidences no Documentation

5300 years back

3500 years back

2300 years back

2100 years back

1800 years back

500 yrs back..

Indus valley civilization

The DNA of our clothing in time

Diversity brought in by HistoryOf the Indian Subcontinent

Semitropical climates , clothes were not essential to surviveHence, Indian Clothing tended to become a religious, cultural and tribal identity

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Epic or the Vedic age Maurya Greeks Kushans

Partho-Synthians Guptas

Islam

Hinduism Buddhism Hinduism

Temple Era

Manu Smriti

Yagya and sacrificesTheism (Pujas)



Jainism

A brief overview of religion through time.


Maurya Greeks


Guptas

Islam



3500 years back

2300 years back

2100 years back

1800 years back

500 yrs back..

5300 years back

State of society

Indus Valley civilization 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE.


5300 years back

Political

No caste system. Priest king is believed to have ruled along side bureaucracy

Its spread was Pakistan, Afghanistan and parts of India. integral component of the Bronze Age "world economy" in terms of trade relation

Clothing rudimentary stitching.

Nudity acceptable Body adorned with beads, jewels


5300 years back

The Indus 5300 years ago

Materials TexturesSilhouettes Adornment


5300 years back

Needles

Necklace made from gold, agate, jasper, steatite and green stone

Female figurine with four flowers arranged on the front part of a fan shaped headdress

"Priest King“cloak decorated with trefoil, double circle and single circle designs that were originally filled with red pigment


5300 years back

Additionally, other archaeological finds are culturally consistent, such as the dancing girl, whose bracelets are similar to those worn by women of Northwest India today as well as C

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5300 years back

Maurya Greeks


Guptas

Islam


2300 years back

2100 years back

1800 years back

500 yrs back..


5300 years back


3500 years back

Socio cultural

3500 years back

Vedic period 1500 to 500 BC

There were no kingdoms.By late Vedic period Janapada (land) gained importance and kingdoms (mahajanapadas) were formed

Probably around the 800 BC, the Aryans thrust eastwards along the gangetic plains removed the centre of gravity of conquered lands from the Punjab to Daob…

Birth of…Caste systemHinduismSanskritUpanishads VedasRamayana Mahabharata

Political

Indo – Aryan religion rose from a mixture of the indigenous people’s beliefs which was mainly the worship of fertility and worship of fire. The colour red therefore was considered sacred.

Religion and Beliefs

Clothing

Leave the loom, ready for wear.

Early Indian did not use any sewn garments

Sewing was considered inauspicious

Upper body not covered by both male and females.

3500 years back

The Epic Age 3500 years ago


The only mention of costumes is the “nivi” the only meaning that fits is the pleats”all evil on such occasions may be protected by the pleats”

3500 years back

Cotton linen, silk were known.

Woolen blankets and animal skins

Dyes include indigo crimson magenta and yellow

Loin clothes: Kaupina (a.k.a. kowpina, kachcha) is a distinctly Indian form of clothing from ancient times. It is a loin cloth passed between the legs and held by a string at the waist, just enough to cover the private parts. The remainder of the cloth acts as a throw or apron

The first form of clothing happened as a form of protection for the males and as a chastity belt

Functional form of clothing

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3500 years back

uttariya

antariya

3500 years back

The religious significance of sewing being inauspicious is observed yet, during puja ceremonies -

The puja performer wears an unstitched garment.

These names have early mentions in the Vedic texts

Gamchha (made up of thin coarse cotton fabric ) is a traditional Indian towel, adorned by a large population in utter Pradesh. Although it is normally used for drying one’s body after bathing, gamcha serves other purposes also.

The present day Uttariya The present day antariya


Guptas

Islam

2100 years back

1800 years back

500 yrs back..


5300 years back


2300 years back



3500 years back

Persian and Greek invasionAround the 5th century BC, north-western parts of India faced invasion by the Achaemenid Empire and the Greeks of Alexander's army. Persian way of thinking, administration and lifestyle came to India. This influence became bigger during the Mauryan dynasty.

greeks

2300 years back

Socio cultural

Founded by Chandragupta Maurya. Asoka responsible for widespread diffusion of Buddhism.

2300 years back

Influenced by the Greeks and the Iranians which preceded this dynasty. Runs parallel to the Roman empire and the golden age of China, cross cultural under currents between China Persia and India are evident, facilitated by the silk route

Political

Clothing Men and women continued to wear three unstitched garments, as in Vedic times. Antariya in kaccha style, uttariya across the head or casually draped on the shoulders, kayabandh or the girdle

The cloth became finer with the increase in status of the person adorning it..

Cotton continued to be used as the traditional textile ,And silk (called Cinamsuka) was imported from China along the Silk Route

The Birth of the Ghagra noticed in some parts

kayabandh

antariya

uttariya

Mauli/ turban

2300 years back

The Maurya Dynasty


Silk was imported from China known as Cinamsuka

Rudimentary stitching

Graeco-Roman influences in jwellery

2300 years back

Silhouettes

Uttariya, Antariya and Cummerband observed as primary garments

2300 years back

For many centuries before Indians had moved around self consciously nude above waistThere were probably two reasons for the change

One was that the female attendants in the King’s court thrown into the company of beautiful foreigners who wore upper garments, must have realized that covering the bosom could even be more attractive than exposing it, and accordingly emulated the dress style of the foreigners.

Also, with the impact of Buddhism, Jainsm, and Christianity the belief that the body was sinful and must be concealed to avoid temptation was percolating through India, In medieval Europe, around this time, similar changes were occurring in female clothing, and women began covering themselves from head to foot.

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2300 years back

the foreigners….

A description of Persian costume of 500 BC. coat that was open down the front, had a fitted waist, and long tight sleeves sewn into the armholes. At first it was knee-length, later calf length.

Indigenous people

2300 years back

7th Century Sigiriya: “The royal ladies in the frescoes...displayed their breasts. The ladies in waiting wear...a firm 'breast bandage' or sthanapatiya."

As seen the stitched garments were adopted by the common man. The ruling class, the god and goddesses continued to be depicted in nude

2300 years back

The skirt, bhairnivasani, evolved from the antariya which when stitched on one side became tabular and was worn gathered together at the waist, and held by a girdle. This was one of the earliest forms of a clumsily stitched skirt

Later evolved into a “ghagri” with the nada replacing the girdle The bhairnivasani was first used by the Jain and Buddhist nuns,

and arose from the idea that a woman’s body was sinful and had to be covered

2300 years back

• A stitched shirt-like foreign garment called the kancuka was frequently used by attendants, grooms, guards and so on in the king’s court,

KANCHUKA This is a close fitting garment covering the upper body. Armor is also a form of Kanchuka.

2300 years back

Kanchuka –ghagra : a functional attire

Kanchuka has morphed into the “choli” or blouse.

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2300 years back

The reason why the skirt or the ghagra must have survived in the plains is because its easier for the female to defecate as it forms a tent around her and provides privacy

Guptas

Islam

1800 years back

500 yrs back..


5300 years back


2100 years back



3500 years back

Maurya Greeks

2300 years back

Socio culturalAn epoch dominated by international exchanges through the Silk Route. Buddhism continued to evolve

Kushan Period- the Sakas (Scythians, ancestors of Rajputs)

2100 years back

The Kushans established themselves in punjab, meanwhile the parthians, who had sttled in the western sataraps gave in to the kushans

Political

At the turn of the Century, Kushan Dynasty

2100 years back

Clothing

2100 years back

1.indigenous people-the antariya, uttariya, and kayabandh,

2. guardians and attendants of the harem-usually the indigenous and sewn kancuka, red-brown in color

3.foreign Kushan rulers and their entourage

a mixture of foreign and indigenous garments.

trade relation with Rome brought in different form of Drape which manifested into today's Sari

Kushan costumes may be divided into five types. It also set stone of difference between the costumes of north and the south India.As the foreigners were restricted to the north of vindhyas only

The Kushan Dynasty The Ancient “globalization”


2100 years back

The dress was worn by most of Scythian and Iranian races and resembled particularly that of the Parthians It consisted of a ruched long-sleeves tunic with a slit for the neck opening, simple or elaborately decorated. The close-fitting knee-length tunic was sometimes made of leather, and with it could be worn a short cloak or a calf-length woolen coat or caftan, worn loose or crossed over from right to left and secured by a belt of leather or metal.

External influence…. Stitched clothes..

2100 years back

Kaniska (from the warrior class) is depicted wearing a Iranian tunic, Scythian Cap and a nomadic horseman's heavy boots The Kushan dress had evolved from a nomad culture based on the use of the horse

At Gandhara there are figures wearing a sari-like garment which seems to have evolved from palmyrene (Graeco-Roman) or pure Roman dress. This is the palla (draped over garment worn over a long gown with ruched sleeves, which was typical of the Roman matron) pinned at the left shoulder. The difference in some of the Gandhara female figures is that they wear, in addition, an antariya, which is extended in length. This long antariya is worn in the kachcha style but one end continues over the left shoulder and is broached there like the palla.

First evidence of a single drape… the sari

influence of the roman drape

2100 years back

The total ensemble looks very much like the Deccani sari of today.. The wearing of an uttariya with the sari is still seen in the fisher-folk of Maharashtra.

Clo

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2100 years back

It is worn in the kacha style like the ancient antariya

The migrants who settled in India

The Parsis

And the Scythians

2100 years back

Parsis are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to the Indian subcontinent

ancient Persian rulers Modern Mumbai Parsi Family in traditional attire

The immigrants were granted permission to stay by the local ruler Jadi Rana on the condition that they adopt the local language (Gujarati), that their women adopt local dress (the sari)

The parsi cap: Clothing as means of preserving identity as in case of Parsees

The Indo-Scythians are a branch of the Indo-Iranian Sakas (Scythians), who migrated into parts of Western and Central India, Gujarat and Rajasthan, from the middle of the 2nd century BCE to the 4th century CE.

The agrarian and artisan communities (e.g. Jats, Gujars, Ahirs, Rajputs, Lohars, Tarkhans etc.) of the entire west are derived from the war-like Scythians who settled north-western.

2100 years back

These migrants brought with them new silhouettes, textures and materials that makes the present day scenario of northwest India so colourful and Vibrant.

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Mughals

500 yrs back..


5300 years back


1800 years back



3500 years back

Maurya Greeks

2300 years back


2100 years back

Political

As traditional Hindu monarchs, the Guptas were strong supporters of vedic religious beliefs and rituals.Hinduism had reached its peakManu Smriti dictated a rigid class systemAnd Buddhism declined

1800 years back

The Gupta empire was founded in northern India at the beginning of the fourth century AD after a long period of chaos which ensued when the Kushan empire ended in the middle of the third century

Down south commerce was at its height with south east countries and spreading indian textiles and art.

Social

Clothing

Many forms of cut-and-sewn garments became fashionable, especially at court. By now clearly defined the costumes of north and south India.In northern India where climatic conditions were more suitable there was greater emphasis on the stitched garments, but in the south, as is apparent even today, the indigenous antariya, uttariya and kayabandh held their own

1800 years back

Clothing of the female:The apron-like attachment at the front of the blouse, visible in some of the frescoes, could have evolved from the need for protection against the cold for the front part of the body, or as a modesty covering over the stomach which was exposed, the skirt being worn below the navel.

The external influence…. Stitched clothes..

2100 years back

Village women – Deogarh caves

This is interesting as it shows the angharakha

worn with trousers instead of the ghagri or lehenga

Maybe the trouser suited more in terms of protection against the climate and was similar to the garments of the foreigners, therefore adopted.

Deogarh

The sari drape change.. From kaccha to lungi style

The antariya was occasionally worn like the Indonesian sarong- a wide garment reaching from under the armpits to mid-thigh in a simple wraparound Clothing. The main difference in the Gupta period, as distinct from the previous periods, is that the kachcha style became less popular with women, being replaced gradually by the more feminine lehnga or lungi was we call it today, although the queen and other ladies of the royal family remained conservative.

This conservative kachcha style is still adopted by the women of Maharashtra and South India.

1800 years back

The sari drape change.. From kaccha to lungi style Clo

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Men from the north and the west (Gujarat, Uttar pradesh, Madya Pradesh) who are traditional dhoti wearers are shifting to Lungi when at home as it’s a easier drape.

Islam

500 yrs back..


5300 years back


500 years back



3500 years back

Maurya Greeks

2300 years back


2100 years back

Guptas

1800 years back

The journey started with Arab Raiders from Persia in 712-850

997-1030:turkic afgan Mahmud Ghazni raided India and destroyed and looted Temples.

1210-1526: the delhi sultanate- the turbulent period.

jubba

Kaba

Kurtak

Exposure to a wide variety of apparel for more than a decade resulted and assumed numerous regional variations, from the nomad garments of central Asia into the refined costume of the Mughals- in the instance of one type of garment, that evolved into the comfortable and relaxed dress of the common man – Kurta Pyjama

Kaba

Kurtak

500 years back

Mughal Empire was an Islamic imperial power which ruled most of the Indian subcontinent from the early 16th to the mid-19th centuries. The classic period of the Empire starts with the accession of Jalaluddin Mohammad, better known as Akbar the Great, in 1556 . The Mughal Empire survived until 1857, but its rulers were, after 1803, pensioners of the East India Company.

Political

Mughal Empire April 21, 1526 September 21, 1857

Clothing Influences

Interestingly, each emperor maintained his own contemporary style of dressing in court and otherwiseThe initial influence was restricted to the court, nobility and the upper class.Purdah, nose rings and the salwar kameez established themselves in this period

500 years back

A new sartorial morality stuck root - the purpose of clothing moved from protection and ornamentation to “rules of behavior” for men and women :Veils, turbans etc acquired cultural and societal connotations.

Socio-Cultural impact

The Mughal Dynasty 500 years back….


500 years back

Babar who was brought up in the cooler climate of Turkistan, retained the costumes of his homeland; the most popular garments in his period were ‘chafan’ (long coat) and ‘postin’ (sheep skin coat). Perhaps he wore them for traditional rather than practical reasons.

Babur in 1526

postin

500 years back

Humayun introduced Persian elements in the costumes. He was notorious for seeking the help of planetary movements (every day) in choosing what to wear. He also maintained a special treasure house in his palace to accommodate textiles and garments.

500 years back

Akbar took the initiative of introducing local textiles, which were best suited to the hot climate of the region

Akbar also developed a vocabulary of clothing and textile. Some new terms were introduced; jama was renamed ‘sarbgati’ meaning, that which covers the entire body, ‘izar’ (drawers) was renamed ‘yar pirahan’ meaning ‘companion of the coat’, ‘burqa’ and ‘hijab’ (over garment covering the body and face) were named ‘hitragupta’ (Sanskrit word) meaning ‘that which hides the face’ and ‘shawl’ took the name ‘paramnarm’ meaning ‘extremely soft’. Akbar

500 years back

Mughals neither lost their identity nor conquered the country culturally Mughal expansion was a process of evolution rather than imposition.

Because Hinduism had penetrated so deeply the foreigners were considered mleecha (impure) .hostile. Large number of Hindu converts felt no need to change their fashions.

Though after the initial clash followed fusion, with the citizens adopting part of the mughal culture and fashion

500 years back

marking features introduced to differentiate Hindus from the Muslims even though they were wearing the same kind of clothes.

The emperor Akbar was smart enough in maintaining the freedom and religious identity as the Hindu Chakdar Jama was fastened on the left side of the body and Muslims fastened it on the right side.

Hindus

Muslim

500 years back

Chakdar Jama

He himself took interest in the Clothing of court dresses and introduced the ‘Chakdar jama’ to his court, which is a cross over tunic, with slits around the skirt and an asymmetrical hemline. Although it was in Clothing in India since medieval times, Akbar restyled the garment and developed it into a formal gown by removing slits, rounding the hemline and increasing the fullness of the skirt

500 years back

The development of the Purdah system many Hindu nobles were asked their daughter in marriage to Muslim sultans against their practices. consequently they responded to the pressure by adopting ‘purdah’to keep gaze at bay and early child marriages.

The intermarriages that happened lead to the introduction of their dress styles

The social adoptions…….

500 years back

The Amirs and the Maliks and other officers at the Sultanate courts are described as wearing "gowns (tatailyat),jakalwat and Islamic qabas of Khawarizm tucked in the middle of the body" and short turbans which did not exceed five or six forearms. Of other Amirs we learn that they were as well dressed "as the soldiers except that they did not use belts and at times they let down a piece of cloth in front of them after the manner of the sups. The judges and the learned men wore ample gowns (farajiyat) that resembled jaradiyat (striped material from jand, Yemen) and an Arabic garment (durra) (a garment opening in front and buttoned)

500 years back

500 years back

Some traders adopted the mughal head dress which is still in use

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, in Shalwar, sherwani and Karakuli hat, with his sister Fatima Jinnah, in Shalwar Qameez. Picture taken in 1947.

The afghan- type Karakuli cap is a common sight in Delhi during winters

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500 years back

Nose rings are said to brought to India by the Mughal.

Salwar Kamiz, sherwanis are legacies from the mughal dynasty, and mainstream garments today

500 years back

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In the punjab region, people moved from wearing lungis to pajamas.

Pajamas are worn in Punjab by both Hindus and the Muslims.

The functional adoptions….

500 years back

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Some dress silhouettes adopted from other cultures…

PUNJAB.Man's shirt, Cashmere. . The opening for neck is Persian in shape

INDIA.Hindu jacket. Ancient Mongolian shape; light cotton material.

PUNJAB, CASHMERE. Camel-wool over-garment, "tshoga". The Punjab tshoga is reminiscent of the shape of Turkestan garments. It always has a shoulder seam. Plaited silk cords are attached to slit over breast to close garment.

angarakhaINDIA. Angarkha, Bahawalpur.

Modern Indian Fashion at a Glance…

Kashmir.. Functional adoption of clothing from central Asia

Influenced by the Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and bearing a clear stamp of the Afghan and central Asian contributions.

Due to the climatic extremities salwar is the common dress for both Hindus and the Muslims

Veil not present

Himachal pradesh… Dress evolve out of necessity

Dress evolves out of necessity owning to extreme climate - the total ensemble consists of a loose chola reaching from the neck to the ankle, this is worn over a trouser. The male attire consists of a tight trouser, jamah and a cap.

Punjabis in India have mainly Indo-Aryan and Indo-Scythian origin.Their indigenous garment was the lungi though they adopted the salwar for functional purposes. Influences from the neighboring areas like Kashmir

Rajasthan…a functional and cultural response

Gujarat

West and south west of Rajasthan ghaghra is mostly confined to peasants and the saurastra region further south people wear sari, the ghagra retains its use as an undergarment, as is the proved by the fact that even as a petticoat the underwear ghaghra is embellished , being reminiscent of the original practice of having the latter as the principal wear.

Males dress is composed of a pagri breeches and short kurta

Maharastra the dividing line of north and the south

From here we find minimum external influences on clothing owning to geographical limitations.

Further south the sari is the primary attire of the female and lungi or Mundu for the males.

Though the drape changes with from one place to another

The reasons of which are social, cultural norms of Identity of a place and community.

Kerela

Koppla Velam women with typical saris draped short. Vizagapatnam

Koppla Velam women with typical saris draped long. Vizagapatnam

Woman Brahmane Telugu with traditional caste sari in temple. Masulipatnam.

Old tribal woman with Sarguja Oraon sari.

Old woman with Rajim sari.

Tevar woman with traditional sari of her caste. Tiruchendur

Woman with traditional sari of Salem. Tiruchengodu.

Chettiyar woman with traditional sari her caste. Karaikkudi

Woman with "pinkosu" sari with pleats stretched. Tiruchendur

Orissa and the East

East we find influences from Tibetan and Chinese clothing

Within these broad clothing preferences, each community tried to differentiate from others by bringing in small changes in drapes, or wearing a particular jewelry, use of color etc to Identify themselves.

Conclusion

So till now Indian clothing had functional (protection & adornment), socio-cultural (social Structure, values, Sacred ) roots to itself which has become an Identity of the people

Communities use clothing and external symbols to preserve their identities among the mass : as indicators of social status, marital status, origin, wealth, religion

From here we would understand the Mutations that happened in the Indian fashion journey..

The change of aspirations.. from

the Europeans (British) to the

American.. To our very own Bollywood, and television

The Journey

Forces that coloured the Indian Fashion Scene

Ancient Modern.. Part 2

migrations

invasions

Functional, cultural adoptions

conversions

Independence Bollywood

Globalization

television

ancient fashion history

Business

Transcript of ancient fashion history