Clothing in
GUPTA AND RAJPUT PERIOD
SUBMITTED BY: APARNA SINGH FCIII MANSI YADUKA FCIII PRITISHA GUHA TDIII
CONTENTS: Gupta Period - Introduction - Women’s wear - Men’s wear - Headgears and hairstyles - Jewellery - Textles and dyes Rajput period - Introduction - Women’s wear - Men’s wear - Textile and clothing
GUPTA PERIOD
The Gupta period
was founded in the northern India at the beginning of the 4th century after the collapse of Kushana empire. Gupta period lasted for more then about two centuries. It stretched over the major parts of India and to Balkh in the east. The first ruler of the empire was Chandra Gupta I, who was succeeded by his son, the celebrated Samudra Gupta. The Gupta era produced the decimal system of notation and great Sanskrit epics and Hindu art and contributed to the sciences of astronomy, mathematics, and metallurgy. The Gupta period came to be known as 'golden period' and 'classical period' as a remarkable balance was obtained in all the arts and even the administration system was efficient. Sanskrit became official l a n g u a g e . Shakuntala,
MalavikaAgnimitra, Ramayan and Mahabharata formed an important part of the period. Hinduism was widespread although Buddhism still flourished. After the collapse of the Kushan empire which had a lot of influence from the western world, India was more isolated, and purely Indian ideals were being expressed and even exported to the Far East and to the south east Asia where more contacts had been made throigh trade and religious impact. In previous periods, evidence of costume was derived mainly from sculpture, but for this period it is the wall paonting of Ajanta that most vivdly mirrors contemporary life and dress. This is an extremely rich source, for it is full of factual details as to textiles and color elements which were missing in the sculptural evidence kf the previous epochs.
Gupta men’s wear: Clear defined garments for north India and Deccan began to emerge, which later crystallised into the garments preferences we see today. This period marked preference for stitched garment, as compared to any previous age. Previously it had been associated with attendants, grooms, soldiers and foreigners, it was now linked to royality with the Kushan kings. The Guptas realised the value of adopting a form of dress that had become traditionally identified with royality. They are shown on the coins in full Kushan dress, namely coat and trousers with boots. Indeginious Antariya, uttariya and kayabandh was worn on informal occasions. Many forms of cut sewn garments became fashionable, especially at court. These garments were not totally foreign to the Indians. Changes had been occurring gradually and indigenious kanchuka, associated with guardians and attendants of the harem in the earlier times, probably inspired brocaded tunic with long or short sleeves worn by ministers and guards, doorkeepers and court attendants. The western Kashatrapas or Sakas, who had been defeated by the Guptas, were a Scythian race that had ben ruling in Gujarat for more than 200 years. Their kingdom had run parallel to that of the Kushans but, unlike the Kushans, they had in the end totally identified themselves with the indegineous population, intermarried and became one with the Indians. Likewise, their costumme had adapted itelf to the Indian climate, and evolved into a light white tunic like coat and skull cap, worn with striped or gathered stockings or narrow trousers, which was a common form of apparel at the Gupta period. The Partian Kushana costume was of northern origin. They came froma colder climate, had worn a quilted and padded coat and tunic which was coarse, and had a heavy barbaric quality with gold and metal palgues at the seams. This had slowly changed to elegance and lightness over a period of time. The coat was often discarded and undergarment or Kurta, with four pointed ends and ruched sleeves, was worn with ruched trousers. These were tailored sometimes from more exotic Indian materials, as seen at Ajanta. Large number of foreigners came to India from Central Asia, as Buddhism had spread from India and reached a culminating point in this period, with over one hundred monastries and five thousand monks in Khotan in the heart of Central Asia.
In Northern India, where climatic conditions were more suitable, there was greater emphasis on stitched garments, but in the south, as it is quite apparent today, the indegineous antariya, utaarya and kayabandh held their own. Although royality in the Gupta coins show them wearing the sewn garments of the Kushan kings, in the Ajanta paintings the king and other members of the nobility stilll are seen with their fine silk or muslin antariyas.
Chaddar:
Just as often is sern a simpler version, the white calf length tunic which the chamberlain wore, a chaddar adding dignity to his attire.
Antariya:
usually lower garment
Kanchuka:
couldnt be tucked in like a shirt
Kayabandh:
holds garment in place
Ushnisa:
(turban) was slowly becoming obselete, and was now associated with mainly certain dignitaries, ministers and court officials.
The Kings costume was often of striped blue, closely woven silk with a floating uttariya. Both these grments invariably had woven borders. Instead of Kayabandh, a plain cord or belt became more popular, wound once or twice around and then buckled or knotted at the left hip on which the hand could rest, or it was casually thrown loosely over the left shoulder. It was the elaborate mukut or crown and exquisite jewellery that really set apart kings and high dignitaries from other memberss of the royal entourage. Some scholars believe that these elaborate mukuts were never actually used, but were merely
signs of divinity and royality. Turbans were much less fashionable than at or royalty. Turbans were much less fashionable at other periods , and were seldom worn at court, except when used by a particular official to define his rank of position.
Gupta women’s wear: In the Men’s costume, it was easier to trace influence as it caame mainly from the traders and invaders. In female costume, however, the variety is much greater and hence it is more difficult to pin point exact sources. Earlier invasions were partly responsible, but it was the influx of female attendants and women for the harem, who came form every part of the known world, that must have effected greater variety. These women, in their turn, were influenced by what they saw around them, and since their prime aim in life was to enhance their attractiveness, the decorative aspect of clothing had their fullest attention, and changed according to their whims. A consciousness of what is now termed as “fashion” appeared in court life. And tends to change much quicker than the course of history, for its aim is purely decorative, whereas functional changes in clothes have a sound logic, and can be traced more clearly to climatic consideratons, social environment, availability of material etc. The Antariya which was 1836 inches wide and 4-8 yards long, was worn in kachcha style worn as lehnga, in which case it was wrapped around the right hip, then around the body and tucked in at the left hip.It was drawn very tight across the hips accentuating their curve most
seductively, and was normally calf length. Another form of antariya was worn in kachcha and lehnga style together. This was usually a very short anatariya only to the mid thigh, and called calanika; drawn up first in the kachcha style, the longer end of the three yard long material was then wrapped around like a short lehnga. A common form was a skimpy antariya made of cheap linen and worn mainly by lower classes. Normally the ankle length antariya was worn by the nobility and women of high rank,attendants usually using the shorter form, but in all cases it was tied under the navel and supported by the hip bones at the sides. The antariya was occasionally worn like the Indonesian sarong, a wide garment reaching from under the armpits or mid-thigh in a simple wrap around fashion. The main difference in 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, as we call it today, although the queen and other ladies of the royal family remained conservative. The conservative kachcha style is adopted by women of Maharashtra and is still adopted by the women of Maharastra and South India. The skirt had evolved frim the antariya which, when stitched on one side, became tubular and was worn gathered together at the waist and held by a girdle or bhairnivasani. This is one of the earliest forms of a clumsy stitched skirt known to man and was used as early as the Early Bronze period by the Germanic race. The bhairnivasini was first used by the Jain and Buddhist nuns, and arouse from the idea that a woman’s body is sinful and must be covered, the kachcha and lehnga style being considered to seductive as it was considered too seductive as it was worn pulled tight across the hips. With the Jain sect in particular, an extra ordinary amount of clothingwas worn by the nuns to completely hide the shape of the femaale form. From Bhairnivasani evolved skirt with drawstring or called the ghagri. The latter was used by the laity, more often villagers, and was more attractive, since the borders of cloth was used vertically in the centre to decorate it. It was a narrow skirt of the same 6 foot length as orignal antariya had been.
Headgear and hairstyles Women Simple plaits are no longer in fashion, and hair is so elaborately dressed at times, that the help of maid- servants, who were expert hair – dressers was obviously essential. There seem to be broadly two styles of foreign origin, while the complicated ways of dressing long hair is mainly derived from south Indian and Deccani styles. The latter became extremely popular in the Gupta age. The use of missi to darken the gums and the lips, and henna to redden the palm and soles of the feet was fairly prevalent. Of foreign origin was the short hair which was sometimes frizzed in front with luxuriant ringlets, quite unlike anything seen today, or just hanging loose to the shoulders or lower, and held by a fillet or a chaplet of flowers. The indigenous style showed itself in long hair worn in a bun, either high or low on the neck, knotted at the side of the head, or with the coil wound on the left, on top of the head. The bun itself was sometimes a simple tight knot but almost always surrounded by flowers or large lotus blossoms tucked into it. There could be a ratna jail or jewelled net, or one of pearls called mukta jala, worn over the bun. Tiaras were often used with short or long hair, and pearl strings could f=define the parting of the hair, as could a jewelled band. Fillets, both simple and elaborate, were commonly used to hold back short hair. Turbans too had disappeared completely. In the Deccan, hair styles of the lower class or peasant women could be as elaborate as those of higher class women.
Headgear and hairstyles Men
Men – A tiara or crown with a band with garlands, replaced turban. This slowly became more common for king when informally dressed in indigenous garments attendants wore them as well, with shoulder – length hair. In the royal entourage, the turban continued to be worn by high officials, like the chamberlain, ministers, military officials and so on, where it had become a distinctive symbol of their respective rank. Ministers were often Brahmins who removed all the hair from the head keeping on the ritual top knot. Generally the hair was worn loose by men, shoulder length and curled, in the gurnakuntala style, sometimes with a headband to hold it in place, or a strand of pearls. Very short hair was also fairly common, and looked much like the hair worn today except that clear parting in the hair is seldom visible.
Jewellery Gold was more generally used than ever before, especially in the Deccan where there was gold mines. Gold ornaments for both men and women were exquisitely made, acquiring a new delicacy, when beaten work, filigree work and twisted wire was skilfully combined with jewels, particularly pearls. Pearls were even used as tassels and festoons to decorate buildings. Royality was the main customers for gemstones. Kundala were of two types both cicular. One large ring type, and other was a button type, karnaphula, with a plain or decorated surface. A smaller gold wire circlet with pearls strung on it, or two pearls and one emerald, was the bali worn on the upper ear. Hema sutra was precious stone necklace. they used to decorate themselves using flowers like saffron, white rose flowers etc. Spices garlands worn on special occasion. Ribbon and silk used on necklaces. Rings were in common use. The girdle or mekhala was worn by woen quite low on thee hips and suspended from katisutra(string tied to waist and hidden under the upper antariya edge. Kinikini and nupura be the well known anklets of their time.
Textile and Dyes In the Gupta age the finest textiles were available, printed, painted, dyed, and richly patterned in weaves or embroidery. The art of calico printing improved considerably, and many of the traditional prints of today originated in this period. There were checks, stripes, and bird and animal motifs, e.g. geese, swans, deer, elephants etc. Delicate embroidery on muslins, consisting of hundreds of different varieties of flowers and birds, was skilfully executed, along with intricately woven brocades which continued to be in vogue. The gold and silver woven brocades of Benares, which had a very ancient tradition, were still used, and in the north and north-west the art of embroidery reached its highest peak of development. Silk was woven in black and white check patterns, especially for cushions which had handsome covers of gold, silver or dark coloured cloth embroidered or patterned in silver stars or four-petalled flowers, or of striped materials with chess- patterned bands. Dyeing too was very sophisticated, and the diagonal stripes, which were popular, in places merged soft and dark tones into each other. This beautiful effect was created by the resist-dye technique. Tie-dyeing of Gujarat and Rajasthan, in many different patterns, was called pulakabandha and was used a great deal in the upper garment of women.
RAJPUT PERIOD
RAJPUT
A Rajput (from Sanskrit raja-putra, “son of a king”) is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and some parts of Pakistan. They claim to be descendants of ruling Hindu warrior classes of North India. Rajputs rose to prominence during the 6th to 12th centuries. Until the 20th century, Rajputs ruled in the “overwhelming majority” of the princely states of Rajasthan and Surashtra, where the largest number of princely states were found. The Rajput population and the former Rajput states are found spread through much of the subcontinent, particularly in north, west and central India. Populations are found in Rajasthan, Saurashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. There are several major subdivisions of Rajputs, known as vansh or vamsha, the step below the super-division jati. These vansh delineate claimed descent from various sources, and the Rajput are generally considered to be divided into three primary vansh: Suryavanshi denotes descent from the solar deity Surya, Chandravanshi from the lunar deity Chandra, and Agnivanshi from the fire deity Agni. Lesser-noted vansh include Udayvanshi, Rajvanshi, and Rishivanshi. The histories of the various vanshs were later recorded in documents known as vanshaavaliis.
Beneath the vansh division are smaller and smaller subdivisions: kul, shakh (“branch”), khamp or khanp (“twig”), and nak (“twig tip”). Marriages within a kul are generally disallowed (with some flexibility for kul-mates of different gotralineages). The kul serves as primary identity for many of the Rajput clans, and each kul is protected by a family goddess, the kuldevi.
RAJPUT KINGDOM The first major Rajput kingdom was the Sisodia-ruled kingdom of Mewar. However, the term “Rajput” has also been used as an anachronistic designation for the earlier Hindu dynasties that succeeded the Gurjara-Pratiharas, such as the Chahamanas (of Shakambhari, Nadol and Jalor), the Tomaras, the Chaulukyas, the Paramaras, the Gahadavalas, and the Chandelas. These dynasties confronted the Ghaznavid and Ghurid invaders during the 11th and 12th centuries. Although the Rajput identity did not exist at this time, these lineages were classified as aristocratic Rajput clans in the later times.
Chittor Fort, built by a dynasty of Sisodia Rajputs, is one of the largest forts in India. In the 15th century, the Muslim sultans of Malwa and Gujarat put a joint effort to overcome the Mewar ruler Rana Kumbha but both the sultans were defeated. Subsequently, in 1518 the Rajput Mewar Kingdom under Rana Sanga achieved a major victory over Sultan Ibrahim Lodhi of Delhi Sultanate and afterwards Rana’s influence extended up to the striking distance of Pilia Khar in Agra. Accordingly, Rana Sanga came to be the most distinguished indigenous contender for supremacy but was defeated by the Mughal invader Babur at Battle of Khanwa in 1527. From as early as the 16th century, Purbiya Rajput soldiers from the eastern regions of Bihar and Awadh, were recruited as mercenaries for Rajputs in the west, particularly in the Malwa region.
Rajput womenswear Rajput women’s main attire was the Sari (wrapped over whole body and one of the end thrown on the right shoulder) or Lengha related with the Rajasthani traditional dress. On the occasion (marriage) women preferred Angia. After marriage of Kanchli, Kurti, and angia were the main garb of women.
The young girls used to wear the Puthia as an upper garment made of pure cotton fabric and the Sulhanki as lower garments (loose pyjama). Widows and unmarried women clothed themaselves with Polka (half sleeved which ends at the waist) and Ghaghra as a voluminous gored skirt made of line satin, organza or silk. Jewellery preferred by women were exquisite in the style or design. One of the most jewellery called Rakhdi (head ornament), Machi-suliya (ears) and Tevata, Pattia, and the aad (all is necklace). Rakhdi, nath and chuda shows the married woman’s status. The footwear is same for men and women and named Juti made of leather.
The “Kurti” is sleeveless short tunic with a deep neckline, which is worn over the “Kanchli” and reaches a little below the waist. The “Kurti” has bias edgings called “Guna” (Piping) and the “Maghji” (Hem) at the neckline the armhole and the hem. The “Kurti” had a slit on the side seams, which are around 3.5 to 4 inches long. These slit enable the odhna/odhani to be tucked at the waist of the “lengha” and to accomadate the gather of the “lengha”. The “Kanchli” serves the purpose of brassieres. It is a backless blouse with half sleeves and fastens at the back around the neck and the waist with the help of cloth ties. The upper part of the cups of the “Kanchli” is elaborately embroidered, as the upper part of cup is visible above the neckline of the “Kurti”. They decorated their upper garments with gota, kasida, fool Patti work and figures of birds and flowers. Tare (stars), mirror, gota, flower, lace, cheed (beads)and moti (pearls) were also used in the design around border of sleeves of Kurti and Kanchli. Lower garment - Lengha of Rajput women: The lengha worn by Rajput women has length from waist to heel. Lengha is made of different coloured fabrics having the prints on it. Red, yellow, pink and different colours are used for lengha. The lower border of lengha” is made up of geometrically shapes in same colour of lengha which is made by some folds of clothes called “Chunnet” or silk and cotton lace (cord) is put inside the nepha to tie the lengha having the foondas, mirrors at the end of the cord. They also do ‘smoking’ Kasida (embroidery) to give it fine look.
Rajput menswear Rajput’s main costumes were the aristocratic dresses (court-dress) which includes angarkhi, pagdi, chudidar pyjama and a cummerbund (belt). Angarkhi (short jacket) is long upper part of garments which they used to wear over a sleeveless close fitting cloth. Nobles of Rajputs generally attired themselves in the Jama, Shervani as an upper garment and Salvar, Churidar-Pyjama (a pair of shaped trousers) as lower garments. The Dhoti was also in tradition in that time but styles were different to wear it. Tevata style of dhoti was prominent in Desert region and Tilangi style in the other regions.
First the dhoti is draped around the waist so that equal lengths of the dhoti are left hanging at either side and small double knots are made at the centre front to hold it on place. The whole length of the upper selvedge is given knife pleats. These are tucked in at the centre front and the front fold face towards left. The width of the right Pallav is passed between that is tucked is adjusted to the
comfort of the wearer thus leaving about half a meter cloth hanging. This piece of cloth is then brought over the side seen and tucked into the waist with a remainder of the cloth gently cascading down. The left selvedge is also pleated with the pleats tucked over the right pleats. Rajput community usually used to decorate their pagri by separate printed cloth called “Lapeta� in their language, which is decorated either by zari work or embroidery.
Textile and Clothing The state records of Jaipur mention special departments in charge royal costumes while the Ranghkhana and the Chhapakhana are departments that took care of dyeing and printing the fabrics respectively. The siwankhana ensured its immaculate tailoring Two special sections, the toshakhanaand the kapaddwadra, took care of the daily wear and formal clothing for the king. Rajasthani daily wear such as Saris, Odhnis and Turbans are often made from textiles using either blockprinted or tie and dye techniques. The rajput kings, owing to their close proximity to the Mughal court style in their formal dress. Richly brocaded material from Banaras and Gujarat, Embroidered and woven Kahshmiri shawls and delicate cottons from Chanderi and Dhaka were procured at great cost. This formal dress made for Maharaja Bane Singh Alwar (1815-57) shows a strange mixture of Mughal and Tranditional styles. I n India, Rajputs have a great identity and substantial contributions. As Rajputs are known for their rich treasure of culture although, it is not sporadically explored. In the colourful Indian state of Rajasthan, many communities are living.
In each community, different style of costumes and coiffure are worn. Costumes/ coiffure are often made from textiles using either traditional or modern printing. The main work of costumes and coiffure is covering of human body and protect on from natural calamities like rain, sunlight, winter and sense of bare body. In present time costumes are not only the basic demand of human beings but also the expression of the social status by means of decoration. Rajasthani people are fond of decorated costumes by nature and remain attractive towards costumes and ornaments since the early age.
Conclusion -
The study of periods of our history will help us know ourselves better. It tells us how the clothing evolved over the time. It shows how the present day costumes came into being. A lot of film and TV series use this knowledge to recreate the past episodes for people’s entertainment. -We as designers can take inspiration from these periods to develop a new pattern make comics, illustrations, stylise, shoot etc.