HISTORY INDIAN COSTUME

INTRODUCTION
• India’s history begins not with independence
in 1947, but more than 4,500 years earlier,
when the name India referred to the entire
subcontinent, including present-day Pakistan
and Bangladesh.

• The earliest of India’s known civilizations, the

Indus Valley civilization (about 2500 to 1700
BC), was known for its highly specialized
artifacts and stretched throughout northern
India.
• Another early culture—the Vedic
culture—dates from approximately
1500 BC and is considered one of the
sources for India’s predominantly
Hindu culture and for the foundation of
several important philosophical
traditions.
 EARLY CIVILIZATIONS
• INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION
• ARYAN SETTLEMENT AND THE VEDIC AGE
• THE MAURYAN DYNASTY
• SUNGA DYNASTY
• KUSHAN DYNASTY
• SATVAHANAS (DECCAN)
• GUPTA DYNASTY
• MUGHAL DYNASTY

4
Indus Valley Civilization

2500 B.C.E.
 Roots of Indus Valley Civilization
• Roots of Indus Valley began
as early as 7000 B.C.E.
– Possibly began as herders
who moved into the river
valley during colder months.
– Over time, they may have
decided to farm – river-
watered lands of the valley.
– They began trading by boat
along the Indus down into the
Arabian Sea, into the Persian
Gulf, and up the Tigris and
Euphrates into Mesopotamia.
 The Artifacts: Crafts and the Arts
• Crafts of the Indus valley
included pottery making,
dyeing, metal working in
bronze, and bead making.
– Bead materials included:
• jade from the Himalayas,
• lapis lazuli from Afghanistan,
• turquoise from Persia,
• amethyst from Mewar in India,
• and steatite, which was found
locally.
The Artifacts: Crafts and the Arts
Small sculptures in
stone, terra cotta, and
bronze appear to
represent priestly or
governmental officials,
dancing girls, and
perhaps mother
goddesses.
Since there are no
surviving texts to
explain identities,
these can only be
guesses.
The Artifacts: Crafts and the Arts
Dice and small
sculptures of bullock
carts were probably
used as toys and
games.
The first known use of
cotton as a fiber for
weaving textiles
occurred in the Indus
Valley.
 Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
•The lower city was laid out in a
gridiron with the main streets about
45 feet wide.
•Private houses, almost every one
with its own well, bathing space,
and toilet consisting of a brick seat
over a drainage area.
•Brick-lined drains flushed by water
carried liquid and solid waste to
sumps, where it was carted away,
probably to fertilize nearby fields.
 Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
•The town plan was regular.
•Even fire-baked bricks were uniform in
size and shape.
•The regularity of plan and construction
suggests a government with
organization and bureaucratic capacity.
•No monumental architecture clearly
marks the presence of a palace or
temple.
•There is little sign of social stratification
in the plan or buildings.
 Priest King
Goddess
 Costumes (Female)
• Costumes of Indus valley Civilization –
considered as the basis for Indian Clothes.
• The dress on the Clay figurines can be
considered as the normal attire of the
female of that time.
• The waist is bare and a very scanty skirt is
worn.
• The skirt is held by girdle that is made of
beads or bands of woven material secured
by a pin .
• Some figures wore a cloak-wrapped
around the upper part of the body.
• Head-dresses used –made of stiffened
cotton cloth.
• A tight collar –appearance of greater
length to neck
DANCING GIRLS FIGURINES
POTTERY
 Costumes (Male)
• Male figures are generally seen nude.
• A robe with or without embroidery was
worn over the left shoulder and under the
right arm.
• The figures of a man at harappa might be
wearing close clinginf dhoti
 FABRIC AND FOOTWEAR
• Cotton as a fabric was used.
• No evidence of use of linen and wool are
found.
• Footwear as such was not found.
 Ornaments
• People seem to be fond of jewellery and
hair dressing.
• Jewellery was made of stones, gold, silver.
• Metal ornaments were made of gold ,
electrum, silver, copper and bronze.
• Stones leike- lapis Lazuli, turquoise,
jadelite,agate, Amazone stone,shell and
quartz
 ORNAMENTS
• Girdles
• Necklace
• Bracelets
• Pectorals
• Beads
• Cones
• Earrings
• Nose rings
• Finger rings
• Anklets
• Bangles
• Hair-pins.
ORNAMENTS
ORNAMENTS