Indian Costume, Coiffure and Ornament (An Old and Rare Book)

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Foreword History does not mean only political history. Life of the people of any region in any period constitutes the most important aspect of their history. From very ancient time man has always been endeavoring to decorate himself in such a way as would make him more presentable according to the standards or tastes of the time. Dr. S.N. Sahay has chosen the subject of Costume, Coiffure and Ornament of ancient time basing his studies mainly on archaeological sources.

Archaeology is the most authentic source for the study of material culture.

Literary references may be corroborated by archaeological evidences but some of literary references un-corroborated from any other evidences cannot be necessarily accepted as facts of life. Dr. Sahay has made a comprehensive study of the Costume, Coiffure and Ornaments as prevalent amongst the people of India as a whole but particularly of North Eastern India. He has covered a long period and has shown by his keen observations the changes in fashion and styles. The book is fairly well illustrated. This is the first scholarly work of Dr. Sahay and shows commendable promise for the future. I am sure the learned readers will find the work informative and authentic.

Preface The present work is an account of Costume, Coiffure and Ornament of the people of North-Eastern India from c. 325 Be to c. 1200 AD with particular reference to Bihar, on the basis of archaeological evidences as they form the most authentic source for the study of material culture. Such evidences have, however, also been corroborated by the literary and foreign accounts of the period.

Costume, Coiffure and Ornament have so far been studied separately; but here they have been discussed together as they are so closely interlinked with the human life and society that it becomes difficult to separate them. They are like different limbs of the body which cannot function properly if separated from each other. Further, an effort has been made to show how far the psychological and the sociological factors have been responsible for the change in the fashion of dress and ornament of the people of North-Eastern India. The changes in the fashion are very important phenomena of human life, and as such special care has been taken to show how the people adopted the fashion and how long a particular fashion continued in this region. Wherever possible, an attempt has been made to throw light on the social and economic condition of the people of North-Eastern India as well as their standard of living, as Costume, Coiffure and Ornament are not only objects of personal decoration; but they also reveal, by and large, the social and economic condition of the people. They are important adjunct to human personality and an index of social life. They enshrine and typify ideas of class and rank. Moreover, an attempt has been made to show how far trade and commerce, influenced the dress and ornament of this country, more particularly of the people of this region. Besides these, an effort has been made to show how far foreign rulers influenced costume, coiffure and ornament of the people of North-Eastern India.

The book is divided mainly into three parts, viz., Costume, Coiffure and Ornament. In the first part, male and female dresses have been discussed separately under two different chapters. The second part consists of four chapters, two dealing with the male and female head-dresses and the remaining two dealing with the male and female hair arrangements. The third part contains two chapters, one on the male ornament and the other on the female ornament.

Besides these, an exhaustive introduction and conclusion have been added largely with a view to acquainting the readers with a general survey of the history of ornament dress and ornament and its development in this region. There are numerous line-drawings and photographs to show the evolution and the actual representations of various types of dresses and ornaments used by the people of North- Eastern India.

The present work, in the main, represents the thesis approved for the Degree of Ph.D. by the University of Patna in 1966. It is my proud privilege to express my deep sense of gratitude and heart-felt thanks to my supervisor and esteemed teacher, Dr. B. P. Sinha, M.A., Ph.D. (Lond.), University Professor and Head of the Department of Ancient Indian History and Archaeology, Patna University, whose constant and able guidance made it possible for me to give the work the final form. I also acknowledge my gratitude to Dr. B. Sahai, Reader in the Department of Ancient Indian History and Archaeology, Patna University, for his help, encouragement and suggestions.

I also owe my thanks to Dr. (Smt.) S. M. Devi and Dr. M.C.P. Shrivasatva, Lecturers in the Department of Ancient Indian History and Archaeology, Patna University, Dr. B. S. Verma, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India, and Sri C. P. Sinha of Patna Museum for their help and suggestions in the preparation of this work. My thanks are also due to Sri P.N. Sahay, Department of History. Patna University, and Dr. S.P. Singh, Curator, Department of Ancient Indian History and Archaeology, Patna University, for preparing the Index. I also place on record my thanks to all those who helped me in this work and to the authorities, particularly of the Patna Museum, Patna, who allowed me to have the photographs of the sculptures and the terracottas reproduced. I am also greatly indebted to all those scholars whose works I have thoroughly and intensively utilized in preparing this work.

My thanks are also due to my Publishers who have done their best in over- coming many a handicap in bringing out this book.

Introduction Hhistory generally deals with the exploits of the kings and their achievements in the field of administration, the rise and fall of states, and the social and economic conditions of the people. But such a history cannot be regarded as complete. It should present the story of the people and their life, thought and culture. It should record the characteristics as well as reactions of the people to physical and economic conditions. It should contain an account of their social institutions, beliefs and forms. The central purpose of a history should, therefore, be to investigate and unfold the values which age after age has inspired the inhabitants of a country. It is, therefore, necessary to deal with the history of Costume, Coiffure and Ornament, which would reveal, besides their social and economic condition from age to age, their aesthetic qualities, their love for beauty and refinement, and their influences, internal and external, bearing on the material life of the people.

There are various factors which govern the nature and mode of costume, coiffure and ornament. The first is the climate of a country, the products of its industry and the natural resources available. The second is the psychological and social significance. The third is the philosophic mood which acts like symbol and indicates the mood of the wearer. The fourth is the anatomic feature which is based on the natural cut or lines of the body. The fifth and last is the economic factor which is no less significant for the growth and development of dress and ornament. Foreigners too often influence the dress and the ornament of the people.

The climate of a country plays a vital role at least in the nature and mode of wearing costume and coiffure. A person belonging to hot climate generally wears light and thin clothes, and likes to keep the body bare as far as practice- able, while a person living in cold climate wears thick and heavy clothes and tries to cover major parts of the body. But a person living in tropical country wears both thin 'and heavy clothes, because in such countries some part of the year is cold, while other part is hot. Those who belong to hot climate take more care in arranging the hair, while those of the cold climate like to cover the head, but those of the tropical climate conceal the head almost for the whole year. Thus, the nature and mode of wearing ornaments are governed not only by the climate, but also by the natural resources available. These natural re- sources are significant for both clothes and ornaments. Therefore, in a country where gold is more available people wear ornaments of gold; likewise, where silver or gems are more available they wear ornaments made up of silver and precious gems. Similarly where cotton is more available, people wear cotton clothes, and where silk and wool are more available they wear silk and woolen clothes. Thus, the climate and the natural resources are very significant, which condition the use of the dress and the ornaments in a country.

The psychological and the philosophical moods are other important aspects which influence costume wearing. They enshrine and typify ideas of class and ranks. They also reveal aesthetic sense of the rich and the poor. So far the colors are concerned; they have not only a social significance, but also betoken temper and heart. intellect and talent. A person wearing dirty clothes indicates two things; that he is not in a normal state of mind and that his economic condition is not satisfactory. Likewise, the use of scanty clothes also reveals two things-firstly, he belongs to hot climate, and secondly, his economic condition is not good. Those who wear more clothes indicate that they belong to cold climate. Quick change of fashion is also conditioned by the psychology of a person. The richer classes, in order to keep up their distinction from the lower classes, soon change the nature of the garments and the ornaments so that the poor classes, who have to wear out their previous clothes before they can think of affording a change, are always left behind in the competition. They are thus easily distinguished from their social superiors.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages