Indische Palaographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s3.t2.5
Indische Paläographie von circa 350 a. Chr. – circa 1300 p. Chr. c48.s3.t2.5
- Language
- German
c48.s3.t2.5.1
means so anomalous as regards sequence as it may appear at first sight. In India, as in other oriental countries, dancing and singing are professional accomplishments or ceremonial observances, and only among some of the wilder tribes is the dance a form of private recreation. In Brāhmanic circles there are recognised dances, generally of a religious significance, danced among women, and, also, a few highly heterodox tripudiations associated with the rites of some particular sect, and ignored by the rest of the community. There are, again, the sword-dances of the Khattak and other frontier tribes, and most of the more primitive forest communities have their reel or square-dance with its traditional figures handed down as a tribal possession. With these exceptions, the dance in India is a performance by trained professionals, of a character which may be called posture-singing, or illustrating by gestures the words sung by the performer. The subject of the ode, except amongst the Muslim, is usually connected with religion or mythology. In the Dravidian region the dancing takes place within or before the temple, in honour of the god, especially of S'iva in his many forms, and the performers are dedicated to him and form part of the establishment of the temple. The women have their off-time, of course, which is spent in the practice of the ancient mystery everywhere, now as of yore, associated with professional dancing.
c48.s3.t2.5.2
In fact, the old Dutch travellers when introduced to these bevies, did not mince their words, but habitually refer to them under the title of "danshoer", an appellation even more applicable to the dancing castes of the north than to those in the south, since the former have no connection with religion beyond the dedication of the individual to the worship of a certain god, if she be of the Brāhmanic faith. It is worth noting that owing possibly to this connection with the popular pantheon or, as some think, to the more distant tradition of communistic marriage, the courtesan is not a degraded member of Indian society, but, like the Hetaira of Athens, is not only tolerated, but respected. There is, of course, every grade to be found amongst them, as in all countries where inequality of purse is the rule, from the ragged nomad in her filthy little reed-booth, whose musical and terpsichorean attainments are of the lowest, to the highly-trained singer of the great city, well versed in alike classical and popular poetry, whose diction is often quoted as the standard of Hindī or Urdū polite conversation. It may have been gathered from what has been stated above, that the two arts, dancing and singing, go together, and comparatively few and those only of the highest rank, sing without the plastic accompaniment.
c48.s3.t2.5.3
Recruited as they are from all castes, Brahmanic and Muslim, under a number of titles, honorific or the reverse, it is not worth while to dwell upon them here otherwise than cursorily, as an ancient and recognised grade in Indian society. In upper India, alongside the functional titles of Ṭavāif, Kasbī, Nāik, and so on, there are found the semi-religious designations of Rāmjani, Gandharp, Rās-dhārī and the lower ones of Kañcan, Besyā, Patūriya and so on. In the west, besides some of those above mentioned, there are the Naikin, of the semi-religious type, and the Kalāvant. The religious establishments referred to above are all in the south. In the Dekkan there are several of comparatively small renown and endowment, and only nine women have returned themselves under the specific name there given to them. Even in the Tamil country, where the accommodation for this class round the chief temples indicates the extent of the community in old times, the number returned is far below the actual, since many of the girls give the name of the caste in which they were born, instead of that to which they were dedicated when they wedded the god. It is the duty of the Dāsī to fan the god, present to him the sacred light, and to sing and dance before him when he is carried in procession. Owing to their Brāhmanic connection, they do not consort with the Kammālan, or artisans, who belong to the Left hand, nor, of course, with the impure castes.
c48.s3.t2.5.4
Their sons become musicians, often of considerable skill and learning, and occasionally marry into respectable castes. The daughters follow their mother. In the Telugu country, the caste is known as Bōgam or Sāni, and is widely scattered in small numbers. There is only one institution of the sort common in the Tamil region. The Kanarese Devali are mostly ascribed to a god or to temples, as in the south. Both here and in Teliṅgāna, the recruits are from the Paḷḷi, and Holeya, but on the coast, the breed is apparently from a fairer stock, like the Tīyan, or bastards of the Havik. All these dancing and singing castes have their strict rules about initiation, conduct, inheritance, and the observance of caste regulations, enforced through a caste Council, or Pancāyat, like the larger communities.