History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c9.4

v1.c9.4

If the Indian people wore simple dress they were very fond of ornaments. In fact the taste of the Indian people is in this respect exactly the reverse of the people of the west (who spend more on dress than on ornaments). Contrasted with the simplicity of their dress and habits Hiuen Tsang thus speaks of their ornaments, “The ornaments of the kings and grandees are very extraordinary. Garlands and tiaras of precious stones are their head ornaments and their bodies are adorned with rings, bracelets and necklaces. Wealthy mercantile people have only bracelets” (Watters I p. 51). Even now the rage for ornaments in India is excessive though perhaps want of gold and precious stones has now compelled men to go about without ornaments. But merchants, sardars and princes even now wear profusion of ornaments according to their means. The tiara, however, has now disappeared and properly enough as perhaps since the days of the Mahomedans there has been no crowned king as such, (except Shivaji alone) in India. Harsha is said by Bāṇa to have put on one bracelet indicative of his sovereignty but strangely enough is not said to have put on a crown. He was presented with a necklace of big pearls by Divākaramitra as a fitting person to wear such a priceless ornament. Armlets or Angadas have also not been noticed by Hiuen Tsang though they are by Bāṇa as also Kundalas and Keyūras or earrings (see Bāṇa’s description of Kumāragupta and Mādhavagupta pages 197-198 where both are shown to have garlands on the heads and the first a bracelet and Keyūra and the latter a necklace.) The case of women is different. They, even the poorest in India, must have some ornaments on their person while as for rich women, they have a profusion of gold, pearl and stone ornaments.