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History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c20.s5: Conclusion

History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c20.s5

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English

Conclusion

v1.c20.s5.1

The particulars given above reveal that the people in ancient India and even those of the pre-historic Age were using different kinds of dyes, mordants and pigments to colour textiles and to paint potteries, surfaces of wall, pictures etc. Most of the colouring substances were obtained from vegetable products and also from minerals which were easily available in and around their own settlements or villages and sometimes obtained from other regions. People knew the use of mordants also to fix the dyes on cloth especially cotton. During the Tantric period metals were also used as pigments to coat or paint surfaces like that of pillars and walls. The above accounts strongly testify to the fact that India was not lagging behind in her technological activities. Dyeing and painting developed in ancient India as a rural technology. Eventhough the country was not industrialised as it is today, but still cottage industries, particularly those related to dyes, pigments and paints flourished and each region followed its own technique depending upon the availability of colouring substances, geographical and climatic conditions.

v1.c20.s5.2

By the early centuries of the Christian era, the art of dyeing cloth in India had become proverbial. This is indicated by a reference in St. Jerome’s translation of the Bible, made in the 4th century, where Job says that wisdom is more durable than the ‘dyed colours in India’.

v1.c20.s5.3

Indians had mastered the complicated techniques of dyeing cotton which was not the superficial use of pigment but involved permeation of the fibres (Munroe, pp.25-26; quoted in Jaggi, I,p.210). Such statements, no doubt, speak a lot about the perfect skill exhibited by ancient Indian people in preparing and using dyes, mordants and pigments for beautifying the entire surroundings.

v1.c20.s5.4

¹ *cakṣurmātragrāhyaḥ guṇaḥ rūpam* (Tar of Annambhaṭṭa)

v1.c20.s5.5

² *rajake kaścidāyāntam raṅgakāram gadāgrajaḥ/dṛṣṭvāyācata vāsāṃsi dhautānyatyuttamāni ca* (Bhāg. Pu, X.41.32; Bra.Pu. 187.4).

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³ *nīlanī kṛṣṇavarṇāni dhūmrāṇi madhurāṇi ca pāṭalānyabhirā māṇi jambūphalanibhani ca nānāvarṇa vicitrāṇi nānārūpa mayāni ca madhye raktāni kṛṣṇāni pītāni haritāni ca* (Śiv R. VI. 16.13-15)

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⁴ *mañjiṣṭhārāgayuktāni lākṣārāgayuktāni ca kusumbharasayuktāni sindūrāruṇakāni ca* (Śiv.R VI 16. 18-19)

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⁵ *tuvarī mañjiṣṭhā rāgabandhinī* (Ray, p. 103)

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⁶ *saurāṣṭrakhanisambhūtā mṛsnā yā tu varā matā vastre tu lipyate ya sa manjiṣṭhā rāga vardhinī pītikā sphuṭikā ceti dvidhā sā parīkirtitā īsat pītā guruḥ snigdhā pītikā viṣanāśinī* (Śiv.R. VI. 23.103-104)

v1.c20.s5.10

⁷ *saurāṣṭradeśe sañjātā khanijā tuvarīmatā yā lepitā śvetavastre rangabandhakari hī sā pullikā khaṭikā tadvat dviprakāra praśasyate* (RPS of Yaśodhara; Ray, p. 358; RRS, II.59-62)

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⁸ *netrayorañjanam kāryam adharasya ca rañjanam dantānam vividhā rāgāḥ catuṇām śuklata yatha* (Nāṭ of Bharata, 21.28, 40.41; Ṛts of Kālidāsa, 1.5, Kād, p.11)

v1.c20.s5.12

⁹ *nakharañjako nāma vṛkṣaviśesa yasya piṣtaiḥ patraiḥ nakhānam rāgam striyaḥ utpādayanti patram ca dadyāt mada yantikāyāḥ lepo’ngarāgo naradevayogyaḥ iti suśrutah* (Vaidya, 1936, p.418)

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