History
of Assam
Assam
was known as 'Kamarupa' or
'Pragjyotish' in the period
of the Epics. Human inhabitation
of this area dates backs to
about 2000 BC. The population
of Assam comprises of the
migrants from Burma and China.
They came into Assam after
the mongoloid migration. They
came from Punjab through Bihar
and North Bengal. Thus Assam
presents a fusion of Mongol-Aryan
culture. The early history
of Assam is believed to be
of the Varman dynasty. The
reign of this dynasty extended
from 400 AD to 13th century.
The visit of Huien Tsang is
said to have taken place during
the 7th century at the time
of Kumar Bhaskar Varman. The
Ahoms ventured into Assam
in about 1228 AD. By 15th
century the kingdoms of Ahom
and Koch were established.
This period witnessed a change
in all walks of life in Assam.
In the later part of the 18th
century the Ahom Kingdom was
weakened due to internal strife.
The Burmese ran over the political
authority in Assam thus invoking
British intervention to subdue
the Burmese. After a conflict
between the Burmese and the
English, the treaty of Yandaboo
restored peace in 1826. The
British then set out to organize
the administration, transport
and communication. Besides
the various changes, the construction
of railways; introduction
of tea plantation, discovery
of coal and oil etc. proved
fruitful to the British during
the World War II. After Independence
of India, Assam witnessed
several separations of territories.
In 1948, NEFA (Arunachal Pradesh)
was separated. In 1963 Nagaland
was separated in 1972 Meghalaya
and in 1987 Mizoram.
Arts
and craft of Assam
The
people of Assam have traditionally
been craftsmen from time immemorial.
Though Assam is mostly known
for its exquisite silks and
the bamboo and cane products,
several other crafts are also
made here.
Cane and Bamboo
Cane and bamboo
have remained inseparable
parts of life in Assam. They
happen to be the two most
commonly-used items in daily
life, ranging from household
implements to construction
of dwelling houses to weaving
accessories to musical instruments.
The
Jappi, the traditional sunshade
continues to be the most prestigious
of bamboo items of the state,
and it has been in use since
the days when the great Chinese
traveller Hiuen Tsang came
to Assam that visitors are
welcomed with a jaapi.
Cane
and bamboo furnitures on the
other hand have been a hit
both in the domestic as well
as the export market, while
paati, the traditional mat
has found its way into the
world of interior decoration.
Metal Crafts
Bell-metal
and brass have been the most
commonly used metals for the
Assamese artisan. Traditional
utensils and fancy artiicles
designed by these artisans
are found in every Assamese
household. The Xorai and bota
have in use for centuries,
to offer betel-nut and paan
while welcoming distinguished
guests.
The
entire population of two townships
near Guwahati - Hajo and Sarthebari,
are engaged in producing traditional
bell-metal and brass articles.
They have also used their
innovative skills to design
modern day articles to compete
with the changing times. Gold,
silver and copper too form
a part of traditional metal
craft in Assam and the State
Museum in Guwahati has a rich
collection of items made of
these metals. Gold however
is now used only for ornaments.
Handlooms
Assam
is the home of several types
of silks, the most prominent
and prestigious being muga,
the golden silk exclusive
only to this state. Muga apart,
there is paat, as also eri,
the latter being used in manufacture
of warm clothes for winter.Of
a naturally rich golden colour,
muga is the finest of India's
wild silks. It is produced
only in Assam. The women of
Assam weave fairy tales in
their looms. Skill to weave
was the primary qualification
of a young girl for her eligibility
for marriage. This perhaps
explains why Assam has the
largest concentration of Handlooms
and weavers in India. One
of the world's finest artistic
traditions finds expression
in their exquisitely woven
'Eri', 'Muga' and 'Pat' fabrics.
The
traditional handloom silks
still hold their own in world
markets They score over factory-made
silks in the richness of their
textures and designs, in their
individuality, character and
classic beauty. No two handwoven
silks are exactly alike. Personality
of the weaver, her hereditary
skill, her innate sense of
colour and balance all help
to create a unique product.
Today,
India exports a wide variety
of silks to western Europe
and the United States, especially
as exclusive furnishing fabrics.
Boutiques and fashion houses,
designers and interior decorators
have the advantage of getting
custom-woven fabrics in the
designs, weaves and colours
of their choice. A service
that ensures an exclusive
product not easily repeatable
by competitors.
The
Tribals on the other hand
have a wide variety of colourful
costumes, some of which have
earned International repute
through the export market.
Weaving
in Assam is so replete with
artistic sensibility and so
intimately linked to folk
life that Gandhiji, during
his famous tour to promote
khadi and swadeshi, was so
moved that he remarked : "Assamese
women weave fairy tales in
their clothes!"
Toys
The toys of Assam have been
broadly classified under four
heads : (i) clay toys, (ii)
pith, (iii) wooden and bamboo
toys, and (iv) cloth and cloth-and-mud
toys.
While
the human figure, especially
dolls, brides and grooms,
is the most common theme of
all kinds of toys, a variety
of animals forms have also
dominated the clay-toys scene
of Assam. Clay traditionally
made by the Kumar and Hira
communities, have often depicted
different animals too, while
gods, goddesses and other
mythological figures also
find importance in the work
of traditional artist.
Pith
or Indian cork has also been
used for toy-making since
centuries in Assam. Such toys
are chiefly made in the Goalpara
region and they include figures
of gods, animals and birds,
the last of which again dominate
the over-all output.
Wood
and bamboo on the other hand
have been in use for making
toys for several centuries
, and like the other mediums,
come as birds, animals and
human figures.
Toys
of cloth as also with a mixture
of cloth and mud too have
constituted part of the rich
Assamese toy-making tradition.
While the art of making cloth
toys have been traditionally
handed down from mother to
daughter in every household,
the cloth-and-mud toys are
generally used for puppet
theatres. Among the household
toys, the bride and the groom
are the most common characters,
while the other varieties
have animals and mythological
characters as the plays demand.
The
Kumars and Hiras are two traditional
potter communities of Assam
and while the Kumars use the
wheel to produce his pots,
the Hiras are probably the
only potters in the world
who do not use the wheel at
all. Again, among the Hiras,
only the womenfolk are engaged
in pottery work, while their
men help them in procuring
the raw materials and selling
the wares.
The
most commonly-used pottery
products include earthern
pots and pitchers, plates,
incense-stick holders, earthern
lamps etc, while modern-day
decoratives have also found
place in their latest designs.
Woodcraft
Assam has always remained
one of the most forest-covered
states of the country, and
the variety of wood and timber
available here have formed
a part of the people's culture
and ecomony.
An
Assamese can identify the
timber by touching it even
in darkness, and can produce
a series of items from it.
While decorative panels in
the royal Ahom palaces of
the past and the 600-years
old satras or Vaishnative
monasteries are intricately
carved on wood, a special
class of people who excelled
in wood carving came to be
known as Khanikar , a surname
proudly passed down from generation
to generation.
The
various articles in a satra
and naam-ghar(place of worship)
are stiff cut on wood, depicting
the guru asana (pedestal of
the lords), apart from various
kinds of birds and animals
figuring in mythology.
Modern-day
Khanikar have taken to producing
articles of commercial values,
including figures of one-horned
rhino and replicas of the
world-famous Kamakhya temple
- two items heading the list
of demands of a visitor from
outside.
Masks
With tribal art and folk elements
form the base of Assamese
culture, masks have found
an important place in the
cultural activities of the
people. Masks have been widely
used in folk theatres and
bhaonas with the materials
ranging from terracotta to
pith to metal, bamboo and
wood. Similarly, among the
tribals too, the use of masks
is varied and widespread,
especially in their colourful
dances which again revolve
chiefly around thier typical
tribal myth and folklore.
Such traditional masks have
of late found thier way to
the modern-day drawing rooms
as decorative items and wall-hangings,
thus providing self-employment
opportunities to those who
have been traditionally making
them.
Terracotta
Terracotta as a medium has
dominated the handicraft scene
of Assam since time immemorial.
The tradition itself has been
handed down from the generation
to generation without break.
Today we have the descendent
of such families engaged in
improvised terracotta versions
of various common figures
of gods and goddesses to mythological
characters, while toys, vases,
etc have also found a new
life.
Traditional Paintings
The tradition of paintings
in Assam can be traced back
to several centuries in the
past. Ahom palaces and satras
and naam-ghar etc still abound
in brightly-coloured paintings
depicting various stories
and events from history and
mythology. In fact, the motifs
and designs contained in Chitra-Bhagavata
have come to become a traditional
style for Assamese painters
of the later period, and are
still in practice today.
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