Attire and Ornamentation in Medieval Telangana
Silks, Jewelry, Sandals, and the Textile Trade · Garavapadu Grant · Warangal Fort Records
Based on the inscriptions found in Epigraphia Telanganica, the attire and ornamentation of people in medieval Telangana were defined by social status, religious vocation, and a thriving textile industry that traded in luxury silks and fine jewelry. From the Garavapadu Grant (A.D. 1260), which poetically describes the earth as "wearing the silk garment of the sea-coast," to the detailed tax records of the Warangal Fort inscription (A.D. 1228) listing levies on silk yarn, pearls, and coral — the inscriptions reveal a society where clothing and jewelry were not merely functional but potent markers of identity, devotion, and power. The pendara anklet worn by distinguished generals, the kaupina loin cloth donated to Saiva teachers, the Pundariksha gopa sari offered to a deity, the kirita-makuta crown adorning Vishnu — each inscription documents a different facet of the material culture of dress.
High-quality textiles were a primary commodity in medieval Telangana. The Garavapadu Grant (A.D. 1260) — a Kakatiya copper-plate record — poetically describes the earth as "wearing the silk garment of the sea-coast" [948, Vol-II]. This literary metaphor, comparing the earth's vegetation and prosperity to fine silk, indicates that silk textiles were not only traded but were also a cultural reference point for luxury and beauty. The "sea-coast" likely refers to the Bay of Bengal ports — Motupalli, Kondapalli, and others — through which silk from China and Bengal entered the Deccan.
In a late 15th-century record at the Jagannath temple, a conqueror is noted for offering a specific sari cloth known as "Pundariksha gopa" to the deity [1470, Vol-IV]. The name of this sari — combining pundariksha (lotus-eyed, an epithet of Vishnu) and gopa (protector or cowherd) — suggests that the textile itself was consecrated through its naming, transformed from a commodity into a ritual object through the act of offering. This record also proves that specialized named fabrics existed, with distinct weaves, patterns, or colors that justified their own nomenclature.
For religious figures, specific garments were provided through temple endowments. At the Namesvara temple, land was granted for the "food, clothing etc., of the temple priest" [657, Vol-II]. More specific is a 12th-century record from Gangapuram, which registers a gift of one haga (a coin denomination) specifically for the loin cloth (kaupina) of the Saiva teacher Rudra Sakti Pandita [464, 465, Vol-II]. The precision of this endowment — a specific coin for a specific garment for a specific teacher — demonstrates the importance of proper attire for ascetics, whose simplicity of dress was itself a religious statement.
Textiles were essential for temple ceremonies. The Mamillaguda Inscription (A.D. 1249) lists "clothes" alongside sandal paste and incense as required items for the pavitrarohana (purification ritual) [887, Vol-II]. The inclusion of textiles in this list indicates that deities were dressed in new or special garments during major festivals — a practice that continues in Hindu temples today, where deities receive new clothes for each major celebration.
π Gems in nose-ornaments resembling the stars
Inscriptions provide vivid descriptions of the jewelry worn by both the elite and deities, often using celestial metaphors to describe their brilliance — connecting earthly adornment to cosmic order.
A poetic fragment from the Warangal Fort (13th century) describes "the gems in the nose-ornaments (of the damsels) resembling the stars" [1230, Vol-II]. This metaphor — comparing jeweled nose-ornaments to constellations — indicates that women of the Kakatiya court wore elaborate nose jewelry set with precious stones, their brilliance evoking the night sky. Another record mentions the kanthika, a necklace worn specifically on the chest [63, Vol-I].
Figures of deities and kings are described as heavily adorned in temple inscriptions. A standing figure of Vishnu is described wearing a kirita-makuta (crown), a long hara (necklace), and a long yajnopavita (sacred thread) reaching the knees [304, Vol-I]. The specific mention of the sacred thread's length — extending to the knees — indicates that iconographic details were standardized, with artists following prescribed measurements for divine jewelry.
Royal insignia granted to ministers as marks of favor included betel-bags, umbrellas, peacock fans, and various "comfortable seats" [401, Vol-I; 518, Vol-II]. These items — while not strictly "jewelry" — functioned as wearable or portable markers of status, carried by attendants or used in ceremonial contexts. The betel-bag, in particular, was a visible sign of courtly favor, signaling the recipient's access to the king's inner circle.
Late records identify specialized craftsmen working in precious metals. An inscription mentions the artisan Nagoju, who was commissioned to make golden ornaments for the queen of Feroz Shah Sultan [1464, Vol-IV]. This record documents the persistence of traditional jewelry-making under Islamic patronage — a Hindu artisan crafting ornaments for a Muslim queen's court.
Mythological descriptions in the Alapadu Grant (A.D. 1265) refer to a kind of pellet made of musk (Sthasa) adorning a goddess's breast and the god Vighneswara's ears being adorned with black bells [1072, 1073, Vol-III]. These descriptions, while mythological rather than historical, provide evidence of the types of adornment considered appropriate for divine beings — and by extension, for the kings and queens who styled themselves in divine imagery.
While daily footwear for common people is rarely detailed in inscriptions, "sandals" and footprints appear in highly ritualized contexts. Votive label inscriptions, such as the "Husapa Padam" (the feet of a monk), are accompanied by auspicious symbols like the swastika [548, Vol-I]. At Cherlapally, an inscription was engraved around foot-prints identified as those of the Jina guru Charukitti [531, Vol-II]. The veneration of footprints — of gurus, Jinas, and deities — is a pan-Indian practice, but the inscription of these footprints in stone, with accompanying labels, transforms ephemeral body imprints into permanent objects of worship.
A prestigious ornament mentioned in several records is the pendara, an anklet worn by distinguished persons or generals as a mark of high royal favor [1107, Vol-II; 1193, Vol-III]. The pendara anklet appears to have been a visible, wearable marker of elite status — a piece of jewelry that signaled the wearer's closeness to the throne. The act of granting a pendara was a formal recognition of military or administrative achievement, transforming a piece of jewelry into a state honor.
The availability of fine textiles and jewelry was supported by a robust internal economy. Trade records from Warangal Fort (A.D. 1228) list detailed taxes on silk yarn, silk thread, woven silk, pearls, coral, and rosaries [807, 810, Vol-II]. The detailed breakdown of silk products — yarn, thread, and finished cloth — suggests a sophisticated textile industry with multiple stages of production, each subject to different tax rates. The mention of pearls and coral indicates long-distance trade networks connecting the Deccan to the Gulf of Mannar (pearl fisheries) and the Mediterranean (coral).
Professional taxes were levied on looms (magga), and community agreements often involved weavers (Pattasalis) contributing portions of their income to support local temples [362, 1264, Vol-I/II]. The taxation of looms — as opposed to finished cloth — indicates that the state was interested in capturing revenue at the point of production, not just trade. The participation of weavers in temple endowments suggests that the textile industry was not merely commercial but also integrated into the religious economy, with weavers claiming spiritual merit for their contributions.
π From the Garavapadu Grant to the Warangal Fort — A Thousand Years of Textile History
The inscriptions of Epigraphia Telanganica document a thousand-year history of attire and adornment (11th–16th century CE), from the poetic description of the earth "wearing silk" in the Garavapadu Grant to the detailed tax schedules for silk yarn and pearls at Warangal Fort; from the donation of a kaupina for a Saiva teacher to the commissioning of golden ornaments for a Qutb Shahi queen. These records reveal a society where textiles and jewelry were not mere commodities but were integrated into the ritual, political, and economic fabric of life.
The weaving industry — documented through taxes on looms (magga) and community agreements involving Pattasalis (weavers) — was a cornerstone of the medieval economy, employing hundreds or thousands of artisans across the Deccan. The trade in silks, pearls, and coral connected Telangana to global networks stretching from China to the Mediterranean. The ritual use of textiles — from the pavitrarohana ceremony requiring new clothes for the deity to the offering of a named Pundariksha gopa sari — sacralized the products of the loom, transforming everyday fabrics into vehicles of divine grace. And the jewelry of the elite — the pendara anklet, the kanthika necklace, the kirita-makuta crown — transformed the human body into a canvas for displaying power, beauty, and devotion.
Comments
Post a Comment