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Dear Swadhinata Das,

We are pleased to inform you that your paper "Costume, Coiffure and Ornament of Ancient Assam: A study Based on Literary and Sculptural Sources" has been accepted for publication in our journal "Scholars' View: A Journal of Multidisciplinary Research", Vol.2, No.l ISSN-2320-1096. Your paper was sent for vetting by two referees and they have sent us positive responses regarding the suitability of your paper. The paper is now in press and this issue of the journal is expected to be out by the 1st January 2014.

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Costume, Coiffure and Ornament of Ancient Assam: A

study Based on Literary and Sculptural Sources

Swadhinata Das

Research Scholar (Department of History)

Assam University, Silchar-788011, Assam

Abstract

To get complete information about any particular society it is essential to have

information about the dress, ornament and coiffure of people. Through these objects

we can get a clear picture of the socio-economic and cultural condition of a society

through ages, their aesthetic awareness, their love for beauty and refinement and their

internal and external influences on the material life of the people. The types of dress,

coiffure and ornaments used by the people of ancient Assam are gathered from

literature, epigraphs and sculptured remains of the period. Here the researcher tries to

present the types and nature of the costume, dress and ornaments of the ancient

Assam. To undertake the research work the scholar has performed a thorough study of

religious texts to trace the style, dress material and frequency of wearing dresses and

ornaments by various goddesses of Hinduism and Buddhism and common women.

Costume, Coiffure and Ornament of Ancient Assam: A

study Based on Literary and Sculptural Sources

Swadhinata Das



Introduction:

The study of costume, coiffure and ornament is an important phenomenon to

know about the socio-economic and cultural condition of a society through ages, their

aesthetic awareness, their love for beauty and refinement and their internal and

external influences on the material life of the people. To get complete information

about any particular society it is essential to have information about the dress,

ornament and coiffure of people. Therefore the dress and ornament worn by an

individual is always helpful to provide information about the culture and environment

of a region. To know about the costume, coiffure and ornament of ancient Assam we

have to study both literary and archaeological sources of ancient Assam.

Methodology

To undertake the research work the scholar has performed a thorough study of

religious texts to trace the style, dress material and frequency of wearing dresses and

ornaments by various goddesses of Hinduism and Buddhism and common women. It

is attempted to critically analyze the sculptures to draw how the time and space

affected the wearing style of dress and coiffure in sculptural art of Assam. The field

visits to archaeological museums, sites and religious monuments provided opportunity

to explore variety of dresses, coiffure and ornaments on the basis of sculptural art.

The work contributes to re-examination of the literature and archaeological sources

which helped the scholar to rediscover the various kind of dress and ornaments in

Assam. The verification of details found in literary text with archaeological sources

provided the researcher to come over with more reliable and authentic information

about various kinds of ornaments, costume and coiffure by the people of Assam in

historical perspective.

Discussion

The types of dress, coiffure and ornaments used by the people of ancient

Assam are gathered from Hterature, epigraphs and sculptured remains of the period.

Dress and Ornaments Found in Literary Sources and Inscriptions:

The early literally sources like Kalika Purana, Harscarita, Arthasastra etc

mention about the various kind of material and their uses to make cloths, like cotton,

wool, silk, jute etc, which were available in Assam. The literary sources mention that

clothes were known by the names vastra and acchadana and they are both uncut and

tailored and stitched {Sucividdham). The process of manufacturing like weaving,

drying and sewing of cloths are also known from these sources. According to Kalika

Purana textile material of Assam are divided into the following four classes: karpasa

(cotton), kambala (wool), balka (bark) and kosaja (silk from cocoons).' In Assam

cotton cloth was extensively use and there was a special class of weavers known as

tantyvayas. The same purana refers to hemp cloth (sanavastram) which was probably

worn by the ordinary people. Same information is also found in account of Hiun

tsiang, where he mentions sanaka as a dark red cloth made of the fiber of the sanaka

plant (a kind of hemp) The art of dying both yarn and cloth was well known in

Assam. The primary and common colours of dying were white, red, yellow and black

or blue. As regards the coloured garments, red and yellow seem to have been regarded

as auspicious, (raktam kauseyavastranca mahadevyai prasasyate pitarn tathaiva

kauseyam vasudevaya cotsriet-^ Embroidered (vicitrd) cloth was also manufactured

and the gift of such cloths to gods and goddesses was considered meritorious.

{victram sarva-devebhyo devibhyo'sum nivedayet) The Harsacarita mentions about

the painted and variously coloured dyed cloths.^ In Kautilya's Arthasatra it is

mentioned that ksauma, dukula and patrorna were produced in suvarnakundya and

other places in Kamarupa.^ In the Sabha Parva of Mahabharata it is stated that Arjuna

brought away valuable ksauma cloths from his conquest of Uttarakuru beyond the

Himalayas on west.^ According to the commentator, Kulluka (15* century A.D),

ksauma was a cloth made of atasi fiber.

The Kalika Purana gives an exhaustive Hst of Assamese ornaments made of

gold, silver and other metals, used by women from head to foot. The forty types of

ornaments which mentions in Kalika Purana are-kirita, sirorantna, kundala, lalatika,

talapatra, hara, graiveyaka, urmmika, pralambika, ratnasutra, uttanga, aksamalika,

parsvadyota, makhadyota, anguliachadaka, jutalaka, munavaka, murdhatara,

anguliachadaka, jutalaka, munavaka, khalantika, angada, vahuvalaya, sikhabhusana,

ingika, praganala, vandha, udbhasa, nabhipura, malika, saptaki, srinkhala,

dantapatra, karnaka, urusutra, nivi, mustivandha, prakirnaka, padangada, hamsaka, Q

nupura, ksudraghantika and mukhapatta. The ornaments were usually made of gold

and silver and the main designs were worn in the feet, finger, arms, wrists, neck and

the forehead. The kalika Purana states that silver ornaments could not be used above

the neck (grivordhadese raupyntu na kadacicca bhiisanm) and iron and bell metal

ornaments could not be used.

Dress, Coiffure and Ornaments Depicted in Sculptural Art:

The sculptural art of Assam throws light in the concepts of dress,

ornament, coiffure and fashion practiced among the people of pre-Ahom period. A

serious analysis of dress, ornament and hairstyle of women of pre-Ahom Assam give

the knowledge about the different kinds of fashions running in the society. Moreover

the economic conditions of people were reflected through the dresses and ornaments.

The fashion and style which followed by the women of prosperous class were totally

different from the women of poor class. The Dress, ornaments and hairstyle say about

the fashion of a society.

Uttariya (Upper Garment)

The cloth uses in the upper part of the body is usually known as uttariya. The

uttariya is used above the waist. In case of iconographical representation of early

sculptural art of Assam the divine and semi divine deities are depicted without any

cloth in their upper part of the body. They are carved bare chests or sometime with a

transparent drapery. The upper part of the body is coved with ornaments. The people

of higher social status dressed in upper robes such as uttariya and uttariyasanga.

Antariya (lower garments)

In the sculptures of Assam some fine carving of lower garments are noticed.

The transparent cloths are seen in sculptures of goddesses. The dress of the dancing

figure as revealed in the sculptures of the period consisted of a single unstitched

undergarment iparidhana) like the present day dhoti. It was held tight at the waist by

a girdle (parivesa) consisting of three or more bands, fastened together by means of a

knot in the centre, just below the navel. Sometimes one end of the garment was

allowed to hang in graceful folds in the front.

Coiffure and mukuta

The various types of head-gear use in sculptures are known as Mauli,

according to the author of Manasar, who again subdivided this into jata-makuta, kirta-

makuta, karanda-makuta, sirastraka, kuntala, kesabandha, dhammilla and alaka-

cudaka. Among In the sculptures of all kind of above mention mukutas are depicted.

These kirta-makuta, karanda-makuta and sirastraka are the different types of crowns,

while the others are different types of hair style. In the sculptures of all kind of above

mention mukutas are depicted. Some forehead ornaments like siralahkarana, tikall,

sir^pata and lalahtika are also known in the sculptural depiction of women of Assam.

GrTvabharaiia (Neck Ornaments)

In Natyasaatra various names of the neck ornaments worn by women are

mentioned, like trivem, muktavali, vyalapanktirmanjari, ratnamalikd, ratnavalT, sutra,

srnkhahka and haraJ'^ The sculptural art of Assam depicts various types of neck

jewellery. Layers of neck ornaments were depicted in the female and male figures of

Assam. The neck-ornaments (hara) seen in the sculptures were made of beads, pearls

and precious stones. In some type of hara a pendant was attached to it in the middle.

A flat type of necklace was called galapata, which broad band lied flat on the neck."

Some well decorated flat necklace is seen. In the sculptures women were depicted

with ekavali, which is had only one string. A muktavali was made with pearls

intertwined in single string and a tisaratha had three strings. Apralamba hangs down

to the navel while the pada-pralamba hangs down to the knees.'^

In Assam ekavalis with a rectangular form of mam are noticed. This type of

ekavalJ is carved in the sculptures of western Deccan. The kanthika, a rich neck

ornament set with precious stones is also noticed in the sculptures of Assam. The

lalamtika made with gems was not uncommon to Assam. A single string of pearls or

gold beads formed a yashti, which is also seen in sculptures of Assam. The central

mani or gem called the nayakan mani, i.e., the leader among the gems was large.'^

The fashions of wearing double set of neck ornaments were common in ancient

Assam.

Karnabhusana (Ear Ornaments)

Ornaments of various kinds, like kundala, dehan, karnaphool etc were used

for the ears. In sculptural art of Assam every divine or human sculpture are shown

with wearing an ear ornament, which elaborates a variety of ear ornaments with

various designs. This implies that a karnika was an ornament which was worn by

every class of society in its varied shape and material according to the taste and

affordability.

Many types of earrings are depicted in sculpture, like Patrakundala,

pushpakundala, ratnakundala, simple ring type ear rings are noticed in Assam. The

round shape kundalas are in general noticed, where sometime one line of rantas used.

One round piece of ear ornament without any design is also noticed in women

sculptures. This type of ear ornament is known as kanakakamalas.

Hastabharana (Hand Ornaments)

The literary and archaeological evidences suggest that during ancient time,

bangles were made of various materials like shells, gold, silver, bronze, copper, po«co

dhatu (mixture of five metats), iron, terracotta, wood, ivory and other bones. In the

sculptural art of Assam it is shown that goddesses were decorated with various kinds

of hastabharana in arm and wrist. In general kankarias and valayas are noticed in the

wrist of goddesses. Sometime a bunch of bangles or sometime only one or two pieces

of kankarias were shown. Ratnavalayas or bracelet set with precious stones and corals

are seen in sculpture. The phalakavalaya is a gem-set bracelet with big slab like gems

set at intervals. According to the Gathasaptasati golden strings were worn by women

in the place of auspicious strings known as dora.'"*

In sculptural art of Assam various types of armlets are noticed in sculptures,

like angada, keyura etc. The angada is a circular band, often ornamented with some

designs. Keyura is a flat ornament worn on the arm just over the biceps muscle. The

phalaka-valaya added with number of small gems at the periphery of a large bangle a

called a kara. All these types of bracelets are depicted on the hands of sculptures.

Padabharana (Foot Ornaments)

In ancient literature anklets are known as various names, like nupura, kinkini,

manjira, tulakoti, paddngada, hamkasa etc. The anklets were worn on the feet, usual

made with precious metal like silver. Sometime it was mixed with copper to make it

affordable. The use of gold in making foot ornament is generally avoided even in

modem times. In sculptures nupuras are found profusely. In sculptural art of Assam

wearing of heavy pdda-valayas among women by rounding off a silver bar were

noticed on women's feet. A pdda-valaya was round, folded and flattened in form and

either hollowed or not. The manjira anklet is resembled with the coiled strings on the

churning stick entwining the leg above the ankle. Though large in size manjiras were

light and hollow with precious gems inside. So the manjira makes a beautiful sound

manju iranmanjirah. In Assam multi coiled manjira was depicted on women's feet.

Katibandha (Waist Bands)

In Arthasatra it is mentioned that girdles were fashioned in the same way as

necklaces and wristlets. The women worn girdles were known as rasvnd, sdrasand,

mekhald, kanchi and saptaki} The katibandhas are a form of waist band made with

strings of stones, pearls and gems. The ornament is usually used for tucking in the

antariya and adding a glamorous element in dress. The mekhald or tagadi is worn by

women. Traditionally mekhald is composed of eight codes and associated with

goddesses.'^ The mekhald or manimekhald is often represented in sculptures of

Assam. A close look at mekhald shows how a number of precious gems and strings

are entwined with each other to give the jewellery a magnificent look. A manimekhala

made with a horizontal arrangement of six strings. The kayabandha or

kashyabandana is the sash with a knot tied in ribbon fashion.

Various types of waist belts are depicted in the waists of the divine and human

sculptures of Assam. Especially mekhala, manimekhala, kayabandha etc are noticed

in Assam. Stylish and broad types of girdles are noticed in sculpture of Assam. In

some waists belts small hanging bells are noticed and in some hanging chain types of

ratnas are seen. In one type of belt some flat carving is noticed. In sculptures of

Assam goddess is shown to use nivibandha to fasten the lower garments.

Conclusion:

Though the descriptions of dress, ornaments and hair style represented in

sculptural art are not able to show everything that practice in that time among the

women, but in many cases it does reflect what were commonly used by the women

or how they tried to look more beautiful by using various kind of cloths, cosmetics

and ornaments. From the above study it is known that the people of ancient Assam

used various kinds of ornaments of various materials and dresses of various kinds.

The dress pattern was not uniform throughout the vast Kingdom. The present day

dresses of Assamese people bears hardly any resembles to the dress described

above.

References:

1. Bhagawat. S.2007. Kalika Purana, Duttabaruah publication, Guwahati, page

273.

2. Barua,B-K. 2003 A Cultural History of Assam. Bina Library. Guwahati page

145.

3. Bhagawat. S.2007. Kaliku Purana, Duttabaruah publication, Guwahati, page

274

4. Barua,B.K. 2003 A Cultural History of Assam. Bina Library. Guwahati page

147

5. Choudhury, P.C. 1959, The History of Civilization of the People of Assam to

the twelfth century A.D. Spectrum Publication. Guwahati, page 330.


the twelfth century A. D. Spectrum Publication. Guwahati, page 330.

7. Barua,B-K. 2003 A Cultural History of Assam. Bina Library. Guwahati page

145

8. Bhagawat. S.2007. Kalika Purana, Duttabaruah publication, Guwahati, page

274

9. Banerjea, J.N. 1974, The Development of Hindu Iconography. Munshiram

Manoharlal, New Delhi, page 286.

10. Sahay, Sachidanand. 1975, Indian Costume, Coiffure and Ornament.

Munshiram Manoharlal, New Delhi, page 154


the twelfth century A.D. Spectrum Publication. Guwahati, page 331.

12. Rao V.K., 2012, Women in Buddhist Art. Agam Kala Prakashan, Delhi. Page

121

13. Sivaramamurti.C.1998,Amaravati Sculptures in the Chennai Government

Museum, Chennai, page 110

14. Ibid, page 111

15. Ibid, page 114

16. Ibid. pagell2

17. Bunce F.W. 1997. A dictionary of Buddhist and Hindu Iconography, D.K.

Printworld (p)Ltd, New Delhi, pagel83.

OFFICE

ADKW PUBLISHERS Mezangkari, Biennial bilingual multi-disciplinary national research journal BISWANATH CHARIALI, SONITPUR, ASSAM, INDIA, 784176

REF: ADKW/07/13/47 DATE: 29-11-13

Acceptance Certificate

It is to certify that Sri/Miss/Mrs. Swadhinata Das, Research Scholar of Assam University, Silchar submitted a research Paper titled '^DEPICTION OF ROYAL WOMEN IN SCULPTURAL ART AND INSCRIPTIONS OF ANCIENT ASSAM' MEZANGKARI (ISSN-2278-604X) and the same has been accepted for publication in the forthcoming issue (December, 2013) of the journal.

IR. ttoro)

Editor

Mezangkari

Biennial bilingual multi-disciplinary

national research journal

DEPICTION OF ROYAL WOMEN IN SCULPTURAL ART AND

INSCRIPTIONS OF ANCIENT ASSAM

Swadhinata Das



INTRODUCTION

Both sculptural art and inscriptions of earlier time throw light about the

women of royal life of ancient Assam. In a royal palace presence of queen, princess

and royal women attendants are essential. Besides the queen, princes and the wives of

the ministers some other women attendants were also presented in a royal palace.

Without the women attendants the royal lives were not run smoothly. Generally the

women from ordinary families were related to royal families as attendants who

performed various duties to make the lives of royal members more comfortable. In

this paper the researcher trying to study the position of all women who were directly

or indirectly related and involved to the royal life.

METHODOLOGY

To undertake the research work the scholar has performed a thorough study of

the inscriptions of early Assam, religious texts to trace the position of royal women

and visited various archaeological sites to get more information. It is attempted to

critically analyze the sculptures to known the position of a royal women. The field

visits to archaeological museums, sites and religious monuments provided opportunity

to explore and examine the status, condition and position of women in royal court on

basis of sculptural art. The work contributes to re-examination of the literature and

archaeological sources which helped the scholar to reexamine the position of royal

women in Assam. The verification of details found in literary text with archaeological

sources provided the researcher to come over with more reliable and authentic

information about the position of royal women of Assam in historical perspective.

DISCUSSION

ROYAL WOMEN DEPICTED IN SCULPTURAL ART

The early sculptural carvings of Assam reflect the scenes from royal life very

nicely. The royal lives of women and their actives roles are reflected in the sculptural

art of Assam. These scenes are represented the women of the royal and their

connections within the palace or outside palace. The women in performing her duties

of devoted bharya, entertainer, attendant and person holding the royal insignia can

easily seen in the stone carvings of Assam.

QUEEN: The queen always occupied an important place in royal courts or

palaces. A queen was always responsible towards her duties as a wife and

occasionally gave political advice to the king. In critical conditions she gave useful

suggestions to her king. The pleasure life of a royal lady (princess, queen, wives of

ministers) is carved in many sculptures Assam. In Madan Kamdev a scene of royal

life is noticed. In this sculpture a queen is seen with her two sebikas. She is preparing

for take a bath and her two sebikas help her. Her right hand attendant is pouring water

and the left hand attendant is offering towel to her queen. In this sculpture a real

activity of royal life is seen. Here two kinds of position of women are noticed. Other

scenes of royal family are found at Madan Kamdev, where comfortable and luxurious

lives of royal women are depicted. A queen was always surrounded by her lady

servants like prasadhika, A rupapattika from Deoparvat shows a peculiar scene of

royal life in its three panels. Here in the first panel from left is seen a queen in her

toilet. She is assisted by her dasi, who seems to give her a massage in feet. The queen

holds a mirror and make up her face.

The pleasure life of royal persons is carved in various sculptures of Assam.

The royal couples riding the back of the animals like elephant and horse and enjoyed

their lives in graceful way. Some royal scenes of pleasures are noticed in the

sculptures of Deoparvat. Here in sculpture the king and queen riding the backs of

elephants are carved. In this scene every one seats on a single elephant. The queen is

sitting on the first elephant from the left side and looking behind her. The king is

sitting on the middle elephant and a female bodyguard is sitting on the last one. A

very beautiful royal trip is carved in Deoparvat. In this sculpture the king, queen and

the chati-adharim are sitting on elephant. Before them two bodyguards are going on

foot and another soldier is riding a horse.

ROYAL ATTENDANTS: Large numbers of sculptures of women are found

in Assam which shows their close association with royal or elite classes. For the glory

of a royal harem or palace, the presence of royal attendants is essential. They were in

various works of royal palace and looked after various necessities of all royal

members including king and queen specially. The women attendants that appointed to

look after royal members are known as kuhja, vamanika, prasadhika, pratiharini,

carmardharini, chatradharini etc. All of them were not only involved in some

particular works of royal harem but in royal court also. The work Q>{ vamanika was to

carry a tambul for the king; a kubja welcoming the king who is visiting the queen. A

chatradhdririi is usually present with the king during his outer visits. They were

known as sebika. In Assam good number of sculpture of women attendants who

involved in royal palace works are found. The role of prasadhikas is marvelously

depicted in the sculptural art of Assam. A woman attendant is found with a king at his

public appearance and accompanies a queen in her visits outside the palace to perform

some rituals or going on pleasure trips.

Through the sculptural art a good number of depictions of royal women

attendants accompanying royal personage within and outside royal premises can see.

A woman is always present with the king in private moments of personal recreation,

retiring and pleasure trips. Her presence with king in his outside tour is also

noticeable. The women attendants like body guards carrying khadga, camara,

rajadanda, chatra and toiletries are carved attentively performing their duties and

eager to obey orders.

Generally kings were spent a very luxury and comfortable life. They had many

female bodyguard and sebika, who took care of them. In a sculpture of Deoparvat, a

king and his dasi is depicted, where the king keeps his leg in the lap of the dasi and

she is busy in giving a warm massage in his feet. In Assam State Museum a beautiful

sculpture of presenting royal life is noticed. Here a king is standing in the middle and

two female attendants' standings in his both side. Both of them are busy in taking care

of their king. These types of scenes give important information about the royal

women attendants appointed in the harem for the comfort of a king.

ROYAL WOMEN MUSICIAN: The royal persons organize music concerts

inside their harem to pass the free time or for their entertainment. Only royal members

and their friends were permitted to attend such concert. All type of group and solo

performances were arranged by the dancers, singers and musicians. The instruments

played by them were tala vadya, vina, venu, dhol etc. Such scene of royal life was

found in sculptural art of Assam, where a musical concert organized by ladies is

depicted. In Deoparvat, such type scene of music concert depicted on stone are

noticed. The depiction is merely limited to presence of a group of women indulging in

sangita-gosthi and enjoying the pleasure of performing arts like singing, dancing and

playing musical instruments.

SOURCES OF ROYAL WOMEN IN INSCRIPTIONS

There are several inscriptions which throw some light on the status and

position of royal women. These inscriptions were generally composed by the royal

poets. In spite of their limitation, these inscriptions are valuable sources to form an

idea about the royal women of ancient Kamarupa.

OUEENS: The prasastis of Assam give information about the women of the

royal life. There are references in X\VQ prasastis to queens, women officers of the royal

palace, and the wives of the Brahmana donors. The inscriptions mention the names of

rajni in the lists of official, which indicate that queen held a position of some

responsibility in the state. The inscriptions make it plain that they were culture and

pious women. In the grant of Vanamala (vlO) it is mentioned that king

Harjaravarman's mother, queen Jivada was like prabhata sandhya (morning twilight)

and worshipped by many and was considered to be the source of great spirit.^ The

queens are compared with legendary female characters. In Harjara's own record his

wife is compared with Kunti and Subhadra.^ In Puspabhadra Grant (v 5) it is

mentioned that Gopala Nayana was a queen of wide fame {mahaniyakirtih). In

Subhankarapataka grant (v II), it is found that Harsapala queen Ratna and the

Brahmana lady Pauka were well-reputed for their works of piety and charity and were

described as being like goddess Parvati.^

The royal princesses used to learn fine arts like music and painting in the royal

palace from the tutors engaged for this purpose. The art of riding an elephant was a

part of education among the prosperous and royal families and usually was not

practiced among the common. The high class women often engaged scholars and

kathakas to hear the recitation of classics and Holy Scripture.^

COURTESAN: The lives of courtesan also related to the royal life. The

courtesans were used by the men of royal court as an object of pleasure and sometime

they were gifted to temples. Some information about various types of courtesans who

were related to royal court mentioned in inscriptions of ancient Assam.

From the inscriptions it is known that vesya and varastri, both meaning courtesans

were resided in the best streets of the city. The custom of appointing women as

dancers and courtesans in connection with temple service was known in ancient

Assam. The Tezpur grant of Vanamala (v24) mentions that the king made gift of

vesyas to the temple of Hatakatesvara Siva, who were beautiful and attractive to all

minds and they wore various ornaments. The duties of the natis were to fan the idol

with camara (varastrihhiriva cdmaradharimbhih), to prepare garlands, and to sing

£ind dance before the god. These women dedicated to temple services were usually Q

known as Nati and Daluhangana. The Yogini Tantra gives a detailed description of

the women of the sacred city of Apunarbhava.^ Some details of the life of town

women as well as of the secular and sacred courtesans can be gleaned from the

epigraphs. The practice of sati and concubines was probably known.

Bhaskaravarman's name is associated with concubines.

The inscriptions of Assam refer another category of public women who were

known as devadasis. Their jobs mainly related to the temple services. The Bargaon

inscription of Ratnapala refers to them as occupying the best residences of his capital

city Durjjaya and bathing in the open, i.e. exposed to public view."

CONCLUSION

From the above study it is known that in spite of the high epithets attached to

the royal and Brahmana ladies there is no available evidence to show that there was

any ruling queen in the long list of Kamarupa monarchs. Both sculptural art and

inscriptions give little information about the education of royal women. Though live

in the same there was a vast difference in the living style of a queen and a sebika.

Thus the sculptural art- and the inscriptions of earlier Assam give us an idea about

royal women.

Reference

1. Rao V.K., 2012, Women in Buddhist Art. Agam Kala Prakashan, Delhi. P 104.

2. Sarma, M.M. 1978. Inscriptions of Ancient Assam, Guwahati University

department of publication, Guwahati, P 101.







6. Barpujari, H.K (ed)., 2004, The Comprehensive History of Assam (vol.1). Publication

Baord Assam, Guwahati, P 227.


the twelfth century A. D. Spectrum Publication. Guwahati, P 326.

8. Barua,B.K. 2003 A Cultural History of Assam. Bina Library. Guwahati, P 138.

9. Barpujari, H.K (ed)., 2004, The Comprehensive History of Assam (vol.1). Publication

Baord Assam, Guwahati, P 225.


the twelfth century A.D. Spectrum Publication. Guwahati, P 324.



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