Cultures of India from Early to Late Medieval Period & Indian Theatre Tradition and Text (Part - 1)

In this lecture, we study the evolution of Indian performing arts across regions and periods, highlighting how political patronage, religious ideologies, temple culture, and textual traditions shaped dance, music, and theatre. Moving from the Deccan to eastern India, it examines Buddhist ritual performance under the Palas and Senas, the classical continuity maintained by the Pratiharas in North India, and the Chola zenith where temple architecture, devadasi traditions, bronze sculpture, and Bhakti ideology integrated performing arts into daily ritual life. The development of Indian theatre traditions—from early folk and ritual forms to regional theatre styles—and explores the impact of Vedic, Buddhist, Jain, and Bhakti movements on artistic expression. Finally, it introduces key texts such as the Nāṭyaśāstra, Bṛhaddeśī, Silappadikāram, and Saṅgīta Ratnākara, establishing the theoretical foundations essential for understanding Indian performing arts.

What You’ll Learn:
• Evolution of Indian performing arts across historical periods
• Role of temples, dynasties, and religious movements in shaping dance, music, and theatre
• Key theatre traditions and regional performance forms of India
• Core performing arts texts like Nāṭyaśāstra, Bṛhaddēśī, Silappadikāram, and Saṅgīta Ratnākara

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