Angarkha is an outer robe with long sleeves which was worn by men in South Asia. [1] By the 19th-century it had become the generally accepted attire of an educated man in public. [2] [3] It had evolved from the Persian cape balaba or chapkan as a result of being given a more Indian form in the late medieval or early modern era. [4] [5] [6]
Angarkha comes from the Sanskrit aṅgarakṣaka, meaning 'body-protector'. [7]
A kurta is a loose collarless shirt or tunic worn in many regions of South Asia, and now also worn around the world. Tracing its roots to Central Asian nomadic tunics, or upper body garments, of the late-ancient- or early-medieval era, the kurta has evolved stylistically over the centuries, especially in South Asia, as a garment for everyday wear as well as for formal occasions.
Clothing in India varies with the different ethnicities, geography, climate, and cultural traditions of the people of each region of India. Historically, clothing has evolved from simple garments like kaupina, langota, achkan, lungi, sari, to rituals and dance performances. In urban areas, western clothing is common and uniformly worn by people of all social levels. India also has a great diversity in terms of weaves, fibers, colors, and the material of clothing. Sometimes, color codes are followed in clothing based on the religion and ritual concerned. The clothing in India also encompasses a wide variety of Indian embroidery, prints, handwork, embellishments, and styles of wearing clothes. A wide mix of Indian traditional clothing and western styles can be seen in India.
A tunic is a garment for the body, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the knees. The name derives from the Latin tunica, the basic garment worn by both men and women in Ancient Rome, which in turn was based on earlier Greek garments that covered wearers' waists.
Sherwani is a long-sleeved outer coat worn by men in South Asia. Like the Western frock coat, it is fitted, with some waist suppression; it falls to below the knees and is buttoned down the front. It can be collarless, have a shirt-style collar, or a stand-up collar in the style of the Mandarin collar. It evolved in the Indian subcontinent in the 19th-century as a result of the outer garment of the late Mughal period, the angarkha—itself evolved from the Persian cape, balaba—being given a western style with a button-down front.
Traditional Persian clothing is the historical costume of the Persian people, and of ancient Persia before the 1930s Pahlavi dynasty. Historically, the fabric and color of clothing was very important. During the Achaemenian period, Persian clothing started to reflect social status and eminence, the climate of the region, and the season. The design philosophy for ancient clothing was a marriage of both function and aesthetics.
Pakistani clothing refers to the ethnic clothing that is typically worn by people in the country of Pakistan and by Pakistanis. Pakistani clothes express the culture of Pakistan, the demographics of Pakistan, and cultures from Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir regions of the country. The clothing in each region and culture of Pakistan reflect weather conditions, way of living, the textiles and embroidery used and its distinctive style which gives it a unique identity among all cultures.
Shalwar kameez is a traditional combination dress worn by women, and in some regions by men, in South Asia, and Central Asia.
Salwar or Shalwar is cloth worn from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately. It is the lower-garment of the Shalwar kameez suit which is widely-worn in South Asia. It is known for its lively hues, rich fabrics, and embroidery. It is also the national dress of Pakistan, and since the later 1960s with the salwar being used in government offices in Pakistan. The outfit has been a part of Punjabi tradition for centuries. Salwar can be distinguished from the Punjabi suthan which is shorter than the salwar.
Punjabi Kurta and Tamba are traditional costume for men of Punjab.
In the ancient Punjab region, people wore cotton clothing. Both men and women wore knee-length tops. A scarf was worn over the tops which would be draped over the left shoulder and under the right. A large sheet would be further draped over one shoulder which would hang loose towards the knees. Both male and female wore a dhoti around the waist. Modern Punjabi dress has retained this outfit but over its long history has added other forms of dress.
Sindhi clothing are a part of the Sindhi culture. Sindhi women and men wear the Shalwar Qameez or the Kurta with Pyjama. Women also wear Sari or ghagra. However, before the adoption of the Shalwar kameez, kurta, the Sari as well as other articles of clothing, Sindhis had their own traditional costumes.
History of clothing in the Indian subcontinent can be traced to the Indus Valley civilization or earlier. Indians have mainly worn clothing made up of locally grown cotton. India was one of the first places where cotton was cultivated and used even as early as 2500 BCE during the Harappan era. The remnants of the ancient Indian clothing can be found in the figurines discovered from the sites near the Indus Valley civilisation, the rock-cut sculptures, the cave paintings, and human art forms found in temples and monuments. These scriptures view the figures of human wearing clothes which can be wrapped around the body. Taking the instances of the sari to that of turban and the dhoti, the traditional Indian wears were mostly tied around the body in various ways.
The traditional clothing and accessories worn in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa varies according to the area of the region. The following outfits are generally worn in the area, starting to north to south:
Mughal clothing refers to clothing worn by the Mughals in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries throughout the extent of their empire. Much of them were already being used in the past centuries before their arrival in Indian subcontinent. It was characterized by luxurious styles and was made with muslin, silk, velvet and brocade. Elaborate patterns including dots, checks, and waves were used with colors from various dyes including cochineal, sulfate of iron, sulfate of copper, and sulfate of antimony were used.
In Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, and as well as Afghanistan the tunic and loose trousers ensemble forms part of traditional costume. Men will wear turbans or hats with their tunics and sirwals whilst women will wear scarves or hats.
The term jama refers to a long coat which was popular in South Asia during the early modern era.
Kurti top is an upper garment worn in the Indian subcontinent encompassing waistcoats, jackets and blouses.
Sasanian dress, represented by the Persians, was "broadly similar" to dresses worn by other Iranian peoples. It was especially appropriate and applicable for horse riding. Most extant primary sources for the study of Sasanian dress are forms of visual art, rock reliefs in particular. In relation to the Sasanian dress, Matthew Canepa (2018) states:
It consisted of loose-fitting trousers, boots, and a knee-length tunic that was bound with a belt (kamar). A heavy caftan, crossed at the chest, could be worn belted. In 3rd- and 4th-century representations, the tunic appears squared off at the bottom. From the late 4th century, the lower hem is rounded. Ornamental and figural textile motifs become prominent around the 6th and 7th centuries, as is apparent at Taq-e Bostan. Early reliefs and seals portray members of the aristocracy wearing domed or pointed hats (kulāf) with their heraldic symbols (nīšān) on the side, often bound with diadems. Nobles were given the right to wear silk and jewellery. Women’s dress consisted of long, flowing, sleeved or sleeveless tunics. They were worn belted under the breasts with a long cloak worn over the left shoulder or used as a veil. Clothing was an important element in royal gift-giving. It also marked social rank, as did jewellery, and textiles and their motifs. The king bestowed clothing and jewellery as a mark of distinction on those he desired to honour and presented his own robes to especially favoured family and courtiers.
Terlig, also known as tieli or bianxianao or Yaoxianao[zi] in Chinese, or commonly referred as Mongol dress or plait-line robe, is an archetypal type of Mongol clothing for men.
Shanku is a generic term which refers to a two-piece set of attire in Hanfu, which is typically composed of a youren yi, a Chinese upper garment which typically overlaps and closes on the right side which could be called shan, ru, ao, and a pair of long trousers ku. As a form of daily attire, the shanku was mainly worn by people from lower social status in China, such as labourers, shopkeepers, or retainers from wealthy household. The shanku was originally worn by both genders. Up until the mid-20th century, it was popular in China and outside of China where it was worn by overseas Chinese in countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Suriname, etc. It is still worn in present-day China and can be found in rural areas.
angarkha: Long-sleeved long coat worn by men
The comparatively limited range of stitched clothes available in pre-medieval India was, however, greatly expanded during the Sultanate or Moghul periods when various types of trousers, robes, and tunics gained popularity. By the 19th-century a long-sleeved outer robe (jama, angarkha) or tunic (kurta) worn with trousers (pyjamas) had become the acceptable outfit for an educated Indian man in public, if not in private.
Glossary. angarkha— a long tunic or coat tied on one side, formal dress of 19th-century provenance
The historian Abdul Halim Sharar ... shows how the Persian cape (balaba, chapkan) was gradually given a more Indian form (angarkha)
एक पुराना मर्दाना पहिनावा जो घुटनों के नीचे तक लंबा होता है और जिसमें बाँधने के लिये बंद टँके रहते हैं । बंददार अंगा । चपकन । (Google Translate) An old masculine dress that is long below the knees and in which there are closed stitches to tie. ... Chapkan
The Turko-Mongol forms of dress were first established, along with Islam, in northern India by Turkic Gaznevids who invaded from Central Asia in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The Mughal (Timurid) conquest in the sixteenth century confirmed these forms of dress in a land otherwise known for the unseamed dhoti and sari. For men of the Mughal court trousers (paijama) were typically combined with front-opening coats or jackets of varying length and cut (angarkha or jama) but typically were more full-skirted than most Persian or Turkish equivalents. The relation to Persian dress is strong, however.
