South Asian arts

Introduction
Literature
- Sanskrit, Pāli, and Prākrit literatures: 1400 bc–ad 1200
  - Sanskrit: formative period (1400–400 bc)
  - Sanskrit: epic and didactic literature (400 bc–ad 1000)
    - Mahābhārata
    - Rāmāyaṇa
    - Harivaṃśa and Purāṇas
  - Pāli and Prākrit literature (c. 200 bc–ad 200)
    - Buddhist texts
    - Jaina texts
  - Classical Sanskrit kāvya (200–1200)
    - The mahākāvya
    - The short lyric
    - The theatre
    - Narrative literature
- Dravidian literature: 1st–19th century
  - Early Tamil literature (1st–10th century)
    - Śaṅgam literature
    - Eighteen Ethical Works
    - Epics
    - Bhakti poetry
  - Period of the Tamil Cōḷa Empire (10th–13th century)
  - 14th–19th century
- Indo-Aryan literatures: 12th–18th century
  - Hindi
  - Bengali
  - Assamese
  - Oriya
  - Marathi
  - Gujarati
  - Punjabi
  - Kashmiri
- Islāmic literatures: 11th–19th century
  - Arabic
  - Turkish
  - Regional languages
  - Persian
  - Urdu
    - Qasīdahs
    - Ḥaju and shahr-āshūb
    - Mars̄iyeh
    - Mas̄navī
    - Ghazal
- Sinhalese literature: 10th century ad to 19th century
- Modern period: 19th and 20th centuries
  - Bengali
  - Assamese
  - Hindi
  - Gujarati
  - Marathi
  - Punjabi
  - Rajasthani
  - Tamil
  - Malayalam
  - Kannada
  - Urdu
  - English
  - Sinhalese
Music
- Folk, classical, and popular music
  - Rural areas
  - Classical music
  - Nonclassical music of the cities
- Antiquity
  - Vedic chant
    - Compilation of hymns
    - Chant intonation
  - The classical period
    - Qualities of the scales
    - Mode, or jati
- Medieval period
  - Precursors of the medieval system
  - Further development of the grama-ragas
- The Islamic period
  - Impact on musical genres and aesthetics
  - Theoretical developments
- The modern period
  - Rhythmic organization
    - South India
    - North India
  - Musical forms and instruments
    - South India
    - North India
  - Interaction with Western music
Dance and theatre
- The performing arts in India
- Indian dance
  - Classical dance
    - The dance-drama
    - Techniques and types of classical dance
    - The bharata natyam school
    - The kathakali school
    - The kathak school
    - The manipuri school
    - The kuchipudi school
    - The odissi tradition
    - Other classical dance forms
  - Folk dance
  - Modern Indian dance
  - Dance-training centres
- Indian theatre
  - Classical theatre
  - Folk theatre
  - Modern theatre
- Sri Lanka
  - Dance
    - Tovil dance
    - Kandyan dance
  - Masked drama
- Dance and theatre in Kashmir
- Pakistan
  - Folk dance
  - Performing arts in the Punjab
  - Theatre in Pakistan
    - Parsi theatre
    - Radio and television plays
- Bangladesh
Visual arts of India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
- General characteristics of Indian art
  - The unity of Indian art
  - The materials of Indian art
  - Indian and foreign art
  - Indian art and religion
  - The artist and patron
  - The appreciation of Indian art
- Indian architecture
  - Indus Valley civilization (c. 2500–1800 bc)
  - The Maurya period (c. 321–185 bc)
  - Early Indian architecture (2nd century bc–3rd century ad)
  - The Gupta period (4th–6th centuries ad)
  - Medieval temple architecture
  - Medieval temple architecture: North Indian style
  - Medieval temple architecture: North Indian style of Orissa
  - Medieval temple architecture: North Indian style of central India
  - Medieval temple architecture: North Indian style of Rājasthān
  - Medieval temple architecture: North Indian style of Gujarāt
  - Medieval temple architecture: North Indian style of Karnataka
  - Medieval temple architecture: North Indian style of Kashmir
  - Medieval temple architecture: South Indian style
  - Medieval temple architecture: South Indian style of Tamil Nadu (7th–18th century)
  - Medieval temple architecture: South Indian style of Karnataka
  - Medieval temple architecture: South Indian style of Mahārāshtra, Andhradeśa, and Kerala
  - Islāmic architecture in India: period of the Delhi and provincial sultanates
  - Islāmic architecture in India: Mughal style
  - European traditions and the modern period
- Indian sculpture
  - Indus valley civilization (c. 2500–1800 bce)
  - Mauryan period (c. 3rd century bce)
  - Indian sculpture in the 2nd and 1st centuries bce
  - Indian sculpture in the 2nd and 1st centuries bce: relief sculpture of northern and central India
  - Indian sculpture in the 2nd and 1st centuries bce: relief sculpture of Andhradesha
  - Indian sculpture in the 2nd and 1st centuries bce: relief sculpture of western India
  - Indian sculpture in the 2nd and 1st centuries bce: relief sculpture of Orissa
  - Indian sculpture in the 2nd and 1st centuries bce: sculpture in the round and terra-cotta
  - Indian sculpture from the 1st to 4th centuries ce
  - Indian sculpture from the 1st to 4th centuries ce: Mathura
  - Indian sculpture from the 1st to 4th centuries ce: Gandhara
  - Indian sculpture from the 1st to 4th centuries ce: Andhradesha
  - Indian sculpture from the 1st to 4th centuries ce: terra-cotta
  - Gupta period (c. 4th–6th centuries ce)
  - Gupta period: Mathura
  - Gupta period: Sarnath
  - Gupta period: central India
  - Gupta period: Maharashtra
  - Gupta period: other regions
  - Gupta period: terra-cotta
  - Medieval Indian sculpture
  - Medieval Indian sculpture: North India
  - Medieval Indian sculptures: southern India
  - Medieval Indian sculpture: Maharashtra and Karnataka
- Indian painting
  - Prehistoric and protohistoric periods
  - Ancient wall painting
  - Eastern Indian style
  - Western Indian style
  - Transition to the Mughal and Rajasthani styles
  - Mughal style: Akbar period (1556–1605)
  - Mughal style: Jahāngīr period (1605–27)
  - Mughal style: Shāh Jahān period (1628–58)
  - Mughal style: Aurangzeb and the later Mughals (1659–1806)
  - Company school
  - Deccani style
  - Rajasthani style
  - Rajasthani style: Mewār
  - Rajasthani style: Būndi and Kotah
  - Rajasthani style: Mālwa
  - Rajasthani style: Mārwār
  - Rajasthani style: Bīkaner
  - Rajasthani style: Kishangarh
  - Rajasthani style: Jaipur (Amber)
  - Pahari style
  - Pahari style: Basohlī school
  - Pahari style: Kāngra school
  - Modern period
- Indian decorative arts
  - Pre-Islāmic period
  - Islāmic period
- General characteristics of Sri Lankan arts
  - Sri Lankan architecture
  - Sri Lankan sculpture
  - Sri Lankan painting

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Watch and hear a person playing the mridangam drum of the Carnatic music tradition

Watch and hear a person playing the sarod, a stringed instrument of Hindustani music

Pallavi Krishnan

Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India: Mahabodhi temple

Close-up view of the large stone Buddha sculpture at Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, India, showing serene facial features and draped robes against a clear sky.

elevation of a North Indian temple with the latina type of superstructure

elevation of a North Indian temple with the śekharī type of superstructure

plan of the sanctum of a South Indian temple

At a Glance

Southern gopura of the Shiva temple at Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India, c. 1248.

South Asian arts summary

Related Questions

South Asian arts

Written by

Pramod ChandraAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

South Asian arts, the literary, performing, and visual arts of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Despite a history of ethnic, linguistic, and political fragmentation, the people of the Indian subcontinent are unified by a common cultural and ethical outlook; a wealth of ancient textual literature in Sanskrit, Prākrit, and regional languages is a major unifying factor. Music and dance, ritual customs, modes of worship, and literary ideals are similar throughout the subcontinent, even though...

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