Manuscript painting flourished in Assam from the 16th century onwards with the rise of Neo-Vaishnavism under the Vaishnava saint Sankaradeva. The tradition of manuscript painting underwent changes over the last six centuries due to various social and economic transformations that took place in Assam. Decline of dynasties, the Moamoria rebellion, Burmese and British occupations, apathy of the public, the advent of the printing press and natural calamities led to the damage of many old manuscripts and a gradual decline in the practice of manuscript painting. However, different scholars simultaneously initiated a study of the old manuscripts which helped in documenting the age-old painting processes and techniques. Currently, there are very few practitioners who still continue this tradition. This module throws light on the historical and current approaches of this form of miniature painting bringing into focus artists who are presently involved in preserving and promoting the art form. The attempt is to provide a wider perspective of the context within which painting along with other forms of art such as dance and songs evolved as a form of communication. The documentation covers works of artists of the past as well as those of the present.
The earliest mention of Assamese Manuscript Painting was found in the account of Chinese traveller Xuanzang, who had stated about the gifts sent to Harshavardhana, the King of Magadha from Bhaskaravarma, the King of Kamarupa (modern Assam) which included paintings and painted objects on Assamese silk. Other than these, the painted manuscripts of the middle ages had traditional paintings on them based on stories from Hasthividyarnava, the Chitra Bhagawata and Geet Govinda.
The main theme of these paintings is the illustrations of the stories of Bhagavat Geeta, Puranas, Ramayana and Mahabharata. This is because they were painted to supplement the text written in the manuscript. Later, the themes of the painting went beyond religious contexts to sermons of Kings or the family tree of a clan, teachings of religious reformers which were known as Charitra Puthi.
Manuscripts were drawn on manuscript leaves which comprise two materials, Sanchipat, made from bark of Sanchi or Aloe tree and Tulapat, made by pressing cotton. The preparation of the leaves involved various steps like curing, seasoning and polishing the raw slices and converting them into folios so that they could retain the ink. The ink, also known as mahi, was prepared from silikha (Terminal citrina), bull’s urine, amlaka extracts (phyllanthus amblica), elandhu soot, and barks of certain trees. The quality of this ink is so high that the paintings and writings are still distinct and legible. The different colours used for paintings are indigo derived from indigo plant, harital (Arsenic Sulphide), hangul (Mercury Sulphide), kharimati for white colour and ash of silikha for black.