Research Papers

How the British Rule Changed Indian Theatre

India is a country that has a rich history, culture, traditions and influences. One of the oldest civilizations in the world – the Indus Valley Civilization – sprang up in India around 3,300 BCE. Since then, it has seen the rise and fall of a number of empires including the Mauryans, the Guptas, Buddhism, the Chalukyas and perhaps most notably the Mughal Empire. But the entire future of the country changed when it was taken over by the British Empire and made into one of its colonies. Though the British took a number of steps for the benefit of the Indian people, they drained the country of its rich resources. This created unrest amongst the Indian people which ultimately culminated in the movement for Independence which the country achieved in 1947, though not without sacrifices and creation of other problems such as the partition of the country into India, Pakistan and East Pakistan (later known as Bangladesh).

Given the varied cultures and empires that existed in the same geographical location, the arts that grew in India were distinctive and commanded their own unique identity – one of these arts being theatre. Though they started off as dance performances and musical entertainments, as the British rule got more tyrannical theatre got more politicized and started commenting on social evils or injustices done by the Empire against its people – it became a form of propaganda. The Colonial Period (1858 – 1947) witnessed the births of some of the most prominent and patriotic figures in Indian History in all kinds of fields including poetry, playwriting and dramaturgy whose most important figurehead till today is considered to be Rabindranath Tagore. This project will provide evidence that due to the presence of the British Rule, the primary theatrical form of the country shifted to realism.

In order to study the changes of theatre, we will first explore how it existed before the British. Ancient Theatres existed between 500 BC – 999 AD and Sanskrit Theatre is considered to be the oldest form. Ancient Theatres in India preferred an idealistic manner of storytelling and were divided in two categories: one was literary and the other was narrative. The narrative aspect took stories from life or epics which were portrayed idealistically on stage vocally while the literary aspect was often displayed through dance, music and recitations.

The period known as the Medieval Theatre Period started in 1,000 AD and went on till about 1,700 AD. This period saw the rise and fall of a number of empires as well as invasions by the Aryans and Mughals. The subcontinent got more regionalized as time went on and India witnessed the rise of Regional and Folk Theatres. An important reason for the rise of such theatres was due to each region developing its own culture and, importantly, its own language. Playwrights created verses and songs, new forms of dialogue and new forms of presentation on stage, unique to the location using a unique language. Different regions preferred different forms of theatrical performances. For example, 'Nautanki', 'Rasleela' & 'Ramleela', forms that involved vocal aspects over movement or singing, were popular in the northern states while 'Jatra', 'KathaKatha', 'Odissi', 'Kuchipudi', 'Theyam' and 'Terukkuttu', forms that emphasized vocals as well as dancing, were popular in southern and eastern parts of the country. Another notable form of theatre that started in this period which has continued to the present day is now called Traditional Theatre. What set it apart from the other forms was that for the first time, a form of theatre represented India as a whole and not just regions of it. 'Tamashaa', 'Bhaona' and 'Bhavai' are some examples of Traditional Theatre introduced in this period that still find commercial success today, mostly playing in western parts of the country.

Finally, the period from 1750 to today is when theatre changed forever due to the entry of the British. Indian Theatre now had the influence of theatres and movements from the West which resulted in the shift from idealistic to realistic depictions of life – the life of the common man. This was an important development because, with World War 1 and World War 2 at the backdrop, theatre became an instrument of propaganda. Realistic depictions incited the feelings for freedom amongst the masses. Bengal Theatre was particularly noteworthy in this period, being the most critical of practices of the Empire (and was also the one that faced the most hardships). This period also saw the birth of arguably the most important playwright, poet and writer of the period and a freedom fighter: Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941).