Middle- and Near-Eastern Elements in Traditional Indian Theatre: A Historical and Cultural Perspective

Abstract

Traditional Indian theatre has had a long history from Vedic times to the present with various indigenous and foreign cultures contributing substantially to the development of its many folk, classical and popular manifestations. Notable among these have been elements from the Middle- and Near-East which, in the form of literary content, music as well as impetus towards innovation, enriched existing theatre genres or led to the creation of new ones. This paper examines, through a historical and cultural perspective, the development of several folk and court-based forms and the relatively recent popular genre, Parsi theatre.