The Silent Architects of Civilization

Human civilization did not emerge merely through conquests, monuments, or political power. Its deeper and more enduring foundations were shaped by the everyday lives, labour, creativity, and wisdom of women. Long before history began to record events, women were already building the social, cultural, and emotional structures that allowed societies to grow and flourish.

‘Nayika’ is a derivative of the Sanskrit word nāyaka (nayaka) referring and conforming to a woman. In context to Indian performing arts, a Nayika is the one who performs the main lead role, being portrayed as the heroine in a Natya (drama) or Abhinaya (acting) piece. The word Nayika, brings in lyrical gracefulness, softness in its thoughts, aesthetic representation and a sensuous paradigm. The Abhinaya Darpan of Nandikeshwar, entitles a chapter named Ashta Nayika, elaborating on the eight varied characteristics of a woman. The same he did for Nayaka (Hero) too! But, in performance presentations, the concept of Ashta Nayika is more popular amongst the Rasika or spectators. This is because, women always tend to gain attention, questions and criticisms.

When we look at the earliest human communities, we often imagine hunters, tribal leaders, and warriors. Yet anthropological studies reveal that women were equally, if not more, central to the survival and development of early societies. Women gathered food, preserved seeds, cared for children, and built systems of cooperation within communities. These everyday actions formed the first steps toward organized human life.

One of the most transformative developments in human history—the discovery of agriculture—is closely linked to the observational intelligence of women. As gatherers of plants, fruits, and roots, women developed a deep knowledge of nature. Over time, they understood how seeds could be preserved and cultivated. This knowledge gradually led to the domestication of plants and the emergence of farming communities. Agriculture allowed human beings to settle in one place, giving rise to villages, towns, and eventually civilizations.

A woman is defined, moulded and painted in many ways throughout history. Her societal descriptive identity resides somewhere beyond general understanding and from time immemorial, she has been showcased as an epitome of so many responsibilities, expectations and sacrifices. And at the same time, she has been under continuous scrutiny and tests.

In some of such trials, she excels with flying colours, in others her boldness is detrimental and in many her sacrifice and suffocated dreams are remarked to be elaborate examples and this is what is often expected in the society, by the society and for the society.

But the contribution of women goes far beyond material survival. Civilization is not defined merely by food production or settlement patterns. It is also shaped by culture, values, art, and emotional bonds. In these domains, women have played an extraordinary role.

Inside the household—the earliest social institution—women have traditionally served as the first teachers of humanity. Before the creation of schools or formal systems of education, mothers and grandmothers passed knowledge from one generation to the next. Through stories, songs, and everyday practices, they taught children language, traditions, and moral values.

The very idea of family stability rests significantly on the patience and emotional strength of women. They create the environment in which children grow not only physically but also intellectually and spiritually. The values of empathy, cooperation, respect, and resilience—essential for any civilized society—are first nurtured within the family.

I find women to be an exquisite piece of art. And this attraction is both an asset for her professional growth or a bad premonition for her doom. I never had repentance for being a woman. I never experienced a strict father who would ponder academics above my dance, I never saw my brother been uncomfortable for me being a danseuse, I never heard my husband telling me to call off dancing as my profession or I never had been ordered by my in-laws to concentrate upon my family and stop roaming with my troupe. Throughout my life, I enjoyed being a danseuse, a daughter, a sister, a wife, a daughter-in-law and a mother. I enjoyed all these relations more, because it never brought hindrance to me and my passion for dancing.

Women have also been creators of culture in the most intimate sense. Across civilizations, they have shaped traditions through cooking, weaving, embroidery, clothing design, music, and rituals. These may appear to be simple domestic activities, yet they form the cultural identity of communities.

A traditional garment, for instance, carries layers of meaning. The choice of fabric, colours, patterns, and motifs often reflects regional histories, beliefs, and aesthetics. In India, the saree is not merely attire; it represents heritage, artistry, and identity. Many of the intricate designs and embroidery traditions associated with textiles have been preserved by women across generations.

In our daily life, we have some fixed notions that outlines a women’s image, do’s and don’ts, behavior, social responsibilities and contour. She is always expected to be someone who is pure, generous and ready to give service. We expect all HER enactments, moves, waistline and curves to be perfect and alluring! Don’t we? That’s why right from a Bidi packet through a detergent powder or an alcohol advertisement, we just simply cannot deny HER presence. And yes, HER presence makes a huge difference in the product’s popularity.

Similarly, culinary traditions—another essential element of culture—have largely been shaped by women. Recipes passed from mothers to daughters preserve not only taste but also memory and identity. Food becomes a medium through which communities maintain continuity with their past.

Another dimension in which women have contributed to civilization is the preservation of intangible heritage. Folk songs, lullabies, storytelling traditions, and rituals have been sustained primarily through the voices and memories of women. These forms of expression transmit collective wisdom and emotional depth across generations.

Today, in respect to artistic growth and aesthetic possibilities, our society is changing and is becoming culturally global, although there are still many unsolved fights regarding women’s power, respect and identity. But, decades back, it was not even this much capable of supporting and promoting female artistes. It was a taboo for many young ladies to learn and practice arts and perform it in public. And moreover, moving in group from place to place for performances was beyond questions.

In literature too, women have offered profound insights into human life. Although women’s voices were historically marginalized in many societies, those who wrote poetry, memoirs, and narratives have enriched our understanding of the human experience. Their writings often illuminate aspects of life that conventional histories overlook—the emotional landscape of families, the silent struggles of everyday life, and the strength required to sustain communities.

In many Indian traditional dance dramas like Ram Leela, Krishna Leela, Kathakali, Ankiya Naat, etc. the female roles were played by the males. In the process of bringing female artistes to the foreground, there lies many women’s contributions.

Leila Roy, who is famously known with her pseudo name as Madam Meneka, was born from an English mother and a Bengali father. She was inspired by Anna Pavlova for dancing and produced many successful dance-dramas during 1930s. She faced many hindrances into learning and portraying her skills, but after her marriage with Colonel Dr. Sahib Singh Sokhey, Meneka was promoted to learn and even execute her dance dramas at the national and international front. She established her dance troupe in 1934 and staged her first dance drama ‘Krishna Leela’ in the same year. She was bold, beautiful, creative and simply unstoppable.

The Assamese film Joymoti based on the literary work of Lakhminath Bezbaruah’s story of the Ahom princess Sati Joimoti, directed by Jyoti Prasad Agarwala which was released in the year 1935, marked the beginning of Assamese cinema. Its lead role was played by Aideu Nilambar Handique who was then 16 years of age and belongs from a poor family of Golaghat, Assam. Although she earned laurels for her performance, but, back at her village she was socially detested and was not allowed even by her parents to stay with them. She was shunned by her neighbours and was abandoned for playing the role of a wife and calling her co-actor as her husband in the film, thus for rest of her life, she remained a spinster and lived in a cowshed.

The Nautanki of Kanpur was an ardent performing arts form once upon a time, portraying various stories with a dramatic plot. Trimohan Lal was the pioneer in introducing female artistes in his Nautanki team. The involvement of female artistes in such public performances created a craze amongst the spectators. With this notion of gaining more interest from the public, gradually other Nautanki teams also started involving female artistes. As Nautanki rose in a fast pace and gained immense popularity from the public, it also lost its stature and position. The inclusion of some erotic and vulgar language in its presentation by some uncouth artistes during the later part of its successful period has trounced the image of this traditional performing art. It turned to be a money-making avenue, demoralizing and portraying female performing artistes in an expurgated and shameful manner.

Arts has witnessed many female protagonists who fought for their artistic identities and cultural reformations. Post-independence brought many collaborations and changing thoughts whilst bringing in opportunities for female performing artistes.

However, acknowledging women’s contributions also requires a shift in how we perceive history and progress. Too often, historical narratives emphasize visible achievements such as wars, architecture, or political power, while overlooking the quieter yet equally significant contributions made within households and communities.

Civilization is not built only by those whose names appear in textbooks. It is also built by countless individuals whose daily efforts sustain the fabric of society. Among these individuals, women have always been central figures.

The foundations of civilization, therefore, are not only found in monuments or written chronicles. They are woven into everyday life—in the stories told at home, the skills passed through generations, the care given to families, and the creativity expressed through art and culture.

In recognizing these contributions, we gain a more complete understanding of human history. Women are not merely participants in the story of civilization; they are among its most essential architects.

Right from Goddess Parvati (Lord Shiva’s consort) who is known for her Lashya form of dancing, Goddess Saraswati who is known for playing Veena, the renowned beautiful danseuse Amrapali of Vaishali, the Devdasis who devoted their lives practicing dance within the temple shrines, innumerable courtesans and the medieval to modern-day female artistes, each one of us has a story of its own.

What’s yours?