History of Indian drama acts as the most charming, most enigmatic and most appreciating part of the whole genre of drama in India, given its incredible reach and limit to perfection, since ancient times. India is one of the single-most countries that triumphantly can sing its own praises of an indigenous dramatic tradition, still remaining impassive from any foreign influence. When Hindu plays first were acknowledged by the European living, through Sir William Jones` translation of Sakuntala in 1789, it was vastly conceived then that Greek literature had got through into India, thoroughly charming their playwrights on the way. However, that opinion is not an all prevailing concept in present times. A bunch of the critics now come to an agreement of the fact that Hindu drama was neither a shallow appropriation nor a shameless replication, but the sole product of `native genius`. The dramatist Bhasa or Bhrata (as he is acknowledged by one or the other name), thirteen of whose works have been presently regained and published, is traditionally considered to have been the founder and "Father" in the history of Indian drama. There however, exists substantial disarray with regards to the authorship of umpteen plays, due to the fact that it was the habit to assign a literary work to the ruler at whose court, or under whose benefaction, the real author was bound to survive.

History of Indian drama for the very first time divulges about a dozen plays being written in India most likely within 400 and 900, which was heart-rending enough to excite the interest and appreciation of present-day students. Sometime during those five hundred years had survived the two biggest playwrights in India, Kalidasa and Bhavabuti, whose compositions were ascribed to the emperors Sudraka and Sriharsha respectively. However, gaping differences of opinion exist with regards to the dates of these two authors, especially of Kalidasa. Kalidasa`s birth and survival during the most prolific period in the historical evolvement of Indian drama establish that there lies a difference ranging from half a century before the birth of Christ to the sixth century afterwards. Professor Kunow, in Das Indische Drama (1920), places Kalidasa at approximately 400. Bhavabuti was a Brahmin by birth from south India and possibly belonged to the early eighth century. During Bhavabhuti`s heyday, he must have been hugely admired and respected, for the people looked up to him as Srikantha, or, "he in whose throat exists fortune".Three dramatic compositions survive from each of these authors.

The colonial period in the history of Indian drama and its evolvement had brought in a radical and almost whirlwind phase for dramatists from the country. Quite understandably, the best known drama to the British was Sakuntala by Kalidasa, which was translated into English by Sir William Jones in 1789. The play was successful enough to etch upon an insightful impression upon such scholars like Goethe (legendary German poet and novelist and dramatist) and created something like an almost `literary sensation`. The play Sakuntala is divided into seven acts and the story is believed to have been borrowed from the first book of the Mahabharata. Its hero, Dushyanta, was a much distinguished and illustrious king of ancient times. The action within the play almost travels in a two way mind-blowing motion, in part within the territory of fantasy and in part, amidst the supernatural. The dialogue delivery is always witnessed to be exceedingly poetic and idealistic. Due to `Sakuntala``s almost limitless imaginative insight, gallant and majestic poetical rendition and emotional appeal, Kalidasa`s play has been esteemed by people of every nation as one of the `masterpieces of dramatic literature` in India.

The Rise of the Moon of Knowledge is an allegorical and theological dramatic piece in six acts, within which non-figurative and non-objective qualities such as Will, Reason and the stupidities and vices of man are brought back to life and made to stand in conflict against one another. The much apparent parallelism between the play and the European ethicses of the late Middle Ages is of considerable interest, a significant factor included within the genre of history of Indian drama. A political composition named The Signet of the Minister, written approximately in 800 and another called as The Binding of a Braid of Hair, are amongst the most admired and well liked productions of plays in ancient India. Besides these, the titles of more than five hundred Sanskrit dramas are acknowledged in present times; and more than a dozen have already been translated into umpteen modern European languages. From them and from respective other references, much has been learned and ascertained concerning the technique and ideals of the ancient Indian dramatic history and stage.

Indian drama and theatre is one of the oldest art forms, always regarded as the most former, just like in Indian music and dance. History of Indian drama, beginning from the ancient Vedic Age, moves on to the classical theatre traditions, also influencing modern theatre, particularly the Hindi, Marathi and Bengali theatres down the line. Looking back towards the historical path, the beginning of the ancient dramas can be very much witnessed and observed in the Rig Veda, together with Pururava - Urvashi, Yama-Yami, Indra-Indrani, Sarma-Pani and Ushas Suktas. Even the epics of Ramayana, Mahabharata and Artha Shastra are instilled with specific techniques of dramas. Sages Valmiki and Vyas and Panini also had shed decisive light on dramaturgy and Patanjali had heartily contributed in his Mahabhashya that there existed two dramas, namely - Kamsa Vadha and Vali Vadha. Actors not only served as dancers but also as musicians. Vatsayana (author of Kama Sutra) states in his legendary treatise of love and art of love-making, that kings were of the habit to arrange for programmes of acting through actors in festivals and celebrations. As such, the origin of dramas found from the early Vedic age are considered the most authentic and authoritative amongst all the later creations.

Later, by the mid-A.D. 300`s, history of Indian drama enunciates that play acting and penning in the Sanskrit language had developed and flourished to a considerable extent, which actually served as epic poems. Each play was organised around one o the nine Rasas (standing for `moods` and `sentiments`). The primary aim was to reproduce and emote harmony, as such authors kept off from moods that would come to clashes and all these plays came to a jubilant closing. In historical times in Indian drama, there mainly existed six dramatists, consisting of Bhasa, Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti, Shudraka, Bhatta Narayana, Vishakhadutta and Harsha. The plays were composed on the basis of the Hindu epics and the puranas.

Bharata is considered the founder of the Indian dramaturgy and he described Indian drama as `the fifth Veda`. Thus, he is often acknowledged as the father of Indian theatrical arts. Bharata`s Natya Shastra appears to be the first attempt to devise and contrive the technique or rather art of drama in a systematic manner. The Natya Shastra advises the reader about not only what is to be portrayed in a drama, but also how the portrayal is to be executed. Natya Shastra incredibly emotes a panoptic scope of everything dramatic. It consists of minutely detailed precepts for both playwrights and the actors. The much renowned Bharata describes ten types of drama, ranging from one to ten acts. In addition, history of drama also states that he also had laid down principles for stage design, make-up, costume, dance, a theory of rasas and bhavas, acting, directing and music in each of the individual chapters.

History of Indian drama elaborates majestically about Bharata setting out a detailed theory of drama, where he referred to the Bhavas and the Rasas such as love, pity, anger, disgust, heroism, awe, terror and comedy, that generally inspire the audience. The plays were also necessary to mix and amalgamate various Rasas, but however was to be dominated by only one. According to Natya Shastra, all the modes of expression employed by an individual, which include speech, gestures, movements and intonation was mandatory to be utilised. The ultimate representation of these expressions was supposed to have diverse and dissimilar modes according to the predominance and emphasis on one mode or another. History of Indian drama, with all its refinements, complexities, sophistications and sublimities, had comprehended Bharata Muni, who recognised four main modes: speech and poetry (bharati vritti), dance and music (kaishiki vritti), action (arabhatti vritti) and emotions (sattvatti vritti) for the success of a drama production. Mahakavi Bhasa is at times regarded as the first playwright of ancient Sanskrit literature. He virtually had composed 13 plays, intelligently basing his plays upon taking the story of Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas and the Lok Kathas. Mahakavi Kalidasa had penned three dramas, namely, Malavikagnimitra, Vikramorvasiya and Abhijnanasakuntalam. Kalidasa also whole-heartedly lent novel and innovative art, technique, bhava (emotional sentiment), costumes, thoughts, methods and directions to the historical evolvement of Indian drama. Thus, he was triumphant to be honoured as greatest poet and playwright ever to have arrived in Sanskrit literature.

Till the 15th century Sanskrit dramas were out-and-out performed on stage in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. King Mitrak of Gujarat`s Vallabhi had given sufficient patronage to Indian dramas and arts. History of Indian drama lends information about the gradual germination of performances during the time of the Gujarat king Siddharaj Bilhan. His Karnasundri was performed in Patan during the celebration of the Naminath Yatra Mahotsav. In a likewise manner, Balchandra`s Drana "Karuna Vajra Yudhe" was staged on Satrunjaya Hill near Palitana. The kings and the Jain faction and other religious community had generously patronised these plays, but their performance were confined to religious festivals and to the royal courts only, that too in the in the presence of kings and their nobleman and devotees. The plays did not possess enough class diversification to reach the common mass.

Going by history of Indian drama and its significant contribution to the art history of India, one gets to be enlightened that after the 15th century, Indian dramatic activity almost ceased due to foreign invasions on India. However, the age had remained witness to the beginnings of Loknatya (people`s Theatre), which was noticed in every state of India from 17th century onwards. Several states innovated fresh and new styles of drama; in Bengal there were styles like Yatrakirtaniya, Paal, Gaan; in Madhya Pradesh Mach; in Kashmir Bhandya Thar and in Gujarat the forms comprised Bhavai, Ramlila; in northern India there existed the Nautanki, and Bhand, Ramlila and Raslila; in Maharashtra Tamasha; in Rajasthan Raas and Jhoomer; in Punjab Bhangra and Songe; while in Assam it was Ahiyanat and Ankinaat; in Bihar it was Videshiya.

The beginning and the rise of the modern history of Indian dramas was hidden within the 18th century when the British Empire and its stretch consolidated its stable power in India. In 1765, there came up two drama lovers, who had staged the legendary two English comedy plays by the names Disgaij and Love is the Best Doctor. In 1831, Prasaankumar Thakur had laid the foundation stone for the Hindi Rangmanch. In 1843, on the ardent request of the Sangli King, playwright Vishnudas Bhave had given birth to Seeta Swayamwar in Marathi. With passing time, precisely in 1880, Annasaheb Kirloskar had staged Abhignan Shakuntal in Marathi. However, in the western part of India, due utter the Portuguese domination, drama groups from western countries began to arrive in India to stage English plays.

In 1850, modern theatrical activity originated in Bengal, Karnataka and Kerala also, adding further to the history of Indian drama. Then, from 1858 onwards Gujarati and Urdu plays began to be staged in many cities in Mumbai and Gujarat, chiefly in Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda and Vadnagar. The Parsis started their own drama company and made liberal usage of words from Hindustani, Urdu, Persian and Sanskrit, while staging their plays. Their successful dramas were rendered quite legendary in the theatre halls of Karachi, Calcutta and Bombay. At approximately the same time, theatrical activity also had begun in Karnataka and Orissa. The Parsi plays, besides the language of the play, also devoted much attention to stage decor and stage specialties. Thus, from the beginning in 1850 and reaching upto 1940, there could be witnessed a resurgence of dramatic movement in different regions of India and there was significant development in the genre of Indian drama and its historical flowering. This almost hundred years can rightly be stated as the `Golden Age` of Indian theatre.

The period after Indian Independence in 1947, marks a significant second stage in the development and history of modern Indian Drama. Prior to 1947, drama scripts were pivoted around Sanskrit plays, English plays and ancient religious-historical epics, deriving much influence from ancientness in the play-acting scenario. They related themselves to the social problems as well as the ideology of the Indian freedom movement; making it an exceedingly powerful medium and tool, intended to make an impact on the life of the common man.

The second stages of modern Indian drama post 1947, had made an endeavour to divide dramas into two parts, comprising Professional Theatre and Non-Professional Theatre. The Non-Professional Theatre groups were established and took shape by co-operative theatrical societies, where their subjects were inspired by western plays. The Indian theatre groups, including the theatre craftsmen and artists, then travelled to foreign countries to acquire knowledge of stagecraft and other detailed artistries. The present day drama in the contemporaneous scenario also has been amassed within the history of Indian drama, as each day comes with an evolutionary cycle towards the better. Performances are, now-a-days enriched by itself, with the help of modern techniques of stage screens, sets, scenery, lighting and sound effects and the same also has been chalked out to be continued, till date and advanced date.