Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 4

ART & ARCHITECTURE OF THE MAURYAN PERIOD

Introduction: In India the establishment of a vigorous dynasty ruling over wide dominions has invariably resulted in the application of a strong stimulus to the development of mans intellectual and artistic powers. Such a dynasty, exercising its administrative duties effectively, fostering commerce, maintaining active intercourse, commercial and diplomatic, with foreign states, and displaying the pomp of a magnificent court, both encourages the desire to do great things, and provides the material patronage without which authors and artists cannot live. Chandragupta Maurya established an empire in India in the 4th cent. B.C. For the first time, large portions of the subcontinent were unified politically. Chandraguptas grandson Ashoka was the most powerful and popular emperor of this dynasty. He was a great lover of art and architecture. His contribution to art is seen, some in ruins, scattered across the area of his empire. The reign of Ashoka presents in perfection all conditions as being favorable to the development of notable schools of art and literature. It is also seen that art had flourished almost in equal measure under the rule of his father Bindusara and his grandfather Chandragupta. In fact, there are substantial grounds for believing that buildings of exceptional magnificence were erected in the time of the first Maurya emperor. Splendid architecture necessarily involves the successful cultivation of sculpture, painting, and all the decorative arts. Greek testimony declares that the palace of Chandragupta surpassed the royal abodes of Persia, and records some details of the rich ornament of the building, but the whole has vanished over the years. The monuments before the period of Ashoka were mostly made of wood and therefore perished. In the time of Chandragupta Maurya and his son, brick and stone seem to have been used chiefly for the foundations and plinths of timber superstructures. Wooden architecture implies the execution of most of the decorative features in material equally perishable. The use of stone started from the time of Ashoka. The general use of stone in northern India for building,

sculpture, and decoration certainly dates from the reign of Ashoka, who was influenced by Persian and Greek example. Mauryan Art & Architecture: The animal capitals of the Mauryan pillars mark the beginning of Buddhist art in India. The pillars are tapering monolithic shafts with an inverted lotus capital, crowned by an animal sculpture resting on an abacus and are made of Chunar sandstone with a highly lustrous polish. The best examples are the Lion capital from Sarnath and the Bull and Lion capitals from Rampurwa. However, the Lion capital from Sarnath, adapted as a national crest of India, is the best finished and the most famous among the animal capitals. The abacus with a galloping horse, a striding elephant, a walking bull and a prancing lion excels in modeling and expression. Lying near the column were the broken portions of the upper part of the shaft and a magnificent capital of the well-known Persepolitan bell shaped type with four lions above, supporting in their midst a stone wheel or dharmachakra, the symbol of the law first promulgated at Sarnath. Both bell and lions are in an excellent state of preservation and masterpieces in point of both style and technique the finest carvings, indeed, that India has yet produced, and unsurpassed by anything of their kind in the ancient world. The Indian government adopted this capital with some modifications as its state emblem. The plastic tradition of the yaksha and Yakshi figures representing the indigenous folk cult also flourished during the Mauryan period and continued late into the post-Mauryan times. The Mauryan period is an important period in the history of Indian art and architecture. Some of the finest examples of Mauryan art are the famous Ashokan pillars that are erected across the country. These columns were works of art, architecture and engineering. The pillar was made out of a single stone which was cut, shaped and polished. Adorning the pillar was a four lion sculpture which rested on a highly polished and chiseled capital depicting animals and flowers. The engineering skill required to make all this possible was indeed substantial. These massive stones were hauled from quarries and carried miles away. The fine

chiseling and lustrous polishing are examples of well developed skills. The remarkable accuracy and beauty associated with these sculptures is a fine example of the skill of the artisans of the Mauryan period. No building of Ashokas age is standing except some of the stupas near Bhilsa and pillars, by which one can imagine the grandeur of architecture created by Ashoka. His palace and monasteries and most of his stupas have disappeared. Ashoka built a number of stupas throughout his empire but majority of them were destroyed during foreign invasions. Only a few have survived. The best example is the famous Sanchi stupa with massive dimensions. It was originally built with bricks but later enlarged after the time of Ashoka. The Hill of Sanchi is situated about 9 kilometers south-west of Vidisha in Madhaya Pradesh, India. Crowning the hilltop of Sanchi nearly 91 meters in height, a group of Buddhist monuments commands a grand view even from a distance. It is unique not only in its having the most perfect and well-preserved stupas but also in its offering a wide and educative field for the study of the genesis, efflorescence and decay of Buddhist art and architecture for a period of about thirteen hundred years, from the third century B.C. to the twelfth century, A.D., almost covering the whole range of Indian Buddhism. This is rather surprising, for Sanchi was not hallowed by any incident in Buddha's life; not is it known to have been the focus of any significant event in the history of Buddhist monachism. Seven rock-cut caves in the Barabar and Nagarjuni hills show that the tradition of rock-cut caves in India began with the Mauryas. The caves presented to the Ajivikas by Ashoka and his son Dashratha remain important heritage of the Mauryas. Their interior walls are polished like mirror. These were meant to be residences of monks. The caves at Barabar hills near Bodhgaya are wonderful pieces of Mauryan architecture. Excavations done at various places have come with structures like a hundred pillar hall. The Mauryans were adept at cutting caves out of hillsides and were able to polish the inside walls so highly that they shine as if they were glass.

Ashokan art can better be judged from sculpture than from architecture. The noble sculpture of Ashokas age exhibits a mature form of art, the evolution of which through earlier attempts is hidden from our eyes for the reasons explained above. Many details indicate that the artist in stone closely followed the example set by his fellow craftsmen in wood. If Ashoka insisted, as he did, on his statuary and reliefs being executed in enduring stone, he was able to utilize the services of skilled Indian workmen accustomed to work in more perishable materials, who were clever enough to adapt their technique to the permanent medium. The art of his time, although obviously affected by Persian and Hellenistic influences, is mainly Indian in both spirit and execution. Even of the numerous monuments of Ashoka, only a few remained. The pillars erected by Ashoka furnish the finest specimen of the Mauryan art. Ashokan pillars with inscriptions were found in places like Delhi, Allahabad, Rummindai, Sanchi and Sarnath. Their tops were crowned with figures of animals like lion, elephant and bull. Mauryan architecture is also famous. The capital of Pataliputra had been described by many travelers as one of the most amazing cities of the ancient world. Unfortunately, since most of the buildings were essentially wood, not much has survived. The famous city of Pataliputra was described in detail by Megasthenese, references of which are found in the writings of Strabo, Arian and other Greek writers. It stretched along the river Ganga. It was enclosed by a wooden wall and had 64 gates. Excavations have brought to light remains of palaces and the wooden palisade. The Mauryan wooden palace survived for about 700 years because at the end of the 4th century AD as reported by Fa Hien, the palace was astounding and magnificent. The palace and also the wooden palisade seem to have been destroyed by fire. The burnt wooden structure and ashes have been found from Kumrahar.

Atul Bhosekar M.A II(Buddhist Studies)

Вам также может понравиться