Art and Culture 1.4 Mauryan Art and Architecture (Palaces Pillars and Stupa) BY CIVIL JOINT
Mauryan Art and Architecture With the advent of Jainism and Buddhism, which were part of the shramana tradition, in 4th century BCE, the religious and social scenario of gangetic valley began to undergo changes. Note: The Shramana movement was a Non-Vedic movement parallel to Vedic Hinduism in ancient India. The Shramana tradition gave rise to Jainism, Buddhism, and Yoga, and was responsible for the related concepts of saṃsāra (the cycle of birth and death) and moksha (liberation from that cycle). As both the religions were opposed to the verna and jayi system of Vedic age, they gained patronage of the Kshatriya rulers who had grown wary of the brahmanical supremacy.
Mauryan Art can be classified as follows:
Court Art By Mauryan rulers For politial as well as religious reasons Palaces: The Mauryan Empire was the first powerful empire of India. Capital at Pataliputra and the palaces at kumrahar (reflected the splendour of the empire) The palace of Chandragupta Maurya was inspired by the Achaemenid palaces at Persepolis in Iran. Wood was the principle building material. Megasthene(wrote Indika) described the palace as one of the greatest creations of the mankind. NOTE Megasthenes was born in Asia Minor and became an ambassador of Seleucus I Nicator of the Seleucid dynasty to Chandragupta Maurya in Pataliputra, India. Other Greek envoys to the Indian court are known after Megasthenes: Deimachus as ambassador to Bindusara, and Dionysius, as ambassador to Ashoka.
Ashoka Palace At Kumrahar (an area of Patna) A high central pillar A three-storey wooden structure Walls were decorated with carvings and sculptures Pillars: During the time of Ashoka, the pillars and their inscription assumed great significance. Uses of pillar: Symbol of the state To commemorate battle victories To propagate imperial sermons as well
Features of pillars: Average height 40 feet Usually made of chunar sandstone Comprised of four part: (1) Shaft: base and was made up of a single piece of stone or monolith (2) Capital: either lotus shaped or bell shaped( bell shaped were the influenced by the Iranian pillars) (3) Abacus: circular or rectangular base above the capital (4) Animal figure: above the Abacus National Emblem: The abacus and the animal part of the Sarnath pillar. In the abacus of the sarnath pillar, four animals are Shown- a horse, a bull, an elephant and a lion. Built in the commemoration of the first sermon or the Dharmachakrapravartana.
Difference between Ashokan Pillars and Achaemenian (Persian) Pillars Basis Composition Location Surface Abacus Lotus Ashokan Pillars Shaft of the pillars were monolithic, i.e. single piece of stone, mainly chunar sandstones. Independently erected by royal diction. Mauryan pillars were smooth Achaemenian Pillars Shaft were made up of various pieces of sandstone cemented together. abacus with independent carved animals Have bulge Different Abacus Generally attached to state buildings. Most of the Persian pillars were not smooth No bulge
Similarities between Mauryan and Achaemenian (Persian) Pillars or Architecture Ashoka got the idea of inscribing proclamations on pillars from the achaemenids. It has been pointed out that the words dipi and lipi occur in the inscriptions of Darius as well as Ashoka. The foreign influence has been identified in the polished surface of the Ashokan pillars and the animal motifs. The stiff heraldic pose of the lions is seen as further evidence of western influence. Maurya columns and Achaemenian pillars, both used polished stones. Both have certain common sculpture motifs such as the lotus.
Stupa: Stupas were burial mounds prevalent in India from the Vedic period, but popularised by the Buddhists. Ashes and relics of the dead were kept in stupas. During the period of Ashoka, the art of stupas reached its climax. Almost 84000 stupas were erected during his period. After the death of the Buddha, 9 stupas were erected, 8 of them has the relics of the Buddha at their medhi while 9 ninth had the pot in which the relics were originally kept. Location of the 9 stupas built after the death of the Buddha are: 1) Rajagriha (Bihar) 7) Kushinagar (U.P; death of Gautama Buddha) 2) Vaishali (Bihar) 8) Vethapida 3) Kapilavastu (Nepal) 9) Pippalivana (U.P; visited by Xuan Zang) 4) Allakappa 5) Ramagrama (Nepal) 6) Pava (U.P)
Structure of Stupa Core of the stupa was made of unburnt brick while the outer surface was made by using burnt bricks, which were then covered with a thick layer of plaster. The medhi and the toran were decorated by wooden sculptures. Devotees walk around the Pradakshina patha as a token of worship. Sanchi Stupa in Madhya Pradesh is the most famous of the ashokan stupas. Piprahwa stupa in U.P is the oldest one.
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