1 S. No 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. Title Introduction Vedic Period Development during 2nd century B.C Mauryan Period Origin of Buddhist Stupa Dharma Rajika Stupa Rock Cut activities Mauryan Art Indo Greeks Sirkap Jandial Temple Scythians Parthians Kushans Sirkap Shaikhan Dheri Kushan Art of Gandhara Gandharan Art and Buddhism Characteristic Features of Gandharan Art Foreign Influence on Gandharan Art Summery Conclusion Bibliography P. No 2 2 4 5 6 6 7 10 14 15 15 15 17 19 20 20 21 22 23 26 27 28 29 2 Introduction Architecture is the matrix of civilization, each great culture had made its own particular architecture. All these are distinct from each other, for example, Roman buildings are remarkable for their scientific construction, French Gothic reveals a condition of passionate energy, in the same way the out standing quality of the architecture of Subcontinent is its spiritual content. It is evident that the fundamental purpose of buildings was to represent in concrete form of the prevailing religious consciousness of the people. In these first buildings were produced by Vedic people. The same story belongs to art, the Subcontinent art is mainly a religious art, first produced during Mauryan. Vedic Period The Indus valley civilization was replaced by Aryans or Vedic people. These people were widely different from the people of Indus. The people of Indus region were mainly traders and town-dwellers, while the Vedic were wrestlers and working in the fields and forests. When the Vedic people settled down in the plains of India, they became partly pastoral and partly agricultural. They made their habitations rudimentary structures of reads and bamboo thatched with leaves. These were not developed from the fine houses of the Indus valley civilization. But these temporary erections were developed to meet the needs of the forest dwellers and this is the beginning of Indian Architecture. Architecture From different sources it is possible to visualize the kind of building that the early settlers found suitable for their purpose. Considerable information is contained in the Vedas, while indigenous vignettes depicting the life of the times are carved in bass relief on the stupa railings of Barhut and Sanchi. In addition there is the significant character of the subsequent architecture which reproduces in many of its aspects the types of structure from which it originated. Supplied with this material we see the people living in clearing cut out of the primeval forest, just as some of the small cultivators at the present time in India, notably in parts of Bengal, still carve their homesteads out of the bamboo jungle. 3 Palisade The early immigrants or Vedic people want to protect themselves and their property from the ravages of wild animals, and so they surrounded their little collection of huts (grama) with a special kind of fence or palisade. This fence took the form of a bamboo railing the upright posts (thabha) of which supported three horizontal bars called suchi or needles, as they were threaded through holes in the up rights. In the course of time this peculiar type of railing became the emblem of protection and universally used, not only to enclose the villages, but as a paling around fields, and eventually to preserve anything of a special or sacred nature. In the palisade encircling the village, entrances also of a particular kind were devised. These were formed by projecting a section of the bamboo fence at right angles and placing a gateway in advance of it. And from this bamboo gate way derived the Buddhist archway known as the torana. Huts of Vedic people The huts of the village people were of various shapes but the circular plan was predominant, and it was the natural tendency of primitive man towards round form. The foundations of the old city of Rajgriha in Bihar which probably flourished about 800 BC indicate that circular buildings were then common, in the Vedic village Huts were of the beehive pattern made of a circular wall of bamboos held together with bands of withes and covered either with a domical roof of leaves or thatched with grass. A remarkable illustration of this may be seen in the interior of the rock-cut Sudama cell in the Barabar hill group, where every detail of the timber construction is copied in the living rock. A later date in the evolution of the Vedic hut the circular plan was elongated into an oval with a barrel roof formed on a frame of bent bamboos also covered with thatch. Soon some of these huts were arranged in threes and fours around a square courtyard and the roofs covered with planks of wood or tiles. In the better class houses unbaked bricks were used for the walls, and the doorways were square-headed, opining with double doors. One device to maintain the barrel shape of the roof was to stretch a thong or withe across the end of the arch like the cord of a bow. This contrivance constricted the chord of the arch and produced a shape resembling a horse shoe, a type of archway commonly referred to as the chaitya or sun-window. This became characteristic of the subsequent architecture of the BC During this age the social system of the Vedic community was so expanded that towns arose at certain important centres. the ancient capital of Magadha. In the remote areas of India like Orissa these white washed huts still can be seen. In each there was an official enclosure containing audience and assembly halls. carefully fitted and bounded together the core between is composed of smaller blocks and no mortar appear to have been used. the great Buddhist commentator they were planned by an architect of the name of Mahagovinda who is responsible for the lay-out of several of the capitals of northern India in the fifth century BC These cities were rectangular in plan and divided into four quarters by two main thoroughfares intersecting at right angles. now a vast area of ruins in the Patna district of Bihar. . In that time all the building materials were of temporary nature. Both had a wing reserved for the royal ladies with pleasure gardens. another resolved itself into the residences of the upper classes. In the Rig-Veda the carpenter is recorded as holding the place of honour among all artisans as all the village people depend upon him. This wall consists of a rough pile of massive undressed stones.4 Buddhists. The Capitals were strongly fortified with wooden palisades while within this enclosure the buildings were also almost entirely of wood. third was the loss pretentious buildings of the middle class. The Vedic civilization now enters on an era of timber construction. and the fourth was for the accommodation of traders with their work shops open to view as in the modern bazaar. both were built round an inner courtyard with in the citadel and both had a large central window for the darshan or salutation of the king. Development during 2nd c. having fountains and ornamental waters attached. each between three and five feet in length. of these quarters contained the citadel and royal apartments. each leading to a city gate. the example of stone masonry can be seen in the city wall of Rajagriha. Above this wall a superstructure of wood and bricks or stone and bricks combined were placed (Brown: 4). where the traditional structural features of the village were reproduced on a larger scale and in a more substantial form. These houses were decorated by white colour applied on the mud walls. All these practices and designs were continued for a long time and the interval of the two thousand years separates the Vedic palace from that of the Mughals. Cities largely of wooden construction and according to Dhammapala. pierced with lope-hole for the discharge of arrows. Towers Megasthenes mentioned 570 towers on the fortification wall but we have no idea about the architectural features of these towers since none has been found so far. Chandragupta was the founder of Mauryas. Asoka ascended the throne. they united India from the Khyber to the Deccan. and ruled from 322 to 185 BC.5 Mauryan Period The foundation of the Maurya Empire was unique event in the history of ancient IndoPakistan. It was generally used by the archers. Palisade Greeks historian and ambassadors gives us some important details about the palisade of Pataliputra. But fortification does have towers and the towers have been spaced at 67 meters. A ditch was also made in front of fortification wall for defense and for receiving sewers of the city. undoubtedly the greatest ruler of the Mauryan dynasty. The remains of wooden palisade have also been found a very large area at Bulindibagh (Johns: 219). Architecture In the Indian history of architecture the Mauryan architecture had a permanent place. Ditch around the city 60 feet in breath and 30 cubits in depth. After the death of Bindusara. Gateways Here we also no clear idea about the gateways in the fortification wall there is only one suspected case of an entrance in which the cross beam with octagonal cross . Like the palace where a hypostyle hall of wooden pillars. From it the scholars take the idea that he was a warrior like his father. The wall was crowned with 570 towers and 644 gates. he was succeeded by his son Bindusara. The city of Pataliputra capital city of some of the great Indian kings was a prosperous city and had a lot of imperial architecture. His title was amitraghta or slayer of foes. but in the present day only the fragments were found. towers and gates of the city. the palisade around Pataliputra. this fortification wall were parallogram shape and is girded with a wooden wall. which were Aryans. They were round and raised hemispherical on the ground. The main stupa is approximately circular in plane with a raised terrace around its base.6 section was four meters in length with a few upright found a long with it. Railing around the stupa The most ancient stupa was very plain but they were usually surrounded by stone railing. means a burial mound. The earliest example of such railing at Sanchi is un-adorned copies of wooden post and rail fence (Sehrai: 17). one of his disciples asked how to treat his dead body. which means a shrine. The earliest stupas were built of un-burnt bricks like the famous Bharut stupa. which was ascended by four . Dharma Rajika Stupa of Taxila Taxila’s old name was Takshasila. Chaitya is another important word used for stupa. Some time square and plain but more often circular. who burnt their dead bodies and buried the ashes in a heap called Thuba. situated between Indus and Jhelum rivers and in the Shadow of the Muree hills or 20 miles north-west of the modern city of Rawapindi. and from a Pali word thuka. when Buddha was close to his death. Dharmarajika (Law Lord) is one of those stupas which were erected by Asoka himself and contains on the original relics of Buddha. where in to shrine the relics of Buddha or Stupa is a funeral place where relics of Buddha were placed or buried. This shape was probably derived from Vedic secular Huts. but evidence is too slender to be decisive in its favour. Buddha answered to treat his body like his ancestors. Origin of Buddhist Stupa Percy Brown relates Buddhism tradition. It may be have made Torana or gateway. Even the great stupa of Sanchi was originally of this type. Stupa Stupa is a funeral mound. especially in northern India and Nepal. With the passage of time the original hemi-spherical dome was raised with layers of mud. The railing was provide for the protection of worship and serving as defense against evil spirits. The word stupa is derived from the Prakrit word thupa. Finally under the Kidara Kushans in the late fourth or fifth century the base of the drum above the berm was faced with a deep band of ornamental stone work. . is 150 feet. which were frequently set up beside important Buddhist stupas. From east to west by 146 feet and 6 in. including the terrace and steps but not including the procession path. The core is of rough rubble masonry. Nowadays. strengthened by sixteen walls. The present height of the ruin is about 45 feet. On the left of the steps on the eastern side of the stupa is the lower part of a pillar. 1st most distinguishing features are the boldness of its mouldings and the design of its niches. probably in the reign of Kanishka. and part of it in the north-west quadrant was adorned in a curious fashion with shell bangles imbedded designs. one at each of the cardinal points. which probably once supported a lion capital. keeping the stupa always on the right hand. which carried the paving slabs of the berm and was returned as a raking cornice down the outer sides of the four ascending flights of steps. The terrace is faced with an early type of semi-ashlar masonry. Its diameter overall. like the pillars in Sirkap. and divided one from the other by Corinthian pilasters. the Buddhist ordinarily process three times round a stupa. The original floor of the procession path was composed of lime and river-sand plaster. The surviving foundations of the walls probably go back to the Maurya period. Such pillars were doubtless imitated from the well-known pillars of Asoka.7 flights of steps. the details of which were modeled in plaster. Under the Kushans. The same type of decoration is found on smaller stupas belonging to fourth and fifth centuries AD (Marshall: 103). radiating irregularly from the centre. but in obedience to vows they will process seven. round which it was customary for the faithful to process. from 3 feet to 5 feet in thickness. Above pilasters were small Hindu brackets and surmounting them a dentil cornice. fourteen or even 108 times. Procession Path The raised terrace and the open passage around the foot of the stupa served in ancient days as procession paths (Pradakshina Patha). there was a reconstruction of the terrace and four flights of steps at the base of the stupa. which is best preserved on the eastern side. divided into panels by shallow Corinthian pilasters. which are framed alternately by Trefoil arches and portals with sloping jambs. near Nepal. The rock-cut architecture of India can be classified into two groups such as Barabar hill group and Nagarjuni hill group. . The carpenter’s handy work has indeed been copied in stone in every detail from this façade can easily be reconstructed what wood built structural Caityas had been like during this period. The process of work was one of attacking the live rock from sides and top never from the bottom. Indian adopted this tradition from the west. faces to south. The carving of the façade is completely Indian. The earliest example of such architecture can be found at the famous hills of Barabar and Nagarjuni.4 meters.3 and 5. It is the early cave with ornamental façade. while the inner one measures 4.4 and 5.8 Rock Cut Activities The tradition of Rock-cut architecture was established by the Achamenians during fourth century BC and 3rd century BC. The cave has two chambers the outer one measure 9.2 meters. It is famous due to its sculptured façade which is quoted as the earliest example of Indian Art and Architecture. because it is an imitation in relief sculpture in stone of the entrance of a free standing structure in wood and thatch. All these were carved out in living rocks. Barabar hill group These hills are situated in northern India. Lomas Rishi cave Sudama cave Visva Jhopri cave Karna Chaupar cave Lomas Rishi Cave It is the most famous cave in the series of Barabar hills. while another isolated cave also reported called Sitamarhi cave. It is the imitation of wood in the stone architecture. This is the 1st representation of a type of building that most have existed in wooden forms of the Vedic period (Ray: 44). seems to have been translated from either terracotta original or from wooden translation of a terracotta prototype. The finial that surmounts the gable of the façade too. Rocks cut caves are formed from the womb of live rock by digging into them. The outer chamber is polished while inner one remained unpolished. The architectural remains usually ascribed to Mauryan period very few are artistically significant. It consists of four caves. 01m high at sides and 3. The recess may have been planed as a niche.54m. The outer chamber is highly polished and fully finished. in fact a portion. measures 4.79m in diameter but it remained un-finished.2 and 4. There is only a shallow alcove. or else on entrance to another chamber. the outer chamber.27 in size.98 and 5. The outer one is rectangular and measures 9.27 and 2. The roof of the former is vaulted. On the right hand wall of the portico. Chambers.79m to 6. The floor contains four socket holes meant apparently for timber framing.06m high at sides and 3. the trapezoidal doorway is marked by two sloping jambs. It faces to north. shown through a sunken rock cut recess. It is significant to note that it has a shallow unfinished recess in the wall opposite the hut. 2. facing the same direction fully finished. Doorway. . while that of the latter is hemispherical. a very important contemporary non-Buddhist sect whose existence was known as far as Ceylon in the south and Gujarat in the west. there is an Asokan inscription of 12th regional year. 1. The entire cave bears lustrous polish except the platform.73m high at the center. there is a dedicatory inscription by Asoka. Inscription. 2. This inner chamber imitates a circular thatched hut with a trapezoidal entrance. On the eastern wall of the entrance recess. It consists of a rectangular outer chamber and inner circular room. It has provided a vaulted roof.07m in diameter. It also refers to the dedication of this cave to Ajvikas. According to this the cave was offered to the Ajvikas. Karna Chaupar Cave The fourth rock cut cave in the Barabar hills is called Karna Chaupar.98m square and 61m deep. the cave has two Chambers. about 5. The inner chamber was intended to be circular. faces to south and consists of two chambers. It is adjacent to the Lomas rishi.05m high in the center. Visvakarma or Visva-Jhopri Cave It is a smaller size cave. Both the chambers are highly polished.9 Sudama Cave The most important cave in the Barabar hills is the Sudama. since it is cut straight back from the rock face and full open from the front. It has only one chamber 10. A little way to the east of the Lomas rishi this cave is situated. 2.94m the inner chamber is on the other hand approximately circular in plan. the entrance is rather unusual.43m. The significant feature is noted here is the walls are curved right from their rise at the floor.68m.05m high. The chamber measures 5.84 two ends of the chamber are semicircular in thus on plan. It is therefore smaller then the other two (Gupta: 189).10 and 3. 1 2 3 Gopi Cave Vahijaka Cave Vadalika Cave Gopi Cave The first of three caves excavated at Nagarjuni hill is called Gopi or Gopika cave. It has three rock cut caves. Vapi or Vahijaka Cave This cave is located on the northern side of the hill in a low rocky ridge. it is elliptical. It is inside a narrow defile and adjacent to the Vapi cave.28m long and 86cm wide it was originally .11m and 3. Vadalika Cave The third and last cave of Nagarjuni series is also called Vahath cave. The walls at the sides are 1. The cave consists of a single rectangular chamber like Gopi cave. It is therefore approached by a flight of steps.83 and 1.83m high while the ceiling at the center is 3. As usual the trapezoidal doorway is marked by converging jambs. The cave measures only 5. The walls as well as the ceiling.10 Nagarjuni Group Nagarjuni hills are located a kilometer east of the Barabar hills. It has a small porch in its front which measures 1. and consequently the height of the chamber at centre was reduced to 2. The cave is completely polished. It was tunneled out of the southern face of the hill at a height of about 15 to 18m above the ground level.95 and 5.43m just as it was in the Vapi cave. It is a narrow passage 2.43m. The cave and the porch are thoroughly polished. Its roof as in the Barabar caves is also vaulted. Chamber The cave consists of a single rectangular chamber measuring 13. located 25 miles to the east of Gaya. complete and independent by themselves are admittedly the most eloquent representatives of the lowest art of Mauryas.11 closed like the Visvakarma by a wooden door. lies in the finished surface. The highly polished. The columns that tear the edicts of Asoka include those of Delhi-mirut. the top of the entrance being only 33cm wide and the door-sill 63cm wide. Sita Marhi Cave It is an isolated cave. . and as far west as Kandahar (Harle 1986).01m in internal height. it has no inscription records. In other words two curvatures start from the base it sell and meet at a central point on the ceiling. Pillars Asoka’s edicts. Sanchi and Sarnath. engraved on pillars. rock surfaces. Asoka felt the need for the propagation the ideas through the medium of Art to the people.43m broad and 2. All the product of the Mauryan Art were attributed by scholars to king Asoka. like Lomas rishi. The non-edict bearing columns known up till now include those of Rampurva with bull capital. and Rampurva with lion capital Topra. the socket holes of which remain. Mauryan Art The earliest remains of monumental Art in India are ascribed to the Mauryan period. in tablets have been found in almost every region of India except the far south. The entire surface is highly polished. being only 4.91m long. Sankisa. The number of original pillars which constructed reached to thirty. As used the doorway is trapezoidal and narrow. Basarah Bakhira (with single lion capital and Kosam capital not yet recovered). tall and well-proportioned columns with slightly tapering monolithic shafts and standing free in space. Lauria-Araraj. Allahabad. The ceiling it is significant to note is semi elliptical in shape and not vaulted as such. There are two groups of these columns. Lauriya Nandangarh. The principal products of Mauryan Art are the pillars. of these the capitals of Basarah Bakhira and Lauriya Nandangarh pillars are in situ. The cave has been carved in a big boulder and is similar in size than other Mauryan caves. 3. because among all the Mauryan kings. They were placed their where a monumental event of Buddha were took place. and joined with the shaft by a copper bolt of cylindrical shape bulging in the middle. Shaft. Capital The Capital of the shape and appearance of a gently arched bell formed of lotus petals. lustrous polish was applied. Capital. Abacus and Crowning animals. The subject of their finial is usually the lion. circular in section and slightly tapering upward. All those were pre standing and carved out from chunar sand stone. Shaft The Shaft always plain and smooth. without any base what’s ever and always invariable chiseled out of one single piece of stone. and always constituting a single piece with the abacus. Crowning Animals The crowning animals seated or standing. square and plain in the earlier specimens and circular and decorated in the later ones and of variable proportions (Ray: 19). and a few fragment of relief have been ascribed to the Mauryan period mainly on the ground of this having the so called Mauryan polish on them and there . Abacus The Abacus. represented singly on the early capitals. Material Chunar sand stone used for the columns. We can divide the Asokan pillars in to four major parts. After finishing. A huge block of stone was chisel out from the monolithic rock. the proportion ratio of breadth and height being variable from capital to capital. Mauryan Sculptures A number of independent figures sculptures in the round and of various size and proportion. bull. But grouped on the later ones.12 Asoka planted these pillars to propagate Buddhism. or elephant. always and invariable in the round. Patna yaksha This statue is found from Pataliputra the height of this is 1. they made it for the purpose of abundance. Like the Mauryan pillars the Mauryan sculptures and art motifs have two distinct sources of inspiration. the broad hips. like female figure from Didarganj. The face is terse and calm and devoid of all feminine feelings of joy. the shapely legs tapering down to the thin ankles decorated with fully jeweled ornaments. The modeling is sure and precise with emphasis on anatomical idealization.13 being carved out of gray sand stone from chunar. Plastically fully round.62m. The art of giving lustrous polish to the stone. . The drapery had double incised lines it had strong muscles. is found by no low of frontality and is meant to be seen from all sides. These sculptures are in human size or some time 4 or 5 meter high. The narrow waist and full round breasts with necklace hanging between the breast. The term denotes a slightly later date for these sculptures. The flywhisk is realistically drawn. These sculptures were installed for economic prosperity and for more sons.63m its body forms is voluptuous and ornamented with heavy jewellary. BC. and wearing drapery. Didarganj yakshi Artistically the Didarganj yakshi is the best and most sophisticated its height is 1. and include them in Didarganj yakshi. the body is so weighty and firmly planted on earth. Mauryan artist learnt evidently from the Achamenians. We place them in the 2nd c. indigenous and west Asian. beauty and voluptuousness. The style of drapery transparent folds double incised lines. Yaksa/yaksi They are the will objects of Hindus. It had the Mauryan polish. The outstanding example of the indigenous type is the Dhauli rock cut elephant while the examples of the west Asian types include a number of male heads from Sarnath and Patna for which we have used the term late Mauryan. Seeing frontly stone matrix based on feet. the statue is like attendant figure because it had a flywhisk but now damaged. Both the Dhauli Elephant and Rampurva Bull are the earliest example of truly Indian art. and the locks of hair are short. The Bull had its full weight on the ground. They are very important because they are the earliest known sculptures of Jain tirthankaras. Plastic and linear sense is fully mature but not schematized. The best example is on the top of the Lauriya Nandangarh pillar. Sitting on it haunches like a dog. Bull on the Rampurva Pillar In Mauryan art the Bull on the Rampurva pillar is most magnificent than the Elephants carved out of a single piece of rock. Special attention may pay to the modeling of the body. The emphasis bat diffused line emerging from within the abdomen. but large sculpture is free and round has the high Mauryan polish. the whiskers are linear. The march of time that separates the two and yet the invisible thread which binds them is clearly brought out in these examples. A dynamic naturalism which is found here no where in the bulls of Western Asia. It is however neither monstrous nor ferocious like the Achamenians examples. The face is heralding. Near this torso a small statue was also found. Best in this sense that although it is formal and conventional. while the smaller one identical in appearance and style and of the same material has no polish.14 Male torso from Lohanipur This male torso is found from Lohanipur and belong to 3 rd c BC the height is 67. The legs of the lion are somewhat thin and clumsy. The modeling is vigorous but not conventional. combed and arranged schematically. the distinct of naturalness around it is not found in any specimen from West Asia. Similarly the raised trunk of the Elephant sitting on its hind legs is a beautiful example of animated art (Gupta: 189). The Elephants on the Lomas rishi façade The Elephants on the Lomas rishi façade is in low relief and smaller in proportion when compared with Dhauli Elephant. .3cm and carved in sand stone now in Patna museum. Lion on the top of Lauriya Nandangarh Pillar The lions available to as in sculpture more in number then the Bull and Elephants. Due to polish some said that it belong to Mauryan period while the smaller belong the later period. it is extremely formal and sophisticated. The Greek city of Sirkap at Taxila was laid out on the same chessboard pattern and fortified with the same kind of bastioned stone-walls as were then in vogue among Hellenistic town-planners elsewhere. established a kingdom in Bactria. It is positively cruder with stumpy forelegs. The Indus-Greeks not only strengthened the region politically but also established various cities at different localities. Art and Architecture In the art and architecture of Indo Greeks we have very limited evidences. trade and constant intercourse with foreign countries. one of the Greek colonist. The Indo Greek ruled here for about one hundred years (190 BC till 90).. Shaikhan Dheri (Charsadda). And founded their capital at pushkalavati (Bala Hisar. Bala Hisar. like the cities of Sirkap (Taxila). these Bactrian Greeks under Demetrus I laid the foundation of Indo-Greeks rule in the vast Gandhara region.15 Lion from Vaisali The lion of Vaisali was developed like the Lauriya Nandangarh. As confirmed from the coins unearthed from these cities. Indo Greeks During 245-42 BC. Later. The material culture of the Greeks in this region. show that it was on the same general level as that of the Hellenistic world of the West. coarse facial features and a few add flesh folds on the nose. The Vaisali lion is terse with a short body having tense muscles and knotted fingers showing full grip over the base it is a lot different. Diodotus I. what we know as the art of Mauryan period is but continuation of the earlier indigenous art of the country and the official court which Asoka patronage. which in the second century BC . The Indus Greeks were defeated by Sakas (Indus Scythians) during 90 BC. replacing the Mauryan in 190 BC. Dani suggests that Menandar laid the foundation of the Greek cities of Pushkalavati at Shaikhan Dheri and Taxila at Sirkup. And the Greek temple at Jandial outside the north gate of Sirkap city exhibits a surprisingly pure type of Ionic capital. Conclusion In short we can conclude the whole topic by saying that Mauryan played a vital rule in the development of Indian art and architecture because this was a period of great prosperity. Charsadda). located on the bank on Oxus River. there are the remains of a building which resemble a Greek style. to the Scytho-Parthian period of about 1st century BC to 1st century AD. with streets cutting one another at right angles and regularly aligned blocks of buildings. Excluding these suburbs. by the character of its masonry. . These coins were not. occupies the extreme western spurs of the Hathial ridges together with the small welldefined plateau on their northern side. and they show that there were local coin engravers of ability capable of carrying on the art from generation to generation. Instead of the surrounding colonnade. In accordance with the Hellenistic principle of defense. this Greek lay-out remained well preserved down to the end of the 1st century AD. But the stability and continuity of Greek art in Gandhara and North-West is best illustrated by striking series of coins issued in those areas.16 would have done credit to an Athenian architect. the building is different from its western analogues. Sirkap The Sirkap city built by Bactrian Greeks in the beginning of the 2 nd century BC. Moon and all other elements which led their thoughts to Nature’s God. the defense wall included within its perimeter a considerable area of hilly ground as well as a well-laid out city on the Greek chessboard pattern. Notwithstanding that the settlement was several times destroyed and rebuilt and that many changes were made in individual buildings.5 miles in circumference and was built of solid. This was presumably carried up to some sort of a tower. however. In two respects. the Sirkap defense wall was nearly 3. Sir John Marshall conjectured from this evidence and also from the absence of images that the temple belongs to the Zoroastrians. coursed stone rubble. but they were well up to the average standard of contemporary Hellenistic coins in Western Asia. unsurpassed by any in the ancient world. Jandial Temple At Jandial less than half a mile from the north gate of Sirkap. it had a continuous outside wall pierced by window-like opening and behind the main shrine was a solid platform approached from the back by steps. On this supposition the main shrine would presumably have contained a fire-alter. be it said up to the standard of the magnificent Greek coins of Bactria. The building is ascribed. It enabled the faithful to offer prayers in praise of the Sun. copied Greek prototypes in their architecture and were inspired by Greek forms in minor arts and crafts. But in the other parts of India the Sakas continued to rule for about 400 AD. Greek in concept are the small stupas dated by coins to the period of Azes I and II. And the Scythians art was nothing but the continuation of the Greek art. At Taxila his inscription has been found in which his name was written as Moga. when they were finally defeated by Chandragupta II of Gupta dynasty. Subsequently Indian influence became increasingly noticeable. He also conquered Peshawar and Taxila. Who came through Gilgit rout and founded a kingdom for himself in the Punjab. One important area of their later habitation was known Shakastan (Sistan) from where they moved SouthEast to Sindh and Gujarat. Architecture and Art The Sakas at Taxila followed Greek ideas in town planning. In this inscription he assumed the title of Maharaja. Among Saka buildings at Taxila the temple at Jandial has a typical Greek plan with classical moulding and Ionic columns. . The stupa of the double headed eagle has Corinthian pilaster and niches of three types – two with the pediment characteristic of Greek buildings. Marshall sees the same creeping Indianization in the minor arts. In West Pakistan and Afghanistan the Sakas or Scythians were defeated by another nomadic and war like people who are known as Parthians. the stone toilet trays retain Greek models.17 The Indo Greeks were over thrown by Scythians. and stupa decoration used classical acanthus leaves. and at Jandial a plan typical of a Greek temple in mainland Greece with basically the same methods of construction and mouldings. In this region Shakas ruled about four centuries until they were ousted by Chandragupta Vikramaditya of the Imperial Gupta dynasty in about 400 AD. some with Indian ogee arches and other in the form of early Indian toranas. but introduce Indian motifs. Large number of his coins in silver and copper are found in this area (Dani: 122). Marshall’s analysis shows that the Sakas initially used Greek ornamental features only. For axample. Scythians 140/120 The Scythians of Shakas were a war like Central Asian people who had wandered about with their horses and fought their way to different regions. and there is mingling of Greek and Indian motifs. Mauses (80 BC) the most important Scythian ruler of India. This relief is a product of the Gandhara School is proved by the variety of local Gandhara schist of which it is made. The Jataka story which it illustrated has not yet been identified. the one on the extreme right headless. They comprise a pair of lovers in an erotic scene. Usually the trays are divided into two or more compartments and adorned with scenes or figures carved in relief. Its special value lies in the fat that it is the oldest of all pictorial reliefs of the Buddhist school of Gandhara. hippocamps and the like with and without riders. All have long hair and are distinguished by their staring eyes. Looking on from the background are five other anchorites. leogryphs. lions. and that it dates from the Saka period is suggested by the character of the carving and the peculiarly distinctive treatment of the hard. and that the composition and handling of the figures show the closest dependence on the Early Indian School. of the earliest sculptures of Gandhara. This type of toilet-tray was introduced with Hellenistic culture from the West. The other figures which belong to the earliest phase of Gandhara art were also found from Taxila at Sirkap site. all these toilet trays made of stone were found in their natural stat in Gandhara at Sirkap city of Taxila. on a pole which is carried on the shoulders of two of his companions. none of them were found in the neighbourhood of Taxila. figure reclining on couch with attendant females.18 Gandhara art came into being in the last century before the Christian era. Two are young and clean-shaven. These features are found in several other trays dating from the late Saka-Parthian period and they are peculiarly characteristic. Most of these subjects are clearly Hellenistic. As we talk about the toilet trays. The one on the left holds a flask in left hand. Two of the older men have spotted deer-skins over their left shoulder. as we shall see presently. . another wears a moustache. staring eyes of the anchorites. The subjects portrayed are few in number and all of a secular character. drinking and dancing scenes. In the foreground a young anchorite is being born along. one is bearded. and geometric and floral designs. local influence however may possibly be seen in the lotus leaves or rosettes used as an accessory ornament and in the makara-like treatment of some of the sea-monsters. Male and female holding drinking-cups. Two features of the figures on a tray which merit special notice are the wig-like treatment of their hair and their wide open staring eyes. when the Sakas were ruling in the North-West. winged stags. suspended head downwards. attack on the north-west part of India. Until they were finally defeated by Kushanas. being sold in Syria to merchant called Habban and being brought to the court of Gondophares. they also contributed in the beginning of Gandhara art. of purely Hellenistic character. The legend of St Thomas. probably from Swat. are set against the background of skilled craftsmen from Western Asia being commissioned to do work for the Parthians. the lower one in the form of a basement. The man in the centre holds a metal tankard. new building methods were introduced. With the passage of time they conquered Iran and Afghanistan and also parts of India. Gondophares ruled for at least twenty six years and died in about 45 AD. Art and Architecture The evidences of Parthian art and architecture were found from the city of Taxila. and houses were limited to two storeys. Other reliefs now in the Peshawar Museum retain Hellenistic characteristics. the form and . During their time Buddhism spread far and wide in West Pakistan. Buildings were reduced in height. while others hold goblets of a distinctive type with horizontal flutings and a disproportionately small base of the kind found in Pahlava levels at Taxila. During his time the Parthians established trade relations with western Asia and they patronized local art and religion. Taxila suffered a great earthquake. After his death the Parthians kingdom disintegrated and small kingdoms came into being in Taxila and other parts of North West India. including a strong form of diaper masonry that was much more durable than the early rubble construction. According to the Takhbahi inscription Gondophares was the great king of Parthians. about the time of the Parthains conquest by Gondophares. the women a long chiton and himation. The men wear either a short Greek chiton or a simple himation. When the city was rebuilt. skilled in architecture and all type of work in wood and stone. In the early years of 1st century AD. The Sirkap city of Taxila was built by them. A favorite theme in secular art was the drinking scene adopted for the decoration of Buddhist stupas such as the drinking party of nine figures. Originally they belong to Parthia (modern Khurasan in Iran).19 Parthians Towards the end of the first century BC a line of kings with Iranian names. usually known as Palavas or Parthians. with the passage of time Kushan section of the Yuch-chi tribe attained a predominant position over the other sections of the horde. Kanishka was not the son of Kadphises II. Kadphises I was succeeded by his son Kadphises II. . Harpocrates. silver plate and bronze vessels. where he erected remarkable Buddhist buildings. Kabul valley and Gandhara. Nothing is on the record to show how the scepter was transferred from the hands of Kadphises II to Kanishka. In course of time the Yuch-chi horde lost their nomad habits and occupied the Bactrian lands. Later they conquered the northern region of the Oxus valley and after some time Bactria. The rebuilt Parthian city of Taxila produced a rich range of finds. Some objects seem to have been imported from the West such as a head of Dionysus in silver repousse. and divided in to five branches. implements and arms. consolidated his government in the basins of the Indus and Ganges and warred with the Parthians. The capital of his Indian domains was Purushapura or Peshawar. Yarkand and Kashgar regions. defeated the Shakas and occupied the country near Jaxarter. Kadphises I. From their. particularly gold jewellery. and a buffcolored terracotta female head with delicate and sensitive modeling. they conquered Kabul. Here they were defeated by another people called Hiung-nu about 170 or 160 BC. many of strongly Hellenistic character. Kushans The Kushan were a branch of the Yuch-chi tribe who was living in the second century BC. Kanishka. while a Corinthian pilaster frames the group on each side. all very fine specimens of Hellenistic art (Puri : 206). though they wear local dress and all carry lotuses. and driven out from their homes. Gandhara and Taxila on the east of the Indus. he was a member of another branch of Yuch-chi tribe. in China. He subdued the chiefs or petty kings in the Khotan. Kanishka is described as a king of Gandhara. under the leadership of king Kadphises I about 40 AD. a cast bronze statuette of the Egyptian child-god. At a later date he avenged his predecessor’s defeat in Chinese Turkistan. they went to westward. household utensils. According to Chinese account like his father he was also a great worrier. Kanishka in his earlier years annexed the valley of Kashmir. probably buried when the debris of buildings destroyed at this time include ornaments of personal use.20 posture of the figures are Greek rather than local. this remained in use up to the early Kushan period. as well as some . Archaeological excavations provide important evidences about the cities of their layout. enclosed in a stone coffer. Topographically it is divided into two unequal parts. and invaded by Huns. where John Marshall carried out extensive excavation between 1913 and 1934. and architecture and material culture. Huvishka succeeded his father Kanishka. In India their rule continued till Sassanians in 226AD. Each of the spaces between the side-streets (which were 36. Both sides of the main street were lined with shops. And he was the last monarch to maintain an extensive empire until his death. The Buddhist historians call him as a second Asoka. The decrees of the council took the form of authorized commentaries on the Canon which were engraved on sheets of copper. by a new city at Sirkap. One of the most thoroughly studied sites is Taxila. Hellenistic and Indian town planning. occasionally divided by small alleyways. The Kushan followed Central Asian. Remains of walls along the dividing line between them still survive. The city at Sirkap has the shape of an irregular Trapezium.5m or slightly more apart) contained blocks of buildings. during 162 AD little is known about the events of his region. Sirkap The Mauryan city of Taxila on the Bhir Mound was replaced under the GreecoBactrians in the second century BC. stretching 1.21 In the latter part of his career he becomes an active and liberal patron of the Buddhist church. a lower northern and an upper southern city. like Asoka he also convening a council of theologians to settle disputed questions of Buddhist faith and practice. in Kabul and neighboring countries they exist till fifth century AD. the ancient cities grew faster than ever before and urban life flourished. The city was intersected from north to south by the main street with side-streets running off at right angles. and placed for safety in a stupa erected for the purpose at the capital of Kashmir where the council met. Huvishka’s successor was Vasudeva I. While some principalities survived even until the Arab conquest of Persia in the seventh century. in whose time the empire began to break up.300m from north to south and 900m from east to west. Art and Architecture of the Kushan period During the Kushan period. Huvishka. which were not permitted to rise higher than the ruler’s palace. covered an area of 1370 x 1000m. Shaikhan Dheri Shaikhan Dheri is the 2nd city of Charsadda. The city was divided by a network of parallel streets some 36. far superior to those owned by private individuals. Subsequent excavations have established that this city was occupied from the second century BC. Here too. an area that also contained the more fashionable and better-built multi-storey buildings. probably a Buddhist stupa. was laid out in a similar manner. carving and paintings. episodes from the epics or astrological signs. Early under the Kushans the city was again transferred to a new site at Sirsukh. and in between the streets were blocks of buildings. East of the main street was the royal palace and. as is shown by the excavation. were many public buildings. Royal Palaces and Community Walls The residence of the ruler was located in the centre of the city. including several picture galleries (citrasala). The walls of the main gallery were covered with paintings of the heavenly world. to the second century AD. near by some more opulent looking two-storey dwellings. special care being taken to ensure that the lighting was good.22 shrines. Between the two central thoroughfares in the city centre was a sanctuary. very little work has been done so far to establish its origin in Gandhara . monasteries and shrines. there were Buddhist stupas.5m apart. A picture gallery usually occupied a number of rooms linked together by passage-ways and staircases. open to the public and visited regularly. Such buildings were well constructed. Behind the shops and the shrines were the dwelling houses. This new Kushan city founded under the nameless king Soter Megass. The palace had a special music room and many rooms were decorated with sculptures. Some galleries belonged to rich city-dwellers and some even to prosperous courtesans. In the city and the surrounding areas. Some 650m outside the north gate was the non-Buddhist Jandial Temple. Kushans art of Gandhara Although the beginning of Kushans art in Bactria can be traced. but has not yet been excavated. especially stupas. The royal palaces contained magnificent picture galleries. among other things. almost eternal. as a result Mahayana a liberal and progressive school of Buddhism flourished in Gandhara and laid emphasis. one developing directly out of indigenous Indian art and the other (Gandhara) borrowing its type from the West. Situated between India. Although the Buddha himself never visited Gandhara. It is said that the earliest Buddha images belong to Kanishka’s period. it developed simultaneously at both places. This is because the Kushan art of Gandhara has so far been studied from a limited perspective. Gandhara The word Gandhara is the combination of two Sanskrit words “Gand” meaning fragrance and “Hara” mean land or region. Gandhara art studied only for the sake of its sculptural wealth and Buddhist religion or to detect Western influence. . Kanishka is said to have convened the fourth Buddhist Council at Kashmir. Thus. on the transformation of the Buddha into a great mythological. But in new excavations at Swat by Italian Archaeological Mission and Taxila led the scholars to push back the date even to the first century BC. well-watered valleys. Gandharan Art and Buddhism The Kushan sculptures from Gandhara are predominantly Buddhist. Gandhara is a mountainous region located below the meeting point of the Hindu Kush and Himalaya mountain ranges (Zwalf: 14). never with a view to studying the civilization of which the sculptures were a part. and on the deification of future Buddha as holding providences. It was a country with rich. the term Gandhara literally signifies “the land of fragrance”. the geographical location of Gandhara was very favorable for the development and promotion of cultural interaction across these regions of the old world. with the passage of time the area became a veritable holy land for his followers. till that time Buddha was never represented in human form. clear-cut hills and a pleasant climate. In simple words Gandhara was the ancient name of the tract of country on the west bank of the Indus River which comprises the Peshawar Valley and the modern Swat. Early Buddhism introduced here by Asoka (third century BC). god. Central and Western Asia. It is a moot point where and when the first image of Buddha was made in Gandhara or at Mathura.23 proper. Probably. Buner and Bajaur. In the visual arts the Buddha was permitted for the first time to be represented in human form. abound. Most of these statues and panels were carved out of locally available grey or blue slate stone called schist. An indigenous socioeconomic stratum of cultivated state-the merchants. His Apollo Belvedere type of face. They were eclectic in religion. bankers. And due to this it is more convenient and cheaper to increase production. in no doubt the earliest to provide a model for others. though just one among the numerous types known. Among the signs of a mahapurusalaksana (great man). Sculptures Gandhara is mainly known from the wealth of sculptures recovered from the numerous Buddhist stupas and monasteries throughout Gandhara. But seated Buddha and the figure of the . and stone slabs depicting in low relief the legend of the Buddha’s birth stories or Jatakas. As a matter of fact. The model of a standing Buddha might have been copied from a Greek god or a hero or even from a Roman emperor wearing pallium or toga.24 The development of the Buddhist Art During the Kushan period Buddhism found a sudden liberation which was a signal for the development of Buddhist art in Gandhara and it soon reached its peak. Standing and seated statues of the Buddha and the Bodhisattva Maitreya. Buddhism in Gandhara and Hindus in Mathura. diversity and cheapness. The Kushan themselves never extended any official patronage to it. caravaners and minor officials and not the Kushan nobility may have provided the main impetus for its development. Clay and terracotta were used relatively sparingly. Gandhara art simply expresses the socio-religious fervour of its people. as the Kushan definitely had diplomatic and commercial relations with these countries. The change of medium from schist to stucco gave more freedom. but stucco was also used for making statues and reliefs. the usnisa. Figure of the Buddha The Buddha in Gandhara is an idealized figure having a delightful face unaffected by age or affliction. Standing barefoot or seated cross-legged he is always shown wearing an undergarment and a monk’s robe. fire-worshippers in Bactria. urna and dharmacakra are usually visible. But it is wrong to say that the profusion and popularity of Gandhara art owes its existence to the state-owned Church or that its distinctive appearance is indebted to the mechanical product of higher craftsmanship from the West. Sometimes even perspective is emphasized. In Bactria and in Mathura the portraits of Kushan rulers and nobility are numerous. Characteristic Features of Gandhara art The most characteristic feature of Gandhara sculptures is their frontality.25 seated or standing Bodhisattva. The Kushan contribution is substantial. the latter a peculiar invention of Gandharan artists have no classical or Indian precedent. They are a step towards frontality and a sharp contrast to the highly emotional images of Hellenistic world and the complete side views of Achaemenid sculpture. clear and lucid way which is in sharp contrast to the confused style of earlier schools. seen at Bharhut and Sanchi. Figures normally stare fixedly into one’s eyes or are turned completely to right or lift. each is separated from the other with the help of vertically arranged columns. but are no such presence of the Kushan nobility in Gandhara sculptures. Although the number of events is limited. Normally the actors of a story are arranged in single file and move from right to left. the commander of the lord’s army. unemotional frontality of the Kushan art of Gandhara has obviously been brought from Khalchayan. The fixed. in a simple. Further more almost all Gandhara statues were carved in the round (Puri: 364). or birth stories of Buddha. In this way a minimum number of figures are needed to narrate a complete story. Shrine (8) is a . This can be understood in the light of the Kushan sculptures from Khalchayan. pilasters and recessed panels. Statues of Pancika. Except for Shrine (8) at Taxila. almost all Kushan monuments in Gandhara are Buddhist. Jatakas Stories The Gandhara panels narrate the Jatakas. These are not strictly frontal but turn slightly with restrained emotions. Figures in a panel stand out in correct relation to one another with proper spacing between them. and his consort Hariti are also local figures. the art of narration is simple and easy to understand. Religious Architecture We are fortunate in having a better knowledge of the development of religious architecture in Gandhara. When more than one story is required on a panel. There is seldom movement in their bodies. or horizontally arranged cornices and mouldings. not even of the figures of the Buddha and Bodhisattva. Tharelli and the sites of Jaulian. now in the Peshawar Museum. Gandhara Stupas and Monasteries The basis of the Gandhara monastery is a court or a series of courts open to the sky and surrounded either by cells for monks or by niches to place devotional objects. this type and pattern of monastic architecture had emerged and became fixed all over northern India.D. etc. Stupas and monasteries were the principle buildings of the period. The entire surface of the walls was covered with a thick coating of lime plaster. Although the development of monasteries in Gandhara antedates the arrival of the Kushan (the Dharmarajika stupa). Connected with the court are usually an assembly hall. their sizes. refectories and a room for the chief priest on one side and the main stupa encircled by votive stupas of varying sizes on the other. and a few sculptures. One study has associated this shrine with the Kushan occupation of the area. It is said to have been built as a thirteen-storey tower with a total height of 213m. marks a development from the primitive types . The roofs were mainly vaulted and doors and windows were either trabeated or corbelled. Among standing monuments. cultural content. in the Taxila valley are the best examples of the Kushan contribution to Gandhara architecture. Jamal Garhi. Gandhara monastic establishments were built exclusively in stone dipper masonry typical of the Kushan period. though its exact date and purpose cannot be ascertained. elaborate facilities and architectural embellishments. Pipala. as Hsuan-tsang notices in his account of the Great Vihara built by Kanishka at Peshawar. clearly point to the economic prosperity of the period and the patronage accorded to the development of art.26 square building with in an enclosed wall measuring 37x37m relieved with buttresses on each side and nine inter-communicating chambers. By the first and second centuries A. Ornamentation The Gandhara stupa with its carved base. together with its sculptural embellishments. Mohra-Muradu. the remains at Takht-i-Bahi. Nothing of the monument survives except the famous inscribed Kanishka casket. it was here that the pattern of monastic establishment was perfected and became popular. Taxila can boast of some of the earliest permanent monasteries. circular drum and spherical dome. A large number of such establishments in Gandhara. Their figurines included human. pediments. Bodhisattvas and devotees set in niches. yaksis. . the smaller votive stupas were usually embellished with stucco figures of the Buddha. no such column has survived. bodies were either solid or hollow. and an Ionic column also from Taxila. the real Gandhara terracotta human figurines with well formed heads and beautiful faces were developed during the Middle Kushan period. A variety of arches. lions. camels. Most of the columns and pilasters used as architectural pieces were probably made either of wood or of some other perishable material because except for a miniature fluted column with a Corinthian capital. and with figures of Atlantes. According to Dani. etc. monkeys. dentils. Indo-Greeks. elephants. The Kushan contribution lies in the overall sculptural ornamentation of the bases and drums of stupas. pigs. merlons. elephants. now in the Taxila Museum. Bulls. rosettes and lotuses abound in both stone and stucco. animal and other toy models. the Mauryas. caryatids. set up on pilasters or a round column. crouching under cornices and supporting the load of each receding terrace of the stupa base. dogs. Figures were also cast in single as well as double moulds. Sometimes figures of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas were set in the foliage of Corinthian capital carved in stone. Sometimes. Among animal figurines. now in Lahore Museum. Scythians and Parthians. Apart from stone reliefs fixed on the largest stupas. Huge Corinthian capitals. crocodiles. debased Corinthian capitals. birds. Almost all these types began with the Indo-Greeks and continued through the Parthian period up to the end of the Kushans. snakes. The debased example of an Ionic capital in stucco is known from the Pipala stupa at Taxila. but we also find tigers. are known from Taxila and elsewhere.27 known at Sanchi and Bharhut and at Dharmarajika (Taxila) Shankaradara (Swat) and Manikyala. faces were moulded and fixed to hand-made bodies. Terracotta Figurines The Kushan craftsmen inherited the art of making figurines in terracotta or clay from their predecessors. bird chariots and toy carts. rams and goats were the most popular. horses. The figurines were either hand made or wheel turned to make a hollow body that was later moulded by hand to a human or animal shape. Greeks and Indus-Greeks from 190 to 90 B. bangles. Bodhisattva. diplomatic links and trade communications. 5th and 4th centuries B. It is significant that foreign cultural interaction influenced local traditions from the prehistoric period on wards. Romans. neckbands. and usually worn by Bodhisattvas.C. emigration. all giving new dimensions to the art and craft of the area. etc. anklets. amulets of great variety. Iranian. Foreign Influence on Gandhara art Gandhara art is the product of cultural interaction due to invasions. Men wore jewellary as much as women. The Achamenians in 6th. Foucher proposed that the Greco-Syrian sculptures who founded the Greco-Iranian art style also subsequently influenced Greco-Buddhist art in the region (Ali: 15). bracelets and armlets. necklaces. The foreign influences on Gandharan jewellary are very prominent. but actually this art style was already present in Gandhara . whereas before and after the Kushan. Persian. the wearing of personal ornaments was the prerogative of ladies alone. Together these factors led to a unification of an array of various stylistic traditions obtained from Greeks. Sarmatian and Indian forms and techniques that we see in the art of Gandhara. hairpins. Central Asian. Byzantines.C. men and women of noble birth wore samples of ornaments or none at all. He further suggested that both Taxila and Charsadda were in a sense comparable to Palmyra and Dura-Europe in the west. girdles. Foucher and Marshall also claimed an eastward cultural movement that disseminated Hellenistic art across Iran as the Greco-Iranian style. The representation of jewellary on statues throws light on the Kushan fashion of bedecking individuals with ornaments. Professor Sehrai is of the opinion that the people said that Gandhara art developed from Greek or Roman art. Chinese and Indians. The commonest types of Gandhara jewellary include earrings of leech-and-pendant type. immigration.28 Jewellary The Gandhara jewellary displays a variety of styles and techniques. The richness of ornaments depended on the status of the person wearing them. kings and queens. As the Taxila collection of jewellary is predominantly Graeco-Roman in character. In this regard. However the earliest source that influenced local art of Gandhara was undoubtedly the Hellenistic approach that improved the local style. Gandhara jewellary generally shows the same range of classical. Greek and Roman art. it can be claimed that the art that flourished in the Gandhara valleys was a blend of different cultures. Thus in this regard. the subject matter is local. reflecting the socio-religious aspirations of its people. Buddha Dhuni (fire alters). Conclusion The evolution of Art and Architecture starts from the Vedic period. it is clear that some form of Hellenistic school lay behind Gandhara art. Gandhara art shows very clearly influences from Chinese. Persepoliton. It is from them that the Kushan inherited the tradition of this art. Through various evolutionary phases these multiple influences grew into a uniform school of art. the god of Olympus. Corinthian. Gandhara acted as the hub from which Kushan art spread in many directions to places such as Mathura. for many Indian motifs are incorporated virtually unchanged into this Hellenistic framework. Architecture of Subcontinent developed from . Though from of the art is strongly Hellenistic. and when that was no longer the case the art could not sustain itself. but it is wrong to call it an example of Western art. Before them the civilization of Indus valley has a very advance village life and town planning but that was not continued after that period. and introduces new and foreign motifs. A large number of foreign motifs such as caryatids. Economic prosperity and peace remained the basis of its popularity and development. It absorbed the earlier Greco-Bactrian traditions current in the area and was also receptive to ideas and trends of the contemporary West through international trade and commerce. Doric and Ionic pilasters. Summery The Kushan art of Gandhara was a living art open to influence from within and without. the entourage of Dionysus and many others from Persian and Greek art were regularly incorporated into Gandhara art.29 from the time of the Bactrian Greeks. It has its own individuality. dresses. Persian. acanthus leaves. Devnamori and Amravati in India and towns in Afghanistan and Central Asia. drinking scenes. The school of Gandhara art manifest clear evidence of Hellenist influence. displays a greater mastery over technical difficulties. wine scrolls. marines deities. gathered at a specific geographical setting due to the prosperity of the region as well as the consequence of royal patronage and the religious zeal. atlants. As a result of recent discoveries. it languished and then disappeared. Mauryans added into it stone which was more durable material. With the passage of time foreign invasions. . trade and commerce brought more new elements amalgamated with the local art and architecture which reached to its climax during Kushans. Art was also developed in this period with influence of Indo Greeks.30 Vedic huts. 1996. W.). 1982. History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Peshawar. John. Buddhist and Hindu period.K. vol II. Indian Architecture (4th ed. Germany. Delhi. A Catalogue of the Sculpture in the British Museum. Cambridge. Marshall. C. Buddhist and Hindu Period. London. Craven. . 1960. J. R. The Buddhist Art of Gandhara. Architecture and art treasures in Pakistan. 1946. 2008/09. B. Legends. 1999. Monasteries. S. Sehrai. P. Indian Art at the Cross-Roads.31 Bibliography Ali. I. Marshall. London. F. S. F. S. A Guide to Takt-i-Bhai.Prehistoric. The legend of King Asoka. N. Puri. Calcutta. and Paradise. J. Karachi. 1976. Gandharan Sculptures in the Peshawar Museum (Life story of Buddha). Saraswati. Khan. Zwaff. Protohistoric. 1960. 2008. and Qazi. Peshawar. 1969. A Guide to Taxila. Art Exhibition at Germany.A. Gandhara the Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan. 1959. A Concise History of Indian Art. Brown. Karachi. S. 1973. N. M. The Sakas and Indo-Parthians. Bombay.