Mauryan Art and Architecture

Mauryan Art and Architecture

With the advent of the Buddhism and Jainism, which were part of the Shramana tradition, the religious and social scenario of gangetic valley began To undergo change. As both the religions were opposed to the ‘varna’ and ‘jati’ system of Vedic age, they gained patronage of the kshatriya rulers Who had grown wary of brahmanical supremacy. As the Mauryas established Their power, a clear demarcation can be seen of architecture and sculpture Developed under State patronage and those that were developed by individual Initiative. Thus, Mauryan art can be classified as follows: Mauryan Art and Architecture With the advent of the Buddhism and Jainism, which were part of the shramana tradition, the religious and social scenario of gangetic valley began to undergo change. As both the religions were opposed to the ‘varna’ and ‘jati’ system of Vedic age, they gained patronage of the kshatriya rulers who had grown wary of brahmanical supremacy. As the Mauryas established their power, a clear demarcation can be seen of architecture and sculpture developed under State patronage and those that were developed by individual initiative.

Court Art:

 The Mauryan rulers commissioned a large number of architectural works for political as well as religious reasons. These works are referred to as Court Art. 

Palaces: 

Mauryan Empire was the first powerful empire to come to power in India. The capital at Pataliputra and the palaces at Kumrahar were created to reflect the splendour of the Mauryan Empire. The palace of Chandragupta Maurya was inspired by the Achaemenid palaces at Persepolis in Iran. Wood was the principal building material. Megasthenes described the palace as one of the greatest creations of mankind. Similarly, Ashoka’s Palace at Kumrahar was a massive structure. It had a High central pillar and was a three-storey wooden structure. The palace walls Were decorated with carvings and sculptures. 

Pillars:

 During the reign of Ashoka, the inscription on pillars – as a symbol of the State or to commemorate battle victories – assumed great significance. He Also used pillars to propagate imperial sermons as well. On an average of 40 ft. height, the pillars were usually made of chunar Sandstone and comprised of Shaft and Capital. A long Shaft formed the Base and was made up of a single piece of stone or monolith. On top of it lay The capital, which was either lotus shaped or bell shaped. The bell shaped Capitals were influenced by the Iranian pillars, as was the highly polished and Lustrous finish of the pillars. Above it, there was a circular or rectangula Base known as the abacus on which an animal figure was placed. 

Stupa: 

Stupas were burial mounds prevalent in India from the Vedic period. It is a conventional representation of a funeral cumulus in which relics and ashes of the dead were kept. During the period of Ashoka, the art of stupas reached its climax. Almost 84,000 stupas were erected during his period. 

Although a Vedic tradition, stupas were popularised by the Buddhists. After the death of Buddha, nine stupas were erected. Eight of them had the relics of Buddha at their medhi while the ninth had the pot in which the relics were originally kept. A basic diagram representing the various parts of a stupa is given below. The 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 or open ambulatory passageway as a token of worship. 

Sanchi Stupa in Madhya Pradesh is the most famous of the Ashokan stupas. Piprahwa stupa in Uttar Pradesh is the oldest one. The location of the nine stupas built after the death of Buddha are - Rajagriha, Vaishali, Kapilavastu, Allakappa, Ramagrama, Vethapida, Pava, Kushinagar and Pippalivana.

Popular Art:

 Apart from the royal patronage, cave-architecture, sculpture and pottery took the expressions of art by individual effort. These were grouped together as popular forms of art and architectures.

 Cave Architecture:

 This period saw the emergence of rock-cut cave architectures. During the Mauryan period, these caves were generally used as viharas, i.e. living quarters, by the Jain and Buddhist monks. While the early caves were used by the ajivika sect, later, they became popular as Buddhist monasteries. The caves during Mauryan period were marked by a highly polished finish of the interior walls and decorative gateways. 

Example: Barabar and Nagarjuni caves in Bihar were formed during the time of Ashoka and his grandson Dasharatha and dates back to 3rd century BC. 

Sculptures:

 Sculptures were used primarily for the decoration of stupas, in the torana and medhi and as the form of religious expression. Two of the famous sculptures of the Mauryan period are those of Yaksha and Yakshi. They were objects of worship related to all three religions – Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism. The earliest mention of yakshi can be found in Silappadikaram, a Tamil text. Similarly, all of the Jain Tirthankars were associated with a yakshi.

Pottery:

Pottery of the Mauryan period is generally referred to as Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW). They were characterised by the black paint and highly lustrous finish and were generally used as luxury items. They have often been referred to as the highest level of pottery.