MAURYAN ART

INTRODUCTION

Starting from Indus Valley civilisation, art and culture showed

tremendous growth as it approached the Mauryan period. It became
more stable, permanent and eternal encompassing various aspects
of society and religion into it. It reached it’s peak during 4th century
BCE and showed a transition from wood to stone architecture.

BODY

Mauryan Art can be categorised into

1. Court art
2. Individual art

MAURYAN ART

COURT ART INDIVIDUAL ART

PALACES CAVES
(KUMRAHAR,PATLIPUTRA) (BARABAR CAVES)

PILLARS SCULPTURE
(SARNATH PILLAR) (DIDARGANJ YAKSHINI)

STUPAS POTTERY
(SANCHI STUPA) (NBPW)

COINS
COURT ART

1. PALACES – Kumrahar fort was built by Mauryan king

(Chandragupta Maurya) in his capital Patliputra. It was
discovered by D.B Spooner in around 1912-15.
The palace is said to be inspired by Archaemenid palace at
Persepolis,Iran.
Unique features:
• 3 storey wooden structure
• 80 pillared hall (used for court meeting and public
audiences)
• High central pillar
• Wooden floor and roof
• 40ft long and 120 ft wide palace
• Decorated with carving and sculpture

Known for its grandeur, there are many foreign references that
can be found such as

• Greek traveller Arian compared its grandeur to Shusha

and Ekbatna palaces of Middle east.
• Fahien called it palace built by God.
• Megasthenes said that speciality of Patliputra was
wooden wall encircling Patliputra.
• Strabo was mesmerised by pillars having gold vines and
silver birds

Pillars and other remains of the palace are preserved in Patna

Museum and renovated with the help of Japanese.

2. Pillars - they emerged and developed during Mauryan period

(Ashoka) and were the symbol of state generally used to
• Commemorate battle and victories
 • Propagate sermon(and thus found in various script such
as Brahmi, Kharosti etc)

Unique Features

• Average height was 40 feet

• Chunar sandstone and Mathura’s red sandstone was
generally used.
• Shiny and polished
• Monolithic structure
• Generally contained 4 parts
• Capital top was generally bell shaped or lotus
• Abacus was rectangular or circular
• Examples
• Lauria nandangarh pillar In champaran (single Lion)
• Rampurva in west Champaran and Lauria Areraj in East
Champaran (Bull)
• Sarnath pillar In Varansi(4 lion ; Dharmachakraparivartan)
• Basrah Bakhira in Sarnath
• Sankisa in Sarnath

•
•
3. Stupa - are burial mounds of relics or ashes of dead which
dates back to times of vedic age. Mauryans developed this and
expanded stupas in more artistic way and was made popular by
Buddhism.
The core was made of unburnt brick and the outer part was
made of burnt brick covered with thick layer of plaster.
According to Buddhist literature, the stupa construction was
highest during Ashoka’s period (84000)

Example- Sanchi stupa (Madhya Pradesh) built by Ashoka

Piprahwa Stupa, oldest (Uttar Pradesh)
Humped bull (Ramanpur)
4. Coins- mostly of sliver and few of copper. Punchmarked and
were known as Karshapana. Symbols made- tree in railing,
elephant, mountain etc

INDIVIDUAL ART

1. Caves -they were generally rock cut and used as vihara

(residential quarters of monk) by buddhist monk.
Later were used as monasteries
Had highly polished walls like glass (Mauryan Polish) and
decorated gateway
▪ Example – Barabar caves (4 caves – 2 chambers
entirely of granite and Mauryan polish and echo
effect); Lomash Rishi cave has Chaitya arch or
Chandrashala which become important aspect of
Indian rock cut architecture.
▪ Nagarjuni cave (3 caves) painting relics by Dasharath to
Ajivika sect.
▪ Sitamarh Caves near Rajgir
 2. Sulpture – can be seen in decoration of medhi and toran and
also in form of religious expression.
The sculptures were also associated with Hinduism, Jainism
and Buddhism
▪ Example – Didarganj Yakshini(Patna);
helding a chauri(fly whisk) in right hand and
left hand is broken. Great sensitivity
towards female body with beautifully
carved muscle and clothes around the body.
▪ Rock cut elephant at Dhauli (Odisha) having
a fore head of elephant and edict of Ashoka
especially meant for Kalinga.
▪ Nude statue of Jain saint from Lohaninpur
▪ Teerracotta figurine of famous dancing girl
from Patliputra
▪ Laughing boy from Busear
▪ Laughing Nati and Natin

3. Pottery – It is known as North Black Polishware(NBPW)

• It was black in colour
• Made from finely levigated alluvial clay which produced
red grey hue when glazed
• Lustrous finish
• Generally, luxury item
• Highest level of pottery

Criticism

• Jhon Marshal and Percy Brown criticises the Mauryan art

considering it to be inspired by Iranian art and a copy of
that.
MAURYAN ART AND PILLAR
Palace was made of both wood
and brick
Monolithic Pillar
Pillar had no carvings and was
plain
Lotus capital in pillar
Pillar had animal motif
IRANIAN ART AND PILLAR
Palace was made mainly made of
rock
Joint of various rock
Pillar was carved
Bell shaped capital
Human motif

IMPACT ON BIHAR AND INDIA

• The name Bihar itself is taken from Vihara that is

residence of monks
• National emblem to our country(pride)
• Lesson of non-violence
• New Parliament to be built on Sanchi stupa model
• Mauryan art present in Rashtrapati Bhawan
• Evidence o centralised system and its continuity
• Example for future architectural marvels
• Geometrically aligned architecture developed geometry in
later periods

BUDDHISM AND MAURYAN ART

1. the practice of worshiping yakshas and yakshinis(for ex at

didargunj,bihar) is very popular during Buddhism.The
presence of various statues of yakshas and yakshinis
 during mauryan period underscores the influence of
buddhism.
2. ashokan pillars are engraved with the buddhist concepts
of equality,morality and piety, non violence
3. The bell shaped Lotus in the ashokan pillar of saranath
may be influenced from the buddhist tradition where lotus
stands for purity and blossomed lotus for enlightment.
4. The 4 lions that adorn the ashokan pillar at sarnath face
the cardinal directions indicating the spread of dharma-
The cardinal princple of Buddhism.
5. The top of the saranath pillar originally was adorned by a
wheel which represents the ''Dhammachakrapravartana''-
First sermon of buddha,which has become a sacred
symbol in the life of buddha.
6. The Jataka stories on the gateways of Sanchi and other
stupa also is Buddhist influence.
7. Salabhangika sculpted on gateways of stupa
8. Buddhist symbols like bodhi tree, elephant etc on Mauryan
coins.
9. the presence of various Mauryan art forms predominantly
in the centres flourished by Buddhism like saranath and
pataliputra itself shows the influence of Buddhism on the
mauryan art form.

Thus, Mauryan art and architecture was one of the finest art
developed in ancient India. They showed the unitary feature of the
state. They encouraged art and architectures that were to be
produced in future and still continues.
PYQ

1. Discuss the features of Mauryan art and architecture and its

relationship with Buddhism. (64th BPSC)
2. Throw light on Mauryan art and analyse its impact in Bihar.
(60-62nd BPSC)
3. Discuss the salient features of Mauryan Art (53-55th BPSC)
4. Critically examine the chief characteristics of Mauryan art
(45th BPSC)

Caves

▪ Barabar caves (4 caves – 2 chambera entirely of granite

and Mauryan polish and echo effect); Lomash Rishi
cave has Chaitya arch or Chandrashala which become
important aspect of Indian rock cut architecture.
▪ 4 caves are- Karan Chaupar, Lomas Rishi, Sudama and
Vishvakarma
▪ Lomash Rishi is the oldest and most famous for it’s
beautifully carved gateway
▪ Nagarjuni cave (3 caves) painting relics by Dasharath to
Ajivika sect.
▪ Names of the 3 caves- Gopika, Vadithi, Vapiyaka(well
cave)