MAURYAN DYNASTY

Beginning of Buddhist Architecture

(B.C.250)
Asoka ascended the thrown in B.C.274 and he felt that

the religious beliefs of his subjects were inclined to be

indeterminate and that a radical change in their spiritual

outlook was desirable.

The people’s mind were in a receptive mood fully

prepared for a doctrine founded on a more substantial

basis. There was a religious vacuum. Buddhism

redressed this void.

Included in its precepts was a material object of

Accordingly in BC 255, Asoka inaugurated Buddhism as
the state religion of the country.

This change in the religious system of India brought a

marked advance in the arts. Buddhism essentially a
graphic greed, art became its handmaid, so that wherever
it penetrated it was accompanied by forms and symbols
expressive of its teaching.

In India, this early Buddhist art was of a special kind as it

was the result of the Mauryan emperor’s own personal
predilections, and its productions have been referred to
Its elements were due to the ruler’s initiatives, they were
practiced only during his reign, and they ceased when it
ended. But although this manifestation of Buddhist art
was confined within such seemingly narrow limits, and
its actual productions ware relatively few in number, they
were of such exceptional power that they influenced to a
notable degree much of the art that followed.

The significance of this school lies in the fact that it

marks the beginning of an era when India through
Buddhist thought was in a position to dictate to the rest
of Asia its religion, its symbolism and its art.
The principal contributions made by this school to the art

and architecture of the time were consisting of the

following:

1. A series of edicts inscribed on the rocks

2. A number of tumuli or stupas

3. Certain monolithic pillars

4. Several monolithic accessories to shrines

5. The remains of a vast palace

6. A group of rock cut chambers.

Among these productions that more directly affected the

course of the art of building were

• the STUPAS on account of their structural significance,

• the MONOLITHIC PILLARS in view of their artistic

qualities,

• the ROCK CUT CHAMBERS for their technique and

• the PALACE for its architectural associations.

Emperor Asoka wanted to create a permanent record of

the establishment of the Buddhist faith within his widely

spread dominions. He was deeply inspired by the

everlasting stone monuments built in most nations of

that time, in honour of Gods and as a beginning he

carved his famous edicts on the living rocks. These

inscriptions although many have survived were not

sufficiently striking to suit his purpose. So he thought of

creating a memorial of permanent nature that it would

With this in view, he caused to be raised in many parts of

his empire circular TUMULI of brick, sacred mounds

commemorative of Buddha. These STUPAS, were not

unknown in India before this date, but their shape, like

that of the Pyramid implies durability.

STUPA @ SANCHI
As the stupa from the nature of its structure was

subjected to disintegration owing to the rigorous of the

climate, it became necessary for him to seek some still

more lasting method of achieving his purpose. Hence an

impressive monument symbolizing the faith was devised

in the form of a pillar, a lofty free standing MONOLITHIC

COLUMN, erected on a site especially selected on

account of its sacred associations.

ASOKAN PILLAR @
A number of these Asokan Pillars were distributed over a

wide area. The effect of such columns, some of them as

much as fifty feet in height, each carrying above its

capital a magnificent Buddhist emblem, on the minds of a

people hitherto living in a somewhat restricted wooden

building tradition was no doubt very great.

Added to these objects, was another and more static

development of the stone cutter’s art in the form of group

of sanctuaries excavated in the rocks of Barabar Hills

near Gaya in Bihar.

But whatever form it took, one unique quality marks all

the stone productions of Asokan period i.e. the technical

characteristic which was maintained so that even a small

fragment may be immediately identified, is the high

lustrous polish resembling a fine enamel with which the

surfaces of the rock cut chambers were treated.

CHAITYA HALL @ LOMAS
The expression of art in stone during this period is

remarkable and it was because of the generations of

experience what the artisans had. The shapes and

decorative forms employed are few of them indigenous,

and the others are derived from the art of Greek, Persia

and Egypt.