REINTERPRETATION OF BUDDHISM: GREEKS, KUSHANS & LARGE VEHICLE

South: Buddhist monks in western India sought refuge from the vicissitudes of unending feudal wars in secluded inaccessible sites. North: They continued to play an active role in rapidly changing political situation of Trans Indus Gandhara Region. The Greek king Menander gained control over Punjab & Sindh and founded his capital at Sagala ( modern Sialkot)

CITY OF SAGALA
Described by a contemporary chronicle as 1. Laid out by wise architects 2. Various strong ramparts 3. Splendid with hundreds of thousands of magnificent mansions and bazaars.

Buddhist monk Nagasena visited Sagala, influenced king to become his disciple.
Nagasena accepted Buddha as God & Saviour & worshipped him as deity. This interpretation of Buddhism: Mahayana or large vehicle, the original Buddhism: Hinayana or smaller vehicle.

FUSION OF GREEK, ROMAN & INDIAN STYLE

Under royal patronage of Menander, Buddhist monks started the task of making stupas & monasteries. Used the talents of the immigrant craftsmen, better acquainted with Roman & Greek rather than purely Indian traditions. First edifice: Shrine of double headed Eagle at Sirkap ( near Taxila). Square platform faced with local Kanjur stone, adorned with grid of pilasters of Roman composite style. On platform, stood an elongated version of Sanchi type Stupa, now vanished Spaces between pilasters filled with relief of Roman classical pedimented aedicule, indigenous torana & a chaitya hall. GANDHARA STYLE: expedient mixing of Roman, Greek & Indian Styles. Support of Indo Greek kings to Buddhism was unfortunately short lived. Ruled for 100 years, overpowered by Scythian tribe of China/ Shakya

SCYTHIANS & KUSHANS

Chinese Emperor Chi Husang Ti, responsible for completion of China wall.

Emperor closed Chinese pastures for nomadic tribes of Yeu Chi.

Yeu Chi moved to western region of Aral Sea, original homeland of Scythians Scythians were forced to move towards India through Bolan Pass near Quetta. They defeated then Greek King Hippostratus. Brief rule of Scythians: no impression on Buddhist architecture Classical example at that time: Fire Temple at Jandial, near Taxila

THE 200 BC FIRE TEMPLE OF JANDIAL IS A CURIOUS MIXTURE OF A GREEK ARCHITECTURAL SHELLAMENDED FOR THE PERFORMANCES OF ZOARASTRIAN RITUALS

1.
2. 3.

NAOS
PRONAOS PERISTYLE

Mixture of Greek motivated architectural shell for the performance of Achmenid Persian religious rituals In plan, classical Greek peripheral temple in antis with columns in ionic order.

No imagery, platform at the back of the temple for fire tower dedicated to Mazda, god of Zoroastrian pantheon worshiped by Scythians & Parthian.
Scythians or Shakya overpowered by Yeu Chi Shakya moved into western India and were absorbed by Hindu fold.

Yeu Chi; the invaders established themselves as Kushana Dynasty.

KUSHANA DYNASTY
Greatest Kushana King, Kanishka ascended the throne in 78 AD Kushana Kingdom: up till Sanchi in South, modern Varanasi in East, included entire Gandhara region in North west Two great foci of empire: City of Purushapura (modern Peshawar) & Mathura Favourism of king was sought by both Buddhist & Brahmins

Mahayana Buddhism with its direct simple approach influenced the King.
Asvaghosa, a Brahmin convert, persuaded the king to adopt Buddhism. Ashoka to Buddhism: Kanishka to Mahayana Buddhism

Unending foreign invasions of Greeks, Parthian, Scythians & Kushana resulted in trade routes, both land & water up to west. At one time borders of Kushana and Roman empire were 600 miles apart.

Overseas trade route resulted in prosperity of mercantile class.

Buddhist monks were enjoying the patronage of state and mercantile class. Over a period of 100 years, number of richly patterned stucco painted and even gilded shrines and monasteries doted the Gandhara countryside.

MONASTERY OF TAKHT E BAHI

Impressive, schematically planned. 50 ft. (15.2 mt.) high elongated boat keel profiled stupa rested on a 20 ft wide square platform, set within a 45 ft. (13.7mt.) X 55 ft. ( 16.7 mt.) quadrangle along the periphery of which were subsidiary chapels housing the Bodhisattvas of Mahayana creed. Roofs of cells surrounding chapels: dome derived from the shape of rural beehive hut, barrel vault derived from chaitya hall

Built in stone, roof shapes were achieved by corbelling rather than true arching.
Stone masonry covered with thick layer of lime plaster relieved with stucco decoration.

Central axis of stupa court leads to familiar monastery with series of cells around quadrangle. In between the stupa court & the monastery court is an open terrace adorned with small chapels & votive stupas. Around the well knit plan of the central area, other haphazardly situated ancillary structures are assembly hall, refectory, vestment chambers.
1. COURT OF STUPA 2. MONASTERIES 3. ASSEMBLY HALL 4. REFRACTORY

5. VESTMENT CHAMBERS

ALI MASJID STUPA

Better preserved in Khyber Pass, decorative scheme of Gandhara stupas.

Stucco frieze applied to the base of the drum is a series of chaitya arches supported on Corinthian pilasters.
Each niche being filled with a Grecian version of the different aspects of the defied Buddha of Mahayana. Stupa: domical structure transformed to elongated vertical structure. Traditional white dome: not matching with hilly terrain Bell shaped stupa stood out against the countryside. Vertical umbrella (chattra) & harmika at the top gradually came to dominate the entire composition, often becoming higher than the brick & plaster mound. Not a very pleasing composition
BUDDHIST BUILDER ELONGATED STUPA IN TO A VERTICAL MONUMENT SO THAT IT WOULD BE DISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE GENTLY ROLLING GANDHARA STYLE.

May be, builders wanted a taller building.

PROTOTYPE OF PAGODA
Passion for verticality culminated in a tower built by Kanishka. Only ruins of bases are existing. A veritable Buddhist wonder of the world Shun Yat Sen, a Chinese pilgrim of 6th century testifies:

1. Timber tower , 628 ft (190.7 mt.) high 2. 13 receding storey 3. Tower was surmounted by iron pinnacles, adorned with copper gilt umbrellas 4. Rested on massive 285 ft (86 mt.) sq. brick platform 5. Destroyed by attack of lightening
PLATFORM IN THE GREEK TRADITION BECAME THE BASE OVER WHICH STUPAS WITH AN ELONGATED UMBRELLA WERE PLANTED. THIS ACCENT ON HEIGHT CULMINATED IN THE DESIGN OF THE FAMOUS CHINESE PAGODAS.

6. Before destruction, Chinese pilgrim carried descriptions of edifice to their homeland.

7. Design developed under genius carpenters, familiar pagoda of China

MAHAYANA SCHOOL OF MATHURA

Mathura, centrally situated city of Kushana empire Buddhist & Jaina architectural activity Indigenous building style, inspired by art of Sanchi & Bharhut Spiritual content of Mauryan School Fa Hien, contemporary Chinese pilgrim, saw over a score of monasteries inhabited by 300 monks A number of stupas & towers Unfortunately, demolished by iconoclastic zeal of later invaders

END OF KUSHANA DYNASTY

Long & prosperous reign, came to an end in 162 AD after the death of Kanishka
Sons Vanishka & Hanishka remained patrons of Buddhism Empire threatened from west by newly rising & powerful Persian Dynasty of Sassanians Trans Indus region passed under Persian dominance & was cut from mainstream history for some time.