Mauryan Art, Architecture and Literature

Mauryan Palace (Eighty pillared hall and Arogya Vihar, Pataliputra)

• It was inspired by Achaemenid palace art.
• The Greek historian Megasthenese described the palaces of the Mauryan empire as one of the greatest creations of mankind.
• The Chinese traveller Fa-Hian called Mauryan palaces god-gifted monuments or monuments built by gods, not humans.
• About Pataliputra, Megasthenese mentions that towns were surrounded by wooden walls where a number of holes were created to let the arrow pass by.
• The town had 64 entrances and 570 towns.
• The royal assembly building in Kumhrar was a hall with 80  pillars. Its roof and floor were made of wood.
• The hall has been variously assigned as the palace of Asoka, the audience hall, the throne room of Mauryas, a pleasure hall, or the conference hall for the third Buddhist council held at Pataliputra in 3rd Century B.C. during the reign of Ahsoka.
• Patanjali also mentioned Chandragupta‟s Rajsabha in his Mahabhashya. 
• Arrian (a Greek historian) compared Chandragupta‟s palace with the buildings of Susa and Ekbatan. 

Pillar

Description

Sarnath (Lion Capital) (Uttar Pradesh)

• Known as the Mauryan pillar capi.
• Roaring lion: It is carved with notable voluminous roaring lion figures firmly standing on a circular abacus.
• Abacus: It depicts a chakra (wheel) with twenty-four spokes in all four directions.
  • It is carved with the figures of a horse, a bull, a lion and an elephant between every chakra in vigorous movement, executed precisely.
• A bell-shaped lotus: It forms the lowest portion of the pillar.
• This pillar capital symbolises Dhammachakrapravartana (the first sermon by the Buddha).
• It is our national emblem adopted by the Government of India on 26 January 1950.
• Hsuen Tsang: Mentions of a seventy-foot high pillar with shining polish standing at the same site.

Lauriya Nandangarh (Bihar)

• The top of the pillar is bell-shaped with a circular abacus.
• It has six edicts inscribed on its polished stone shaft. 
• Situated on the trade route that connects the eastern Gangetic basin with western Asia. 
• The lotus bell capital supports a drum carved with a row of geese. A seated lion crowns the capital. 
• The pillar reveals the Achaemenid and Hellenistic influences on the Indian stone carving tradition.
• Emperor Ashoka commemorated the site of Lauriya Nandangarh with a Dhamma Stambhadorned with a single Lion Capital at the top.

Rampurva (Bull Capital) (Delhi)

• It is a realistic depiction of a Zebu bull.
• It is a mixture of Indian and Persian elements. 
• The motifs on the base, atop the inverted lotus, the rosette, the palmette, and the acanthus ornaments are not Indian features.
• Rashtrapati Bhavan houses the magnificent sandstone capital.

Prayag -Prashasti (Allahabad Pillar) (Uttar Pradesh)

• It carries major pillar edicts from 1 to 6.
• It also contains the schism edict of Ashoka.
• Inscriptions of Gupta Emperor Samudragupta and Mughal Emperor Jehangir are also attributed to this pillar.
• The inscription mentions that Samudragupta defeated twelve rulers in his South India expedition.

Sanchi Stupa (Madhya Pradesh)

• The great stupa at Sanchi was built with bricks during the time of Ashoka and later was covered with stones.
• It was enlarged using local sandstone during the Sunga period.
• The elaborately-carved gateways were added later (by Satvahanas) in the 1st century BC. It depicts Jataka stories.
• The main body of the stupa symbolises the cosmic mountain. 
  • It is topped by a ‘harmika’ to hold the triple umbrella, or ‘chhatraveli’, representing the three jewels of Buddhism – the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
• The reliefs of Sanchi display the following quite prominently.
  • The four great events of the Buddha's life- birth, attainment of knowledge, dharma chakra - pravartana and Mahaparinirvana.
  • Representations of birds and animals like lions, elephants, camels, ox, etc., are abundant. 
  • Some animals are shown with riders in heavy coats and boots.
  • Lotus and wishing vines and
  • Unique representation of forest animals.

Bharhut Stupa (Madhya Pradesh)

• Originally built by Ashoka but enlarged later by Shungas.
• It is important for its sculptures.
• The important features:
  • Gateways or toranas, which are imitations in stone of wooden gateways. 
  • Railings made of red sandstone spreading out from the gateways. They also are imitations, in stone, of post and rail fence, but the stone railings of Bharhut have, on top, a heavy stone border (coping).
  • Railings have carvings of Yakshas, Yakshis and other divinities associated with Buddhism.
  • There are, as in other Stupa railings, representations of Buddhist themes like Jataka stories in combination with various natural elements.

Dhauli Shanti Stupa (Orissa)

• Ashoka laid the foundation of Dhauligiri Shanti Stupa at a place known for the end of the Kalinga War. 
• The overall structure is in the shape of a dome. 
• The Dhauli Shanti Stupa has four massive idols of Lord Buddha in various postures, along with episodes from Gautam Buddha's life carved on stone slabs. 

Dhamek Stupa (Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh)

• Its construction was ordered by Emperor Ashoka.
• It is the exact spot of Buddha’s first sermon.
• At Dhamek stupa Buddha revealed an eight-fold path leading to nirvana.
• The site is described as Mriga-daya-vanam (sanctuary for animals).

Barabar and Nagarjuni Hill Caves (Bihar)

• They are among India's oldest rock-cut caves.
• They are dedicated to the monks of the Ajivika sect.
• There are seven caves.
  • Four in Barabar Hill (Lomus Rishi, Sudama, Viswamitra and Karna Chopar Caves).
  • Three in Nagarjuni Hill (Vahiyaka, Gopika and Vadathika Caves).
• Chambers bear dedicatory inscriptions
  • King Piyadassi for the Barabar group, and
  • Devanpiya Dasaratha for the Nagarjuni group
• Some of the rock-cut chambers resemble the wooden buildings of that period. For example- It can be seen in the Lomus Rishi and Sudama caves of Barabar Hills and Sitamarhi cave in Nagarjuni Hill. 
• The facade of the Lomas Rishi cave is decorated with the semicircular chaitya arch as the entrance and interior hall are rectangular, with a circular chamber at the back.

Northern Black Polished Ware

• Highly polished gaze coating with black colour.
• Generally used as luxury items.
• NBPW usually have a thin section, grey core, and distinctive glossy lustre.
• NBPW does not include large or heavy forms but is mainly confined to the usual dining set and table wares.

Didarganj Yakshini (Chauri bearer) (Bihar)

• Tall, well-proportioned, free-standing sculpture.
• Made in sandstone with a polished surface.
• It exhibits happiness and bounty.
• Chauri (flywhisk) is held in the right hand.
• The image shows sophistication in the treatment of form and medium.

Dhauli Elephant (Orissa)

• Carved in the living rock.
• the Ashoka edict at the place ends with the word Sevto (white) in Pali. It suggests that it depicts Airavat, a white elephant depicted in Indian religious texts.
• Situated near the battlefield where Ashoka renounced violence and turned towards Buddhism.

Kautilyas Arthashastra

• It is a detailed work on statecraft.
• Kautilya‟s work consists of 15 volumes(Adhikarnas).
  • The first five deal with internal administration (tantra).
  • The next eight with inter-state relations (avapa) and
  • The last two with miscellaneous topics.
• Kautilya clearly distinguishes between Dharmasthiya (civil law) and Kantaka Sodhana (penal law).
• Several types of enslavement are mentioned in Arthashastra. 
• There was a variety of protection offered to the slaves, especially to the enslaved women.
  •  As per the Arthashastra, When a child is begotten on a female slave by her master, both the child and its mother shall at once be recognised as free.
• According to the Arthshastra, if a son born to a female slave was fathered by her master, the son was entitled to the legal status of the master’s son.
• Kautilya also wrote Chanakya-shataka

Bhadrabahu

• Spiritual teacher of Chandragupta Maurya.
• Works:
  • Kalpa Sutra
  • Bhadrabahu Samhita
  • Vasudevcharita

Indica by Megasthenes 

• It tells the story of India during the reign of the Maurya Dynasty.
• According to Indica, Heracles (a legendary Greek hero) helped to build the great city of Pataliputra.
• It also talked about the economy and society prevalent in the Mauryan period.

Other Literary Sources of Mauryan Empire

• Mudrarakshas of Vishakadutta.
• Rajtrangini of Kalhana.
• Mahabhashya of Patanjali.
• Vishnu Purana.
• Buddist literature:
  • Deepvamsha and Mahavamsha.
  • Divyavadana
  • Ashokavandana
  • Mahabodhivamsha
  • Digghanikaya
  • Milindpanho