Maurya+Period+322-185+BCE

Northern India was conquered by Alexander the Great and, after his death, held by isolated Greek colonies under the command of one of his generals. An Indian named Chandragupta Maurya came forward to take advantage of this situation. He first conquered Magadha in north-east India and, from there, expanded his empire to such an extent that he became know as India's first true emperor (Craven, 1997, pg. 36-37). While Chandragupta is credited with the formation of the Maurya empire, it is his grandson Ashoka, who reigned from 273-232 BCE, who would become known as one of India's most influential rulers.
 * The Maurya period 322-185 BCE**

Map of the Mauryan Empire - http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/maur/hd_maur.htm

King Ashoka's eighth year of rule was pivotal. He was a ruthless ruler and was said to enjoy warfare. After a major battle that conquered the Kalingas he was overcome with deep regret. At that same time, he is said to have encountered Buddhist monk and, upon hearing the monk's teachings, did away with his military style and adopted Buddhism as his major religion (Trainor, 2001, pg. 50). Ashoka became a devote follower, traveling to various sites when the Buddha lived. He unearthed the Buddha's relics in order to distribute them across his empire and built thousands of stupas to enshrine them. Furthermore, he sent scribes and ambassadors throughout his empire and even beyond to spread the dharma, or Buddhist law (Trainor, 2001, pg. 50). Ashoka's dedication to Buddhism helped Buddhism become a major world religion.

Most of the artwork in the Maurya period resembles Persian art in many ways. It is notable that they began carving monuments out of stone just as the Persians had done and, furthermore, that it is in the Maurya period when the first large-scale art appears in India. Additionally, their are stylistical similarities between Persian and Mauryan art. One characteristic that separates Mauryan art is a high gloss finish known as the 'Mauryan polish'.

The palace at Pataliputra is believed to have been modeled from a Persian palace. At the palace the columns were made of stone, but the rest was made out of wood. Only the stumps of polished stone columns have been discovered, along with a few elaborate capitals. Though the palace was destroyed, the number of column stumps found at the site support the belief of a thousand-columned hall (Craven, 1997, pg. 43). One of the capitals found from the palace shows how elaborate the palace itself might have been. It stands thirty-four and one eighth inches tall and originally stood upon a large smooth pillar. Covered in a palmette design on the flat open face and a running row of rosettes which are common designs of Persian art. Though few capitals have been found, this piece is evidence of the influence of Persian art on the Maruryas and the Indian interpretation of it.
 * Mauryan Palace at Pataliputra (Patna), Bihar.**

These pillars were erected at various spots that represented the life of the Buddha and pilgrimmage routes.They were also used to represent the kings power and authority. They were smooth, not fluted like Greek and Roman pillars. Part of the smooth design was pragmatic, as Ashoka had scriptures in many different languages to be inscribed on them. One of his early edicts reads, "Dharma is good. But what does dharma consist of? It consists of few sins and may good deeds, of kindness, liberality, truthfulness, and purity." (Trainor, 2001, pg. 50). The words, however, were meant to be symbolic because most could not read them. All of these pillars had capitals on the top that had dual meanings, and the capital was always an animal.
 * Ashokan Edict Pillars**

Ashoka Edict Pillar - http://www.sfusd.edu/schwww/sch618/India/History.html

This is the most famous of all the pillar capitals standing at seven feet tall and now missing the wheel that was atop the lion’s heads. It was said that the lion represented the Buddha. The Buddha's voice was like a lion and when he spoke everyone listened. The lion also represented the power and authority of the King. This pillar was erected at the site where the Buddha gave his first speech or “turned the first wheel of law.” These lions are very formalized and pattern like. They are not very naturalistic and have the resemblance of Persian sculpture. The base animals are walking in a clockwise direction, which resembles the direction that you would go when doing a ritual. Unlike the top of the capital, these animals are carved in a Harrapan style and not the Persian style. They are much more naturalistic and not as rigid.
 * Lion Capital from Sarnath C. 250 BCE Polished sandstone.**

"Lion Capital", Sarnath (ca. 250 BCE) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_Capital_of_Asoka

Ashoka built these caves for monks and religious followers to take cover during the rainy season. Then they could come out into the world and continue their teaching. The entrance of this cave is carved to resemble a wooden structure with a freestanding barrel roof. The details include a carved lattice screen at the top that resembles the bamboo that would have been used in a real building to admit light and air. The processions of elephants carved above the doorway are paying tribute to three stupas. The inside of this cave is plain, polished, and very simple. The only decoration is the carved entrance.
 * Lomas Rsi cave, Baraba Hills near Gaya, Bihar ca. 250 BCE.**

Lomas Rishi Doorway - http://indiahistoryspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/01/ideas-in-monolith.html

Ashoka Edict Pillar. Retrieved September 29, 2008 from the San Francisco Unified School District website. http://www.sfusd.edu/schwww/sch618/India/History.html
 * Image References:**

"Lion Capital". Sarnath Archeological Museum. Sarnath. Retrieved September 29, 2008 from the Wikipedia website. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_Capital_of_Asoka

Lomas Rishi Doorway. Retrieved September 29, 2008 from the History Speaks website. http://indiahistoryspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/01/ideas-in-monolith.html

Map of the Mauryan Empire. Retrieved September 29, 2008 from the Metropolitan Museum of Art website. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/maur/hd_maur.htm

Craven, R. C. (1997). //Indian Art: A Concise History//. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd.
 * Text References:**

Trainor, K. (Ed.). (2001). //Buddhism: The Illustrated Guide//. London: Duncan Baird Publishers.