history of the Mauryan Art and Architecture

Mauryan Art and Architecture

The monuments before the period of Asoka were mostly made
of wood and therefore perished. The use of stone started from the
time of Asoka. Even of the numerous monuments of Asoka, only a
few have remained. His palace and monasteries and most of his
stupas have disappeared. The only remaining stupa is at Sanchi.
The artistic remains of the Mauryan period can be seen in the
following heads:

Pillars

The pillars erected by Asoka furnish the

finest specimen of the Mauryan art. Asokan

pillars with inscriptions were found in places like

Delhi, Allahabad, Rummindai, Sanchi and

Saranath. Their tops were crowned with figures

of animals like lion, elephant and bull. The

Saranath pillar with four lions standing back to

back is the most magnificent. The Indian

government adopted this capital with some

modifications as its state emblemStupas

Asoka built a number of stupas

throughout his empire but majority of them

were destroyed during foreign invasions.

Only a few have survived. The best example

is the famous Sanchi stupa with massive

dimensions. It was originally

built with bricks but later

enlarged after the time of Asoka.

Caves

The caves presented to the Ajivikas by Asoka

and his son Dasaratha remain important heritage of

the Mauryas. Their interior walls are polished like

mirror. These were meant to be residences of monks.

The caves at Barabar hills near Bodh Gaya are

wonderful pieces of Mauryan architecture.

Causes for the Decline of the Mauryas

The causes for the decline of the Mauryan empire have been

widely debated by scholars. The traditional approach attributes the

decline to Asoka’s policies and his weak successors. Another

approach holds the inadequate political and economic institutions

to sustain such a vast empire.

It was said that Asoka’s pro-Buddhist policies antagonized

the Brahmins who brought about a revolution led by Pushyamitra

Sunga. But Asoka was never acted against Brahmins. That Asoka’s

policy of non-violence reduced the fighting spirit of his army was

another charge against him. But Asoka had never slackened his

control over his empire despite following a pacifist policy. Thereforesolely blaming Asoka for the decline of the Mauryan empire may

not be correct because Asoka was more a pragmatist than an idealist.

There are multiple causes for the decline of the Mauryan empire

such as weak successors, partition of empire and administrative

abuses after Asoka’s reign. The combination of these factors

speeded up the breakup of the Mauryan empire and facilitated

Pushyamitra Sunga to drive away the Mauryan power and establish

the Sunga dynastyAfter the death of Asoka, his successors were not able to

keep the vast Mauryan Empire intact. The provinces started declaring

their independence. The northwest India slipped out of the control

of the Mauryas and a series of foreign invasions affected this region.

Kalinga declared its independence and in the further south the

Satavahanas established their independent rule. As a result, the

Mauryan rule was confined to the Gangetic valley and it was soon

replaced by the Sunga dynasty.