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INDIA

INDUS VALLEY CIVILZATIONc. 2500BC – 1500BC

• The denizens of this time made: - bronze and stone animal sculptures - small seals carved in stone - ceramic bowls rubbed with resin and

decorated with geometric and animal motifs

- temples honoring popular water gods

Seals

Bronze & Stone Animal Sculptures

Ceramic Bowls

GANGES CIVILIZATIONc. 1500BC – 400BC

• There was little evidence of the Indian civilization at this time.

• However, during this period, hymns called Vedas were written.

• Vedas marked the beginning of the Hindu religion.

Vedas

MAURYAN EMPIREc. 322BC – 185BC

• India was taken over by the Maurya family.• Their greatest ruler, emperor Asoka, was heavily

influenced by Buddhism.• The Mauryan Era brought on the first objects of Buddhist

architecture.• Stupas were built to house relics and shrines for the

dead.• A harmika lies on top of them and an umbrella is placed

on the harmika to symbolize the thirty-three higher heavens of Mahayana Buddhism.

Stupa I at Sanchi2nd century BCE – 1st century, India masonry

GANDHARA PERIOD78AD -250AD

• By this time, India had been invaded by Greece.• Alexander’s conquest led to Greek influence in

Buddhist sculptures.• Buddha first appeared in Hellenistic kingdoms of

Bactria and Gandhara; Greek in style.• The sculpture’s elongated earlobes, ushnisha coil of

hair behind his head, and his urna or third eye display Buddha’s sacred nature.

• The Gandhara School of Art first created Indian cave temples which were cut into the sides of live rock. They resembled earlier wooden constructions.

Head of Buddha, 4th Century. Sculpture, Stucco.

26 3/4’’ x 19 ½’’ India

The Indian Cave Temple, Chaitya, in Karli India

GUPTA EMPIRE320AD – 600AD

• This is considered the Golden Age of Buddhist Indian Art. Greek style declined and Indian style arose.

• Indian culture became noticed as its literature, drama, paintings, sculptures, and architecture began to flourish.

• Cave temples, at Ajanta & Ellora were carved and painted. They were decorated with distinctly decorated Indian figures.

Unknown, Maiden with Trayc.320AD-600AD.Ajanta Cave Murals, India.

Unknown, Adoring Couplec.320AD-600AD. Ajanta Cave Murals, India.

MEDIEVAL PERIOD730AD – 1308AD

• Time of the Pallava Dynasty (600AD-750AD), a kingdom in southeastern India.

• Pallavas created large free standing temples from live rock at Mamallapuram and massive towering gateways called gopuras.

• The temples have multistoried roofs and stone square towers made by Hindu architects. It is symmetrical; its complexity is to mean order in the universe. There are pathways for worshipers and their rituals.

• Images of Nandi, the bull in, symbolize the god of Siva.• Gopuras were placed at the entrances of the temples.• Also the time of the Chola Dynasty (846AD-1173AD).

Shore Temple, 7th-8th centuries. Live rock. Mamallapuram, India.

The Gopura at Meenakshi

The sculpture Siva performing nataraja, the dance of reincarnation

MUGHAL PERIOD1206AD – 1857AD

• Final phase of traditional Indian art with waves of Moslem invasions.

• One of the greatest emperors was Akbar, who reunited the divided medieval kingdoms into the mighty Mughal empire.

• Much destruction came to Hindu temples and sculptures my the Mughals because the Moslem religion prohibited the use of imagery.

• They were replaced by mosques and palaces of symmetrical simplicity. They had Persian style with a mix of Indian ideas.

• The most famous Mughal Indian structure is the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal