Abstract
Gandhara was one the janapadas (states) of ancient South Asia
comprising of northwestern parts of present Pakistan. It consisted of two capitals
namely Takshasila (Taxila) and Pushkalavati Charsada) on the either sides of river
Indus. After the occupation of the Indus valley by Achaemenians in the 2nd half of
6
th century BCE the independent existence of Gandhara as a sixteenth janapada
(state) was no more mentioned in the ancient literature of South Asia. From the 6th
century BCE to the 5th AC Gandhara was successively invaded and ruled by
foreign invaders except an interval of one hundred and thirty years from BCE 320
to 190 under the Mauryan rule. For one thousand years Gandhara had been
experienced diversity of cultural traits. However, one of the greatest event
happened in the history of Gandhara was the introduction of Buddhism which
transformed the whole outlook of the country. Gandhara art was by product of this
period. Although, Gandhara art deals with the life of the Buddha, however, it
throws much light on the cultural life including architecture of the time. A variety
of architectural forms are depicted in the reliefs and sculptures of Gandhara art.
The remains of a number of ancient sites (originally cities) have been excavated
but unfortunately no complete form of architecture has survived. This
archaeological deficiency is supplied by Gandharan sculptures and reliefs. From
the earliest time when man was overwhelmingly dominated by the forces of the
nature, he had been looking for a shelter from the extremes of weather and for the
protection from his enemies. Both these needs were supplied by nature; cave
offered the first shelter and protected places. But the human mind is always in
search of a change for better. This change took expression first in crude tents of
animal skins, dried and stretched over wooden poles. Then, the first hut of twigs
plastered with mud was thought of, designed and built, architecture was born.
Tauqeer Ahmad Warriach. (2015) Major Forms of Architecture in Ancient Pakistan As Depicted In Gandhara Art, Journal of the Research Society of Pakistan, Volume 52, Issue 2.
-
Views
973 -
Downloads
117
Article Details
Volume
Issue
Type
Language
