The Golden Buddha

In Afghanistan’s biggest ever foreign investment project, China Metallurgical Group has signed a massive $3 billion agreement to mine copper at Mes Aynak. But they are unable to start work due to constant threats, buried mines, and persistent international demand for saving the heritage of Mes Aynak. Several centuries back, this was at the heart of Silk Road and possibly availability of copper (evidence of copper smelting is there for 2,000 years) made it economically more attractive. In the last few years, archaeologists have dug out two forts, four Buddhist monasteries, a Zoroastrian fire temple, and other structures in what is now the largest archaeological complex in Afghanistan. Apart from several Kanishka-era coins and other artefacts, what caught worldwide attention were the beautiful images of almost gold coloured Buddha, a few with sublime expressions of compassion (http://www.savingmesaynak.com/).

At least seven centuries after the Mahaparinirvana, first Buddha images were made in Gandhara. Perhaps it was the need to present the imagery to an audience of new converts or to reinforce the greatness of their faith in front of a constant stream of foreigners. The Gandhara School of Art with Indian imagination and storytelling and Greco-Roman imagery and technique, produced arguably one of the most fascinating artistic lineages of all times. Gandhara Buddha with its Greek himation/Roman toga-like dress, beautiful drapery over a robust body, curly Mediterranean hair, and a top knot was modelled after Apollo and Zeus.

Bimaran Casket

Till date, the first specimen of this new art is the Bimaran Gold Casket, which could be dated to mid-first century BCE but the halcyon days of the Gandhara School came around the Kushan Empire, two centuries after the domination of the area by the Indo-Greeks. The most acceptable explanation of this gap between the political domination of the Greeks and the flowering of Hellenistic style is the prosperity of the Kushan period. The style, the craftsmanship was available there for quite long but it was the rich patronage of the Kushan period, which led to the creation of this extraordinary artistic tradition. The Gandhara School was active from the second to the fifth century CE, with some continuation till at least the seventh century. The spread of Islam in Afghanistan led to severe damages to such heritages that continued till the recent times as evidenced in the destruction of colossal Bamiyan Buddhas by the Taliban in 2001.

Mathura Buddha

Kamakura Buddha

The popularity and widespread acceptance of the Buddha and Bodhisattva images created in the second-century CE Gandhara could be gauged from the fact that it spread around the subcontinent in no time. Near contemporary Buddha images from Mathura show the same drapery and hairstyle, finely delineated body structure, halo and same poses of Buddha albeit with more Indianized face and often with lighter clothing. More than 1,000 kilometres away at Amaravati and Nagarjunikonda in Andhra or at Kanganahalli in Karnataka, this iconography was adopted by third century CE. In Western India, first such Buddha images were created at Kanheri probably using wood and other perishable material, graduating to massive stone images by fifth century at Ajanta. The style spread to rest of Asia along the Silk Road and to South East Asia and Sri Lanka probably through the sea route, geographically culminating in the giant Kamakura Buddha of Japan in the twelfth century.

Sanchi

Depiction of Amravati Stupa, from the ruins of Amravati

Takht-i-Bahi, Peshawar

In earlier Buddhist traditions, relics were venerated. Stupas were built over these relics–the tradition of building stupas probably predated Buddha–and then stupas themselves came to be worshipped. Ashoka was one of the main propagators of this stupa cult. Early decorations of these stupas were more symbolic with representations of trees, animals, wheels, etc. in relief sculptures. Huge stupa-monastery complexes came to be located close to major cities or along the main trading routes–Mrigadava (Sarnath) outside Kashi, Dharmarajika outside Takshashila, Sanchi outside Vidisha, Amravati outside Dharanikota (Satavahana capital), and Nagarjunikonda outside Vijayapuri (Ikshvaku capital). From third century CE, small and large images of Buddha came to adorn such places of worship and the same model was taken abroad as Buddhism travelled along the Silk Road. Monastery-stupa complexes at Peshawar (Takt-i-Bahi), all over Afghanistan, in Bactria, at Khotan, and Kashgar all attest to the continuation of the same tradition.

For more such stories related to Indian business history, see Laxminama: Monks, Merchants, Money and Mantra by Anshuman Tiwari and Anindya Sengupta Bloomsbury 2018

https://www.amazon.in/Laxminama-Monks-Merchants-Money-Mantra/dp/9387146782