Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c11.25

c11.25

The philosophical idea behind the column and the capital having been determined by the Emperor himself with a clear conception of the tradition and of his own outlook, the problem of execution was no matter of difficulty. There were workers both in wood and stone who were past masters in making such columns. It is undisputed that the technique of fabricating them in wood was known from older times and it was merely the question of a change in the medium involving a transition from wood to stone. The lithic pillars in the Hall of Chandragupta Sabhā already preceded Aśoka as borne out by the testimony of Greek writers. Aśoka, therefore, was truly the author of both the idea and the form that his monumental capitals represent. The Stūpa, railing, parasol, Bodhi throne, pillar, capital, rock-cut Chaitya Hall and the huge stone figures like the elephant at Dhauli, each one of these was completely indigenous both in its form and meaning. To separate the stone pillars only from this imposing list of Aśokan monuments and to ascribe them to foreign imported workmen, is not justified by facts at our disposal, and not fair to their author.