Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c12.s2.t2: Age of the Stūpa

Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c12.s2.t2

Language: English

Age of the Stūpa

c12.s2.t2.1

A natural question arises as to the period when the Bharhut Stūpa was raised. Cunningham assigned it to the period of Aśoka, somewhere between 250 to 200 B. C., the reason being the great similarity between the Brāhmī script of the Bharhut Inscriptions and the script of Aśokan Edicts. There is, no doubt, force in this argument but what seems to be true is that the original Stūpa of mud and brick belonged to Aśoka's reign and the railings and gateways of stone were added later in the time of the Śungas in the first half of the 2nd century B. C. For this there is some positive evidence on the eastern gateway of the Stūpa in an Inscription which refers to Rājā Dhanabhūti of the Śungas. The Inscription runs as follows:

c12.s2.t2.2

1. *Suganam raje rājño Gāgī-putasa VISA-DEVASA-*
2. *pautena Gotiputasa AGA-RAJASA putena*
3. *Vāchhi-putena DHANA-BHŪTINA kāritam toranam*
4. *Sila-kammata cha upanna*

c12.s2.t2.3

This king Dhanabhūti (circa 150 B.C.) is also said to have built a Stūpa with a Toraṇa railing and a ratnagriha (jewel house) at Mathura. This record of Dhanabhūti was assigned by Cunningham to a period between 180 B. C. to 150 B. C.

Linked texts (1)

Bhārhut inscription (No. 84) — Prakrit