Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c18.s2.22

c18.s2.22

I have above (p. 63) referred to the now isolated occurrence of special crafts widely scattered in different parts of India, and suggested that this indicates a once more universal distribution. The study of Indian Art and Craft, in its profound unity in variety, suggest that its present remains are but the wreck of its former grandeur. If so, this must have been the case long ago, before the Hindu culture of the North was overrun by the Muhammadans. It may well have been in the brilliant era of the Gupta rulers, culminating in the rule of Vikramāditya. The great iron pillar at Delhi, erected in his reign, witnesses still to a knowledge of metallurgy enabling the craftsmen of that day to forge a bar of iron larger than any that could have been forged in Europe before the end of the nineteenth century. It is probable that the Silpa Sastras were written down towards the close of this period. They had previously been handed down orally by the hereditary craftsmen, amongst whom their secret was jealously guarded. The brevity of the memory verses and their technical language further preserved their meaning from common comprehension. The craftsmen are reluctant to allow their technical books to be made public.