History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v1.c16.76

v1.c16.76

In the meanwhile the question that bears most directly on the subject now in hand is the enquiry, how far the undoubted classical influence shown in these Gandhâra sculptures is due to the seed sown by the Baktrian Greeks during the existence of their kingdom there, and how much to the direct influence of Hellenic intercourse between the times of Augustus and Aurelian? Both, most probably, had a part in producing this remarkable result; but we have abundant evidence that the latter was very much more important than the former cause, and that about the commencement of the Christian Era the civilisation of the West exercised an influence on the arts and religion of the inhabitants of this part of India far greater than was formerly suspected.