Maurya and Shunga Art c3.1

c3.1

The art of the time when the Mauryas and Śuṅgas were the paramount rulers in our country is a subject that has often been studied; indeed, the monumental pillars of Aśoka and the elaborate bas-reliefs on the gates and railings of Barhut and Bodh-gaya are today some of the more important objects of Indian art with which those interested are most familiar. The choice of such a familiar subject for fresh and separate treatment in the form of a monograph requires therefore a word of explanation.