Age of the Nandas and Mauryas c12.s16.9

c12.s16.9

We may add to this the stylistic evidence afforded by the columns and capitals themselves. So far as columns are concerned a definite starting point is furnished by the Basarh-Bakhira column. Compared with the other columns of known Aśokan dates the shaft of this column is heavy and of shorter proportions, its workmanship crude and rough. The plain square abacus which is by itself an almost sure indication of an earlier date has no integral relation with the bell-capital below, and is moreover heavy in proportion. The crowning lion recouchant, though a free and independent figure, is not only rough and crude in execution, but has not yet evolved the form and appearance so as to make of itself an integrated whole together with the shaft, capital and the abacus. The next milestone is furnished by the elephant-crowned Sankissa column. The clumsy and heavy workmanship of the animal, its plump shape, and the sense of form revealed seem to suggest a near parallel with the Dhauli elephant which has to be dated in the twelfth or thirteenth year of the reign of Aśoka. The filling up of the depth between the legs by rock-designs and the decorations of the abacus framed only at the lower border are both primitive in design and workmanship and are presumably translated from wooden designs ; the border decoration is particularly reminiscent of wood. But already the abacus has changed from square to round and has been given a form that keeps rhythmic balance between the animal above and the capital below. The bull-crowned Rampurva pillar seems to form a pair with the one just described so far as stylistic chronology is concerned or comes not very long after. The crowning bull though rendered with energy and evident naturalism indeed fails to keep harmony with the abacus and the capital, and the rosettes and honey-suckle decoration on the abacus itself is a little heavy and rough in execution. But it cannot be far out in date from either the lion-crowned Rampurva column or the similarly crowned Lauriya-Nandangarh column. In both instances the abacus, which is artistically integrated and harmonised with the capital below, is decorated with a row of pecking geese ; but while the Rampurva lion is entirely contained within the abacus, the Nandangarh lion finds it difficult to fit itself to the round abacus ; its rump and part of its hind legs project beyond the abacus in an unbalanced manner. The last stage in the evolution is marked by the Sārnāth and Sāñchi pillars both crowned by four semi-lions joined back to back at the shoulders and carrying the Buddhist symbol of the Wheel, instead of by a single animal (whether lion, bull or elephant) as had hitherto been the practice, and that without any crowning symbol. The Salempur column crowned by four semi-bulls joined back to back must also belong to this stage of evolution.