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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c9.t15: Building Industries

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c9.t15

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English

Building Industries

c9.t15.1

The art of house-building seems to have been considerably developed in ancient India. Masonry and carpentry were important occupations and masons and carpenters were employed to lay foundation of buildings, palaces, halls, stair-cases, underground constructions, tanks and temples. Wooden images were prepared.¹⁸³ The carpenters made furniture for houses, such as seats, chairs, bed-steads, pegs, boxes, toys, etc. Wooden sandals (*pādalhaṇiyā*) were prepared from the wood of various trees¹⁸⁴ by clever artists and were set with *vaidūrya* and excellent *nīla* and *añjana* (granite) and ornamented with glittering and precious stones.¹⁸⁵ They also built ships, boats, vehicles of all sorts, carts and chariots of different kinds and various machines. A *rathakāra* or a chariot-maker is mentioned as one of the four jewels of a certain king.¹⁸⁶ We are told that a *rathakāra* built an aerial car known as *garuḍa*.¹⁸⁷ Axe, hatchet and other implements were known as tools of a carpenter.¹⁸⁸

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¹⁸³ *Āva. cū.*, p. 115.

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¹⁸⁴ *Brh Bhā* 3, 4097.

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¹⁸⁵ *Kalpa Sū.*, 1. 14, cf. *Mahāvagga*, V. 8 1. 3; *Dhammapada A.*, Vol. III, pp. 330, 451.

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¹⁸⁶ *Āva cū.*, II. p. 59.

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¹⁸⁷ *Ibid.* p. 541; *Vasu*, p. 62 f, also mentioned in the *Dhammapada A.*, III, p. 135.

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¹⁸⁸ *Uttarā. Sū.*, 19. 66.

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Bricks (iṭṭikā),¹⁸⁹ earth (puḍhavī), gravel (sakkarā), sand (vāluvā) and stone (uvala)¹⁹⁰ were known as building materials. Stuccoed house (sudhākammanta) is mentioned; stone-houses (selovatthāna) were common.¹⁹¹

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¹⁸⁹ Brh. Bhā. 3. 470.

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¹⁹⁰ Sūya II, 3. 61.

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¹⁹¹ Ācā. II, 2. 303.

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