The ancient and medieval architecture of India: a study of Indo-Aryan civilisation

THE KUSHAN EMPIRE

115

dominions
were in contact with the Roman
Empire, and

included
partoftheoldGraeco-Baktrian
Empire ofSeleukus,

Asthisnew

dynasty

grew inpower

andaffluence, numbersof

Graeco-Roman masons and

carpenters, who were always

travelling

in search of employment, were attracted

to the

Kushan capital, Purushapilra—the modern

Peshawar—to

assist in building the monasteries, chaityas, and

chaitya-

houses which were required for

the crowds of Buddhist

monks

who collected there. This feeble backward splash of

Aryan culture which thusflowed overNorth-west Indiauntil

the Kushan dynasty came to an end in the fourth century

A.D.,created thatGandharanschool of building and sculpture

theinfluenceofwhich upon Indianart has beensostrangely

misinterpretedandexaggeratedbyWestern scholars.

Whateverinspirationtherewas inthis new

courtfashion,

it was but a feeble reflection of the flame which the

Aryan

geniushad lightedin Indiaten centuries before theseKushan

kings came under its influence—a flame which continued to

burn brightly for many centuries after the Kushan dynasty

had passed

away.

Hellasherselfwas under the

heel of Rome

;

the lightof

her own inspiration was becoming

dim, and her bestartists

devoted their talents to the service of Roman

patricians.

Among the

best

of the Gandharan craftsmen

there were

sometimesafewtocompare

with the second-bestofthe

Greek

sculptors andpainterswho adornedthe

villasof Pompeii and

Herculaneum. But except for an occasional

piece of fine

academic craftsmanship, Gandharan sculpture

is generally

pettyin ideas and feeble

in execution, and nothing

that was

producedunderthepatronage ofthe

Kushankings

approached

in grandeur of

conception the chaitya-house

of Karl6

or the

monasteries of Nisik, or

showed the warm

vitality and un-

affectedbeauty of

the Sanchigateways.

Sofarfrom

inspiring