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

THE

MASTER-BUILDER

7

of Indian
buildings on the monuments of Asoka's time, and

by

comparing

them with descriptions in Pili records which

Professor

Rhys Davidshascollected.^

We

maytakeitforgrantedthatjustas thetypesofhouses

representedin the sculptures ofBharhutandSinchi resemble

inmany respects the domestic buildings

of

modern India, so

theplanningof Indianvillageslaid

down

intheMinasara,the

Silpa-sastra^ofwhichRimRizhasgiventoo briefa

summary

inhisvaluableessayonthearchitectureoftheHindus,does

not

differinessential points from thatwhichwas followed

in the

thirdcentury B.C.

The Manasara Silpa-sistra, anticipating Vitruvius, first

insists

upon

the high intellectualandmoralculturenecessary

foramaster-builder{stapathi).

'

'Heshould

beconversantwith

allthesciences;alwaysattentivetohiswork;

ofanunblemished

character

;

generous,sincere,anddevoidof

enmityorjealousy."

Hisfirst assistant,who

mightbe hisson oranapprentice,

was

the surveyor,or sUtragrahi,

whomust be particularlyskilled

in mathematicsandobedientto

his master. The nextwas the

vurdhaci, or

joiner, dexterous in

joining wood and in com-

bining other

constructive materials with

it.

"

He should be

of a calm disposition,

and acquainted with drawing

and

perspective."

It

will probably be a

revelation to modern architects

to

know how

scientifically the

problems ofiown planning are

treatedintheseancient

Indianarchitectural

treatises. Beneath

a

great deal of mysticism,

which may be

scoffed at as pure

superstition,there

is afoundation

ofsoundcommonsense

and

scientific knowledge which

should appeal

to the mind of the

European

expert. The most

advanced science

of Europe has

1 "

BuddhistIndia,"

chaps,iii.andiv.

2

TheSilpa-sistraswere

possiblycompiledaboutthefifthorsixth

centurya.d.,but

thetraditions

theyembodyareoffargreater

antiquity.