Gandhara sculpture owed as much to the Romans as to the... | UPSC 2014 GS1 PYQ

MAINS 2014

GS1

10 marks

Gandhara sculpture owed as much to the Romans as to the Greeks. Explain.

WRITE IN

7 min

150 words

What the examiner wants

Explain how Gandhara sculpture drew on Roman as well as Hellenistic Greek sources.

ExplainMake clear how and why it happens: causes, process, and an example for each point.

1Greek (Hellenistic) inputs: realistic anatomy, Apollo-like Buddha face, wavy hair, Corinthian capitals, legacy of Bactrian Greeks≈30 words
2Roman inputs: toga-like heavy drapery, portrait realism, stucco technique, narrative relief panels, putti and garland bearers, cupids; Kushana-era trade with Rome≈30 words
3Why Roman: Gandhara art flowered in 1st-3rd century CE, after Greek rule had ended, at the height of Indo-Roman trade≈30 words
4Indian content: Buddhist themes, mudras, ushnisha, urna; grey schist medium≈30 words

Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.

Introduce Gandhara schoolGreek elementsRoman elements and timing argumentIndian soulConclusion: Graeco-Roman form, Indian spirit

Writing only about Greek influence and ignoring the Roman claim the question makes
Not explaining why chronology favours Roman influence

ThinkerAlfred Foucher called it 'Graeco-Buddhist' art (1905); Mortimer Wheeler and others stressed Roman imperial influence through Kushana trade.Art history debate
DataPliny the Elder complained that trade with India drained about 50 million sesterces from Rome every year.Pliny, Natural History, 1st century CE

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