Indus Valley

INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION
What is Indus Valley Civilization ?

Indus civilization, also called Indus valley civilization or
Harappan civilization, the earliest known urban culture of the
Indian subcontinent. Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) is one of
the four great civilizations of the world.
A vast ancient civilization developed along the valley of the
River Indus (aka Sindhu) in modern-day India and Pakistan
The Indus Valley Civilization is named so, because of the
extensive location of the archaeological sites along the river
Indus and its tributaries.
The Indus Valley Civilization is famous for its great cities like
Harappa which were technologically advanced and highly
cultured urban centers.
When and by whom was the Indus Valley
Civilization first discovered?
The Indus Valley Civilization is often separated into three
phases:
- the Early Harappan Phase from 3300 to 2600 BCE
- the Mature Harappan Phase from 2600 to 1900 BCE
- the Late Harappan Phase from 1900 to 1300 BCE.
The Indus Valley was home to the largest of the four ancient
urban civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China.
In 1912 Harappan seals with unknown symbols were
discovered by J. Fleet. This triggered an expedition by a
British archeologist Sir John Hubert Marshall in 1921-1922. This
expedition led to the discovery of the ancient city of
Harappa, thus confirming the existence of the Indus Valley
civilization.
Art of Indus Valley Civilization
Art not only reflects culture but influences it, creating the forms
and ideals that shape society.
The artists and craftsmen of the Indus Valley were extremely
skilled in a variety of crafts—metal casting, stone carving,
making and painting pottery, and making terracotta images
using simplified motifs of animals, plants, and birds, making
the civilization a rich one.
The Indus Valley pottery was often red with black geometric
or flower designs.
The Dancing Girl is the world’s oldest bronze sculpture. It is a
statue of naked girl wearing only ornaments that are bangles
and amulet and bracelet. She stands in tribhanga dancing
posture.
Harappan men and women adorned themselves with a wide
range of jewelry made from a wide range of materials,
including precious metals, jewels, bone, and baked clay.
Men and women wore different outfits that looked like a
dhoti and shawl. They were fashion-conscious.
Architecture In Indus Valley Civilization
The site was first discovered through excavation in 1921 under
the supervision of Daya Ram Sahni. Mohenjo-Daro and
Harappa are the two main sites where we can observe the
peak of the art and architecture of the Indus Valley
Civilization.
The towns were laid out in rectangular grid pattern.
Harappans used burnt mud bricks of standardized dimensions
for the purpose of building houses, public baths and public
buildings.
The main feature of Harappa architecture was that the
residential buildings were built on a high mound in order to
protect them from floods.
Art of Indus Valley Civilization
Architecture in Indus Valley Civilization
KUSHAN EMPIRE
Kushan Art
Kushan art, the art of the Kushan Empire in northern India,
flourished between the 1st and the 4th century CE. It blended
the traditions of the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara,
influenced by Hellenistic artistic canons, and the more Indian
art of Mathura.
Mathura Art : The Mathurā images are related to the earlier
yakṣa (male nature deity) figures, a resemblance particularly
evident in the colossal standing Buddha images of the early
Kushan period. In these, and in the more representative
seated Buddhas, the overall effect is one of enormous energy.
Gandhara Art : In its interpretation of Buddhist legends, the
Gandhara school incorporated many motifs and techniques
from Classical Roman art, including vine scrolls, cherubs
bearing garlands, tritons, and centaurs. The materials used for
Gandhara sculpture were green phyllite and gray-blue mica
schist.
Kushan Architecture
The Kushan Empire was considered one of the most
influential empires in the world. It was established by King
Kujula Kadphises in the 1st century C.E. and expanded to
include much of Central Asia, India, and China.
The Kushan Empire is known for its unique architecture that
was characterized by a strong influence on Greek art. It was
also marked by high columns, round arches, and a lotus
capital. The most famous structures are the stupa at Sanchi
and the temple at Jaugada.
Art and Architecture during Kushanas
MAURYA EMPIRE
Mauryan Art
The Maurya period is marked by an impressive progress in the
Indian sculpture. Dr. Ananda Coomarswamy differentiates the
Mauryan sculptures into Court art and the Popular Art.
Court Art : This art is visible in stone pillars, railings, parasols,
capitals, animal and human sculptures and several other motifs
besides. Some fine examples of Maurya Court Art are Lion
Capital at Sarnath, Pillar at Vaishali, Asoka Pillar at Allahabad.
Popular Art : The popular art in Maurya period is represented
by images of Yakshas and Yakshinis. Yaksha refer to the nature-
spirits, usually benevolent also known as fertility spirits. One of
the finest examples of popular Maurya art is the Yakshi figure
from Didarganj and The rock cut sculpture of Elephant in Dhauli.
Mauryan Architecture
The Mauryan Empire, which ruled between 322 BC and 185 BC,
was India’s first significant empire. The Mauryan architecture
was an example of well-planned, systematic, and well-
constructed designs which reflected the ascetic ideals of that
time.
The capital of the Mauryan Empire was described as “the
greatest city in India”, having the shape of a parallelogram
and girdled with a wooden wall.
Mauryan Architecture was based on Ashoka’s edicts, a
collection of more than thirty inscriptions on the pillars,
boulders, and cave walls, . The major attraction of Mauryan
architecture was its use of large staircases, which were
designed with sculptures depicting scenes from the life of the
Buddha. Another significant feature was the use of columns for
the support of arches.
Art and Architecture of Maurya Empire
Gupta Art
GUPTA EMPIRE
The Gupta style of statuary, especially as seen in the Buddha
images, is characterized by several formative traits: ornate
halos with floral and gem motifs, clothes with thin
diaphanous drapery, specific hair curls, meditative eyes,
elongated earlobes, relatively thick lower lips, and often
three lines across the neck.
Gupta period is also known for its Hindu and Jain sacred
imagery fashioned from terracotta, stone, and metal.
The Gupta dynastic label was used to categorize all art
produced in the Gupta period.
Ajanta’s paintings are priceless for the clues that they contain
on the artistic achievements of the period; we only need look
at the accessories and clothes worn by the protagonists of the
murals as well as at the architectural spaces that they occupy
to better know the style of jewelry, textiles, and secular
architecture that was popular at that time.
Gupta Architecture
The Gupta Dynasty, ruled from the late 3rd to the 6th century
A.D., was marked by the flourishing Hindu culture that
borrowed elements from Buddhism, Jainism, and other Indian
religions.
On the concept of Gupta age architecture, it includes both
sculptural temples as well as the temples of rock-cut caves.
Guptas established the temples of Buddhist rock-cut at Bagh,
Madhya Pradesh, and Ajanta, Maharashtra.
The building style usually consists of a square plan, with an
elaborately decorated entrance and walls decorated with
detailed carvings. Temples of this period were also known for
their use of towers, domes, and minarets.
Art and Architecture of Gupta Empire
MUGHAL EMPIRE
Mughal Art
The Mughal artistic tradition became mainly expressed in
painted miniatures or small portraits or paintings that could fit
inside books as their illustrations or as single works to be kept
in albums.
Despite their tiny sizes, they are incredibly precise, with some
lines painted using brushes composed of a single hair.
These miniatures valued color and extreme detail over
shading and realistic perspective, giving figures a static
appearance, frozen in positions that emphasize their two-
dimensionality.
Indian miniature painting had existed in various forms since
the 9th century, but there was no cohesive vision. Certain
styles began to coalesce in the 15th century, but it wasn’t until
the Mughal Empire was established in 1526 that miniature
painting came into its own. Mughal miniatures are a blend of
the bold, vivid colors favored by Indian painters.
Mughal Architecture
Mughal architecture thrived mainly in the Indian subcontinent
from the 16th century to the early 18th century.
The Mughal architecture is a distinctive Indo-Islamic
architectural style which combines the characteristics of the
Persian, Turkish, and the Indian style.
The Mughals ruled over India during this time, and many
emperors constructed some of the finest buildings in the
country. Because of this architectural style, the country now
boasts some of the most spectacular buildings, like the Taj
Mahal in Agra, the Red Fort in Delhi, Akbar’s Tomb, Fatehpur
Sikri, and the Red Fort.
Art and Architecture of Mughal Empire

Indus Valley

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INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION

What is Indus Valley Civilization ?

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