The Invasions of Alexander led to the spread of Greek cultural and artistic influences. The Gandhara Art form was born as Buddhism encountered Greek ideas and techniques
The Gandhara art is a form of sculpture that developed in the Gandhara region. The region is situated northwest of the Indian subcontinent and bounded by the Khyber Pass and the Indus River. The region witnessed Greek Influences beginning from the invasion of Alexander. Later rulers patronized Buddhism, which flourished in the region and provided numerous themes for art. Thus, the Gandhara art form was born at the confluence of Buddhist theology and Hellenistic culture and art. [/p]
Prior to the invasions of Alexander, Gandhara was under the Achaemenid dynasty of Persia from the sixth to the fourth century B.C. The invasions of Alexander brought the region under Greek control. The death of Alexander and the subsequent division of his empire led to the formation of independent Greek Kingdoms in both Gandhara and Bactria. The region was thus under Greek rule from 322 to 50 B.C.
The Greek kingdoms, though, would not last long. They were soon overwhelmed by the Parthians and other nomadic tribes. The region was later annexed to the Mauryan Empire. After the conversion of the Mauryan Emperor Asoka to Buddhism and the adoption of Buddhism as the state religion, the region witnessed a flurry of religious and cultural activity.
After the decline of the Mauryan Empire, Gandhara came under the sway of the Kushans, a tribe from North China. The Kushans too patronized the Buddhist faith. It was under the Kushans that the Gandhara art form was born. The creation of the new art form is generally attributed to Kanishka, a famous ruler of the Kushans who ruled in the second century A.D. Kanishka commissioned numerous sculptures and monuments that portrayed scenes from the Buddhist faith. Historians believe that foreign artisans were employed in the design and construction of these monuments. These artisans brought with them techniques and designs widely used in the Graeco-Roman world. This led to the portrayal of scenes from Buddhist theology incorporating elements from Greek and Roman art.
A key feature of Gandhara art was its portrayal of the Buddha in human form. The Buddha is shown with facial features generally found in contemporary Western Sculpture. The Buddha is sometimes shown dressed in a toga – the dress worn by the Roman elite. This neo-classical depiction was a significant change in Buddhist iconography, for until then, the Buddha was portrayed in symbols, never in human form. The Gandhara sculptures were painted and usually gilded.
The Gandhara art form reached its zenith during the latter half of the second century and flourished until the seventh century when invasions by the White Huns, a barbaric people from Central Asia, led to its demise.
