The ancient people of the subcontinent created some of the most wonderful buildings, paintings and books in the world. These works of art and literature tell us about the beliefs, skills and daily life of the people who made them. They are also important sources of history.
The most impressive structures of ancient India are the stupas, temples and cave shrines. Stupas were built to keep sacred relics, temples were the houses of gods, and caves were carved out of solid rock as places of worship. Along with these great buildings, the ancient people also made beautiful paintings and composed great books in languages like Sanskrit and Tamil.
In this chapter, we will learn about the Iron Pillar, the temples and stupas, the Ajanta caves and their paintings, and the great books written in this period, including the epics and the Sangam literature.
A stupa is a structure built of bricks or stones, shaped like a mound or a dome. Stupas were built over the relics of the Buddha or of saints, and pilgrims came to worship there. The great stupas at Sanchi and Amaravati are famous examples.
A temple was built to house the images of gods and goddesses. The main part of a temple, where the image of the deity was kept, was called the garbhagriha (the womb-chamber). Above it was built the tall tower called the shikhara. The temples of the Pallavas and Chalukyas were built of stone and brick, and their walls were decorated with beautiful sculptures.
The Iron Pillar at Mehrauli, near Delhi, was built about 1500 years ago, in the period of the Gupta empire. It is one of the most amazing structures of ancient India.
The pillar is made of iron, and the remarkable thing is that it has not rusted over the centuries, even though it has been exposed to rain and weather. Its inscriptions tell us about a king named Chandra, who is believed to be Chandragupta II of the Gupta dynasty. The Iron Pillar shows the great skill of ancient Indian metalworkers.
The Ajanta caves, in present-day Maharashtra, are famous for their wonderful paintings and sculptures. These caves were carved out of the hills and used as monasteries and prayer halls by Buddhist monks.
The paintings of Ajanta show scenes from the Jataka tales, which are stories of the previous lives of the Buddha. The paintings show the artists' love for nature, and the artists used natural colours obtained from plants and minerals. The paintings are very realistic and show kings, queens, animals, birds and scenes of daily life. Some of the paintings are about 1500 years old.
The great Sanskrit poet Kalidasa wrote two famous plays, Abhijnana-Shakuntala and Meghadoota. His works are considered masterpieces of Sanskrit literature.
Two great epics of ancient India are: - The Mahabharata, which is about a great war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. It is the longest epic in the world, and it contains the Bhagavad Gita. - The Ramayana, written by Valmiki, which tells the story of Rama and Sita.
These epics were composed over many centuries and are full of stories about kings, gods and heroes. They teach us about the ideals of duty, courage and righteousness.
Books in ancient India were written in several languages. In north India, books were written in Sanskrit and Prakrit. In south India, the poets wrote in Tamil.
The Sangam literature is a great collection of Tamil poems, composed about 2000 years ago by poets who gathered in assemblies called sangams. The Sangam poems describe the life of the people of the Tamil region, their love for nature, and their heroes and heroines. These poems are a valuable source of history for the study of South India.
The Mahabharata is one of the world's greatest epics. It tells the story of a great war fought between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura.
The Mahabharata is not just a story of war; it contains many other stories, teachings and philosophical discussions. The most famous part is the Bhagavad Gita, in which Lord Krishna teaches Arjuna about duty, righteousness and the meaning of life. The Mahabharata was composed by the sage Vyasa and was written over many centuries.
The Ramayana, written by Valmiki, tells the story of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, who was sent into exile. His wife Sita was kidnapped by the demon king Ravana, and Rama, helped by his brother Lakshmana and the monkey-god Hanuman, rescued her.
The Ramayana teaches us about duty, loyalty, courage and the victory of good over evil. It is loved and read by millions of people, and its story is told in many languages and in many forms, including dramas and paintings.
Besides the epics, many other books were written in ancient India: - Scientific books: Books on astronomy, mathematics, medicine and other sciences were composed. - The Puranas: These are stories about gods and goddesses, written in simple Sanskrit, so that common people could understand them. - The Jataka tales: These are Buddhist stories about the previous lives of the Buddha. - The Panchatantra: These are fables (stories) in which animals are the main characters, and each story teaches a moral.
Books were written on palm leaf, which were tied together in bundles with string. These bundles were called manuscripts.
The Sangam literature is one of the oldest collections of Tamil poetry. It was composed about 2000 years ago in the assemblies of poets called sangams.
The Sangam poems are divided into two main groups: - Poems about love and the lives of people. - Poems about war and the achievements of kings.
These poems describe the geography, trade, farming and daily life of the Tamil region. They tell us about the three kingdoms of the Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas, and about the ports and trade with foreign lands. The Sangam literature is thus a very rich source of history for South India.
| Structure | Location | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Stupa at Sanchi | Madhya Pradesh | Famous Buddhist stupa |
| Stupa at Amaravati | Andhra Pradesh | Famous Buddhist stupa |
| Iron Pillar | Mehrauli, Delhi | Has not rusted for about 1500 years |
| Ajanta caves | Maharashtra | Famous paintings and sculptures |
| Book | Author | Language | About |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramayana | Valmiki | Sanskrit | Story of Rama and Sita |
| Mahabharata | Vyasa | Sanskrit | War of Kauravas and Pandavas |
| Abhijnana-Shakuntala | Kalidasa | Sanskrit | Drama about Shakuntala |
| Sangam poems | Many poets | Tamil | Love and war in the Tamil region |
The buildings, paintings and books of ancient India are a glorious heritage. The stupas of Sanchi and Amaravati, the great temples with their garbhagriha and shikhara, and the Iron Pillar that has not rusted show the amazing skill of ancient builders and metalworkers. The Ajanta caves with their natural-coloured paintings tell us stories of the Buddha's previous lives.
The literature of this period is equally rich. The epics of Valmiki and Vyasa, the plays of Kalidasa and the beautiful Sangam poems of Tamil Nadu have inspired generations of readers. These buildings, paintings and books are not only works of beauty; they are also windows into the beliefs, values and daily life of the people of ancient India.