1889.] 



on the Civilization of Ancient India. 



Ill 



Although there is no reason to suppose that the Gtindhara buildings 

 adorned with Corinthian pillars were Greek or Roman in plan or eleva- 

 tion, the remains excavated, especially those at Jauialgarhi, prove that 

 such pillars, both circular and square in section, were used for structural 

 support, as well as for sculptural decoration. 



No piece of Corinthian shaft has yet been discovered. The testi- 

 mony of the sculptures is not conclusive, but, so far as ive can judge 

 from the miniature pillars and pilasters in the reliefs, the shafts were 

 plain, not fluted. 



The incomplete lower parts of the bases of two structural pillars 

 have been found, and a comparison of their dimensions with those of the 

 pillars in the famous choragic monument of Lysicrates at Athens (B. C. 

 33-1) has satisfied Sir A. Cunningham that the Indian examples differ 

 from the Greek standard " solely in giving an inward slope to the per- 

 pendicular narrow fillet which separates the scotia and torus. 



" In both the Indian examples it will also be observed that the torus, 

 or round projecting moulding, is thickly foliated, like that of most of 

 the Corinthian bases. Of the upper part of the base not even a fragment 

 has yet been found ; and the representations in the bas-reliefs do not 

 offer any assistance, as they show only one large and one small torus, 

 separated by an astragal, and altogether want the deeply marked scotia 

 which forms the leading characteristic of the Corinthian base, and which 

 is carefully preserved in both of the full-sized Indian specimens." 



The foliation referred to is not found on the bases of the pillars of 

 the monument of Lysicrates, and is, I think, purely Roman decoration. 

 I shall subsequently give reasons for dating the Gaudhara pillars be- 

 tween A. D. 250 and 350, and for holding that all the Indian buildings 

 adorned with Corinthian pillars were constructed under the influence of 

 Roman art. The remains of structural Iudo-Corinthian capitals, found 

 chiefly at Jamalgarhi and Takht-i-Bahi, are numerous, but unfortunately 

 are never perfect, owing to the brittleuess of the clay slate in which they 

 were carved, and to the practice of constructing each capital from many 

 pieces bound together by iron cramps. The lower portion of the larger 

 capitals, some of which measure about three feet in diameter, was made 

 in from two to four pieces ; the upper portion always consisted of four 

 segments. 



The British Museum possesses some fine examples of these capitals 

 collected by Sir A. Cunningham at Jamalgarhi, and smaller specimens 

 may be seen in the collection at South Kensington. Others are preserved 

 in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, and in the Lahore Museum.* 



* Plates XI. VII— L of Cunningham's Archwnl. Rep., Vol. V, are do voted to the 

 illustration of lndo-Cormthian pillars. The restoration of elephants on the top of a 



