Northern Satraps
Northern Satraps | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
60 BCE–2nd century CE | |||||||||||||||
Capital | Sagala/ Mathura | ||||||||||||||
Religion | Buddhism Hinduism Jainism | ||||||||||||||
Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||||
Historical era | Antiquity | ||||||||||||||
• Established | 60 BCE | ||||||||||||||
• Disestablished | 2nd century CE | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Today part of |
The Northern Satraps (
The Northern Satraps were probably displaced by, or became vassals of, the
Northern Satrap rulers
In central India, the
Rajuvula
In Mathura, Rajuvula established the famous
The coinage of the period, such as that of Rajuvula, tends to become very crude and barbarized in style. It is also very much debased, the silver content becoming lower and lower, in exchange for a higher proportion of bronze, an alloying technique (billon) suggesting less than wealthy finances.
Mathura lion capital
The
The capital describes, among other donations, the gift of a
Sodasa and Bhadayasa
The coinage of Sodasa is cruder and of local content: it represents a Lakshmi standing between two symbols on the obverse with an inscription around Mahakhatapasa putasa Khatapasa Sodasasa "Satrap Sodassa, son of the Great Satrap". On the reverse is a standing Abhiseka Lakshmi (Lakshmi standing facing a Lotus flower with twin stalks and leaves) anointed by two elephants sprinkling water, as on the coins of Azilises.[13][16]
Sodasa is also known from various inscriptions where he is mentioned as ruler in Mathura, such as the Kankali Tila tablet of Sodasa.
Contribution to Sanskrit epigraphy
In what has been described as "the great linguistical paradox of India", Sanskrit inscriptions first appeared much later than Prakrit inscriptions, although Prakrit is considered as a descendant of the Sanskrit language.[18] This is because Prakrit, in its multiple variants, had been favoured since the time of the influential Edicts of Ashoka (circa 250 BCE).[18]
Besides a few examples from the 1st century BCE, most of the early Sanskrit inscriptions date to the time of the
The Sanskrit inscriptions in
and none are Buddhist.The development of Sanskrit epigraphy in western India under the Western Satrap, is also thought to have been the result of the influence of the Northern Satraps on their western relatives.[26]
Successors
Several successors are known to have ruled as vassals to the Kushans, such as the Mahakshatrapa ("Great Satrap")
Art of Mathura under the Northern Satraps (circa 60 BCE-90 CE)
From around 70 BCE, the region of Mathura fell to the Indo-Scythian Northern Satraps under
End of 1st century BCE
Some works of art dated to the end of the 1st century BCE show very delicate workmanship, such as the sculptures of Yakshis.
The fact that the Mathura lion capital is inscribed in
-
Yashi with onlookers, dated 20 BCE.[37]
-
Yashi with onlookers (detail), dated 20 BCE.
-
Yashi with onlookers (detail), dated 20 BCE.
-
Yashi with onlookers (detail), dated 20 BCE.
Mathura sculpture styles in the 1st century CE
The abundance of dedicatory inscriptions in the name of Sodasa, the Indo-Scythian ruler of Mathura, and son of Rajuvula (eight such inscriptions are known, often on sculptural works),[38] and the fact that Sodasa is known through his coinage as well as through his relations with other Indo-Scythian rulers whose dates are known, means that Sodasa functions as a historic marker to ascertain the sculptural styles at Mathura during his rule, in the first half of the 1st century CE.[39][35] These inscriptions also correspond to some of the first known epigraphical inscriptions in Sanskrit.[18][40] The next historical marker corresponds to the reign of Kanishka under the Kushans, whose reign began circa 127 CE.[39] The sculptural styles at Mathura during the reign of Sodasa are quite distinctive, and significantly different from the style of the previous period circa 50 BCE, or the styles of the later period of the Kushan Empire in the 2nd century CE.[39]
In-the-round statuary
Several examples of in-the-round statuary have been found from the period of Sodasa, such as the torsos of "Vrishni heroes", discovered in Mora, about 7 kilometers west of Mathura.[47] These statues are mentioned in the Mora Well Inscription nearby, made in the name of the Northern Satrap Sodasa circa 15 CE, in which they are called Bhagavatam.[48][49][50] The statue fragments are thought to represent some of the five Vrishni heroes, possibly ancient kings of Mathura later assimilated to Vishnu and his avatars,[43][51] or, equally possible, the five Jain heroes led by Akrūra, which are well attested in Jain texts.[47] In fact, the cult of the Vrishnis may have been cross-sectarian, much like the cult of the Yakshas.[47]
The two uninscribed male torsos that were discovered are both of high craftsmanship and in Indian style and costume.[51] They are bare-chested but wear a thick necklace, as well as heavy hearrings.[47] The two torsos that were found are similar with minor variations, suggesting they may have been part of a series, which is coherent with the Vrishni interpretation.[45] They share some sculptural characteristics with the Yaksha statues found in Mathura and dating to the 2nd and 1st century BCE, such as the sculpting in the round, or the clothing style, but the actual details of style and workmanship clearly belong to the time of Sodasa.[47][43] The Vrishni statues also are not of the colossal type, as they would only have stood about 1.22 meters complete.[47] The Mora Vrishnis function as an artistic benchmark for in-the-round statues of the period.[47]
-
1st Jaina Tirthankara Rishabhanatha torso - Circa 1st Century
-
Four-fold Jain image withSuparshvanath and three other Tirthankaras- Circa 1st Century CE
-
Goat-headed Jain Mother Goddess, circa 1st Century CE
Jain reliefs
Many of the sculptures from this period are related to the
Jain votive plates, called "Ayagapatas", are numerous, and some of the earliest ones have been dated to circa 50-20 BCE.[53] They were probably prototypes for the first known Mathura images of the Buddha.[54] Many of them were found around the Kankali Tila Jain stupa in Mathura.
Notable among the design motifs in the ayagapatas are the pillar capitals displaying "Persian-Achaemenian" style, with side volutes, flame palmettes, and recumbent lions or winged sphinxes.[55][56]
-
Jain votive plaque with Jain stupa, the "Vasu Śilāpaṭa" ayagapata, 1st century CE, excavated from Kankali Tila, Mathura.[60]
-
ardhaphalaka sect. Early 1st century CE.[61]
-
Jain decorated tympanum from Kankali Tila, Mathura, 15 CE.[62]
-
Sivayasa Ayagapata, with Jain stupa fragment, Kankali Tila, 75-100 CE.
Grapevine and garland designs (circa 15 CE)
A decorated doorjamb, the
-
TheMathura Museum, GMM 13.367[46]
-
Reliefs of theMora doorjamb with grapevine design, Mora, near Mathura, circa 15 CE. State Museum Lucknow, SML J.526.[46] Similar scroll designs are known from Gandhara, from Pataliputra, and from Greco-Roman art.
-
.
Calligraphy (end 1st century BCE - 1st century CE)
The calligraphy of the Brahmi script had remained virtually unchanged from the time of the Maurya Empire to the end of the 1st century BCE.[71] The Indo-Scythians, following their establishment in northern India introduced "revolutionary changes" in the way Brahmi was written.[71] In the 1st century BCE, the shape of Brahmi characters became more angular, and the vertical segments of letters were equalized, a phenomenon which is clearly visible in coin legends and made the script visually more similarly to Greek.[71] In this new typeface, the letter were "neat and well-formed".[71] The probable introduction of ink and pen writing, with the characteristic thickenned start of each stroke generated by the usage of ink, was reproduced in the calligraphy of stone inscriptions by the creation of a triangle-shaped form at the beginning of each stroke.[71][74] This new writing style is particularly visible in the numerous dedicatory inscriptions made in Mathura, in association with devotional works of art.[71] This new calligraphy of the Brahmi script was adopted in the rest of the subcontinent of the next half century.[71] The "new-pen-style" initiated a rapid evolution of the script from the 1st century CE, with regional variations starting to emerge.[71]
First images of the Buddha (from circa 15 CE)
From around the 2nd-1st century BCE at Bharhut and Sanchi, scenes of the life of the Buddha, or sometimes of his previous lives, had been illustrated without showing the Buddha himself, except for some of his symbols such as the empty throne, or the Chankrama pathway.[76] This artistic device ended with the sudden appearance of the Buddha, probably rather simultaneously in Gandhara and Mathura, at the turn of the millennium.[76]
Possibly the first known representation of the Buddha (the
It is thought that the images of Jain saints, which can be seen in Mathura from the 1st century BCE, were prototypes for the first Mathura images of the Buddha, since the attitudes are very similar, and the almost transparent very thin garment of the Buddha not much different visually from the nakedness of the
There has been a recurring debate about the exact identity of these Mathura statues, some claiming that they are only statues of
Other reliefs
The Buddhist "Indrasala architrave", dated 50-100 CE, with a scene of the Buddha at the Indrasala Cave being attended by Indra, and a scene of devotion to the Bodhi Tree on the other side, is another example of the still hesitant handling of the human icon of the Buddha in the Buddhist art of Mathura.[82] The Buddhist character of this architrave is clearly demonstrated by the depiction of the Bodhi Tree inside its specially built temple at Bodh Gaya, a regular scene of Buddhist since the reliefs of Bharhut and Sanchi.[82] The depiction of the Buddha in meditation in the Indrasala Cave is also characteristically Buddhist.[82] The Buddha already has the attributes, if not the style, of the later "Kapardin" statues, except for the absence of a halo.[83]
Vedic deities
Besides the hero cult of the
Early "Kapardin" statuary (end of 1st century CE)
The earliest types of "Kapardin" statuary (named after the "kapardin", the characteristic tuft of coiled hair of the Buddha) showing the Buddha with attendants are thought to be pre-Kushan, dating to the time of the "Kshatrapas" or Northern Satraps.[83] Various broken bases of Buddha statues with inscriptions have been attributed to the Kshatrapas.[83] A fragment of such a stele was found with the mention of the name of the donor as a "Kshatrapa lady" named Naṃda who dedicated the Bodhisattva image "for the welfare and happiness of all sentient beings for the acceptance of the Sarvastivadas", and it is considered as contemporary with the famous "Katra stele".[83][87]
One of these early examples shows the Buddha being worshipped by the Gods Brahma and Indra.[83]
The famous "Katra Bodhisattava stele" is the only fully intact image of a "Kapardin" Bodhisattva remaining from the Kshatrapa period, and is considered as the foundation type of the "Kapardin" Buddha imagery, and is the "classical statement of the type".[83]
In conclusion, the canonical type of the seated Bodhisattva with attendants commonly known as the "Kapardin" type, seems to have developed during the time the Indo-Scythian Northern Satraps were still ruling in Mathura, before the arrival of the Kushans.[88] This type continued during the Kushan period, down to the time of Huvishka, before being overtaken by fully-dressed types of Buddha statuary depicting the Buddha wearing the monastic coat "Samghati".[88]
Rulers
Ruler | Image | Title | Approx. dates | Mentions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hagamasha | Satrap | 1st century BCE | In the archaeological excavations of | |
Hagana | Satrap | 1st century BCE | ||
Rajuvula | Great Satrap | early 1st century BCE | ||
Bhadayasa | Satrap | 1st century CE | Possible successor of Rajuvula in Eastern Punjab | |
Sodasa | Satrap | 1st century CE | Son of Rajuvula in Mathura | |
Kharapallana | Great Satrap | c. CE 130 | Great Satrap for Kushan ruler Kanishka I
| |
Vanaspara | Satrap | c. CE 130 | Satrap for Kushan ruler Kanishka I
|
Coinage
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Coin of satrap Hagamasha. Obv. Horse to the left. Rev. Standing figure with symbols, legend Khatapasa Hagāmashasa. 1st century BCE.
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Joint coin of Hagana and Hagamasha. Obv.: Horse to left. Rev. Thunderbolt, legend Khatapāna Hagānasa Hagāmashasa. 1st century BCE.
-
Coin of Rajuvula, c. 10 CE
-
Coin ofBhadrayasha, early 1st century CE
-
Coin of Sodasa, early 1st century CE
See also
References
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- ^ a b Rosenfield, John M. (1967). The Dynastic Arts of the Kushans. University of California Press. p. 135.
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- ^ a b The Dynastic Arts of the Kushans, by John M. Rosenfield, University of California Press, 1967 p.135 [2]
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- ^ Bracey, Robert (2018). Problems of Chronology in Gandhāran Art: Proceedings of the First International Workshop of the Gandhāra Connections Project, University of Oxford, 23rd-24th March, 2017. The Classical Art Research Centre. Archaeopress. University of Oxford. p. 143.
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- ^ a b c "We have actually discovered in the excavations at the Mora shrine stone torsos representing the Vrishni Heroes (...) Their style closely follows that of the free-standing Yakshas in that they are carved in the round. They are dressed in a dhoti and uttaraya and some types of ornaments as found on the Yaksha figures, their right hand is held in ahbayamudra..." in "Agrawala, Vasudeva Sharana (1965). Indian Art: A history of Indian art from the earliest times up to the third century A.D. Prithivi Prakashan. p. 253.
- ^ This statue appears in Fig.51 as one of the statues excavated in the Mora mound, in Rosenfield, John M. (1967). The Dynastic Arts of the Kushans. University of California Press. pp. 151–152 and Fig.51.
- ^ a b Lüders, H. (1937). Epigraphia Indica Vol.24. pp. 199–200.
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- ^ a b Rosenfield, John M. (1967). The Dynastic Arts of the Kushans. University of California Press. pp. 151–152 and Fig.51.
- ^ The Jain stûpa and other antiquities of Mathurâ by Smith, Vincent Arthur Plate XIV
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- ^ The Jain stûpa and other antiquities of Mathurâ by Smith, Vincent Arthur Plate VII
- ^ "The Ayagapata which had been set up by Simhanddika, anterior to the reign of Kanishka, and which is assignable to a period not later than 1 A.D., is worth notice because of the typical pillars in the Persian-Achaemenian style" in Bulletin of the Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery. The Museum. 1949. p. 18.
- ^ ISBN 9789004155374.
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- ^ "the massive pillars in the Persian Achaemenian style" in Shah, Chimanlal Jaichand (1932). Jainism in north India, 800 B.C.-A.D. 526. Longmans, Green and co.
- ^ "The Ayagapata which had been set up by Simhanddika, anterior to the reign of Kanishka, and which is assignable to a period not later than 1 A.D., is worth notice because of the typical pillars in the Persian-Achaemenian style" in Bulletin of the Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery. Baroda Museum. 1949. p. 18.
- ^ Kumar, Ajit (2014). "Bharhut Sculptures and their untenable Sunga Association". Heritage: Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Archaeology. 2: 223–241.
- ^ ISBN 9789004155374.
- ^ a b Bracey, Robert (2018). Problems of Chronology in Gandhāran Art: Proceedings of the First International Workshop of the Gandhāra Connections Project, University of Oxford, 23rd-24th March, 2017. The Classical Art Research Centre. Archaeopress. University of Oxford. pp. 142–143.
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- ISBN 9780391031401.
- ^ The former calligraphic style would have been: 𑀲𑁆𑀯𑀸𑀫𑀺𑀲𑁆𑀬 𑀫𑀳𑀓𑁆𑀰𑀢𑁆𑀭𑀧𑀲𑁆𑀬 𑀰𑀼𑀤𑀸𑀲𑀲𑁆𑀬
- ISBN 978-0-19-535666-3.
- ISBN 9789004155374.
- ^ ISBN 978-81-7304-017-7.
- ^ ISBN 9789004155374.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9518399-1-1.
- JSTOR 3250056.
- JSTOR 3250056.
- ISBN 9789004155374.
- ^ ISBN 9789004155374.
- ^ JSTOR 3249969.
- ^ Mathura Museum Catalogue. 1910. p. 163.
- ^ JSTOR 29756891.
- JSTOR 3249969.
- ^ a b Lüders, Heinrich (1960). Mathura Inscriptions. pp. 31–32.
- ^ JSTOR 3249969.
- ^ Hartel, Herbert (2007). On The Cusp Of An Era Art In The Pre Kuṣāṇa World. BRILL. p. 324.