Maarg Manthan · Topic 1.3

Post-Mauryan Period (Sunga, Kanva, Kushana)

Art & Culture › Architecture · Topic 1.3

Post-Mauryan architecture (c. 185 BCE to the 3rd century CE) covers the Sunga (Shunga), Kanva, Satavahana and Kushana (Kushan) periods, when Buddhist building moved from plain mounds to carved monuments. The Sungas gave the railings of the Bharhut stupa (Satna, Madhya Pradesh) and the stone casing of the Sanchi stupa (Raisen, Madhya Pradesh); the Satavahanas added the Sanchi gateways and the Amaravati stupa (Andhra Pradesh); the Kushanas, under Kanishka, built the Peshawar stupa and Gandhara monasteries. The Heliodorus pillar at Besnagar (Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh) records Vaishnava worship by an Indo-Greek envoy.

6 min read · UPSC Prelims · Art & Culture · Architecture

At a Glance

Period c. 185 BCE to about 3rd century CE
Dynasties Sunga, Kanva, Satavahana, Kushana
Main forms Carved stupas, chaityas, viharas
Key sites Bharhut, Sanchi, Amaravati, Taxila, Mathura
Special find Heliodorus pillar, Besnagar, c. 2nd century BCE
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Art and Culture: Architecture

Where Does It Fit?

This topic sits between the Mauryan state art and the Gupta temple tradition. It shows Buddhist architecture becoming richer and the arrival of Hindu shrines. The separate topic on rock-cut halls and stupas gives site details of the same age. Previous topic: Mauryan Architecture (Ashokan pillars, palaces). Next topic: Gupta Period Architecture.

What Did Each Post-Mauryan Dynasty Build?

Dynasty	Region	Period	Architecture
Sunga	Central India, capital Pataliputra and Vidisha	c. 185 to 73 BCE	Stone railings and gateway reliefs of the Bharhut stupa (Satna district, Madhya Pradesh). Stone casing and railing of the brick stupa at Sanchi
Kanva	Magadha, after the Sungas	c. 73 to 28 BCE	Few surviving monuments. Continued stupa building, with limited new evidence
Satavahana	Deccan and Andhra	c. 1st century BCE to 3rd century CE	Four carved toranas at Sanchi, the Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda stupas (with Ikshvakus), rock-cut chaityas at Karle, Bhaja, Nashik and Kanheri
Indo-Greek and Saka-Parthian	North-west India	c. 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE	Sirkap city at Taxila on a grid plan, Heliodorus pillar at Besnagar, Dharmarajika stupa at Taxila
Kushana	North-west and Mathura	c. 1st to 3rd century CE	Kanishka stupa near Peshawar, monasteries at Taxila and Takht-i-Bahi, devakula at Mat near Mathura, Surkh Kotal temple in Afghanistan

What Are the Key Monuments and Their Features?

Monument	State or place	Date	Key points
Bharhut stupa	Satna, Madhya Pradesh	Sunga period, c. 2nd century BCE	Railing and gateway with Jataka scenes, yakshas and the early aniconic symbols of the Buddha. Found by Alexander Cunningham in 1873. Its railing is now in the Indian Museum, Kolkata
Great Stupa, Sanchi	Raisen, Madhya Pradesh	Core 3rd century BCE; casing 2nd century BCE; toranas c. 1st century BCE	Brick core of Ashoka, stone casing and railing of the Sunga period, four toranas added in the Satavahana period. Inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1989
Heliodorus pillar	Besnagar, Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh	c. 110 BCE	Garuda pillar raised by Heliodorus, a Greek from Taxila, a devotee of Vasudeva. The oldest record of Bhagavata worship in stone
Amaravati stupa	Guntur, Andhra Pradesh	c. 2nd century BCE to 3rd century CE	Satavahana marble-like limestone stupa with sculpted slabs, later elaborated under the Ikshvakus
Karle chaitya	Pune, Maharashtra	c. 1st century BCE to 2nd century CE	The largest and best preserved early chaitya hall, with a tall pillared nave
Sirkap, Taxila	Punjab, Pakistan	c. 2nd century BCE	Grid city of the Indo-Greeks and Parthians, with fortification and stupas
Kanishka stupa	Peshawar, Pakistan	c. 2nd century CE	Reported by Chinese pilgrims as a very tall multi-storey stupa. Only the base survives

What Else Should You Remember?

Alternate names: Sunga is also spelt Shunga, Kushana as Kushan, Bharhut as Barhut, and Besnagar is the old name for the site near Vidisha. The Great Stupa at Sanchi is also called Sanchi Stupa No. 1
Sunga patronage: Pushyamitra Sunga overthrew the last Mauryan king around 185 BCE. Though sometimes described as hostile to Buddhism, the Sunga period saw major Buddhist art at Bharhut and Sanchi
Railing and gateway: The railing (vedika) with uprights, crossbars and a coping, and the torana gateway are key features. The pattern copied earlier wooden fences
Toranas at Sanchi: Four gateways in the cardinal directions, with carved brackets of elephants, yakshis and scenes from the life of the Buddha and Jatakas
Aniconic phase: The Buddha is shown through symbols such as the footprint, wheel, empty throne, stupa and Bodhi tree
Hinayana caves: The early chaityas of Bhaja, Karle and Bedsa are Hinayana halls, with an apsidal plan, a stupa at the back and wooden ribs imitated in stone
Heliodorus: He came to the court of the Sunga king Bhagabhadra as an envoy of the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas
Kushana style: Kanishka and his successors supported Mahayana Buddhism and the Gandhara and Mathura art schools, described in Post-Mauryan Period Sculpture (Gandhara, Mathura, Amaravati Schools)
Fourth Buddhist Council: Held in Kanishka’s time, traditionally in Kashmir (Kundalavana), it is linked with the spread of Mahayana
Devakula: Mat near Mathura has the remains of a Kushana dynastic shrine with portrait statues of rulers
Kanishka’s capital: Purushapura (Peshawar), with a second capital at Mathura
Monastery plan: The vihara had cells round an open courtyard, as at Takht-i-Bahi, Gandhara
Rock-cut line: The same age is treated in Buddhist Rock-cut & Stupa Architecture (Ajanta, Ellora, Elephanta Caves; Sanchi, Bharhut, Amaravati Stupas; Chaityas and Viharas)

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Match type: Bharhut with Sunga, Amaravati with Satavahana, Kanishka stupa with Peshawar
Heliodorus: Besnagar, Vidisha, Garuda pillar, Vasudeva
Features: aniconic symbols, railings, toranas
States: Bharhut and Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh, Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh
Common errors: giving the Sanchi toranas to the Mauryas or Sungas instead of the Satavahanas

As an analytical point, the period shows how a religion expressed itself through art as lay and royal donors funded monasteries and stupas. Trade guilds and merchants, not only kings, became patrons, which is a key theme for questions on society and architecture.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Prelims Dynasty-site matching
Mains Patronage and religion in art
Heritage Sanchi World Heritage Site

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the Gupta period, when the first structural Hindu temples appear. Next topic: Gupta Period Architecture.

Key People and Terms

Vedika Stone railing around a stupa
Torana Carved gateway
Aniconic Without images of the Buddha
Heliodorus Greek devotee of Vasudeva
Kanishka Kushana ruler, Peshawar stupa
Pushyamitra Founder of the Sunga dynasty

Study this topic together with these linked topics from other subjects.

Shungas and Kanvas – Post-Mauryan Rule in the Ganga Valley (Ancient History)
Mahayana Buddhism and the Gandhara and Mathura Schools of Art (Ancient History)
Shakas and Parthians (Ancient History)

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Bharhut: Sunga, Satna, Madhya Pradesh.
Sanchi toranas: Satavahana period.
Heliodorus pillar: Besnagar, Vidisha.
Kanishka stupa: Peshawar.
Sirkap, Taxila: grid plan city.

Do Not Confuse With

Bharhut and Sanchi Smaller Sunga stupa versus larger multi-period stupa
Sunga and Kanva Dynasty in power from 185 BCE versus the short dynasty after them
Gandhara and Mathura Greek influence versus indigenous sculpture

Memory Hook

Sunga gave the railing, Satavahana gave the gate, Kushana gave the giant stupa.

Mains Angle

Questions ask how patronage and religion shaped early art. These points support an answer.

Patronage Kings, guilds and laity
Continuity Mauryan to Sunga
Cultural contact Greek, Saka and Kushana
Religion Buddhism and Bhagavata

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Trace the development of Buddhist architecture in the Post-Mauryan period and discuss the role of patrons other than kings.”

How to Answer

Intro Context after the Mauryas.
Evidence Bharhut, Sanchi, Amaravati.
Patrons Guilds, laity, dynasties.
Conclusion Foundation for later styles.

GS Relevance

Prelims: Sunga and Kushana monuments, Bharhut and Sanchi, Heliodorus pillar, Taxila. GS Paper 1: Indian heritage and culture, art forms and architecture from ancient times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did the Sungas build?

The Sungas are associated with the carved stone railing and gateway of the Bharhut stupa in Satna district, Madhya Pradesh, and with the stone casing and railing of the Sanchi stupa. Their monuments use Jataka scenes, yakshas and symbols of the Buddha instead of images.

Who built the gateways of the Sanchi stupa?

The four toranas at the Great Stupa of Sanchi were carved in the Satavahana period, around the first century BCE. They show scenes from the Buddha's life and Jatakas, and their donors included ordinary people and guild members. Sanchi was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1989.

What is the Heliodorus pillar?

The Heliodorus pillar is a stone Garuda column at Besnagar near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh. Its inscription says it was set up by Heliodorus, a Greek envoy from Taxila, who was a devotee of Vasudeva. It is among the earliest evidences of Bhagavata worship.

What did the Kushanas build?

The Kushanas, especially Kanishka, built the large stupa at Peshawar and monasteries in Gandhara and Taxila. At Mat near Mathura they built a dynastic shrine called a devakula. Their reign is linked with Gandhara and Mathura sculpture and the spread of Mahayana Buddhism.

Why is Post-Mauryan architecture important for UPSC?

Prelims asks which dynasty built which monument, such as Bharhut with the Sungas, the Sanchi toranas with the Satavahanas and the Peshawar stupa with Kanishka. The Heliodorus pillar and the aniconic phase are frequent. Mains uses the period for patronage by guilds and laity and for cultural contact with Greeks and Kushanas.

What is the difference between the Bharhut and Sanchi stupas?

Bharhut, in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, is a Sunga stupa whose railing and gateway survive in the Indian Museum, Kolkata, with the stupa itself lost. Sanchi, in Raisen, Madhya Pradesh, is a largely intact stupa with an Ashokan core, Sunga casing and Satavahana toranas, inscribed by UNESCO in 1989.

Why is the period called aniconic?

The early Buddhist art of the Sunga and Satavahana periods did not show the Buddha in human form. He was shown by symbols such as the Bodhi tree, wheel, footprints, stupa or empty throne. Images of the Buddha became common only under the Kushanas in Gandhara and Mathura.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 The Bharhut stupa belongs to the Sunga period.

True

Its railing carries Sunga-period inscriptions.

2 The Heliodorus pillar is found at Besnagar near Vidisha.

True

It is a Garuda pillar for Vasudeva.

3 The Sanchi toranas are Mauryan.

False

They belong to the Satavahana period.

4 The Buddha was shown in human form in the earliest Bharhut reliefs.