Page 64 - SST Class 06
P. 64
naturally. It is accordingly sure that famine has Art and Architecture
never visited India and that there has never been The Mauryans built many palaces, stupas,
a general scarcity in the supply of nourishing viharas and pillars. A stupa is a domed structure
food. Since there is a double rainfall in the course of bricks and stone. The most famous stupa is at
of each year—one in the winter season when the Sanchi, near Bhopal, started by Ashoka. It was
sowing of wheat takes place as in other countries later enlarged. There are beautifully carved
and the second at the time of the summer solstice gateways on four sides.
which is the proper season for sowing rice and as
Viharas are monasteries or living quarters of the
well as sesamum and millet, the inhabitants of
Buddhist monks. The earliest were rock-cut caves
India almost always gather in two harvests made during the Mauryan times. The best known
annually; and even should one of the sowings are at Barabar and Nagarjuna Hilla, near Gaya,
prove no too good they are always sure of the in Bihar. They are carved out of granite hills, the
other crop. The fruits, moreover, of natural walls of which still shine like mirrors.
growth and are of varied sweetness. Afford
abundant sustenance for man.
The farmers paid taxes and new lands were
constantly settled for cultivation. Taxes were
charged for providing water for irrigation.
There were many important cities like Pataliputra,
Taxila and Ujjain. Traders, crafts persons and
officials lived in them. Roads were well devel-
oped and the emperor had control over the
rivers. Goods were brought from different parts of
the country to the capital. The officials must have
travelled a lot as we find Ashokan inscriptions in
Lomas Rishi Cave at Barabar
towns far away in the south. What also helped
traders was the use of coins. Punch-marked coins Often building like palaces were made to impress
of the period with symbols of hills, trees, birds, people and at other times to show their belief in a
sun or the circle with arrows have been found in religion. The tax money was used on these. Even
the entire area ruled by the Mauryans. The rich merchants made temples. Buddhist monks
traders may have paid taxes in these coins. constructed monasteries or cave homes for
Hunters lived in forests and Ashoka had mes- themselves.
sages even for them. The Mauryans excelled in the art of Sculpting
Megasthences mentions seven divisions in stone. They sculpted huge stone female figures or
society. These were probably based on the yaksis, representing feminine beauty.
different occupations of the people. There is no The polished Ashokan pillars are marveled at even
mention of the varna system in the Ashoka’s by modern craftspeople. The pillar was generally a
edicts. This suggests that the varna system was single stone, weighing about 50 tonnes and more
not very rigid. However, social inequalities must than 30 feet tall. It had to be chiseled, shaped and
have existed. Women were employed as the polished. The capital of the column was crowned
king's bodyguards and even as spies. with the figures of bulls and lions. The stone pillar
Social Science-6 64
