PATNA: If six hundred years before the Christian era is the germinal period of India's history, it was the fertility and the fecundity of the soil of Bihar
wherein the seeds sprouted into trees with overarching branches. While
lot of emphasis is laid on imperial contributions, the popular culture
of Bihar has been just as significant. Exemplary pottery traditions
developed in this region, one of the finest being the
Northern Black Polished Ware or the NBP.
( The NBP ware was characteristic of the urban centers of the Gangetic
Plain, and is thought to have developed from the technique of
high-temperature firing used in smelting iron and from the use of
hematite soil locally available.
The terracottas of Bihar bring out the vitality and richness in the life of the people adding colour to that which is mundane. Artists of the Mauryan period began to experiment in stone and sculpted the fine yaksha and the yakshini pieces and nowhere can one get a better example than the Didarganj yakshi. The rich polish imparted to the yakshi, her ornamentation, hair style and expression make it one of the finest pieces of sculpture in the country.
Equally significant is the development of the economy of ancient Bihar which received an additional boost as the first metallic coins came into use in the lower Gangetic plains. These are the first of the un-inscribed coin series, made of copper and silver, the very unique punch-marked coins, whose appearance coincides with the phenomenal development of trade described in the Buddhist Jatakas. Two of the greatest political experiments began in Bihar. Vaishali became the seat of a powerful republic/oligarchy.
In Rajagriha, the foundation of a monarchy was being laid, which would eventually develop into the most powerful empire that the country was to witness, as the wheels of the chariots of the Magadhan rulers traversed in different directions and created from a loose configuration of 'janapadas' and 'mahajanapadas' a powerful empire.
But 'samratism' is not built on sword alone and lot of emphasis was being laid on the development of human resource.
Well-being of the subject is a principle oftstated in the writings of Kautilya and finds echo in the edicts of Ashoka. The king's inscriptions are first evidence of a deciphered script which is Brahmi. Across the centuries the man gives a message which is the crux of good governance. Apart from giving the country a script, Bihar also developed as a hub of educational activities. The tradition of philosophical debates in the quest of knowledge goes back to an even earlier time. The early Upanishads were probably compiled in north Bihar and Raja Janaka's 'sabha' was the centre of debates and deliberations. The tradition continued and the monasteries of the Buddhists and Jains became centres of learning which reached great heights in the later period when Nalanda, Vikramashila and Odantapuri developed as universities.
IF Bihar was writing the history of ancient India, the openness of the mind of the people made it the centre of religious experimentation. The Buddha stands out as a colossal figure, giving to the world the message of peace, brotherhood and nonviolence and, above all, the belief in the power of reasoning and individual effort. His contemporary Mahavira was preaching the tenets of Jainism and the two heterodox faiths impacted every aspect of Indian psyche.
But other than the two great Teachers, there were numerous other sects preaching their respective worldviews, often very materialistic in their approach. The Ajivikas, to name one, contributed towards enrichment of philosophical debates. Bihar's contribution to the realm of art is closely linked to these traditions.The magnificent pillars of Ashoka, the great 'stupas', especially the ones at Nandangarh and Kesariya, and the caves at Barabar and Nagarjuni are splendid examples and leads one to speculate on the skill training that was being provided for.
Ashoka are mostly situated in the Nagarjuni and Barabar Hills in Bihar,
Northern Black Polished Ware or the NBP.
( The NBP ware was characteristic of the urban centers of the Gangetic
Plain, and is thought to have developed from the technique of
high-temperature firing used in smelting iron and from the use of
hematite soil locally available.
It is extensively distributed as a luxury product, and the
distribution helps the tracking of exchange and trade in different parts
of the Indian subcontinent.
Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are the main regions of NBP ware sites.
Discovered first at Taxila in 1930 the ware has been excavated in Ropar
in Punjab, Raja-Karnaka-Quila (Haryana), Noh and Jodhpura (northern
Rajasthan), Ahichchhatra, Hastinapur, Atranjikhera, Kausambi, Sravasti,
Vaishali, Pataliputra, Sonepur in Bihar and Chandraketugarh in West
Bengal.
The NBP Ware is of well levigated clay and has a glossy surface with a thin core. The ware was usually unpainted.
Two phases of NBP ware have been suggested, after examination of the pottery and other objects unearthed.
These are (i) where NBP ware predominates and sherds of BRW and PGW
are few and there is an absence of punch marked coins and burnt bricks
for construction of defensive barriers-in Prahladpur, Sravasti and
Atranjikhera; and (ii) where low quality thick-fabric NBP ware
predominates, BRW and PGW specimens are absent, punch- marked coins and
burnt bricks (making their first appearance) are found, and there is
greater use of coarse grey ware as at Hastinapur, Atranjikhera, Sravasti
II, and Prahladpur.
Weapons, ornaments and other objects of copper, iron, gold, silver,
stone, bone and glass have been unearthed along with copper and iron
objects, as also terracotta objects and punch-marked coins of the
mid-NBP ware phase indicating a shift from the barter system to use of
currency for trade.
Excavations have revealed burnt-brick houses, an elaborate drainage
system and brick walls in some sites. Crops like rice, wheat, millet,
rye, barley, pea, black gram were probably grown.
Remains of animals found include those of cattle, sheep, goat, fish
and pig. Based on the evidence of a variety of beads found at several
sites, it has been suggested that Taxila, Sravasti, Ahichchhatra,
Kausambi and Hastinapur had traded among themselves between 600 BC and
200 BC.) The terracottas of Bihar bring out the vitality and richness in the life of the people adding colour to that which is mundane. Artists of the Mauryan period began to experiment in stone and sculpted the fine yaksha and the yakshini pieces and nowhere can one get a better example than the Didarganj yakshi. The rich polish imparted to the yakshi, her ornamentation, hair style and expression make it one of the finest pieces of sculpture in the country.
Equally significant is the development of the economy of ancient Bihar which received an additional boost as the first metallic coins came into use in the lower Gangetic plains. These are the first of the un-inscribed coin series, made of copper and silver, the very unique punch-marked coins, whose appearance coincides with the phenomenal development of trade described in the Buddhist Jatakas. Two of the greatest political experiments began in Bihar. Vaishali became the seat of a powerful republic/oligarchy.
In Rajagriha, the foundation of a monarchy was being laid, which would eventually develop into the most powerful empire that the country was to witness, as the wheels of the chariots of the Magadhan rulers traversed in different directions and created from a loose configuration of 'janapadas' and 'mahajanapadas' a powerful empire.
But 'samratism' is not built on sword alone and lot of emphasis was being laid on the development of human resource.
Well-being of the subject is a principle oftstated in the writings of Kautilya and finds echo in the edicts of Ashoka. The king's inscriptions are first evidence of a deciphered script which is Brahmi. Across the centuries the man gives a message which is the crux of good governance. Apart from giving the country a script, Bihar also developed as a hub of educational activities. The tradition of philosophical debates in the quest of knowledge goes back to an even earlier time. The early Upanishads were probably compiled in north Bihar and Raja Janaka's 'sabha' was the centre of debates and deliberations. The tradition continued and the monasteries of the Buddhists and Jains became centres of learning which reached great heights in the later period when Nalanda, Vikramashila and Odantapuri developed as universities.
IF Bihar was writing the history of ancient India, the openness of the mind of the people made it the centre of religious experimentation. The Buddha stands out as a colossal figure, giving to the world the message of peace, brotherhood and nonviolence and, above all, the belief in the power of reasoning and individual effort. His contemporary Mahavira was preaching the tenets of Jainism and the two heterodox faiths impacted every aspect of Indian psyche.
But other than the two great Teachers, there were numerous other sects preaching their respective worldviews, often very materialistic in their approach. The Ajivikas, to name one, contributed towards enrichment of philosophical debates. Bihar's contribution to the realm of art is closely linked to these traditions.The magnificent pillars of Ashoka, the great 'stupas', especially the ones at Nandangarh and Kesariya, and the caves at Barabar and Nagarjuni are splendid examples and leads one to speculate on the skill training that was being provided for.
Ashoka are mostly situated in the Nagarjuni and Barabar Hills in Bihar,
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