Studying An EnigmaUpinder Singh Akira Shimada Brill, Leiden, 2013, pp. 265 including Figures, Tables, Maps, 69 plates, Appendices, Bibliography and Index, price not stated. VOLUME XXXIX NUMBER 6 June 2015 The site of Amaravati in the Guntur
district of Andhra Pradesh has attracted
a great deal of scholarly interest
for over two centuries. The stupa that
once stood here was among the oldest and
most splendid in the subcontinent. Its structural
remains and inscriptions constitute important
sources for the early history of Buddhism
and its exquisite limestone relief sculptures
are considered masterpieces. The tumultuous
modern history of the site has been
studied from the perspective of the history
of Indian archaeology and the colonial construction
of India’s past. Tragically, there is
very little of the stupa at Amaravati itself. Since
its discovery in the late 18th century, its parts
came to be scattered across the world, the
two principal collections eventually being
housed in the Government Museum Chennai
and the British Museum in London. In fact,
the Amaravati sculptures are often spoken of
in the same breath as the Elgin marbles in
demands for the repatriation of cultural treasures.
In spite of the great attention bestowed
on Amaravati, it remains an enigma. This is
not only due to the scattered nature of its
remains but also because of the tendency of
scholars to study the architecture, sculpture
and inscriptions separately. Due to its complex
construction history, we do not have a
good idea of the process of architectural evolution
of the stupa. The stupa is well known,
but other parts of the monastic complex are
known from inference rather than material
remains. Further, attention has been so focused
on the monument itself that its larger
local, regional and historical contexts have
not been given adequate attention. Akira
Shimada’s book changes this. It offers a meticulously
detailed, integrated analysis of the
archaeological, architectural, epigraphic, and
to some extent art historical material related
to the early historic stupa, locating Amaravati
within its immediate environs, exploring its
connections with the city of Dhanyakataka
(Dharanikota). Shimada makes comparisons
with other Buddhist sites in Andhra as well
as those elsewhere, such as Sanchi and Bharhut in central India and Anuradhapura
in Sri Lanka. His discussion of monastic and
lay interactions at Amaravati has larger implications
for the understanding of Indian
Buddhism. The book is profusely illustrated
with maps, photographs, and line drawings,
and the appendices give a succinct tabulation
of useful empirical data.
Shimada’s achievement is to highlight in
the first chapter the prehistoric and megalithic
remains in the Amaravati area and ... Table of Contents >> |