Classification and Stylistic Analysis of the Buddha Sculptures in the National Museum of Pakistan, Karachi

Abstract

Gandhāra being a transitional zone between the high lands of Central Asia and alluvial plains of India had been frequently trans-versed by the immigrants and invaders from north and north-west since second millennium BC. who mainly controlled the matters of this land. Including Aryans, Achaemenian, Greeks, Mauryans, Scythians, Parthians, Kushans, Sassanians and finally the Ephthalites or the White Huns who swept over the country in the latter half of the 5th century AD. The intimate fusion of widely divergent elements had led to the development of a cosmopolitan society in Gandhāra. The systematic archaeological research on Gandhāra Buddhist sites was started in later half of the 19th century. On the basis of the archaeological research during the precolonial, colonial and postcolonial periods, has pushed back the history of Gandhāra region from 8th century AD to the fabulous past of two million years before present. The above discussion also shows that Buddhism was the major religion of Gandhāra since the middle of the 3rd century BC. and with the passage of time; it achieved royal patronage and spread to other neighboring countries. The Buddhist art, which flourished in Gandhāra, was also supported by the ruling classes and aristocratic families since we see the sculptures of many princely figures carrying relic caskets, beaded garlands, lotus flowers and torches to the Buddhist shrines. Besides the production of art pieces, many religious manuscripts were composed and written on various materials mostly in Kharoşhțhī script, which throw light on the existence of various interpretation of Buddhism in Gandhāra. The National Museum of Pakistan, Karachi (NMP, Karachi) houses a large number of Gandhāra objects, which were either acquired after the establishment of the museum from different museums in the country, or were confiscated from time to time by the Karachi Police. All art pieces that belong to various sites of Gandhāra are lying in this museum without any proper system of record keeping and documentation which creates problem in understanding of chronology and provenance for most of the objects.