Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology
by Sreyashi Ray chowdhuri | 2018 | 90,477 words
This page relates ‘rule of the Ikshvakus’ of the study on Amaravati Art in the Context of Andhra Archaeology, including museum exhibitions of the major archeological antiquities. These pages show how the Buddhist establishment of Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) survived from 4th century BCE to 14th century CE. It includes references and translations of episodes of Buddha’s life drawn from the Avadanas and Jatakas which are illustrated in Amaravati art.
The rule of the Ikshvākus
By the second half of 3rd century C.E the Ikshvākus succeeded the Sātavāhanas. They shifted their capital to Nāgārjunakoṇḍa (ancient Vijayapuri) and made it the main centre of the Buddhist structural activity. But still Amarāvatī maintained its premier position and the monastic complex retained its preeminence. The chronological sequence of the fourth phase of the Mahāstūpa bears evidence to this.
The fourth period dates C 3rd–6th century C.E. In this period deposits of coins of the Ikshvākus and Viṣṇukuṇḍin rulers (Pl 31d) are found. In addition to it some structures built of re-used bricks were also exposed[1].
The Ikshvākus declined by the end of the 3rd or early part of 4th century C.E. The immediate cause of the decline was the defeat of Virapurushadatta II by Siṃhavarman of the Pallava dynasty. Later the dynasty became famous as the Pallava dynasty of Kāñchīpuram in north Tamil Nadu[2]. The post Ikshvaku period witnessed the emergence of two major powers-the Pallavas and the Viṣṇukuṇḍins.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Sarma I. Karthikeya, 1974, Op.cit, p 61.
[2]:
Chakrabarty Dilip. K, 2010, Op.cit, p 195.