ANTH 320 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Angkor Borei District, Gupta Empire, Nataraja
Document Summary
Reminder - database of museum objects due november 10. India: the source of political and artistic inspiration. Initial epigraphic and historic analyses of se asia emphasized the indian nature of early states. Hindu religion, cosmology, msthology and ritual with reverence for shiva and vishnu cults. Indic (brahmi) writing system, stone inscriptions, palm-leaf books. Rectilinear town planning, hydraulic systems and whell made ceramics. Initial se asian contact likely began with the gupta empire (4th to 6th c ce) Kings were followers of vishnu but supportive of both buddhism and jainism. Refined art style copied within se asian sites (eg phnom da near angkor borei) Pala dynasty important empire based in bengal and modern bangladesh (8th to 12th c. Elite and royal support for buddhism led to the establishment of network of 5 mahaviharas universities. Significant influence in java (indonesia); major producers of bronze statuary. Vishnu (and his incarnations) - 4 arms and shiva are most common depiction.
