Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 1.djvu/292

 250 BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE. BOOK. I. became the religion of the state till it perished in so far as India was concerned. In the rails at Bodh-Gaya and Bharaut, we have a complete picture of Buddhism as it existed during the great Mauryan dynasty (B.C. 320 to B.C. 180). At Sanchi and the western caves we have as complete a representation of the form it took from the 2nd century before our era to the 3rd after it. At Amaravati, and from the Gandhara monasteries, we learn what modifications had been introduced between our era and the 3rd century ; and from the Ajanta and later caves we trace its history downward through its period of decay till it faded away altogether. During the first half of this thousand years we have no contemporary records except those written in stone, and during the latter we have no books we can depend upon ; but the architecture, with its sculptures and paintings, remain, and bear the indelible impress of the thoughts, the feelings, and the aspirations of those who executed them, and supply us with a vast amount of exact knowledge on the subject which is not attainable by any other means now known to us. ar 138. Capital of a Pilaster, Pitalkhora.