India is the birthplace of great religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism; and the home of sophisticated civilizations dating back more than 4,000 years. India was subject to Islamic influences by the Islamic rule. These factors combine to give India one of the longest and most complex art traditions of the world
The legends surrounding the life of the Buddha have been the principal sources of inspiration for the creators of Buddhist art. A knowledge of these are needed for a meaningful insight into the nuances of Buddhist art, since each stage of the Buddha's many existences, along with the established tenets of Buddhism religion, play a part in the development of this art. The Buddha pictures, Buddha statues, and the diverse Buddha paintings illustrate the deep influence of Buddhism on Buddha art. Some Buddhist monuments share certainßmotifs and ornamental features withßHindu temples reflecting the influence of Hinduism.
The Influence of Hinduism is seen in the Hindu temples all over India. The Hindu temples depict carvings of different Hindu Gods and Goddesses, Shiva Lingas, dancers, drummers, flutists and the most intimate and personal of human interactions. This is in contrast to the Islamic monuments which are more formal and remote.
The Islamic art was derived from Persian art and architecture. The earliest Islamic monuments in India were often built by recycling material from earlier Jain or Hindu monuments. The Adhai-Din-Ka Jhompra of Ajmer was built over the ruins of a Jain monastery that used to be a centre ofßSanskrit learning during the reign of the Chauhans. During the reigns of Akbar, Jehangir and Shah Jahan, (16th-17th C) Mughal architecture reached its greatest heights. Although the tombs and forts of the Mughal period are the most renowned, some critics have found Mughal architecture to be excessively formal and remote. Nevertheless, the best of Mughal architecture boasts ...