Mauryan

Style and culture under the Mauryan emperors. Particularly noted for sculpture and stone-cut architecture. Earlier sculpture had generally been made of wood but during the Maurya period stone became the preferred medium. The oldest surviving Indian architecture is from the Maurya period, rock-cut cave chambers for monks. The third Mauryan emperor, Ashoka converted to and supported Buddhism. He had monumental edicts on Buddhism carved into rocks and caves throughout his empire. He issued edicts carved into strategically placed polished sandstone pillars and is also credited with building 84,000 stupas to enshrine the relics of the Buddha and commemorate key events in the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism.