The story behind the art, and where to see it
Period 8 · c. 2600 BCE-1200 CE

Indian Art

From the planned cities of the Indus Valley to the first Buddhist images, the art of the Indian subcontinent shaped much of Asia. Start here for Mohenjo-daro, the symbols of Buddhist art and the routes that carried them east to Japan.

Brick ruins of Mohenjo-daro with the Great Bath in the foreground and the stupa mound behind.
Mohenjo-daro, brick ruins of the lower town with the Great Bath in the foreground and the stupa mound behind, Harappan period, c. 2600-1900 BCE. Fired brick. Larkana District, Sindh, Pakistan. Look at how regular the brick walls are: this is what a planned city looked like 4,500 years ago.Photo: Saqib Qayyum, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Indian Art

The Indus Valley Civilisation: South Asia’s First Cities

Its script is still unread and its rulers are unknown. Who organised the Indus cities, and how did they keep order?Start here8 min readIndian Art

Mohenjo-daro Ruins: Where They Are and How Old They Are

Mohenjo-daro lies in Sindh, Pakistan, and is about 4,500 years old, a major city of the Indus Valley Civilisation.8 min readIndian Art

Buddhist Art: A Beginner’s Guide to Symbols and Styles

Buddhist art changed wherever it arrived, though the Buddha’s signs stayed fixed. How much was borrowed, and how much invented?8 min readIndian Art

How Did Buddhist Art Travel From India to Japan?

Buddhist art travelled the Silk Road to China, then through Korea to Japan by the sixth century CE, changing as it went.7 min read
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All Indian Art guides

Architecture

The Indus Valley Civilisation: South Asia’s First Cities

Its script is still unread and its rulers are unknown. Who organised the Indus cities, and how did they keep order?8 min readArchaeology

Mohenjo-daro Ruins: Where They Are and How Old They Are

Mohenjo-daro lies in Sindh, Pakistan, and is about 4,500 years old, a major city of the Indus Valley Civilisation.8 min read