James Fergusson
Topic: Early Indian Art and Architecture: Stupas, Rock-cut Caves, Temples · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings"
Meaning
James Fergusson was a 19th-century European art historian who studied Indian monuments. He studied the sculptures of Sanchi by looking at the images alone. Buddhist texts had not yet been translated, and he did not know them. So he wrongly concluded that Sanchi was a centre of "tree and serpent worship". His mistake teaches a lesson about method. Sculpture is understood best when the images are matched with texts and traditions.
Example
Fergusson saw the many trees and serpents carved at Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh) and read them as objects of worship. In fact, many such images are Buddhist symbols. For example, the Bodhi tree stands for the Buddha's enlightenment.
Don't confuse with
- John Marshall: Fergusson misread Sanchi from images alone. Marshall later published detailed volumes on Sanchi's monuments, which he dedicated to Sultan Jehan Begum of Bhopal.
Related concepts
- Vessantara Jataka
- Aniconic representation of the Buddha
- Dharmachakra
- Shalabhanjika
- Gajalakshmi
- Mithuna
- Yaksha and yakshi
- Didarganj Yakshi
- Parkham Yaksha
- Saptamatrikas