The Kushans and early Buddhism

As I do the readings for this week I am more intrigued by the idea of two opposing concepts in one empire. There were two different styles of sculpture in the Kusana empire: one that encompassed an indigenous Indian style and the other an eclectic style with heavy Greco-Roman inspiration. The first style came from Mathura and the second from Gandhara. These aforementioned opposing concepts that appear to me within these two opposing styles of art are the concepts of old versus new. To find this concept within the art of a society leads me to believe that it most likely is present within many different facets of a society such as government structure, religion and language. Although this idea is not uncommon I feel as if it is a phenomena; the ability for a culture to be two things at once: maintaining the old style while fostering a new innovative one, illustrates the ethos of all peoples. It is people who are able to use what has been given them while finding new ways to make them better within and without their society. This also could be illustrated through the older generation with the new who does not feel the constraints of tradition and most often tries to make it their own, to make it better. Overall, although it is regular in many societies, I find the ability to have two different opposing styles and concepts flourish in one empire interesting, encompassing the human ethos of change.
'Til next time!

The Han dynasty and the northern “barbarians”

Myths were used to explain or construct the ethnic origins of Chinese and surrounding peoples, dating back to the Han dynasty and continuing to today. Before written records to prove genealogy Chinese historians constructed ethnic origins for political purposes with mainly two different approaches. The first approach was to manipulate perceptions of foreign peoples by attributing their ancestry to the supernatural such as the myths of the origins of the Xiongnu and Tujue, which said that they had descended from a wolf. Although this seems to give the two foreign peoples a sense of strength and ferocity to the Chinese the wolf was a mark of contempt and harshness. This approach made foreign peoples seem different and exotic from the Chinese justifying their treatment of them as inferior for conquest, exploitation and expansion. The second approach was to enhance the ethnicity of outsiders by asserting that their ancestry was strong and Chinese to inherit the positive attributes of foreigners as there own. Although these myths were political, as illustrated above, they were also psychological allowing Chinese governments as well as historians devalue the autonomy and identity of foreigners by demonizing them or by means of assimilation.

Now you may reflect on why the word ‘barbarians’ are in quotations in the title of this entry. The word is sometimes defined as uncultured or brutish people. How much of the word is perception from people with political gains?

‘Til next time!