Religion and philosophy played an important role in the formation of Indian Chinese and Japanese art
India was the birth place of Buddhism, it’s strong influences helped shape India’s rich art history as we know it today. This essay will study the controlling influences Buddhism had on India’s art. ... The first argument will understand India’s art ‘Pre-Buddhism’. Then the second argument will study how Buddha‘s representation in art has evolved over time and it‘s effect on other nations practising Buddhism. This essay will conclude that without Buddhism, India would not have reached such heights of master craftsmanship and the rest of the world would not have celebrated or learnt from this influential religion through it‘s art. ... Before Buddhism, India’s formation of religious ideas and practises were separated into periods. ... Although this civilisation is noted as long lived, archaeologists have unfortunately discovered very little art in the Indus Valley. ... This provided some suggestions that much of the religion and rituals used in this period, links the Indus civilisation to later Indian culture. ... Much scepticism remains at the suggestion that this figure may be a direct link to the Hindu god Shiva represented in later centuries, but the fact still remains that this yogic position was an important religious practice also used during these periods (Kleiner et al 2001). ... Brought on by the Aryan people from the northwest of India, their religion consisted of four main texts known as the Rig-Veda. ... This religion was based mainly on sacrificial rituals. Very little art has been found from the thousand years following the Indus period. ... Through the evidence provided it is clear to conclude that during these periods, art was almost nonexistent, thus presuming it bared very little importance in the day-to-day living of both the Indus and Vedic people. Around the sixth century, a swing in religious thinking brought on a reaction against the Vedic texts, and along with this came the birth of a new religion, Buddhism.