Chapter 12: Gandhara in Books — Through the Eyes of Scholars

Today, we step away from stone statues and enter the library. The study of Gandhara art is itself a history of scholarship across centuries.

Classic Works

1. Alfred Foucher
   
• In the early 20th century, he proposed the “Greek influence theory,” arguing that the realism of Buddha images came from Hellenistic art.
• His book L’Art Gréco-Bouddhique du Gandhâra became foundational.
2. John Marshall
   
• Directed large-scale excavations at Taxila, publishing monumental archaeological reports.
• His field notes remain indispensable today.
3. Indian & Pakistani Scholars
   
• They emphasize local traditions, pointing out that Buddhist themes emerged from Indian religious contexts rather than pure external borrowing.
  

Contemporary Perspectives

• Richard Salomon studies Gandhari manuscripts, revealing early Buddhist textual transmission.
• Ahmad Hasan Dani highlights Gandhara as a Silk Road hub of cultural exchange.
• New generations use digital modeling and imaging technologies to reconstruct lost features.

Scholarship has moved beyond the old binary of “Greek vs. Indian” to a more interdisciplinary dialogue.

What We Learn from Books

Reading these works shows us:

• Every scholar acts like a “guide,” offering a unique interpretation of the same statue.
• Gandhara is not only about art history, but also archaeology, linguistics, and anthropology.

Academic books reveal not only art itself but also how knowledge is debated and constructed. The history of Gandhara studies is a story of modern intellectual exchange.