e-Journal: Vol.13, Issue 01, Paper No. 2

The Influence of Ancient Indian Spatial Concepts on the Geometry of Kangju Architecture in Central Asia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan

Nurulin Timur

Abstract

A number of unusual cross-shaped buildings exist in Central Asia. A significant number of these monuments is concentrated in the middle reaches of the Syr Darya River, within the territory of the present-day Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. In historical scholarship, this region is traditionally identified with the ancient state of Kangju (Kang, Kangha). Their form is atypical of the architectural tradition of the region and reveals similarities with the ancient Indian mandalas. However, there is no clarity about these cross-shaped buildings. In this context, this article examines the cross-shaped buildings of Kangju, analysing them in the context of ancient cultural contacts between Central Asia and India. It ascertains the possible influence of ancient Indian spatial concepts of Vastu-vidya and the Śulba Sūtras on Kangju architecture. The study employs a comparative-analytical method within a case study approach. The primary data were obtained through a review principles of relevant scholarly sources, field observations, and interviews. In addition, a geometric method was applied to identify the of geometric construction and proportional relationships of the investigated buildings. Based on a geometric analysis of these structures, it is concluded that the architecture of Kangju is closely connected with ancient Indian architectural traditions. Construction these buildings has involved a specific system of knowledge related to geometry of and architecture. An anthropometric of measurement, known from the ancient Indian texts, has been applied in system the buildings under consideration. Special importance has been attached to the spatial orientation of the structures. These factors, together with the identified module, help conclude that the religious buildings in Kangju most likely relied on knowledge derived from the ancient Indian treatises on geometry, such as Vastu-vidya and the Śulba Sūtras.

Keywords:

Kangju, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Cross-shaped Buildings, Ancient Indian treatises, Mandala