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 of relevant scholarly sources, field observations, and interviews. In addition, a geometric method was applied to identify the principles 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 of these buildings has involved a specific system of knowledge related to geometry and architecture. An anthropometric system of measurement, known from the ancient Indian texts, has been applied in 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. 

Ссылки на статью:

https://isvshome.com/pdf/ISVS_13-01/ISVSej_13.01.02.pdf 

https://www.academia.edu/161262327/The_Influence_of_Ancient_Indian_Spatial_Concepts_on_the_Geometry_of_Kangju_Architecture_in_Central_Asia_Uzbekistan_and_Kazakhstan

Purpose of the Cross-shaped Buildings of Kangju: An Interpretation based on the Cult Character of the Architecture of Shashtepa and Mingurik Monuments in Uzbekistan

Nurulin Timur

Abstract 

     In recent years, several cross-shaped structures have been discovered in Central Asia in the territory of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Scientists associate this area with the ancient state of Kangju also called Kang or Kangha. There are cross-shaped structures in Kangju the purposes of which are unknown. Many researchers have made efforts to understand these structures of Kangju, to no avail. Instead, there are different interpretations. Some believe that they were cult buildings, while others suggest that they are fortifications. In this context, this article examines two crossshaped buildings in Tashkent: Shashtepa and Mingurik in order to establish their origins and the purposes. 

     The study uses a comparative analytical method within the framework of case studies as an approach. To obtain data, three research methods were used: a survey of literature, comparisons with analogies and interviews. 

     The article concludes that the cross-shaped buildings of Kangju, Shashtepa and Mingurik in particular, are religious buildings. Their original layouts, similar to the ancient Eastern mandala, comprise similar symbolism and reflect the sacred nature of these buildings. Shashtepa of the 2nd century BC is currently the oldest cross-shaped building in the region under consideration. Hence, it is obvious that it was the prototype of other cross-shaped layouts of Kangju. This monument, which has chronological priority and the form of an "ideal temple", absorbed the ideological ideas of the common Indo-Iranian space that had been formed over thousands of years. The further spread of cross-shaped buildings outside the Tashkent oasis indicates the development of this type of building and the possible expansion of the Kangju state. 

Ссылки на статью:

https://isvshome.com/pdf/ISVS_12-04/ISVSej_12.04.04.pdf  

https://www.academia.edu/143193951/Purpose_of_the_Cross_shaped_Buildings_of_Kangju_An_Interpretation_based_on_the_Cult_Character_of_the_Architecture_of_Shashtepa_and_Mingurik_Monuments_in_Uzbekistan