Nepalese Buddhist artist Arniko

AND HIS CONTRIBUTION TO BUDDHIST HERITAGE OF CHINA

MIN BAHADUR SHAKYADirector

Nagarjuna Institute of Exact MethodsA center for Buddhist centre

Introduction

Nepal has produced stars of brilliant personalities who contributed a lot to humanity and society

through their arduous travels, skills and knowledge. But some of these personalities are not

recorded in annals of our country due to utter negligence and simply due to lack of information

about them. Although Arniko is one of the key figures in the arts of Nepal, Tibet and Yuan China

he is still poorly understood.

According to Chinese sources his legendary life and career over nearly sixty years had a

lasting artistic and spiritual influence on Asia and on China in particular. The magnitude of his

accomplishments rivals those of Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, and Leonardo in the West. In spite

of his great contribution in China and Tibet his name is not even mentioned in the annals of

Nepal. Little is known about his contribution on his Buddhist artistic skills. He built White

Pagoda in Beijing, Wu ta'i Shan, Golden Pagoda in Tibet and constructed a great deal of

monasteries, shrines, paintings, portraits, artifacts and even scientific equipments.

The present study has planned to throw light on the contribution of Arniko for the

development of Buddhism and artistic heritage in China. He not only built Buddhist monasteries

but also Confucius shrines, wall paintings and numerous images of this tradition. Arniko’s ten

accomplishments at the court were enumerated. The first six of his achievements include his

mastery in gold, Jade, terracotta and the like. The last four mention four specific textile artist

embroidery and three types of weaving namely damask, brocade and tapestry.

While Nepalese history is scantily recorded, there is one exception: substantial information

on Arniko’s life is found in Chinese historical sources, which provide a rare glimpse into the

Nepali artist's society, family, career, and art.

1

Names

A word of note concerning the name of this great Master must be mentioned before commencing

biographical notes of this master. Great French Savant Sylvain Levi mentions from Yuanshi-203

about his name as follows:

A-r-ni-ko was a native of Native of Nepal. The people of kingdom of Nepal call him as Pa-le-

pou.

P. Peliot, the eminent Mongolian scholar and Yuan specialist was intrigued by the name of

Aniko. His research left him to the opinion that the cognomen was neither a Mongolian

pseudonym nor proper Newari but Hindi not Sanskrit and a variant of Anango, one of the 84

Mahasiddhas. He could not decide this even.

P. Pelliot suggested that Pa-le-pou is Bal-po, the Tibetan name for Nepal spelt as Pa-le-pou

in the biography of A-ni-ko.

According to the Chinese epitaph written Chengjufu it is mentioned as “The Master’s name

is Anige. He was one of the descendants of a king of Nepal”

Luciano Petech interprets that – A-ni-ko is the correct form of the name, as attested by the

funeral inscription and by the early editions of the Yuan –shih

Arniko’s family lineage:

Arniko, the greatest artist of Nepal and the highest artisan-official at the court of the Mongol

emperor Khubilai Khan, was born in 1245. His father's name was La-Ko- na and his grand

father's name was Mi-ti-erh. His grandmother was Chundi laxmi (Chinese: Kun di la qi Mei) and

his mother shu-ma-ketai1.

Based on the Chinese epitaph we have been able to identify the names of the family members

partly in Chinese and partly in Nepalese names only.

According to the official Chinese epitaph, Arniko was descended from a king of Nepal. His

royal lineage cannot be the contemporary kings or princes. Concerning his royal birth lineage it

is highly probable that he was born in Sakya family of Patan.2 Tradition is that he was a

descendant of Buddha Shakyamuni's family. Because in the inscription he was mentioned as

descendents of royal family. Sakyas of Kathmandu valley still use their lineage as Sakyavamsa

1 For inscription in the Chinese epitaph, see appendix2 Mr.He Pei, Director of the Administrative office of the White Dagoba Temple writes: Arniko was born in Patan city, Kathmandu in his Pictorial Biography of Arniko p.III,2009

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i.e of lineage of Sakya. The names of his wife and grandmother suggest Sakya family of the

Patan city at present time as well.

Arniko, with the ancestral home in Patan in Nepono was called as “Balubu” by the people at

that time as an architect.3

Mr. Thomas L. Guta in his article on “Aniko: Image weaver” mentions:4

But first one similarity among all the accounts the mention of Aniko’s royal Nepalese ancestry.

This glaring improbability need not be accepted at face value nor rejected out of hand for it tells

us more about social institutions than artistic traditions. It was not an uncommon de-facto

assignation to legitimize marriage to royalty, in this case a Mongol Princess.

Arniko’s birth place

In the History of Yuan dynasty he was mentioned as from Nepal known as Palupu-Nipaar-But the

exact birthplace of Arniko has not yet been identified.

According to Mr. Satya Mohan Joshi,5 his birthplace is identified at Lalitpur or Patan where

the tradition of building Buddhist statues, sculptures, is still maintained today. He was born in

the place where bronze statues are created and casted as mentioned in the inscription installed in

his cemetery.6

Arniko was not born into wealth or favored circumstances; his parents seem to have been

neither rich nor poor. While they could afford to send him to school, they also needed his manual

Sources for the biography of Arniko

1. The standard source on the biography of Arniko and his family is his funeral inscription,

which was engraved on a stele and erected on the pathway to his tomb near the village of

Hsiang-shan in the district of Yuan-p’ing, west of Beijing. It was composed by Ch’eng Chu fu

(tzu: Wen hai; 1249-1318) and is reproduced in his Hsueh-lou-chi (Ming edition), Ch.7.ff 101-

11b).

2. Cheng, Jufu. "Liangguo Minhui gong shendao bei"

(The Spirit-way Stele for Minhu, the Duke of the State of Liang).

3 Satyamohan Joshi in his " kalakar Arniko: The Well-known architect Arniko"Kathmandu,2044 (1987 A.D) pp.934 Contribution to Nepalese Studies, Vol.24,No.1 ( January 1997), 725 Ibid.pp.906 ibid.pp.91

3

In Cheng Jufu, ChengXuelou wenji (The Collected Works of Cheng Jufu), I: 313-ZO. Taipei:

Zhongyang tushu guan, 1970.

3. Gendai no Kogeika Neparu no Ozoku Anika no den ni tsuite A standard study of Arniko is

done by M.Ishida: (On the biography of Aniko, artist and member of the Nepalese royal family

during the Yuan dynasty), in Moko Gakuho,II ( 1941),pp.244-260.7

4. History of Yuan dynasty pt.203

5. Arniko’s official biography in the Yuan-shi, ch.203, ff.11b-12b, is also translated by Sylvain

Levi, Le Nepal, II, pp.187-189.8

6. Tibetan Painted scrolls by G.Tucci-1949:

G.Tucci has discussed thoroughly on the whole problem of Nepalese influence on Painting and

sculpture in Tibet in his Tibetan Painted scrolls, Rome 1949,pp.272-280.Especially, he

describes about the activities of Arniko and his influence on Tibetan art and in China. (p.277)

7. Kalakar Arniko: The Well known architect Arniko

A major study on the biography of Arniko and his contribution has been made by Mr. Satya

Mohan Joshi, in " Kalakar Arniko : The Well known architect Arniko “Kathmandu, 2044 (1987

A.D.).But here the information on Arniko’s construction of White Pagoda and other monasteries

in Wutai Shan are wholly missing.

8. Portraits of Kublai Khan and Empress Chabi by Anning Jing

A well researched article on the biography and especially on Arniko’s two portraits which are

housed in National Palace Museum, Taipei are discussed thoroughly.

9. Anige, Himalayan Artist in Khubilai Khan’s Court by Anning Jing

Mr. Anning Jing has treated in this article about the importance of the treatise “Tsao-hsiang-tu-

ling-ching (Iconometric treatise or Pratimalaksana sutra)-Peking.

10. Yuandai Huasuji: a part of History of Yuan dynasty which describes the artistic tradition of

Yuan dynasty a portion of it relating to Arniko because it was widely used as a textbook on art

materials. These materials have occupied scholars from Sylvain Levi to the present in the

Nepalese history.

11. K. Luciano Petech: Medieval History of Nepal

7 ibid.f.n.38 Medieval History, L Petech pp.99-100

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Luciano Petech published the book, Mediaeval History of Nepal (Rome: Is. M.E.O., 1958), PP.

90-91.Based on funeral inscription he analyzed some of the features in Arniko's life

12. L. Herbert Franke’s "Consecration of White Stupa in 1279"

The article describes in detail the origin of the White stupa and the tantric rituals performed for

its consecration in 1279. It also gives the description of the White stupa.

(In www.ihp.sinica.edu.tw/~asiamajor/pdf/1994a/155.pdf)

His early career and education

When he was three years old, his parents took him to a Buddhapuja ceremony in a monastery.

After seeing the Buddha temple he had expressed his sentiments:

“Oh! Who could be the builder of the pinnacle and pillars of this temple?”

At this many people were surprised and said:

“If this boy can speak such a profound words even at this small age, in the future he can be a

great architect who will build Buddhist temples. This boy speaks just like an adult”.9

We are told, in the Chinese epitaph, that his parents in 1247 once took the child to a temple

to pay homage to the Buddha. Looking up at a stupa (a Buddhist reliquary mound), the three-

year-old boy asked about the symbolism of various parts of the monument and its maker. He also

asked about wooden stambha10, bhumis11 and anda.

Greatly surprised, the people around realized that he was a born artist. From so young a

source, his questions inspired wonder among people nearby, who saw in him a prodigy destined

to become a great artist ... or so the legend goes12. 

When he was about seven, 1252 C.E. his temperament was sober like an adult. He entered

school to study western books. He soon understood them and became good at writing.It is said

that his knowledge exceeded that of his teachers. Even venerable elders acknowledged their

inferiority. The sutras of measurements were books on arts. He memorized them as soon as he

heard them read. It is said that he could recite from memory an entire text on Iconometry after a

single reading. In a very short time he mastered the three aspects of image making: designing,

molding and Casting. When he was little older, he often made things that were extremely

exquisite.13

Sylvain Levi reads thus:

9 Based on inscription in the tomb of Arniko (found in the collection of Syue lau chi texts)10 a post, pillar,column or a yasti11 bhumi is basically thirteen rings placed on the top of the dome or anda or garbha12 (c/o anning Jing at www.jinganige.htm)13 Cheng Jufu," Liangguo Minhui," 315.

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Arniko was a native of Nepal. The people of that kingdom call him Pa-le- pou.When quite

young he displayed a bright intelligence of superior kind to that of ordinary children. When

he grew a little older he could recite from memory the Buddhist texts and at the end of a year

he understood them all. Among his school fellows there was one who was a sketcher, painter,

modeler, decorator and who recited the Law of Measurements. He only heard it once and

Arniko was able to repeat it. On growing older he became an expert sketcher himself and

excelled in the art of modeling and melting into shapes, images in metal.

Before he left Nepal for Tibet, he was already an expert in painting, modeling and casting

images.14 He has learnt Sanskrit language as well in his childhood and writes the letters very

nicely. Even the old man of his time used to be jealous of his learning. He had also learnt the

texts like Buddhapratimalaksana shastra15 concerning iconometrics. It seems that he had the

capacity of memorizing the texts once he had heard. Other signs of Aniko's genius are cited in

the epitaph:

He is described as mature and contemplative like an adult. He is a brilliant student. Endowed with

an acute mind, he quickly comprehends his textbooks and becomes a good calligrapher. His work

is admired even by venerable elders, who readily acknowledge their inferiority. By nature he has

a keen interest in treatises on art. No sooner has he heard them read than he has them memorized.

As he grows, he frequently produces art objects of exquisite quality. At school, he mastered his

text books and became a good calligrapher in such a short time that even the venerable elders 16

acknowledged their inferiority. He could memorize treatises on art as soon as he heard them

read.17He is particularly good at painting and sculpture. By the age of sixteen, he is one of the best

artisans of the country.18

His wedding at 1260 CE

Following social custom of the day, Arniko married in his early teens. His bride, Caityalaxmi

(ch. Zaiyedalaqimei) was devoted to him-a devotion that would withstand the vicissitudes of

their later lives.

The year 1260 marked a turning point in Arniko's life. The event that brought Arniko to

Tibet, and eventually to the Mongol court, was Kubilai's decree of 1260 to 'Phags pa, the fifth

14 Yuanshhi, juan 203,454515 Chinese Text title is Tsao-hsiang tu-liang-ching16 They are called Sthavira Aju according to Newar Buddhist Monastic tradition 17 Cheng Jufu, "Liangguo Minhui" 31518 (ibid-jinganige htm) also Yuanshi,juan 203,4545

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patriarch of the Sa- skya sect of Tibetan Buddhism, to build a golden Stupa in honor of Chos -

rje pa Sakya Pandita Kun -dga' rgyal mtshan (1182-1251), the fourth patriarch of the sect.

In 1260 he was appointed Imperial Preceptor, the highest religious authority in the Mongol

empire. In 1260 Kublai Khan had requested the Lama Phags pa, his spiritual preceptor, to erect a

golden stupa in Tibet. Phags pa summoned artists from Nepal for this purpose.

King Jayabhimadeva of Nepal collected 80 artisans and chose to lead them Arniko, a descendant

of the royal family of Nepal. 19

Arniko in Tibet

Arniko and his team visit Tibet in Sakya monastery to construct Golden Stupa.

After receiving the decree to construct Golden stupa from Kubilai Khan, the emperor then

‘Phags-pa turned to Nepal for artists. Tibetan Buddhists had always looked toward Nepal, the

birthplace of the Buddha and Buddhism for religious and artistic inspiration. But by the late

twelfth and early thirteenth centuries, Buddhism in India had declined. The last remnants of Indic

Buddhism were in the eastern Gangetic region, where the Pala artistic tradition had flourished,

though by 1260 those remnants had long since disappeared.' Nepal remained the only stronghold

where the Tibetans could still find Buddhist art of the Indic tradition.

According to the History of Yuan Dynasty, in 1260 Kublai khan, the great ruler of China and

suzerain of the Mongol states and Tibet, requested his spiritual teacher, the abbot of Sa-skya,'

Phags-pa (1235-80), to erect a "Golden stupa"20 in Tibet.

Phags-pa intended to recruit as many as one hundred artists for the project. The number may

not have been large by the standards of the Mongol empire, which had incalculable human and

financial resources. But for the small kingdom of Nepal, which had been devastated by repeated

wars, famines, and earthquakes, to find so many qualified artists in a short time was not easy.

One-hundred Newar artists were to be found and sent for the task, and the king of Nepal, Jaya

Bhima Malla (1257-71), managed to gather eighty of them. To head them he chose a member of

royal family, Arniko who, though, then aged only sixteen, had specifically requested to lead the

team.

Before sending them to Tibet, he received them personally and ordered them to select a

leader among themselves. Nobody was willing to take charge. Then Arniko, one of the youngest,

volunteered to take up the responsibility.' He nominated himself not with the rashness of

adolescence but with self-confidence.

19 Luciano Petech in Medieval History of Nepal, p.99-10020 S.Levi,op.cit;,vol 3,p.187, A stupa according to L. Petech,Medieval History of Nepal,op.cit.p.99, and others following G.Tucci Tibetan Painted Scrolls,op.cit, vol.1,pp.277-8, and Tibet,Calcutta,1967,p.100.

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When asked about his age, he answered, "Sixteen." The king hesitated and tried to discourage

the lad, for he was looking for someone more advanced in age and experience.

But the confident youth replied, "My body is young indeed, but my mind is not." In spite of his

young age, Arniko was already an accomplished draughtsman, model and metal caster. It appears

that he was also expert in painting and weaving in brocade.

Convinced of the young man's ability, the king entrusted him with the responsibility of

leading the team to Tibet. Arniko and the Nepalese artists arrived in Tibet in 1261.

Arniko in China

Arniko's success had been such that Lama 'Phags-pa insisted him and asked him to visit China.

Following ‘Phags-pa, Arniko arrived in Dadu (Beijing) by the end of 1262. After arriving at

China, Arniko appeared in the presence of Emperor Kublai khan in the palace. The Emperor

having observed him for a long time before speaking and interrogated, "You arrived in the

celestial Empire. Do you not get frightened?" The Emperor interrupted, “Why were you so?” He

responded: “Our stately trade is as a son of ten thousand countries. For a son to arrive before his

father, what reason is there to fear?” He replied: “My fatherland is in the country of the occident.

I had received the order of the sovereign to erect a stupa in Tibet. In two years I have executed

that order. There I have observed disorder and war; the people are incapable of protecting their

life,” The emperor asked: “What is that you know making?” He replied: “I know well how to

design, model and mould metals.” The emperor tested Arniko’s skill by asking to repair a bronze

statue that had been judged as damaged “beyond repair” by all the other court artists. Arniko

accepted the challenge. Then ordered to restore a statue of copper dedicated to the Song

Emperors Aniko becames supervisor-in-chief.

In 1273, Aniko became supervisor-in-chief of all classes of artisans. Under his direction a

department in charge of artisans was established in 1275. During Khubilai's rule, this was one of

the two most important artistic institutions of the dynasty.

As director of this grade, Arniko supervised thousands of artisans and was responsible for

religious images, imperial portraits, and other court projects. He cast gold seals for the heir to the

throne and several princes and cast gold- and silver-lettered roundels as travel passes.

He produced astronomical instruments such as an armillary sphere and a water clock. He

made new symbols of the emperor's sovereignty, based on designs from Nepalese culture such as

the dharmacakra (Wheel of the Law), which was used to lead imperial processions, and the

image of Garuda, the celestial bird that was displayed over the imperial throne.

The conception of these new symbols of imperial sovereignty did not originate with Arniko,

but it was his materialization of them that made them effective symbols of Khubilai's dynastic

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power. Not limited to the court, their influence penetrated even to the lower levels of Chinese

society.

White Pagoda at Beijing (1271-79)

The White Pagoda is located in the western part of the city of Beijing. It was built in the 8th

year of Zhi Yuan (1271 A.D.) and completed in the Zhi Yuan (1279 A.D.) of the Yuan

dynasty.21.When it was completed a big religious function was organized by the emperor to

initialize it. Upon arrival of the emperor to the White Pagoda a powerful heavenly light beam

struck on it and the Pagoda glowed. According to the Chinese chronicles, floods of sunlight

suddenly broke the clouds and illuminated the skies when the Stupas were dedicated, on separate

occasions. In any case these dramatic effects delighted the Mongol rulers and convinced them of

the sacred nature of the monuments and the supernatural abilities of their designer and builder.

The emperor was astonished to see this and believed Arniko had divine powers. The emperor

made him a powerful minister in the court. He was given the title of Liang Guo Gong (duke) and

was posthumously given the title of Ming Hui.22 After its completion, a monastery of great

dimensions was constructed in front of it and granted the name "the monastery of greatness,

holy, longevity, and everlasting peace and tranquility".

For Arniko, heavenly blessing materialized into earthly reward. For the first stupa he was

awarded fifteen thousand acres of rich farm land around the capital, nearly one thousand serfs,

and one hundred head of cattle.

Arniko builts Sarira Pagoda at Wutai shan-1301

Arniko constructed another White Stupa at Taihuai in the central part of the Wutai Mountain in

1301.An imperial order, issued jointly with the fifth Yuan imperial Preceptor Grags pa ‘od zer

(1246-1303) from the Wutai mountain, indicates that Temur and the Imperial Preceptor were

also in the Wutai Mountain in the fourth month of the same year. Their trip there must have been

related to the construction of the stupa.It is said that auspicious clouds and lights appeared in the

sky at the beginning of the construction. To the general public, such a view not only

demonstrated the sacred nature of the monument but also added to Arniko’s renown.

At the beginning of the construction, auspicious clouds and glow appeared in the sky. It is

especially popular among Nepalese, Tibetans and Mongolians. Besides, he made many

Monasteries and houses for pilgrims there. It has also survived and stands fifty two meters high

21 Anning Jing in The Portraits of Khubilai Khan and Chabi by Anige: A Nepali artist at the Yuan court, pp.51 fn 74. 22 c/oArniko society articles

9

dominating the view of the Wutai Mountains. Enclosed in two white stupas are a large number of

Buddhist images, texts, and other treasures. If their contents come to light in the future, they will

drastically change art historians' understanding of Arniko’s style and the art of the period. 23P.

Landon states that at Wu Ta'i Shan there is still a structure24 remotely resembling the shrines of

Bodhnath and Svayambhu and it does not appear that any other similar shrines is to be found in

China proper. This suggests that Nepalese Buddhist monks had influenced the life and manner of

monks at Wu Ta'i shan of China.25 For this second stupa, he was given ten thousand tassels of

silver and was married to a Mongol official's daughter.

Contribution in the construction of Temple Buildings, paintings, sculptures

Apart from these three majestic stupas, Arniko built many monasteries. According to Stele

inscription, Arniko is said to have built nine Buddhist temples or monasteries, and two

Confucian shrines and one Taoist palace. To describe them in details is beyond the scope of this

small article. However, a tentative list of monasteries is given below:

1. Zhenguo Renwangsi, in Beijing (1270)

2. Qianyuan shi (Chi An she) in Xanadu (1274)

3. Huanyanshi (Re wang she) in Xanadu (1274)

4. Da Huguo Renwangsi [ the Temple of benevolent King safe guarding the state)

5. Zhouzhou at Beijing (1276)

6. Youshengmiao-The Temple of Holy Blessing

7. Shengshou Wanningsi (1279-1288) (The Temple of Sacred Longevity and Myriad

Peace)-

8. Chengnansi-The temple in the South of the City)-1280

9. Xingjiaosi (the temple of flourishing Teaching)-1283.

10. Sanhuangmiao (the Temple for the Three sovereigns)-1295

11. Dong Huayuansi (The Temple of the East Garden)-1304

12. Chongzen Wanshougong- ( the Palace of Noble truth and myriad Longevity)-

23 Anning Jing in Anige, Himalayan Artist in Khubilai Khan’s Court pp.24 Hubert Decleer states that he did build the still surviving Great Caitya in the Chinese capital and another White Caitya on Mt. Five Peak ( Wu ta’i Shan, Panca sirsa Parvat mentioned in the Svayambhu Purana), but as the pictures make clear, neither bears any resemblance to Kathmandu Valley caitya architecture. Hubert perceives that the structure of White Pagoda do not have any Nepalese influence .But I feel difficulty in accepting his comments that it has no resemblance with Nepalese stupa architecture. It is clear that bhumi ( trayodasabhumi -the rings of the tower structure which symbolize these Bodhisattva-levels, Gajur and Chatra are definitely a Nepalese style as depicted in Svayambhu and Boudhnath stupa. Although there is some change in anda or dome structure and an absence of Harmika.25 Nepal, Vol.II,1928,London,pp 223

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13. Shouningsi (Temple of Longevity and Peace) at Wutaishan

14. Wanshen Yuguosi (The temple of myriad saints safeguarding the state) at Wutaishan

1295-97

15. The Nanshan Temple: 1295-97 at Wutaishan

16. Puji Temple( 1302-1305) at Wutai shan

Arniko was a genius and versatile person. As far as the sculptures are concerned, “all

statues in monasteries in Dadu and Shangdu were sculpted under his supervision. At that time,

the statues made by him became the standard art style of the Yuan dynasty.

Arniko introduced Nepalese artistic styles into Chinese culture Some of his outstanding

paintings and sculptures are:

1. Portraits of Emperor Kublaikhan and empress Chabi

(Preserved National Palace Museum, Taipei)

2. Painting of Green Tara: Now preserved in the Cleveland Museum of Art,USA

3. Mahakala sculpture: Dated 1292 

Partially polychrome and gilded lithographic limestone 

47 x 285 cm L. Fournier donation with usufruct 

MA 5181 now in Musee Guimet, Paris

4. Lacquor Bodhisattva

5. Image of Manjusri ( 1305).Preserved in National Palace Museum,Taipei

Arniko and his disciples in China

Even after the death of Arniko, his art tradition did not die away with him but continued through

his disciples. He left behind his stylistic standard for the court. Many of his disciples continued

to work following his norms of art tradition. Among them two of his sons Asangge and Ashula

took charge of his official duties and followed in the official footsteps of their father; but none of

them achieved fame.26 It was because Yuan emperor kept Arniko’s style as official standard.

1. Grand Master Asangge

He was Arniko’s first born son from his Newari wife Caitya laxmi, the Grand Mistress to the

Duke of Liang. He was also high ranking art official. He was given the title of grand Master for

Glorious Happiness (Ronglai dafu) (1b) and Grand Minister of Education.

26 They were A-seng-ko, who maintained the salary of a controller; and A-shu-la, who became Director General of the artisans of all classes.

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2. Grand Master Ashula

He was born to Yan from Taiyuan and called grand Master for excellent council (Jiayi dafu) [3a]

and daruhachi of the supervisorate- in –chief of All Classes of Artisans. He had taken

responsibility in the department of fine arts as chairman.

3. The Great artist Liu Yuan

A Chinese Daoist priest was one of the famous disciples of Arniko. In the seventh year of the

founding of Yuan dynasty, 1270 A.D Kublai Khan was looking for a well known artist for the

construction of new monastery Ran Wang monastery in Tahu.

He had an opportunity to meet Arniko during that time. He learnt the technique of Sithen in

creating Buddhist statues from Arniko and later he became expert in creating Buddhist statues or

his skills attained its zenith. Later, when the monasteries were built in Beijing and Shangdu

(Mongolia), most of the golden images and terracotta images were built by Liu Yuan himself.

Later he attained the position of Chang fang taphu mishu chen tsin and became a famous

sculptor. People called him Lu Chang fang.

The real continuator of his school and his chief pupil was the Chinese Liu Yuan27. The

tradition of Arniko lasted for a long time among the Buddhist sculptors in China, and is still

upheld in the introduction to a late iconometric treatise, the Tsao-hsieang-tu-liang-ching28 of his

school

The style of Buddhist art created by Arniko and Liu Yuan is called Fan she style while

before this period most of the art style were in Han style.29 The tradition of Arniko lasted for a

long time among the Buddhist sculptors in China, and is still upheld in the introduction to an 18 th

century iconometric treatise, the Zaoxiang dliang jimgjie, by the Mongolian scholar mGon-po-

skyab (c.1690-1750).30These textile portraits have not survived, but the two models are still in

existence, now in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

Last days

On November 10, 1305, Arniko received an order from the empress Buluhan but all the tantric

deities were destroyed in front of him. It was catastrophic blow to him.

27 About him P.Pelliot has described in detail in his work,”Les grandes voyages maritimes chinois au debut du XV siècle, in Toung Pao, XXX ( 1933),pp.195-19728 Taisho n.1419; vol.xxi,p 939a.29 (Chunggo Fo xiao -Buddhism in China pp.109)30 Lo bue p.266

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To Arniko, the order was more than destruction of the statues. It was the destruction of his

faith, his work, his dignity, and his unwavering loyalty to the Mongol dynasty.

For more than forty years his works had been admired, praised, and regarded as models of

artistic and spiritual purity at the Mongol court and throughout the empire.

Suddenly, however, they were denounced and destroyed. He had never suffered such a

humiliation before. His health failed, and he fell ill after returning from a court session. Two

days later he died. Following Nepali custom, he was cremated, and his ashes were buried in a

stupa near the capital three months later. Before his incoming death, Arniko gathered his

disciples and said: “When I was about to die, you put me in a bed and encircle me with a screen

and let me die in peace.”

As he said, after bathing, he went to meet the emperor and returned to his home. He told his

servants about his crucial pain of death. As soon as the emperor came to know his illness, he sent

his royal doctor for the treatment. But it is of no avail. Palace envoys and doctors visited, but he

passed away in sleep on the eleventh. He died when he was 62 years old.

The emperor Temur grieved over his death after hearing the news and halted the court

session. He ordered palace officials to take care of his family and rewarded the family 25000

teals of silver. The emperor ordered the authorities concerned to make arrangements for the

funeral. That night a star fell into the courtyard. The next day saw icicles on the trees.

On next day i.e March 12th, his body was put on a palanquin or (New: khat) and cremated

and on the seventh day all the purification rituals were performed according to Newar Buddhist

tradition. Since his Newar wife was already in China she must have performed the death rituals

as per Newar Buddhist tradition. After five months, on the fifteenth day of July, a Caitya was

built in his name and his ashes were buried in a stupa at Gangziyuan, Wanping County near the

capital. Aniko's achievements at court are summarized in his Chinese epitaph: the construction of

three stupas, nine great Buddhist temples, two Confucian shrines, one Daoist temple, and

countless images and objects made for the emperor, his imperial family, the court, and private

persons.

Conclusion

He was a genius. While living in China for more than forty-five years he earned highest imperial

positions and honors in Yuan dynasty. His constructions and creations of arts and artifacts have

earned high appreciation and admiration for him from Chinese and other people all over the

world since hundreds of years. With contributions in developing arts and architecture in China he

earned great prestige and honor for Nepal and the Nepalese people. The Chinese people regard

Arniko as a symbol of Nepal China friendship. Arniko's biography is more than a story of a

Nepali artist's gallant adventure and phenomenal success in foreign lands. It is also a story of

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how Himalayan Buddhist art became an international style. That style continued to thrive after

Aniko's death and eventually became the basis for the Buddhist art at the Ming (1368-1644) and

Qing courts and in Mongolia. Most of the Stupas built by Arniko are preserved as heritage

monuments.

Cheng Jufu (1249 - 1318), the writer of his epitaph saw a portrait of Arniko. He inscribed on

the portrait a poem praising Aniko's "noble appearance," diligence, and irreplaceable talent.

We have seen from above discussion that Arniko was not only acquainted with but had attained

mastery of the weaving arts traditionally associated with China. He was able to work in a number

of styles and media. As a number of old Newar sketch books illustrate they had no difficulty

imitating the Chinese or Indian styles.

Although some of his critics expressed their sentiments that his knowledge did not expand

beyond his profession Cheng Jufu appreciates his talents in this way in his epitaph:31

When the sage Kubilai rose, he came to the court in spite of thousands of mile. Seeing,

admiring, feeling and learning, he greatly widened his horizon. Therefore, he was able to

accomplish imperial orders and became the great Master of an age. Indeed, luck is also human

relationship. Otherwise how could he have received glory and prominence to such an extent?

Those who prepared and invented things for the benefit of the world were sages. The skilled

have been continuing the works. Although it is difficult to know if the master's skill surpassed

that of the skilled in ancient times, his fame certainly does. Is that wonderful?

31 The Sprit-way Stele for Minhui, the Duke of state of Liang, by Cheng Jufu,p.82

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