Rock-Cut Architecture India
Question
With reference to the history of Indian rock-cut architecture, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1.
The caves at Badami are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India.
- 2.
The Barabar rock-cut caves were originally made for Ajivikas by Emperor Chandragupta Maurya.
- 3.
At Ellora, caves were made for different faiths.
Options
1 only
2 and 3 only
3 only
1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Statement (1) is incorrect—the Barabar caves (4th century BCE) are older than Badami caves (6th century CE). Statement (2) is incorrect—while Barabar caves were made for Ajivikas, they were made during the Mauryan period, though Chandragupta's direct patronage is debated; some sources attribute them to later Mauryan rulers. Statement (3) is correct—Ellora caves (8th-10th centuries CE) contain Buddhist (Kailasa Temple), Hindu, and Jain caves, representing religious pluralism. > Ellora = Syncretism; Barabar = Mauryan era Ajivika caves; Badami = Chalukya period. Answer: (c).
Question details
Year
2013
Paper
GS Paper 1
Question
Q4
Subject
History
Sub-topic
Ancient India - Rock-Cut Caves
Type
Statement-based
Difficulty
Medium
Nature
Static
Source hint
NCERT History Ch.3 - Ancient India
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