Indian Rock-cut Architecture
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The Barabar rock-cut caves were originally made for Ajivikas by Emperor Chandragupta Maurya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
Only statement 3 is correct. Ellora indeed contains caves built for different religions—Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism coexist at the site. Statement 1 is incorrect—Barabar caves (Maurya period) are older than Badami caves (6th century CE). Statement 2 is partially true but misleadingly phrased; while Maurya-period caves exist, Barabar caves were made for Ajivikas, but not exclusively by Chandragupta Maurya—Ashoka also contributed. The oldest rock-cut caves are at Barabar/Nagarjuni, not Badami. > Remember: Barabar (oldest, Ajivika), Badami (6th century), Ellora (multi-faith), Ajanta (Buddhist). Answer: c.
Question details
Year
2014
Paper
GS Paper 1
Question
Q4
Subject
History
Sub-topic
Ancient and Medieval Architecture
Type
Statement-based
Difficulty
Medium
Nature
Static
Source hint
NCERT History Class 11 Ch.6
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