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Question 74 of 76 · Buddhism & Jainism
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The Bharhut Stupa (in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh) was discovered in 1873 by:

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Answer: Option C — Alexander Cunningham

Detailed Solution

The Bharhut Stupa was discovered in 1873 by Alexander Cunningham, the first Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India.

About the Bharhut Stupa:

  • It is located at Bharhut, in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh.
  • It was a Buddhist stupa, probably first built in the Mauryan period, and enlarged in the 2nd century BCE.
  • Only parts of its railings (vedika) and a gateway (torana) have survived.
  • Most of these remains were taken to Kolkata, and are now displayed in the "Bharhut Gallery" of the Indian Museum, Kolkata.
  • Some pieces are in other museums, such as the Allahabad Museum.

Features of the Bharhut sculptures:

  • The railings and gateways are decorated with carved panels showing Jataka stories and events from the life of the Buddha.
  • The Buddha is not shown in human form; his presence is indicated by symbols, such as a tree, a wheel, footprints or an empty seat.
  • Many panels have short inscriptions identifying the scenes, which make Bharhut very valuable for understanding early Buddhist art.
  • There are also large figures of Yakshas and Yakshis, and of deities such as Sirima Devata, carved on the pillars.
  • Inscriptions record the names of donors, many of whom were ordinary people: monks, nuns, merchants and craftspersons.

The style:

  • The sculptures are carved in low relief, with figures placed in a flat, frontal manner.
  • It is one of the earliest examples of narrative art in India.

About Alexander Cunningham:

  • He was born in 1814 and died in 1893.
  • He was a British army engineer who became interested in archaeology.
  • He was the first Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (1871-1885), after serving as Archaeological Surveyor from 1861.
  • He identified many Buddhist sites mentioned by the Chinese pilgrims.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Colin Mackenzie was a surveyor of the East India Company.
  • ✗Henry Taylor is associated with the discovery of the Sanchi stupa (1818).
  • ✗James Prinsep was a scholar of inscriptions.

Quick tip

Remember: Bharhut Stupa = Satna district, MP; discovered by Cunningham (1873); remains in the Indian Museum, Kolkata; Jataka panels with inscriptions; Buddha shown by symbols.

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Buddhism & Jainism — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Buddhism & Jainism, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

Buddhism and Jainism arose in the 6th century BCE as reform movements. This topic covers the lives and teachings of Gautama Buddha and Mahavira, the Jain tirthankaras, the Buddhist councils, the sects of both religions, their sacred texts and the places linked to them. Common questions cover the four great events of the Buddha's life and their places (birth at Lumbini, enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, first sermon at Sarnath, death at Kushinagar), the four Buddhist councils with their kings and venues, and the Jain sects Digambara and Shvetambara. Learning the councils as a table of place, king and president is the fastest way to revise. Practise the Buddhism and Jainism questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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