SSC
The Buddhist site of Sanchi, which had been abandoned for nearly six centuries, was rediscovered by a British officer, General Taylor, in the year:
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Answer: Option D — 1818
Detailed Solution
The Buddhist site of Sanchi, in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, was rediscovered in 1818 by a British officer, General Henry Taylor, after being abandoned for nearly six centuries.
About the rediscovery:
- General Taylor found the stupas and gateways in a ruined condition, overgrown with vegetation.
- At that time, much of the site was still standing, including several gateways (toranas).
- In the following decades, the site suffered damage from amateur archaeologists and treasure hunters, who dug into the stupas.
NCERT on Sanchi:
- NCERT discusses Sanchi in detail in its chapter on Buddhist architecture.
- It notes that the most wonderful ancient buildings in the state of Bhopal are at Sanchi.
- The rulers of Bhopal, Shahjehan Begum and her successor Sultan Jehan Begum, provided money for the preservation of the ancient site.
- French and British officials wanted to take away the gateways (especially the eastern gateway) to museums in Europe, but the Begums of Bhopal helped keep the site intact, and plaster-cast copies were sent instead.
- John Marshall, the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India, restored the site in the early 20th century (1912-1919), and dedicated his important volumes on Sanchi to Sultan Jehan Begum.
- Sultan Jehan Begum funded the museum built there.
About Sanchi:
- The Great Stupa (Stupa No. 1) was originally built by Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, as a brick stupa.
- It was enlarged with stone and given railings in the Shunga period.
- The four richly carved gateways (toranas) were added in the 1st century BCE, during the Satavahana period.
- The carvings show scenes from the life of the Buddha and the Jataka tales, with the Buddha represented by symbols.
- Sanchi was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989.
- Its image appears on the back of the Indian 200-rupee note.
Why not the other options?
- ✗1784 was the year the Asiatic Society was founded.
- ✗1851 was before the major restoration.
- ✗1919 was around when Marshall completed his restoration.
Quick tip
Remember: Sanchi rediscovered in 1818 by General Taylor; preserved with help of the Begums of Bhopal; restored by John Marshall (1912-1919); UNESCO 1989.
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, 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.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places 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.