The Great Stupa at Sanchi was originally built by which ruler?
- A.Chandragupta Maurya
- B.Ashoka
- C.Kanishka
- D.Harshavardhana
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Ashoka. The Great Stupa at Sanchi in Raisen district was first raised in brick by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the third century before the common era, to hold relics of the Buddha. It was later enlarged in stone by the Shungas, and the four carved gateways, called toranas, were added by the Satavahanas. Ashoka also set up one of his polished sandstone pillars at the site. The monuments were placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1989.
Option A, Chandragupta Maurya, was the grandfather of Ashoka and the founder of the Mauryan empire, but no stupa at Sanchi is credited to him. Option C, Kanishka, was a Kushana ruler linked with the fourth Buddhist council and with the Gandhara and Mathura schools of art. Option D, Harshavardhana, ruled in the seventh century from Kanauj, far later than the building of the stupa.
Read the full article: Madhya Pradesh GK: Rivers, Parks, Heritage and Facts
Practice Questions
View allWhat is the capital of Madhya Pradesh?
- A.Indore
- B.Bhopal
- C.Jabalpur
- D.Gwalior
Show answer
Bhopal is the capital of Madhya Pradesh and the seat of its Vidhan Sabha and secretariat. It is called the city of lakes because of the Upper and Lower Lakes at its centre, and it holds the Van Vihar National Park within the city limits.
Read the full explanation →Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in which year?
- A.1956
- B.1972
- C.2000
- D.2014
Show answer
Chhattisgarh became a separate state on 1 November 2000, taking sixteen districts from the eastern part of Madhya Pradesh, with Raipur as its capital.
Read the full explanation →The Narmada river rises from which place in Madhya Pradesh?
- A.Amarkantak
- B.Multai
- C.Janapav hills
- D.Bhedaghat
Show answer
The Narmada rises at Amarkantak on the Maikal range in Anuppur district and flows westward through a rift valley lying between the Vindhya range in the north and the Satpura range in the south.
Read the full explanation →Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh is particularly known for the conservation of which animal?
- A.Asiatic lion
- B.Barasingha
- C.One horned rhinoceros
- D.Snow leopard
Show answer
Kanha National Park, spread over the Mandla and Balaghat districts, is famous for bringing the hard ground barasingha, or swamp deer, back from the edge of extinction.
Read the full explanation →The temples of Khajuraho were built by which dynasty?
- A.Paramara
- B.Chandela
- C.Bundela
- D.Holkar
Show answer
The Khajuraho group of monuments in Chhatarpur district was built by the Chandela rulers of Bundelkhand between the tenth and the twelfth century.
Read the full explanation →