Question

The most striking feature of the Ashokan pillars is their _______.
(A) Monolithic structure
(B) Carving
(C) Polish
(D) Uniformity of workmanship

Answer 1

Hint: The Ashokan pillars are dispersed throughout the Indian subcontinent. These pillars were built by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. His pillars were described as the ‘pillars of the Dharma’ by Ashoka.

Complete answer:
The pillars of Ashoka or the Ashokan pillars were built during the reign of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka from c. 268 to 232 BC. These pillars are the important monuments of the architecture of India. Most of the pillars exhibit the characteristic of Mauryan polish. The polish is the most striking feature of the Ashokan pillars. The average height of these pillars is between 12 and 15 m i.e., 40 and 50 ft and the weight of each pillar was up to 50 tons. These pillars have dragged some hundreds of miles to the place where they were erected. The material used for these pillars was polished sandstone and they were the earliest known stone sculpture remains from India. The national emblem of India was also adopted from the graphic representation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka. In the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and some parts of Haryana, the major pillars of Ashoka are present. These pillars have four component parts in two pieces and the three sections of capitals are made in a single piece.

Thus, option (C) is correct.

Note: There is a pillar similar to the Ashokan pillar but it is not an Ashokan pillar. It is a sixth-century pillar at the tomb of Xiao Jing who was the Emperor of Western Liang and known as Emperor Jing.