Question

The two colossal images of the Buddha at Bamiyan are an instance of the …………. art.
A. Early Mathura
B. Maurya
C. Gupta
D. Gandhara

Answer 1

Hint: The Bamiyan Buddha was two monumental Gautama Buddha statues from the 6th century carved into the side of a rock in the Bamyan Valley in central Afghanistan, 130 kilometers northwest of Kabul, at an altitude of 2,500 meters.

Complete answer:
These statues represent the later evolution of the classic fusion style of Gandhara art. The Buddhas are surrounded by caves and a surface decorated with paintings. It is believed that the heyday lasted from the 6th century to the 8th century AD until the beginning of the Islamic invasion. It is seen as an artistic synthesis of Buddhist and Gupta art from India, influenced by the Sassanid and Byzantine empires, as well as the state of Tokharistan. Carbon dating of the structural components of the Buddhas determines that the smaller 38 m "Eastern Buddha" was built around 570 AD and the larger 55 m "West Buddha" was built around 618 AD. The statues were detonated and destroyed by the Taliban in March 2001 on orders of mullah leader Mohammed Omar after the Taliban government declared them idols. International and local opinion strongly condemns the extermination of the Buddhas.
So, the correct answer is Option C.

Note: A unique style of Buddhist sculpture, called Gandhara art, was developed in ancient times in the Indian subcontinent and Gandhara region (now northwestern Pakistan). The region has also expanded to eastern Afghanistan. The art of Gandhara was created from the 1st century BC to the 7th century AD.