Question

Which of the following is not correctly matched?
A. Shunga built a stupa at Sanchi
B. Kanishka built a stupa at Peshawar
C. Satavahanas built a stupa at Amaravati
D. Ishkavaks built a stupa at Nagarjunakonda

Answer 1

Hint: Stupas are an important part of Buddhist literature known for the preservation of certain relics of Gautam Buddha himself or other prominent Buddhist monks. The Stupa architecture comprises a mound kind of structure surrounded by a railing and an entrance to the same.

Complete answer: Mauryan rulers, most notably Ashoka, provided patronage to the Buddhist. This resulted in construction of various stupas and practice of embellishment of them. This was done through either elevation or inscribing various scenes from Buddha’s life or Jatakas on Stupa wall.

-The option A, Sanchi stupa built by the Shungas is not correctly matched. The Mauryan ruler Ashoka commissioned Sanchi Stupa himself around 300 BCE. It was later in 100 BCE that Shunga rulers enlarged the Stupa and added balustrades. They further embellished it as well.
-The option B, Kushana ruler Kanishka did build a stupa at Shah-ji-ki-Dheri in Peshawar (present day Pakistan) around 2nd c. CE. This stupa remained unique as one of the tallest Buddhist Stupa of all times. Excavations at the site led to the revelation of a bronze relic casket containing bones and ashes which few historians attribute to Buddha himself.
-The option C, Satvahanas did build stupas at Amravati and also Nagarjunakonda. They didn’t just limit themselves to construction of new but even enlarged the existing ones as old as from 250 BCE Ashoka’s reign introducing more stable stone work.
-The option D, Ikshvakus, built a stupa at Nagarjunakonda. Ikshvakus followed the Satvahana rule in the Gangetic plains and continued to construct new stupas and renovate older ones. The old Nagarjunakonda Stupa was renovated by Ikshvaku princess Chamtisiri.

Hence, option A is the correct answer.

Note: Sarnath is another important Buddhist site where some of the oldest stupa reside. Chaukhandi Stupa marks where Buddha met his first disciples while Dhamek Stupa marks where Buddha gave his first sermon regarding the eight-fold path to salvation.