UPSC Indian Art and Culture – Chapter 3: Schools of Sculpture – Gandhara, Mathura, Amaravati and Gupta (21 MCQs)

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UPSC Indian Art and Culture – Chapter 3: Schools of Sculpture – Gandhara, Mathura, Amaravati and Gupta (21 MCQs) – 21 questions, subject: History. Every question has the correct answer with a one-line explanation; tap "Show Answer". Free practice for TNPSC, UPSC, SSC, Bank and RRB exams – Shanmugam IAS Academy, Coimbatore.

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1.  

The Gandhara school of sculpture mainly used:

Correct Answer: C [grey or blue-grey schist]

Explanation:

Gandhara sculptors of the north-west carved mainly in grey or blue-grey schist, turning to stucco in the later phase.

2.  

The Mathura school is best described as:

Correct Answer: B [indigenous, growing out of the yaksha tradition]

Explanation:

Mathura images grew out of the native yaksha tradition, with full, energetic bodies and smiling faces.

3.  

The Amaravati school flourished under the:

Correct Answer: A [Satavahanas and Ikshvakus]

Explanation:

Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda in the Krishna valley flourished under the Satavahanas and then their successors, the Ikshvakus.

4.  

A headless statue of Kanishka was found near:

Correct Answer: D [Mathura]

Explanation:

The headless standing statue of Kanishka was found at Mat, near Mathura, and is now in the Mathura Museum.

5.  

Which school made Buddhist, Jain and Brahmanical images?

Correct Answer: B [Mathura]

Explanation:

Mathura workshops served all three faiths, producing Buddhist, Jain and Brahmanical images in spotted red sandstone.

6.  

Wavy hair and heavy folds of the robe are features of the:

Correct Answer: A [Gandhara school]

Explanation:

Gandhara sculptors used Hellenistic conventions, giving the Buddha wavy hair and heavy, deeply cut folds of robe.

7.  

The famous seated Buddha in dharmachakra mudra from the Gupta period comes from:

Correct Answer: A [Sarnath]

Explanation:

The 5th-century Chunar sandstone seated Buddha of Sarnath shows the dharmachakra mudra, recalling the first sermon there.

8.  

The large Sultanganj Buddha is made of:

Correct Answer: D [copper]

Explanation:

The 2.3-metre Sultanganj Buddha, now in Birmingham, was cast in almost pure copper by the lost-wax process.

9.  

The panel of Vishnu reclining on Ananta is a famous feature of the temple at:

Correct Answer: C [Deogarh]

Explanation:

The Dashavatara temple at Deogarh carries the famous relief of Vishnu reclining on the serpent Ananta (Sheshashayi).

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. Gandhara sculpture shows Greco-Roman influence.
2. Mathura sculpture used spotted red sandstone.
3. Amaravati sculpture used grey schist.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

Gandhara shows Greco-Roman influence and Mathura used spotted red sandstone; statement 3 fails because Amaravati used white limestone.

11.  

Assertion (A): The Buddha began to be shown in human form around the 1st century CE.

Reason (R): The rise of Mahayana Buddhism encouraged the worship of the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas.

Correct Answer: A [Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A]

Explanation:

Both are true, and Mahayana devotion to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas created the need for images in human form.

12.  

The mudra in which the Buddha touches the earth is the:

Correct Answer: A [bhumisparsha mudra]

Explanation:

In the bhumisparsha mudra the right hand touches the earth, calling it to witness the enlightenment.

13.  

The varada mudra signifies:

Correct Answer: C [granting a boon]

Explanation:

In the varada mudra the hand is lowered with the palm outward, signifying the granting of a boon.

14.  

The mudra linked with the first sermon at Sarnath is the:

Correct Answer: D [dharmachakra mudra]

Explanation:

The dharmachakra mudra, hands at the chest forming a wheel, marks the first sermon at Sarnath.

15.  

Pala bronzes were produced mainly at:

Correct Answer: C [Nalanda and Kurkihar]

Explanation:

Under the Palas, Nalanda and Kurkihar in Bihar were the main centres of bronze and black-stone Buddhist images.

16.  

The Bamiyan Buddhas were destroyed in:

Correct Answer: B [2001]

Explanation:

by the Taliban.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. Pala bronzes of Kurkihar
2. Seated Buddha of Sarnath
3. Bharhut reliefs
4. Kanishka statue at Mathura

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: C [3-4-2-1]

Explanation:

2nd century BCE, Kushana, Gupta, Pala.

18.  

Nagarjunakonda in the Krishna valley was an important centre under the:

Correct Answer: D [Ikshvakus]

Explanation:

Nagarjunakonda flourished as a Buddhist centre under the Ikshvakus, successors of the Satavahanas in the Krishna valley.

19.  

Thin, clinging, almost transparent drapery is a feature of:

Correct Answer: D [Gupta images of the Buddha]

Explanation:

Gupta Buddhas, as at Sarnath, wear thin, clinging robes that seem transparent and reveal the body beneath.

20.  

Hellenistic influence in Indian sculpture is most clearly seen in the:

Correct Answer: C [Gandhara school]

Explanation:

Gandhara art of the north-west borrowed Hellenistic realism in anatomy, hair and drapery to portray the Buddha.

21.  
UPSC Prelims 2014

With reference to the Indian history of art and culture, consider the following pairs:

Famous work of sculpture – Site

1. A grand image of Buddha's Mahaparinirvana with numerous celestial musicians above and the sorrowful figures of his followers below – Ajanta
2. A huge image of Varaha Avatar (boar incarnation) of Vishnu, as he rescues Goddess Earth from the deep and chaotic waters, sculpted on rock – Mount Abu
3. "Arjuna's Penance"/"Descent of Ganga" sculpted on the surface of huge boulders – Mamallapuram

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

Correct Answer: C [1 and 3 only]

Explanation:

the Varaha is at Udayagiri near Vidisha, not Mount Abu.

➤ Full notes, maps, tables, a reason for every option and Mains PYQs – U06 · Indian Art and Culture (UPSC book, ₹249): www.shanmugamiasacademy.in/study-materials/upsc-indian-art-culture

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