Q40. Consider the following:
- Sthaviravadins belonged to Mahayana.
- Lokottaravadins emerged from Mahasanghika.
- Mahasanghika ideas contributed to Mahayana development.
Which are correct?
[UPSC CSE – 2020]
A. 1 and 2
B. 2 and 3
C. 3 only
D. All three
Answer: B. 2 and 3
Explanation: Sthaviravada belongs to an early Buddhist stream rather than Mahayana. Lokottaravada was linked to Mahasanghika, whose exalted conceptions of Buddha influenced later Mahayana thought.
Q39. Which emperor originally constructed the famous Sanchi Stupa?
[Delhi Police – 2020]
A. Ashoka
B. Bindusara
C. Kanishka
D. Chandragupta Maurya
Answer: A. Ashoka
Explanation: Ashoka founded the original Sanchi stupa in brick. Subsequent Shunga and Satavahana patronage transformed it into the monumental stone complex visible today.
Q38. The term ‘Tripitaka’ literally means:
[Delhi Police – 2020]
A. Three Baskets
B. Three Paths
C. Three Temples
D. Three Councils
Answer: A. Three Baskets
Explanation: Tripitaka means ‘Three Baskets,’ referring to the Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma collections that collectively constitute the classical Buddhist canonical arrangement.
Q37. Who summoned the Fourth Buddhist Council in Kashmir according to traditional northern accounts?
[Delhi Police – 2020]
A. Kanishka
B. Huvishka
C. Vasudeva
D. Vima Kadphises
Answer: A. Kanishka
Explanation: Kushana emperor Kanishka is traditionally credited with convening the Fourth Council in Kashmir, where major scholastic discussions and commentaries were undertaken.
Q36. The Buddhist Council traditionally associated with the crystallisation of Hinayana and Mahayana divisions was held at:
[Delhi Police – 2020]
A. Kashmir
B. Vaishali
C. Pataliputra
D. Rajagriha
Answer: A. Kashmir
Explanation: Competitive-exam convention associates the Fourth Council under Kanishka in Kashmir with the formal development of Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhist traditions.
Q35. How many great toranas adorn the Sanchi Stupa?
[Delhi Police – 2020]
A. Four
B. Two
C. Three
D. Six
Answer: A. Four
Explanation: Four elaborate gateways stand at Sanchi’s cardinal directions and carry numerous reliefs depicting Jataka narratives, sacred symbols and episodes from Buddhist tradition.
Q34. The natural grove where Gautama Buddha was born is known as:
[Delhi Police – 2020]
A. Lumbini
B. Pavapuri
C. Ujjain
D. Kushinagar
Answer: A. Lumbini
Explanation: Lumbini, now in Nepal, is Buddha’s accepted birthplace and an important pilgrimage site preserving archaeological remains, the Maya Devi shrine and an Ashokan pillar.
Q33. The Great Stupa of Sanchi is in:
[Delhi Police – 2020]
A. Madhya Pradesh
B. Gujarat
C. Uttar Pradesh
D. Bihar
Answer: A. Madhya Pradesh
Explanation: Sanchi stands in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district. Its group of stupas, temples and monasteries forms one of India’s best-preserved Buddhist archaeological complexes.
Q32. What was the capital of the Vajji confederacy during the age of Buddha?
[SSC Selection Post – 2020]
A. Vaishali
B. Ujjain
C. Taxila
D. Mathura
Answer: A. Vaishali
Explanation: Vaishali was the principal centre of the Vajji or Vrijji confederacy, whose republican political organisation is frequently mentioned in early Buddhist literature.
Q31. Which place is NOT one of the principal locations associated with Gautama Buddha’s life?
[SSC Stenographer – 2020]
A. Lumbini
B. Sarnath
C. Kushinagar
D. Puri
Answer: D. Puri
Explanation: Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar mark Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, first sermon and Mahaparinirvana respectively. Puri has no equivalent connection to his biography.
