Q150. The traditional chronology commonly used in older competitive-exam history texts places Gautama Buddha’s birth around:
[SSC CHSL – 2025]
A. 560 BCE
B. 326 BCE
C. 78 CE
D. 1206 CE
Answer: A. 560 BCE
Explanation: Older examination texts commonly use approximately 563 or 560 BCE for Buddha’s birth. Modern scholarship debates precise dates, but the conventional exam chronology remains widely used.
Q149. Which ruler of Magadha was a contemporary of both Gautama Buddha and Mahavira?
[SSC CHSL – 2025]
A. Ajatashatru
B. Samudragupta
C. Kanishka
D. Harsha
Answer: A. Ajatashatru
Explanation: Ajatashatru ruled Magadha during the sixth–fifth centuries BCE and appears in both Buddhist and Jain traditions as a contemporary of Buddha and Mahavira.
Q148. How many monumental toranas or carved gateways surround the Great Stupa at Sanchi?
[DSSSB ASO – 2025]
A. Two
B. Three
C. Four
D. Six
Answer: C. Four
Explanation: Sanchi’s Great Stupa possesses four richly carved toranas positioned at the cardinal directions. Their narrative reliefs are masterpieces of early Indian Buddhist sculpture.
Q147. The Sanchi Stupa is a classic example of which architectural form?
[MP Police – 2025]
A. Buddhist stupa architecture
B. Mughal mausoleum architecture
C. Gothic cathedral architecture
D. Indo-Islamic mosque architecture
Answer: A. Buddhist stupa architecture
Explanation: Sanchi’s hemispherical anda, harmika, yasti, chhatras, railing and circumambulatory path exemplify the mature architectural vocabulary of the Indian Buddhist stupa.
Q146. Ajanta in Maharashtra is famous principally for which type of Buddhist monument?
[RPF Constable – 2025]
A. Rock-cut caves
B. Freestanding minarets
C. Brick forts
D. Stepwells
Answer: A. Rock-cut caves
Explanation: Ajanta comprises rock-cut Buddhist caves containing monasteries, worship halls, sculptures and celebrated murals. Excavations occurred in distinct phases from around the second century BCE onward.
Q145. During which dynasty’s rule is the Fourth Buddhist Council traditionally associated with the development of Hinayana and Mahayana divisions?
[SSC CGL – 2024]
A. Kushana
B. Gupta
C. Shaka
D. Pallava
Answer: A. Kushana
Explanation: The northern Buddhist tradition associates the Fourth Council in Kashmir with Kushana emperor Kanishka. It became important in narratives concerning the development of Mahayana Buddhism.
Q144. Sanchi Stupa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located in:
[SSC CHSL – 2024]
A. Bihar
B. Madhya Pradesh
C. Rajasthan
D. Punjab
Answer: B. Madhya Pradesh
Explanation: Sanchi lies in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh near Bhopal. Its Buddhist monuments range from the Mauryan period through later centuries.
Q143. Which statements about the Chethiagiri Vihara festival are correct?
[SSC CHSL – 2024]
- It is Buddhist.
- It is celebrated at Sanchi.
A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D. 1, 2 and 3
Explanation: Chethiagiri Vihara celebrations at Sanchi centre on veneration of relics associated with Sariputta and Maha Moggallana, two eminent disciples of Gautama Buddha.
Q142. Which Indian Buddhist monk is traditionally associated with transmitting Chan Buddhism to China and later Shaolin traditions?
[SSC CHSL – 2024]
A. Atisha
B. Bodhidharma
C. Nagarjuna
D. Vasumitra
Answer: B. Bodhidharma
Explanation: Bodhidharma is traditionally remembered as an Indian Buddhist monk who transmitted meditation-based Chan teachings to China and became associated in legend with Shaolin martial traditions.
Q141. According to Census 2011, which Indian state has the largest Buddhist population in absolute numbers?
[SSC CHSL – 2024]
A. Maharashtra
B. Bihar
C. West Bengal
D. Madhya Pradesh
Answer: A. Maharashtra
Explanation: Maharashtra contains India’s largest Buddhist population numerically, significantly influenced by the twentieth-century Navayana Buddhist movement associated with Dr B. R. Ambedkar.
