RAS question
Kanishka I convened which Buddhist council?
Correct answer: (C) Fourth Buddhist Council at Kundalvana, Kashmir.
Kanishka I convened the Fourth Buddhist Council at Kundalvana, also called Kundalban, in Kashmir.
Explanation
Kanishka I is linked with the Sarvastivada Fourth Buddhist Council, not the earlier councils associated with Rajagriha, Vaishali or Pataliputra. The Fourth Council was convened in the Kushan Empire at Kundalvana vihara, also called Kundalban, in Kashmir, with the location presumed to be around Harwan near Srinagar. Kanishka convened the council because of conflicting doctrines among sects, Vasumitra was elected president, and Asvaghosha was vice-president. The exam-relevant takeaway is that the council is associated with the formal division of Buddhism into Mahayana and Hinayana or Theravada traditions.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The First Buddhist Council was held near Rajagriha after the Buddha's final nirvana and is associated with Mahakasyapa, not Kanishka I.
- (B) The Second Buddhist Council was held at Vaishali over Vinaya-related disputes, so it does not match Kanishka I's Kashmir council.
- (D) The Third Buddhist Council is described in Theravada accounts as Ashoka's council at Pataliputra, whereas Kanishka I is tied to the Fourth Council in Kashmir.
Concept
This tests the Ancient Indian History theme of Buddhist councils, especially ruler-patronage, venue and doctrinal outcomes. It recurs in RAS because councils are compact factual nodes linking dynasties, religious movements and sectarian developments.