RAS question
The Rock-cut caves at Barabar Hills, the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India, were patronized by:
Correct answer: (B) Ashoka.
The oldest surviving rock-cut caves at Barabar Hills were patronised by Ashoka during the Mauryan period.
Explanation
The Barabar Hill caves in Bihar belong to the earliest phase of Indian rock-cut architecture. Their excavation is dated to Ashoka's reign in the 3rd century BCE, and cave inscriptions confirm his patronage. The verified National Monument Authority heritage bye-laws place the Barabar-Nagarjuni cave group in the Mauryan Empire and describe these caves as the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India, dating to the period of Ashoka and his grandson Dasaratha. Ashoka is tied to the site through Mauryan imperial patronage, Ajivika dedication, and early cave architecture, with the Lomas Rishi doorway showing the famous imitation of wooden architectural forms in stone.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Chandragupta Maurya is not supported by the cave inscriptions, while the National Monument Authority places the cave group in the period of Ashoka and Dasaratha.
- (C) Kanishka belongs to a much later historical phase, whereas the caves are dated to the Mauryan period and the 3rd century BCE context of Ashoka.
- (D) Bimbisara is too early for this attribution because the caves are linked to Mauryan-period excavation, not the pre-Mauryan Magadhan phase.
Concept
Mauryan art and architecture includes the beginning of rock-cut cave architecture in India. Ashoka's patronage, inscriptions, sectarian donations, and material culture are standard Ancient India themes in RAS.