Nagarjuni Caves were donated to which of the following sects by the Mauryans?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 1 i.e. Ajivika
The Nagarjuni Caves, along with the nearby Barabar Caves, are significant examples of rock-cut architecture from the Mauryan period. Inscriptions found in these caves explicitly state that they were donated by Dasharatha, the grandson of Emperor Ashoka, to the Ajivika sect. This demonstrates the Mauryan royal family's patronage of this ancient ascetic movement, even as they also supported Buddhism.