SSC Selection Post 2025 PYQ — Question 24

Correct Answer

Kanishka

Explanation

The option None is correct because the Mathura school of art was primarily patronized and reached its golden zenith under the rulers of the Kushana Empire, most notably under Emperor Kanishka (along with Huvishka and Vasudeva) during the 1st century AD to the 3rd century AD.

None of the rulers listed in the options were the primary catalysts for this specific art tradition:

Ashoka and Chandragupta Maurya belonged to the Mauryan Empire. While Mauryan art laid the early foundation for stone sculpting in India (famous for monolithic pillars and polished caves), the distinct 'Mathura School' as a structured tradition of religious iconography emerged much later in the post-Mauryan and Kushana eras.

Samudragupta belonged to the Gupta Empire. The Guptas did patronize a later, more refined phase of Mathura art in the 4th and 5th centuries AD (known for its spiritual elegance), but they did not initiate or drive its core developmental framework.

Akbar was a medieval Mughal emperor who lived centuries later and was associated with Mughal architectural styles rather than ancient schools of sculpture.

Key Points

The Mathura school of art developed indigenously at the holy city of Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) and is celebrated for creating some of the earliest human (anthropomorphic) representations of the Buddha, alongside Hindu and Jain deities.

The primary material used by Kushana artisans in Mathura was locally quarried spotted red sandstone.

Emperor Kanishka simultaneously patronized the Gandhara school of art in the northwestern frontiers, which blended Greek and Roman artistic techniques with Indian Buddhist themes.

Important Questions and Answers

Question: Which dynasty's rulers established a royal family portrait gallery (Devakula) near Mathura, featuring a famous headless statue of Emperor Kanishka?

Answer: The Kushana dynasty established this gallery at the site of Mat near Mathura.

Question: What major religious transition in Buddhism during the Kushana period led to the massive production of Buddha statues by the Mathura school?

Answer: The rise of Mahayana Buddhism, which encouraged the worship of Buddha in human form rather than through older symbols like footprints or empty thrones.