Prelims 2004 · archive
MediumWith reference to ancient Jainism, which one of the following statements is correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Jainism enjoyed the patronage of the Kalinga king Kharavela in the first century BC.
Kharavela, the Chedi king of Kalinga, was a devoted Jain, and the Udayagiri–Khandagiri caves bearing his inscriptions were made for Jain monks. He is dated to the 1st century BCE. The other three options get the Jain leaders or early practice wrong.
- ✗ (a) Jainism's move to the south is linked to Bhadrabahu, who led monks to Karnataka at the time of the famine. Sthalabahu (Sthulabhadra) stayed in the north and did not lead that southward spread.
- ✗ (b) Bhadrabahu is associated with the Digambara (sky-clad) sect, not the Shvetambara (white-robed) sect. The Shvetambaras trace back to the monks who remained in the north.
- ✓ (c) Kharavela, the Chedi king of Kalinga, was a devoted follower of Jain teachings and was called bhikshu-raja (monk-king). The Udayagiri–Khandagiri caves bearing his inscriptions were meant for Jain monks. His reign is dated to the 1st century BCE.
- ✗ (d) Image worship was not a feature of the initial stage of Jainism. Tirthankara images such as those found at Chausa, Bihar belong to the Kushana period (2nd century CE), centuries after Mahavira.
Remember · Kharavela (Chedi dynasty, Kalinga), a Jain patron of the 1st century BCE, left the Hathigumpha inscription at Udayagiri. Bhadrabahu went south and is linked with the Digambaras.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Ch 6 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Ch 7 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Chapter 6 “Kharavela, one of their main rulers, was a devoted follower of Jain teachings; he was sometimes called bhikshu-raja or monk-king, although he respected all schools of thoughts.”
- NCERT Class 11 · An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Chapter 4 “These caves are scattered and have inscriptions of Kharavela Jain kings. According to the inscriptions, the caves were meant for Jain monks.”
- NCERT Class 11 · An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Chapter 7 “Interesting images of Jain tirthankaras have been discovered from Chausa, Bihar, belonging to the Kushana Period during second century CE.”
- Britannica: Kharavela (Kalinga in India) ↗ · reference work “Kalinga rose to prominence under Kharavela, dated with some debate to the 1st century bce”
- Britannica: Bhadrabahu I ↗ · reference work “Bhadrabahu I (died 298 bce , India) was a Jain religious leader and monk often associated with one of Jainism’s two principal sects, the Digambara”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2004, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·