Prelims 2019 · Q8
Hardनिम्नलिखित में से किस उभारदार मूर्तिशिल्प (रिलीफ स्कल्प्चर) शिलालेख में अशोक के प्रस्तर रूपचित्र के साथ ‘राण्यो अशोक’ (राजा अशोक) उल्लिखित है?
Read this question in English
In which of the following relief sculpture inscriptions is 'Ranyo Ashoka' (King Ashoka) mentioned along with the stone portrait of Ashoka?
(a) Kanganahalli · (b) Sanchi · (c) Shahbazgarhi · (d) Sohgaura
उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English
Answer: (a) कंगनहल्ली
The ruined stupa at Kanaganahalli, part of the Sannati complex on the Bhima in Kalaburagi (Gulbarga) district of Karnataka, yielded a relief of Ashoka with his queens that carries an inscription naming him, 'Ranyo Ashoka' (King Ashoka). That is the site the question describes.
- ✓ (a) The Sannati–Kanaganahalli stupa in Gulbarga district, the largest stupa site excavated in Karnataka, was decorated with sculptural reliefs; one panel shows Ashoka with his queens together with an inscription mentioning him.
- ✗ (c) Shahbazgarhi (in present-day Pakistan) has one of Ashoka's Major Rock Edicts, a text carved on rock with no portrait of the king.
- ✗ (d) Sohgaura in Uttar Pradesh is known for a copper-plate inscription of the 4th–3rd century BCE, not a relief sculpture.
Remember · Kanaganahalli (Sannati, Kalaburagi, Karnataka): relief of Ashoka with his queens, with the inscription 'Ranyo Ashoka'. Shahbazgarhi and Mansehra: sites of Ashoka's Major Rock Edicts.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part I, Ch 2 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Chapter 4 “In Karnataka, Sannati in Gulbarga district is the largest stupa site excavated so far. It also has a stupa like the one in Amaravati decorated with sculptural relief.”
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part I, Chapter 2 “KINGS, FARMERS AND TOWNS Arabian Sea Bay of Bengal Mansehra Shahbazgarhi Kandahar Taxila Kalsi Topra Meerut”
- Kalaburagi District, Government of Karnataka: Places of Interest ↗ “Kanaganahalli : an important Buddhist site is 3 km from Sannati, on the banks of the river Bhima.The Govt of Karnataka and ASI are planning to develop it as an international Buddhist center.”
- IGNOU eGyanKosh (Govt of India central university), History Writing in Early India, Unit 5: Inscriptions and Prashastis (illustration caption) ↗ · reference work “Ashoka with his Queens, 1st-3rd Century CE Sannati-Kanaganahalli Stupa (Gulbarga District, Karnataka) with an Inscription Mentioning Him”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·