With reference to the history of Indian rock-cut architecture, consider the following statements:
- 1.The caves at Badami are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India.
- 2.The Barabar rock-cut caves were originally made for Ajivikas by Emperor Chandragupta Maurya.
- 3.At Ellora, caves were made for different faiths.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) 3 only
Statements 1 and 2 are wrong, so only the missing statement 3 can hold, as option c says. The Badami caves (Chalukya, 6th century CE) are far later than the Mauryan Barabar caves, and the Barabar caves were made for the Ajivikas under Ashoka, not Chandragupta Maurya.
- ✗ 1. The Barabar caves (third century BCE) are far older than the Chalukyan Badami caves (6th century CE).
- ✗ 2. The Barabar caves were cut for Ajivikas on the orders of Ashoka, not Chandragupta Maurya.
- ✓ 3. Ellora has Buddhist, Brahmanical and Jain caves.
Remember · Barabar caves: Mauryan (Ashoka, and Dasharatha), for Ajivikas, 3rd century BCE. Badami caves: Chalukyan, 6th century CE.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part I, Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Ch 4 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part I, Chapter 4 “107 of these were constructed in the third century BCE on the orders of Asoka for renouncers who belonged to the Ajivika sect.”
- NCERT Class 11 · An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Chapter 4 “It is located a hundred kilometres from Ajanta and has thirty-four Buddhist, Brahmanical and Jain caves.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2013, General Studies Paper I. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·
