In which of the following relief sculpture inscriptions is 'Ranyo Ashoka' (King Ashoka) mentioned along with the stone portrait of Ashoka?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) Kanganahalli
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). ·