Buddhism and Jainism: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Art and Culture)
1 previous year UPSC Prelims question on Buddhism and Jainism (Art and Culture). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 1–1 of 1 question
UPSC 2004Art and Culture · Buddhism and Jainism
Q1. With reference to ancient Jainism, which one of the following statements is correct?
Explanation
King Kharavela of Kalinga is well-known for his support of Jainism, which helped to spread Jain doctrines within his region during the 1st century BCE. His inscriptions in the Hathigumpha cave (Udayagiri, Odisha) mention Jain religious activities and his support for Jain monks.He reinstalled a Jain idol in Kalinga that had been taken away by Nanda rulers earlier.
Option (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect:
The spread of Jainism in South India is more closely linked to Bhadrabahu (not Sthalabahu) who migrated to the south with a group of monks during a famine. The Shvetambara sect emerged after the council at Pataliputra but it was not led by Bhadrabahu. the Shvetambaras were the group that remained in the north and adopted the practice of wearing white clothes. Bhadrabahu led the Digambara sect which migrated to the south. Early Jainism was aniconic (did not worship idols). Image worship in Jainism started later (after 1st century CE) under the influence of Hinduism.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2004
(c) Jainism enjoyed the patronage of the Kalinga king Kharavela in the first century BC.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Buddhism and Jainism?
This page covers 1 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Buddhism and Jainism (Art and Culture), asked from 1996 to 2024. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for Buddhism and Jainism?
Questions on Buddhism and Jainism (Art and Culture) are available for 20 years, from 1996 to 2024. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
