Question

In the 19th century, why were the French and English interested in the stupa at Sanchi?

• A. To learn about Indian cuisine
• B. To study Indian politics
• C. To display the eastern gateway in European museums
• D. To promote Indian art and culture

Hint:

To remember the survival of Sanchi vs. Amaravati: Amaravati was "looted" because it was discovered earlier when preservation wasn't a priority. Sanchi survived because the rulers of Bhopal took active interest in its on-site preservation and offered plaster casts to the Europeans instead of the originals.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Concept: The Great Stupa at Sanchi, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the oldest stone structures in India. In the 19th century, European powers were highly competitive in acquiring exotic artifacts and architectural wonders from their colonies to showcase their imperial reach and cultural "discovery" in their national museums.
Step 1:The French and English requests for the gateways.
The four gateways (toranas) of the Sanchi Stupa are masterpieces of Buddhist narrative art. In the mid-19th century:

• The French sought permission from Shahjehan Begum, the then ruler of Bhopal, to take the **Eastern Gateway** to France to be displayed in a museum in Paris.
• For a while, the English also wanted to do the same for museums in London.

Step 2:The resolution and preservation.
Fortunately, the gateways were not physically removed. Instead:

• Shahjehan Begum and her successor Sultan Jehan Begum provided funds for the preservation of the ancient site.
• They allowed the Europeans to take carefully prepared **plaster-cast copies** of the gateways.
• These perfect replicas satisfied the French and the English, allowing the original sandstone gateways to remain at their historic location in Sanchi.

Step 3:Evaluating other options.

• (a) \& (b): These are irrelevant to the archaeological nature of a Buddhist stupa.
• (d): While the interest was technically about "art," the primary motivation was not the selfless "promotion" of Indian culture, but the acquisition of physical artifacts for their own European collections (museum displays).