In the 19th century, people of which European nation sought permission from Shahjehan Begum to take the best-preserved eastern gateway of the stupa at Sanchi to display it in a museum in their country?

France

During the 19th century, the stupa at Sanchi drew significant interest from Europeans. The French were particularly eager to take the best-preserved eastern gateway to display it in a museum in France, leading them to seek permission from Shahjehan Begum. Similarly, some Englishmen also entertained the idea of taking the gateway. However, both the French and the English eventually settled for meticulously crafted plaster-cast replicas, which satisfied their curiosity, and the original gateway remained at its original site as part of the Bhopal state's heritage.