Read the passage and answer the question:
"We inspected the stone sculptures and statues of Buddha.... The ruins appear to be the object of great interest to European gentlemen. Major Alexander Cunningham.... stayed several weeks in this neighbourhood and examined these ruins most carefully. He took drawings of the place, deciphered the inscription, and bored shafts down these domes. The results of his investigations were described by him in an English work...."
To whom did John Marshall dedicate his important volumes on Sanchi?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Sultan Jehan Begum
John Marshall dedicated his important volumes on Sanchi to Sultan Jehan, who funded the museum at the site, the guesthouse where he wrote the volumes, and their publication.
NCERT (2026-27): “1. A Glimpse of Sanchi … Nineteenth-century Europeans were very interested in the stupa at Sanchi. In fact, the French sought Shahjehan Begum’s permission to take away the eastern gateway, which was the best preserved, to be displayed in a museum in France. For a while some Englishmen also wanted to do the same, but fortunately both the French and the English were satisfied with carefully prepared plaster-cast copies and the original remained at the site, part of the Bhopal state. The rulers of Bhopal, Shahjehan Begum and her successor Sultan Jehan Begum, provided money for the preservation of the ancient site. No wonder then that John Marshall dedicated his important volumes on Sanchi to Sultan Jehan. She funded the museum that was built there as well as the guesthouse where he lived and wrote the volumes. She also funded the publication of the volumes.…” |