History question from Sub Inspector exam, 2022 by JKSSB
Gandhara school of art was one of the major schools of art in the history of ancient India. It flourished and developed during the rule of which of the following dynasties in India?
Last updated May 15, 2026
Correct Answer:
Option C —
Maurya dynasty
The Gandhara school of art flourished and developed primarily during the rule of the Kushana dynasty (also spelled Kushan). This Greco-Buddhist style, blending Indian Buddhist themes with Hellenistic (Greco-Roman) influences, reached its peak under Kushan emperors, especially Kanishka in the 1st–2nd centuries CE, with major production continuing through the 3rd–5th centuries CE.
A) Kushana dynasty — Correct. Reliable historical sources (including Britannica, Wikipedia on Greco-Buddhist art, and standard Indian history references) consistently note that it flourished largely under the Kushans, who patronized Buddhist art in the Gandhara region (northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan today).
B) Satavahana dynasty — Incorrect; they ruled in central/southern India and were associated with other art forms, not Gandhara.
C) Maurya dynasty — Incorrect; earlier period (3rd century BCE under Ashoka), focused on edicts and early Buddhist propagation, but not the Gandhara style's development.
D) Gupta dynasty — Incorrect; later "Golden Age" (4th–6th centuries CE), more linked to Mathura and classical Indian styles, though some Gandhara influence lingered.
Answer verified by Quintessence Classes faculty — Karan Nagar, Srinagar.
