Question

Who provided money for the preservation of the ancient site of 'Sanchi'?

• A. Sultan Jehan Begum
• B. Sultana Jahanara Begum
• C. Sultan Shahnur Begum
• D. Sultan Rokeya Begum

Hint:

Remember the two key Begums of Bhopal associated with Sanchi:
- Shahjehan Begum: Deflected European collectors by offering plaster-cast replicas of the eastern gateway.
- Sultan Jehan Begum: Funded the site museum, guesthouse, and John Marshall's landmark research volumes.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept:
The Great Stupa at Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh is one of the best-preserved Buddhist monuments in India.
Its survival, unlike the stupa at Amaravati which was stripped of its stone sculptures by colonial collectors, is directly credited to the enlightened patronage of the rulers of the princely state of Bhopal.

Step 1: Role of the Begums of Bhopal:
In the nineteenth century, European powers, including the French and British, sought permission to take the exquisitely carved eastern gateway of Sanchi to museums in Paris and London.
The rulers of Bhopal, Shahjehan Begum and her successor Sultan Jehan Begum, satisfied the Europeans by commissioning plaster casts while safeguarding the original stone gateways on-site.
Sultan Jehan Begum provided substantial financial grants for the preservation and restoration of the ancient stupa complex.
She financed the construction of a museum on the site and funded the guesthouse where Sir John Marshall stayed while documenting and excavating the complex.
She also funded the publication of John Marshall and Alfred Foucher's multi-volume work on Sanchi.

Step 2: Evaluating the Options:
Option (A) accurately identifies Sultan Jehan Begum, the prominent Begum of Bhopal who preserved Sanchi.
Option (B) refers to Jahanara Begum, the Mughal princess and daughter of Shah Jahan.
Option (D) refers to Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, a social reformer and writer in Bengal.
Final Answer:
Sultan Jehan Begum provided money for the preservation of the ancient site of Sanchi.