Question

Identify the earliest modern art historian who considered Sanchi as a center of tree and serpent worship due to unfamiliarity with Buddhist literature:

• A. Colin Mackenzie
• B. James Prinsep
• C. James Fergusson
• D. H.H. Cole

Hint:

Prinsep's deciphering of Brahmi script in 1837 was crucial in correcting earlier misinterpretations of Indian monuments, including those at Sanchi.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

James Fergusson, an early architectural historian, was the first to interpret the symbolism at Sanchi in a way that we would now consider incorrect. Fergusson misinterpreted the imagery of trees and serpents as symbols of primitive worship, failing to understand the Buddhist context of the site, primarily due to the lack of knowledge of Buddhist texts at the time. It was only later, with the deciphering of the Brahmi script by James Prinsep in 1837, that the Buddhist significance of Sanchi was correctly understood.