NCERT Solutions for Class 7th Social Science Chapter 6 Fig. 6.27 (page 141) — LET'S EXPLORE
Book page 140 Updated on2026-09-19
Q1.
Now that you are familiar with the basic characteristics of the Mathurā and Gāndhāra styles of art, study the pictures of artefacts given in Fig. 6.27 on the right page and try to identify which school of art each artefact belongs to. Write your observations with justifications and discuss your answers with your classmates.
The six artefacts in Fig. 6.27, as the book numbers them:
6.27.1 A scene of the death of Buddha — a rectangular relief in dark grey-black stone: the Buddha lies on his side on a couch, mourners crowd behind him, and seated figures fill a band below.
6.27.2 Bodhisattva Maitreya — a standing figure carved almost in the round in dark grey-black stone, with a moustache, a crown-like headdress, heavy jewellery, a flask in one hand, and a robe falling in deep folds.
6.27.3 Śhiva linga being worshipped by Kuṣhāṇa devotees — a broken slab of mottled red sandstone, a linga at the top and rounded, full-bodied standing figures below.
6.27.4 A Nāga between two Nāgīs, carrying an inscription that refers to the eighth year of Kaṇiṣhka’s reign — an upright slab of buff-red sandstone; a broad standing figure under a hood of snakes with a smaller figure on each side, and a line of inscribed letters across the base.
6.27.5 Kartikeya, the god of war, and Agni, the god of fire — a panel of mottled red sandstone with two heavy standing figures, one holding a spear, the other ringed with flames.
6.27.6 Standing Buddha — a tall figure in dark grey-black stone on a carved pedestal, a large round halo behind the head, wavy hair, and a robe covering both shoulders in close, regular folds.
Fig. 6.27 (page 141) — the six artefacts; photographs, described here. See the textbook for the pictures themselves.
Answer
First fix the two tests in your mind — the stone and the treatment of the figure.
Gāndhāra school
Mathurā school
Stone
Grey-black schist
Red (often spotted) sandstone — sometimes buff
Influence
Greco-Roman blended with Indian
Distinctly Indian; little Greco-Roman influence
Figures
Realistic anatomy, flowing robes in deep folds, wavy hair, sharp intricate detail
Mostly Buddha and Bodhisattva images and scenes of the Buddha's life
Buddha and also Indian deities — Kubera, Lakṣhmī, Śhiva, Kartikeya, yakṣhas and yakṣhiṇīs, Nāgas
Now apply the tests to the six artefacts:
#
Artefact
School
Justification
1
A scene of the death of Buddha (parinirvāṇa)
Gāndhāra
Grey-black schist; a crowded narrative panel; deeply cut, realistic drapery over the reclining Buddha; mourners with individual faces and moustaches — Greco-Roman modelling
2
Bodhisattva Maitreya
Gāndhāra
Dark grey-blue schist; wavy hair, moustache, heavy ornaments and a shawl falling in deep folds like a Roman toga; slender, anatomically observed body
3
Śhiva linga worshipped by Kuṣhāṇa devotees
Mathurā
Red sandstone with its typical spotting; an Indian, non-Buddhist subject; flat, simply modelled figures
4
A Nāga between two Nāgīs, inscribed with the eighth year of Kaṇiṣhka's reign
Mathurā
Buff-red sandstone; a purely Indian folk deity with a canopy of snake hoods; heavy rounded body; a Brahmi inscription of a Kuṣhāṇa regnal year — Mathurā was the Kuṣhāṇas' Indian art centre
5
Kartikeya, god of war, and Agni, god of fire
Mathurā
Mottled red sandstone; Indian deities; broad faces, full bodies, smooth surfaces, shallow relief
6
Standing Buddha
Gāndhāra
Dark schist; a large plain halo; the robe covers both shoulders and falls in continuous rippling folds — the hallmark of the Gāndhāra Buddha
Gāndhāra: 1, 2, 6 · Mathurā: 3, 4, 5
The quickest test:colour first, subject second. Dark grey stone with heavy folded robes → Gāndhāra. Red or buff sandstone with a full, smooth, Indian figure → Mathurā. Then check the subject: a Nāga, a yakṣha, Kartikeya or a Śhiva linga will almost always be Mathurā.
Tip: when you write your justification, always name two features — the material and one thing about the figure. One feature alone can mislead, because both schools carved the Buddha.