Consider the following statements 1. The Gandhara art of the Peshawar Valley is known for some of the finest sculptures made in dark grey schist. 2. The Kushanas were the first Indian kings to have portraits of themselves made in their shrines. Which of the statements given above is/ are correct ?

Statement 1 is correct as the Gandhara school of art, centered in the Peshawar Valley and Taxila, is renowned for its Greco-Buddhist sculptures primarily carved from dark grey or blue-grey schist [c2][t2][t5]. This material was used to create some of the earliest anthropomorphic representations of the Buddha, characterized by naturalistic Greco-Roman features [t2][t4]. Statement 2 is also correct; the Kushanas were pioneers in Indian royal portraiture [t1]. They established 'devakulas' or royal shrines, such as those at Mat (near Mathura) and Surkh Kotal, specifically to house monumental portrait statues of their kings, including Kanishka I [t4][t9]. These shrines served to deify the rulers and legitimize their authority, marking a significant departure from earlier Indian traditions where royal portraiture was not a prominent feature of religious or state architecture [t3][t9].

Sources

1. [1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings > 11.1 Grappling with the unfamiliar > p. 108
2. [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushan_art