Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched ?

Option 2 is correct. The Kushan rulers were key patrons of Gandhara art; the Gandhara School developed in the Kushan period as a syncretic Greco-Buddhist style and matured under Kushan patronage [1]. Option 1 is incorrect because Painted Grey Ware is an Iron Age phenomenon dated c.1100–800 BCE and post-dates the Mature Harappan tradition, whose pottery and art are distinct (Harappan material shows characteristic red-slip and black-painted wares and terracotta/stone/metal figurines) [1]. Option 3 is wrong since the Ajanta murals belong to the Gupta and post-Gupta (Madhyadesa) traditions, not the Mughal period [1]. Option 4 is not a correct cultural pairing in this list.

Sources

1. [1] https://nios.ac.in/media/documents/332-New/Book-1/lesson-05.pdf
2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 2: Early India: The Chalcolithic, Megalithic, Iron Age and Vedic Cultures > 2.2 Iron Age in North India > p. 20
3. [4] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 1: Early India: From the Beginnings to the Indus Civilisation > Arts and Amusement > p. 13
4. [3] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 7: The Guptas > Painting > p. 98