Which of the following pairs are correctly matched ? I. Lothal : Ancient dockyard II. Sarnath : First Sermon of Buddha III. Rajgir : Lion capital of Asoka IV. Nalanda : Great seat of Buddhist learning Select the correct answer using the codes given below: Codes :

Correct option: 3 (I, II and IV). Lothal has been interpreted by excavators as a Harappan port town featuring a large basin interpreted as a dockyard, supporting statement I [1]. Sarnath is conventionally identified as the place where the Buddha delivered his first sermon and is the site where Ashoka erected the famous pillar whose lion capital originates, supporting II and showing the lion capital’s provenance is Sarnath rather than Rajgir [2]. Rajgir, though an important early Magadhan center, is not the site of Ashoka’s lion capital. Nalanda is widely attested as a major ancient centre of Buddhist learning, supporting IV.

Sources

1. [2] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: The Rise of Empires > LET'S EXPLORE > p. 109