Which one of the following statements regarding Asokan stone pillars is incorrect ?

Asokan (Ashokan) pillars are described in primary sources as polished, monolithic, and with slightly tapering shafts. Contemporary accounts and studies note that Ashoka’s inscriptions were cut on polished stone pillars (Mauryan polish) and that the pillars exhibit a mirror-like finish and were often lathe-turned to a tapering form [1]. Moreover, these columns are frequently characterized as standing free, complete and independent monuments rather than integral parts of larger built structures; descriptions stress that the pillars “stand free in space” and are not merely architectural supports. Therefore the statement that they are “parts of architectural structures” is incorrect (option 4).

Sources

1. [1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns > 3.1 Finding out about the Mauryas > p. 32