Consider the following statements: 1. Ikshvaku rulers were antagonistic towards Buddhism. 2. Pala rulers were patrons of Buddhism. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct answer is B because of the following reasons:

Statement 1 is incorrect. While the Ikshvaku kings of the Krishna Guntur region generally followed Brahmanism and performed Vedic sacrifices, they were not antagonistic towards Buddhism. In fact, the Ikshvaku period was a golden age for Buddhism in Andhra Pradesh. Many royal women of the Ikshvaku family were devout Buddhists and made significant donations for the construction and maintenance of monasteries and stupas, such as those at Nagarjunakonda.

Statement 2 is correct. The Pala rulers of Bengal and Bihar were great patrons of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. They founded several famous Buddhist universities, including Vikramshila, Somapura, and Odantapuri, and continued to support the established university at Nalanda. Under their patronage, Buddhist art and architecture flourished significantly.