Inscriptions from Mathura recording donations to religious establishments are primarily found on:

The correct option is

Stone slabs and statues

Explanation

Mathura was a major political, cultural, and commercial hub during the post-Mauryan period, serving as a capital for the Kushanas (Central Asian rulers). It is historically significant for the Mathura School of Art and a vast number of epigraphic records documenting religious patronage.

Detailed Analysis

• Nature of Records: The inscriptions found in Mathura are primarily votive (donative) in nature. They record gifts made by women, men, merchants, and royalty to religious establishments belonging to Buddhism, Jainism, and Brahmanism.
• Medium of Inscription: These records are incised on stone slabs (such as ayagapatas or votive tablets) and on the bases or pedestals of stone statues and sculptures.
• Material: The region is famous for the use of spotted red sandstone, which served as the primary canvas for both the art and the accompanying inscriptions.
• Elimination of Other Options:
  • Palm leaves and Silk: These are perishable materials. While manuscripts were written on them, the surviving archaeological evidence of donations from this period in Mathura consists of durable materials.
  • Copper plates: While copper plate charters became a standard medium for recording land grants in later periods (such as the Gupta and post-Gupta eras), the donation records of the Mathura sphere during the post-Mauryan age are predominantly lithic (stone-based).

Key Takeaway: Inscriptions from the Mathura region recording religious donations are characteristically found on stone slabs and statue pedestals, utilizing the local red sandstone.