maurya & post mauryan period MCQ set 6 Questions and Answers Detailed Explanation

Answer: (c)

The Roman historian Justin described Sandrocottus (Greek version of Chandragupta’s name) conquered the northwest India.

Answer: (a)

There is little information regarding the early life of Asoka. He acted as Governor of Ujjain and also suppressed a revolt in Taxila during his father Bindusara’s reign. There was an interval of four years between Asoka’s accession to the throne (273 B.C.) and his actual coronation (269 B.C.).

Therefore, it appears from the available evidence that there was a struggle for the throne after Bindusara’s death. The Ceylonese Chronicles, Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa state that Asoka captured power after killing his ninety-nine brothers including the elder brother Susima.

The youngest brother Tissa was spared. But according to Taranatha of Tibet, Asoka killed only six of his brothers. Asoka’s Edict also refers to his brothers acting as officers in his administration. However, it is clear that the succession of Asoka was a disputed one.

The most important event of Asoka’s reign was his victorious war with Kalinga in 261 B.C. Although there is no detail about the cause and course of the war, the effects of the war were described by Asoka himself in the Rock edict XIII: “A hundred and fifty thousand were killed and many times that number perished…” After the war, he annexed Kalinga to the Mauryan Empire.

Answer: (d)

The inscriptions of Ashoka are written in two scripts known as Brahmi and Kharosthi. Kharosthi script has been used in the inscriptions found at Shahbazgarhi in Mardan District of KhyberPakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan and Manshera also in Pakistan.

Answer: (a)

The great rulers of the Satavahana dynasty Gautamiputra Satakarni and Sri Yajna Satakarni were able to defeat the foreign invaders like the Western Kshatrapas and stop their expansion.

Answer: (b)

Chanakya was the mentor of Chandragupta Maurya. He was a great scholar, teacher of economics and political science in ancient India. Different lessons of politics and war were taught to Chandragupta by Chanakya. Chandragupta Maurya established Maurya Empire by defeating Dhana Nanda of Nanda dynasty.

Answer: (a)

Ashoka maintained close relations with Tissa, the ruler of Ceylon. Devaanampiya Tissa was the second son of Mutasiva. He was a friend of Asoka even before he became king.