Which of the following statements are true regarding the Mauryan Empire?
(A) Asoka founded the Mauryan Empire in 321 BCE.
(B) Bindusara conquered Kalinga to extend the Mauryan Empire.
(C) There were 5 major political centres in the Mauryan Empire: Pataliputra, Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali and Suvarnagiri.
(D) Megasthenes mentions a committee with 6 sub-committees for coordinating military activity.
(E) Asoka appointed special officers, known as the 'Dhamma Mahamatta' to spread the message of Dhamma.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (C), (D), (E) Only
(A) Asoka founded the Mauryan Empire in 321 BCE. Incorrect. The empire was founded (c. 321 BCE) by Chandragupta Maurya; Asoka was his grandson.
(B) Bindusara conquered Kalinga to extend the Mauryan Empire. Incorrect. It was Asoka who conquered Kalinga (present-day coastal Orissa).
(C) There were 5 major political centres in the Mauryan Empire: Pataliputra, Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali and Suvarnagiri. Correct. There were five major political centres: the capital Pataliputra and the provincial centres of Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali and Suvarnagiri, all mentioned in Asokan inscriptions.
(D) Megasthenes mentions a committee with 6 sub-committees for coordinating military activity. Correct. Megasthenes mentions a committee with six subcommittees, for the navy, transport and provisions, foot-soldiers, horses, chariots and elephants.
(E) Asoka appointed special officers, known as the 'Dhamma Mahamatta' to spread the message of Dhamma. Correct. Asoka tried to hold his empire together by propagating dhamma, and special officers, the dhamma mahamatta, were appointed to spread its message.
NCERT (2026-27): “3. An Early Empire Languages and scripts … The growth of Magadha culminated in the emergence of the Mauryan Empire. Chandragupta Maurya, who founded the empire (c. 321 BCE), extended control as far northwest as Afghanistan and Baluchistan, and his grandson Asoka, arguably the most famous ruler of early India, conquered Kalinga (present-day coastal Orissa).… 3.2 Administering the empire … There were five major political centres in the empire – the capital Pataliputra and the provincial centres of Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali and Suvarnagiri, all mentioned in Asokan inscriptions.… Minor ROCK Edicts Keralaputras Pandyas … It is obvious that the army was an important means for ensuring the latter. Megasthenes mentions a committee with six subcommittees for coordinating military activity. Of these, one looked after the navy, the second managed transport and provisions, the third was responsible for foot-soldiers, the fourth for horses, the fifth for chariots and the sixth for elephants.… 3.2 Administering the empire … Asoka also tried to hold his empire together by propagating dhamma, the principles of which, as we have seen, were simple and virtually universally applicable. This, according to him, would ensure the well-being of people in this world and the next. Special officers, known as the dhamma mahamatta, were appointed to spread the message of dhamma.…” |