The Buddhists put forth an alternative perspective on social inequalities and mechanisms to address conflicts within society. According to a myth found in the Sutta Pitaka, they proposed that in the beginning, humans did not possess fully developed physical bodies, and the plant world was also not fully mature. During this idyllic period, all beings lived in harmony, peacefully gathering only the necessary resources from nature for their sustenance.

Which of the following statements is correct?

a- The later Buddhist texts suggested that Mauryans were Brahmans.
b- Brahmanical texts described them as being of “low” origin.

Only statement b is correct.

Several important ruling lineages probably had different origins. The social background of the Mauryas, who ruled over a large empire, has been hotly debated. While later Buddhist texts suggested they were Kshatriyas, Brahmanical texts described them as being of “low” origin. The Shungas and Kanvas, the immediate successors of the Mauryas, were Brahmanas. In fact, political power was effectively open to anyone who could muster support and resources and rarely depended on birth as a Kshatriya.