Match List - I with List - II:
Choose the correct answer from the options given below : |
(A)-(II), (B)-(III), (C)-(I), (D)-(IV) (A)-(I), (B)-(II), (C)-(III), (D)-(IV) (A)-(III), (B)-(II), (C)-(I), (D)-(IV) (A)-(IV), (B)-(III), (C)-(II), (D)-(II) |
(A)-(II), (B)-(III), (C)-(I), (D)-(IV) |
The correct answer is Option (1) → (A)-(II), (B)-(III), (C)-(I), (D)-(IV) (A) Piyadassi is another name for Ashoka, the Mauryan emperor who is known for his rock edicts and inscriptions. So, (A) matches with (II). Some historical inscription does not directly mention the name of the ruler, Asoka. Instead, it refers to him using titles such as "devanampiya," meaning "beloved of the gods," and "piyadassi," translated as "pleasant to behold." The name Asoka is found in some other inscriptions along with these titles. Epigraphists, after analyzing all these inscriptions and noting their similarities in content, style, language, and palaeography, have concluded that they were issued by the same ruler. Early scholars studying ancient inscriptions often mistakenly assumed them to be in Sanskrit, when in reality, they were written in Prakrit, an earlier vernacular language. It was only after years of meticulous investigations by several epigraphists that James Prinsep succeeded in deciphering Asokan Brahmi in 1838. During the period between the sixth and the fourth centuries BCE, Magadha emerged as the most dominant mahajanapada, situated in present-day Bihar. This rise in power can be attributed to various factors according to modern historians. Firstly, Magadha's fertile region facilitated productive agriculture. Additionally, the presence of iron mines in present-day Jharkhand provided essential resources for tools and weapons. The abundance of elephants in the local forests proved crucial for bolstering the army. Moreover, the Ganga River and its tributaries served as convenient and cost-effective means of communication. |