Chronological arrangement from earlier to most recent.
(A) Maurya Empire Founded
(B) Birth of Gautam Buddha
(C) Invasion by Alexander
(D) Gupta Empire Founded
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (B), (A), (C), (D)
Note: The given answer is as per the official NTA Answer Key. However, none of the given options appears to be correct, because Alexander’s invasion (C) came a few years before the Maurya Empire was founded (A), so the true order is B, C, A, D, as explained below. In NTA’s key, Chandragupta finishes building his empire before Alexander has even crossed the Indus.
The date of each event:
(B) Birth of Gautam Buddha — about 563 BCE (traditional date), at Lumbini, in present-day Nepal.
(C) Invasion by Alexander — 327–326 BCE. Alexander of Macedon crossed into north-west India and defeated Porus at the Hydaspes (Jhelum) in 326 BCE, then turned back when his army refused to go beyond the Beas.
(A) Maurya Empire Founded — about 321 BCE, when Chandragupta Maurya, guided by Chanakya, overthrew the Nanda king of Magadha.
(D) Gupta Empire Founded — about 320 CE, when Chandragupta I began his reign, the start of the Gupta era.