Q: Who founded the Mauryan Empire?
A: Chandragupta Maurya.
Q: When was the Mauryan Empire founded?
A: Around 321 BCE.
Q: Who was Chandragupta Maurya’s chief advisor?
A: Chanakya.
Q: What book did Chanakya write?
A: Arthashastra.
Q: What was the capital of the Mauryan Empire?
A: Pataliputra.
Q: Which Greek ambassador visited Chandragupta’s court?
A: Megasthenes.
Q: Who sent Megasthenes to India?
A: Seleucus I Nicator.
Q: Which Mauryan ruler defeated Seleucus Nicator?
A: Chandragupta Maurya.
Q: What book did Megasthenes write?
A: Indica.
Q: From whom did Chandragupta take Magadha?
A: Dhana Nanda.
Q: Which dynasty did the Mauryas replace?
A: Nanda Dynasty.
Q: Which text explains Mauryan politics and administration?
A: Arthashastra.
Q: What was the highest officer in Mauryan administration called?
A: Mahamatya.
Q: Who guided Chandragupta to power?
A: Chanakya.
Q: Whom did Chandragupta marry from the Seleucid Empire?
A: Helena (daughter of Seleucus).
Q: Which regions did Seleucus cede to Chandragupta?
A: Eastern Afghanistan and Baluchistan.
Q: Which religion did Chandragupta follow later in life?
A: Jainism.
Q: Who was called Sandrokottos by Greek writers?
A: Chandragupta Maurya.
Q: Who identified Sandrokottos as Chandragupta?
A: William Jones.
Q: Which historian called Chandragupta’s army a “band of robbers”?
A: Justin.
Q: Where did Chandragupta spend his last days?
A: Sravanabelagola.
Q: Who succeeded Chandragupta Maurya?
A: Bindusara.
Q: What was Bindusara’s Greek name?
A: Amitrochates.
Q: Which Seleucid ruler corresponded with Bindusara?
A: Antiochus I Soter.
Q: Which ambassador visited Bindusara’s court?
A: Deimachus.
Q: Who sent Deimachus to India?
A: Antiochus I.
Q: Who was the most famous Mauryan ruler?
A: Ashoka.
Q: Which title did Ashoka adopt?
A: Devanampiya Priyadarshi.
Q: Who deciphered Ashoka’s inscriptions?
A: James Prinsep (1837).
Q: Which battle transformed Ashoka’s life?
A: Battle of Kalinga (261 BCE).
Q: Which edict describes the Kalinga War?
A: 13th Rock Edict.
Q: What did Ashoka do after the Kalinga War?
A: Embraced Buddhism and Dhamma.
Q: What was Ashoka’s Dhamma?
A: A moral code stressing tolerance and non-violence.
Q: What type of inscriptions did Ashoka issue?
A: Rock and Pillar Edicts.
Q: In which language were Ashoka’s edicts written?
A: Prakrit (Brahmi script).
Q: Where is Ashoka’s Lion Capital found?
A: Sarnath.
Q: India’s National Emblem is derived from which artifact?
A: Ashoka’s Lion Capital.
Q: What is the Chakra on the Indian flag called?
A: Ashoka Chakra.
Q: Which Buddhist council did Ashoka support?
A: Third Buddhist Council.
Q: Who led the Third Buddhist Council?
A: Moggaliputta Tissa.
Q: Who succeeded Ashoka?
A: Dasharatha Maurya.
Q: Who was the last Mauryan ruler?
A: Brihadratha Maurya.
Q: Who killed Brihadratha?
A: Pushyamitra Shunga.
Q: Which dynasty replaced the Mauryas?
A: Shunga Dynasty.
Q: How long did the Mauryan Empire last?
A: Around 137 years.
Q: What was the territorial extent of the Mauryan Empire?
A: From Afghanistan to Bengal, Kashmir to Karnataka.
Q: What material was used in Mauryan pillars?
A: Polished sandstone.
Q: Where is Ashoka’s famous stupa located?
A: Sanchi.
Q: Which Mauryan port city was important for trade?
A: Tamralipti.
Q: Who was Ashoka’s son sent to Sri Lanka?
A: Mahinda.
Q: Who was Ashoka’s daughter sent to Sri Lanka?
A: Sanghamitta.
Q: What did Sanghamitta take to Sri Lanka?
A: A branch of the Bodhi Tree.
Q: Which religion dominated before Ashoka’s conversion?
A: Brahmanism.
Q: What is a stupa?
A: A Buddhist burial mound/monument.
Q: Which script remains undeciphered in ancient India besides Harappan?
A: None; Ashokan Brahmi was deciphered.
Q: What is India’s oldest surviving stone inscriptions?
A: Ashoka’s Edicts.
Q: Which edict states “All men are my children”?
A: Fifth Major Rock Edict.
Q: Which Mauryan site produced the Didarganj Yakshini?
A: Mauryan Period sculpture.
Q: Where did Chandragupta renounce his life by fasting?
A: Sravanabelagola.
Q: According to Megasthenes, how many classes existed in Indian society?
A: Seven classes.