1. Who was the founder of the Maurya dynasty?
2. According to brahmanical tradition, Chandragupta Maurya was born of Mura, a woman belonging to which class?
3. With whose help did Chandragupta Maurya overthrow the Nandas?
4. Which Greek writer claims that Chandragupta overran the whole of India with an army of 600,000?
5. Chandragupta Maurya liberated north-western India from the rule of which Greek ruler?
6. In the peace settlement between Chandragupta and Seleucus, how many elephants did Chandragupta give in return for eastern Afghanistan, Baluchistan and the area west of the Indus?
7. Megasthenes was a Greek ambassador sent by Seleucus to the court of which ruler?
8. The account of the Maurya administration and economy, based on the fragments of Megasthenes' writings collected by later Greek writers, is known by which name?
9. Whose work supplements the account of Megasthenes in reconstructing Maurya administration?
10. The Maurya administration maintained a board of how many officers to oversee the six wings of the armed forces?
11. According to the account of the Roman writer Pliny, how many foot-soldiers did Chandragupta maintain?
12. As per the Arthasastra, what was the range of tax collected from peasants as a share of produce?
13. Which four cities are described as the most important cities of the Maurya empire, apart from the capital?
14. The administration of Pataliputra was carried on by six committees, each consisting of how many members?
15. Besides city administration, how many departments did the central government maintain to control social and economic activities?
16. Who succeeded Chandragupta Maurya as ruler?
17. Who is considered the greatest of the Maurya rulers?
18. Consider the following statements about the sources for reconstructing Asoka's history:
(I) His inscriptions were engraved on rocks, polished stone pillars and in caves.
(II) The inscriptions are found only within the Indian subcontinent.
(III) The inscriptions take the form of 44 royal orders.
Which of the above is/are correct?
19. In which script do Asoka's inscriptions generally appear throughout most of the empire?
20. In the north-western part of the empire, Asoka's inscriptions appear mainly in which script?
21. At Kandhar in Afghanistan, Asoka's inscriptions were written even in which language and script, apart from Greek?
22. Asoka fought his only major war, the Kalinga war, according to which Major Rock Edict?
23. As stated in the 13th Major Rock Edict, how many people were killed in the Kalinga war?
24. As a result of the Kalinga war, Asoka replaced which policy with which other, according to the chapter's account?
25. Who was the Greek ambassador sent by Seleucus, distinct from Megasthenes, whose reign coincided with continued diplomatic links with the Greek princes?
Consider the following statements:
(I) Bindusara's reign is noted for continued links with the Greek princes.
(II) According to Buddhist tradition, Asoka killed his 99 brothers to gain the throne.
(III) This tradition about Asoka's cruelty is treated as reliable historical fact.
Which of the above is/are correct?
26. What was the goal of Asoka's dharma, as distinguished from the Buddhist goal of nirvana?
27. Asoka appointed a special class of officers, known as dharmamahamatras, for what purpose?
28. Which officers did Asoka appoint for the administration of justice in the empire?
29. Consider the following statements regarding Asoka's religious policy:
(I) He followed a tolerant religious policy and did not force his Buddhist faith on his subjects.
(II) He made gifts even to non-Buddhist and anti-Buddhist sects.
(III) He disapproved of certain rituals, especially those observed by women.
Which of the above is/are correct?
30. Which ruler is compared to Asoka as having pursued a similarly pacific policy in the fourteenth century B.C., in a country other than India?
31. In which year did Asoka retire from kingship, after which his viceroys and vassals began declaring independence?
32. Who was the highest officer in charge of tax assessment under the Mauryas?
33. Who was the chief custodian of the state treasury and store-house under the Mauryas?
34. Consider the following statements on Maurya functionaries called tirthas:
(I) The minister (mantrin) and high priest (purohita) were among the highest-paid functionaries.
(II) The highest functionaries were paid as much as 48,000 panas.
(III) The lowest officers were given as little as 10 or 20 panas.
Which of the above is/are correct?
35. How many superintendents (adhyakshas) did the Maurya state appoint mainly to regulate economic activities, according to the Arthasastra?
36. Which symbols are found on the punch-marked silver coins believed to have formed the imperial currency of the Mauryas?
37. The earliest examples of cave architecture hewn out of rocks for monks under the Mauryas are found at which caves?
38. Which pottery type, found abundantly during the Maurya period, is associated with the material culture of the Gangetic basin?
39. Which inscription in Bangladesh, found at Bogra district, is associated with Maurya Brahmi script?
40. Who finally destroyed the Maurya empire, killing the last Maurya king Brihadratha in public?
41. In which year was Brihadratha killed and the Maurya empire finally destroyed?
42. Consider the following statements on the causes of the fall of the Maurya empire:
(I) The enormous expenditure on the army and bureaucracy created a financial crisis.
(II) Oppressive rule by provincial bureaucrats was a cause of complaint even in Bindusara's reign.
(III) Asoka's neglect of the north-western frontier coincided with the movement of the Scythians in Central Asia.
Which of the above is/are correct?
43. The Chinese ruler Shih Huang Ti constructed the Great Wall of China to shield his empire against the attacks of which nomadic people?
44. Which Greek kingdom, first to invade India in 206 B.C., had been set up in north Afghanistan?
45. Consider the following pairs of brahmana dynasties and the regions they ruled after the fall of the Maurya empire:
(I) Sungas and Kanvas – Madhya Pradesh and further east
(II) Satavahanas – Western Deccan and Andhra
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
