Test: Kings, Farmers And Town- 1 - Humanities/Arts MCQ

The first volume of Epigraphia Indica was edited by Burgess and brought out in the year 1888. This was a critically edited periodical, containing important inscriptions in different languages and scripts.

The sixteen Mahajanapadas were early states mentioned in Buddhist and Jaina texts. Some were ruled by kings, while others were oligarchies known as ganas or sanghas. The most powerful of these was Magadha, but they were not all located in southern India.

James Prinsep deciphered the Brahmi script in 1838, and this discovery was crucial in understanding Asoka's inscriptions. Brahmi is the script from which most modern Indian scripts are derived, but early inscriptions were primarily in Prakrit, not Sanskrit.

The Dhamma, as explained in Asokan edicts, is not a religion or religious system, but a moral law, which is a common meeting ground for all religions. After the Kalinga war, the greatest ideal and objective before Ashoka was the propagation of Dhamma.

Kautilya or Chanakya was the prime minister of Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Mauryan dynasty. The text Arthashastra deals with the monetary and fiscal policies, public welfare, international relations and war strategies in great detail.

• Emergence of the Mauryan Empire under Chandragupta Maurya (c. 321 BCE): Chandragupta Maurya founded the empire.
• Reign of Ashoka (269-231 BCE): Ashoka was the most famous Mauryan ruler.
• Kalinga War (261 BCE): Fought during Ashoka’s reign, leading to his adoption of dhamma.
• End of the Mauryan Empire (185 BCE): The empire declined and ended after about 150 years.

• Assertion (A): The statement about the decipherment of Kharosthi being aided by Indo-Greek coins is correct. These coins provided essential comparative material for understanding the Kharosthi script.
• Reason (R): This statement is also correct. The ability to compare Greek letters with Kharosthi was crucial in the decipherment process, as it allowed scholars to identify symbols and their meanings.
• Explanation: Since both the assertion and the reason are correct and the reason directly explains why the assertion is true, Option A is the correct choice.

• Mauryan Empire's capital - B. Patna (Pataliputra):
  Patna, known as Pataliputra in ancient times, was the capital of the Mauryan Empire. It was a significant political and administrative center.

• Ashoka's dhamma - A. Respect towards elders:
  Ashoka's dhamma emphasized respect towards elders, compassion, non-violence, and religious tolerance.

• Kautilya's Arthashastra - C. Ashoka’s Minister:
  Kautilya, also known as Chanakya, was the chief advisor and minister of Chandragupta Maurya, not Ashoka. The Arthashastra is his treatise on statecraft and military strategy.

• Suvarnagiri - D. Provincial center of the Mauryan Empire:
  Suvarnagiri was one of the important provincial centers of the Mauryan Empire, particularly known for its gold mines.

• Statement I is correct as Chandragupta Maurya extended the empire to include regions such as Afghanistan and Baluchistan.
• Statement II is false because while the Mauryan Empire was vast, administrative control was stronger around the capital and key provincial centers, and there were likely local variations in governance across different regions of the empire.

• Assertion (A) is true: The Kushanas, particularly Kanishka, adopted the title "Devaputra" (Son of God) to emphasize their divine right to rule and enhance the legitimacy and sanctity of their kingship. This was a way to assert their semi-divine status, blending Iranian, Central Asian, and Indian traditions of divine kingship.

• Reason (R) is false: The title "Devaputra" was not a commonly used title by Roman emperors.
  In ancient Rome, emperors often used titles like "Divi Filius" (Son of the Divine), especially after Julius Caesar was deified, but "Devaputra" is distinctly Central Asian/Indian in linguistic and cultural origin and not derived from Roman tradition.

Thus, the Assertion is true, but the Reason is false.