Question

How did the Mauryan Empire finally end ?
(a) The last Mauryan ruler was killed by his General.
(b) The Kanvas of Central India deposed the last Mauryan ruler.
(c) The last Mauryan ruler was killed in a battle with the foreign invader from the north-west.
(d) The last mauryan ruler had no heir and the throne was claimed by one of his powerful ministers.

Answer 1

Hint:
Within five decades, the Mauryan Empire dissolved after Emperor Ashoka's death. For this disintegration of a once-mighty empire, there are several explanations offered by historians. The Mauryan Empire, at its zenith, spread from Afghanistan in the west to Bangladesh in the east. Except for modern-day Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka, it occupied almost the entire Indian subcontinent. The weakening of the empire began a few years after Ashoka's death.

Complete solution:
The Mauryan Empire split into two halves, the western and eastern parts, after the death of Ashoka. The kingdom was weakened by this. Kalhana, author of the work Rajatarangini, which is an account of the history of Kashmir, says that his son Jalauka ruled over Kashmir as a sovereign ruler after Ashoka's death. Strong kings such as Maurya Chandragupta and Ashoka could well govern the government. Yet weak rulers lead to an administration collapsing which eventually led to the disintegration of the kingdom. A decline of the central government, along with a great distance to connect, has contributed to the emergence of autonomous kingdoms. Brihadratha, the last Maurya ruler, was toppled by his own army chief, Pushyamitra. People of outstanding skills and character were indeed the first three rulers of the Mauryan Empire. The later kings were no match for their illustrious predecessors in terms of consistency. There was an internal rebellion led by his army commander, Pushyamitra Shunga, in around 185 or 186 BC during Brihadratha's reign. This ended the reign of the Mauryas over Magadha and the rule of the Shunga dynasty began there. Some historians say that the policies of non-violence and pacifism of Ashoka contributed to the empire's weakening. Western forces were once again threatened to threaten the kingdom after he avoided fighting wars. He also gave the propagation of Buddhism a great deal of value and effort.

Hence, the correct answer is option A.

Note:
 His family continued to rule after Ashoka's death, but the kingdom started to fall up. Brihadratha, the last of the Mauryas, was assassinated by his chief commander, a man called Pushyamitra, who established the Shunga Dynasty in 185 B.C.E.