Question

Megasthenes visited India during the period of_________________
A. Chandragupta II
B. Ashoka
C. Chandragupta Maurya
D. Harsha

Answer 1

Hint: He visited India at some point between the 302 and 298 B.C. Megasthenes as a Greek envoy of Seleucus I Nicator visited Pataliputra. He was highly impressed to see the political arrangements made under the reign of the then ruler and also how he unified most of India under one administration.

Complete answer:
The Mauryan Empire was established in 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya who had toppled the Nanda dynasty.
Chandragupta's Maurya was persuaded by his instructor and legend Chanakya to vanquish the realm of Magadha as Chanakya was himself offended by Dhana Nanda.
The Mauryan realm was the biggest political entity that has existed in the Indian Subcontinent.
Its capital city was situated at Pataliputra.
Megasthenes was a historian and diplomat who served as an ambassador to India.
Megasthenes assembled information about India in his book called as Indika, which is now a lost work, but is sustained in form of quotations by the later writers in their writings.

Let us find the correct answer,
Option A : Chandragupta II, also known as Vikramaditya, was one of the most powerful emperors of the Gupta Dynasty. His reign was from 375 CE - 415 CE. Thus, Option A is the incorrect option.
Option B : Ashoka, the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty. He ruled almost all of the Indian sub continents from 268 BCE - 232 BCE. Thus Option B is the incorrect option.
Option C : As explained, Megasthenes visited India during the period of Chandragupta Maurya. Thus, Option C is the correct option.
Option D : Harsha Vardhana, was the last ruler of the Pushyabhuti Dynasty who ruled from 606 CE-647 CE. Thus Option D is an incorrect option.

Hence, option C Chandragupta Maurya is the correct answer.

Note: Other Greek envoys to the court of Mauryan dynasty known after Megasthenes are : Deimachus as ambassador to Bindusara and Dionysius as ambassador to Ashoka. Chanakya has written an ancient Indian Sanskrit book on economic policy and military strategy named as "Arthashastra." Chandragupta Maurya was known to the Greeks as "Sandrocottus".