Question

Which among the following was the first dynasty that ruled North India?
A. Chola dynasty
B. Gupta dynasty
C. Mauryan dynasty
D. Pushyabhuti dynasty

Answer 1

Hint: The rich history of India along with the dynasties that ruled over the sub-continent dates back to 6500 BC. Along with them lies a number of great rulers and even civilizations who left golden imprints of their names on the pages of history.

Complete answer:
The Mauryans are considered to be the first major historical Indian empire ruling between 322 and 185 BCE. Apart from this, they are also the largest among all the empires to be ever created by an Indian dynasty. The dynasty rose in the Northern parts of India, leading to a formation of the state of Magadha (present-day Bihar) all the while dominating the Ganges plain and extending across all over India.
Based in Magadha during the Iron Age, the empire occupied a large geographical area and was founded by Chandragupta Maurya. It is said to have been centralized by the conquest of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the capital of which was located at Pataliputra (present-day Patna). At its zenith, the empire extended over 5 million square kilometers under the reign of Ashoka.

Thus, option (C) is correct.

Additional Information: Under Gupta rule, India received the height of its classical civilization also terming this period as the golden age wherein many famous literature pieces and scientific developments were produced.

Note: Most of the policies adopted during the Mauryan period were set out by Chanakya, Chandragupta’s minister who wrote a book on the Mauryan Empire ‘The Arthashastra’. The Mauryas even ruled over parts of Afghanistan and Iran after signing off a treaty with Alexander’s generals.