Question

Which Mauryan King holds the title of Amitraghata?
(A) Bimbisar
(B) Chandragupta Maurya
(C) Bindusara
(D) Ashoka

Answer 1

Hint: the time period of the Mauryan Empire is $321 - 185$ BCE. The Mauryan Empire was founded by Chandragupta Maurya in $320$ BC. Increased centralization government control over the regional kingdoms. They had a large army of $700,000$ . The strongest of all the Mauryan emperors was Ashoka.

Complete step by step solution
In the year $324$ BC. Chandragupta shoved the Macedonian garrisons in Punjab and Sindh out of India. Then he attacked the kingdom of Magadha, which controlled the Ganges and conquered it.

Chronology of Mauryas
1. Chandragupta Maurya ( $321 - 297$ BCE)
2. Bindusara ( $297 - 272$ BCE)
3. Ashoka Piyadasi ( $273 - 232$ BCE)
4. Brihadratha ( $194 - 187$ BCE)

Chandragupta unified northern India. He defeated the Persian general seleucus. He divided his empire into provinces. In $301$ BCE, he gave up his throne and became a Jain. He feared for assassination- food tasters, slept in different rooms, etc.

Political structure of Maurya Empire
1. Centralized
2. Large staff- tax collecting and commerce
3. Organized army
4. Provinces- district, villages

Ashoka ruled almost all Indian subcontinent during $268 - 232$ BCE. He encouraged the spread of Buddhism across ancient Asia.
Bindusara was the son of Chandragupta Maurya. He was known as Amitraghata. Which means slayers of enemies. This name was given to him because his father Chandragupta Maurya was a powerful king and ruthless to his enemies.

Thus the option (C) is correct


Note: BCE means Before the Common Era. Maurya Empire was the largest empire seen in India. Ashoka is also known as “beloved of gods”. Kautilya was a priest, he was chief adviser of Chandragupta, he wrote the Arthashastra. The political ideology of the Maury was derived from Arthashastra.