Which one of the following present day territories was outside the limits of Ashoka's empire ?
- A.Brahmaputra valley, Assam
- B.Baluchistan
- C.North Bengal
- D.Kashmir valley
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Brahmaputra valley, Assam. Ashoka's empire covered almost the whole subcontinent, but the Brahmaputra valley lay beyond its eastern limit. The spread of his edicts marks the empire's reach: rock edicts at Shahbazgarhi and Mansehra in the north-west, the Greek and Aramaic inscriptions at Kandahar in Afghanistan, Kalsi in the Himalayan foothills, Dhauli and Jaugada in Kalinga, and Brahmagiri and Maski in Karnataka. No Ashokan inscription has been found in Assam, and the far south (Cholas, Pandyas, Cheras, Satiyaputras) and Tamraparni (Sri Lanka) are named in the edicts as neighbours, not as parts of the empire. Option B is wrong because Baluchistan and the Kandahar region had passed to the Mauryas from Seleucus under Chandragupta. Option C is wrong because North Bengal was Mauryan land, as the Mahasthan inscription in Bogura district shows. Option D is wrong because Kashmir was within the empire, and Kalhana's Rajatarangini credits Ashoka with founding Srinagar. Exam tip: Ashoka's empire ran from Kandahar to Bengal and Karnataka, but not into Assam or the far south.
Practice Questions
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Show answer
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Show answer
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