Which one of the following was not a part of the dhamma of King Ashoka ?
- A.Honouring the king
- B.Tolerance of religions other than one's own
- C.Respecting Brahmanas
- D.Promoting the welfare of his subjects
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Honouring the king. Ashoka's dhamma was a moral code for all his subjects and never asked people to honour or worship the king himself. After the Kalinga war, Ashoka set out his dhamma in rock and pillar edicts written mostly in Prakrit and in the Brahmi script. Its principles included respect for elders, generosity towards Brahmanas and Shramanas, kind treatment of slaves and servants, non-violence towards animals, and respect for religions and traditions other than one's own. He appointed officers called dhamma mahamattas to spread it and called his subjects his children. Option B is wrong because tolerance of other sects is a central theme of his edicts, especially Rock Edict XII. Option C is wrong because the edicts repeatedly ask people to respect Brahmanas and Shramanas. Option D is wrong because Ashoka saw the welfare of his people as his duty and built roads, wells, rest houses and hospitals for people and animals. Exam tip: dhamma was ethics, not a new religion; it was spread by dhamma mahamattas.
Practice Questions
View allThe principle that the framing of the new Constitution for independent India should be primarily (though not solely) the responsibility of Indians themselves, was for the first time conceded in the
- A.Government of India Act, 1935
- B.August Offer of Viceroy Linlithgow
- C.Cripps Proposals
- D.Cabinet Mission
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Made on 8 August 1940, it was the first time the British government accepted that framing India's new constitution should be mainly the responsibility of Indians.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following was the author of the famous Sanskrit work 'Mrichchhakatika'?
- A.Kalidasa
- B.Bhasa
- C.Valmiki
- D.Shudraka
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Mrichchhakatika, meaning 'The Little Clay Cart', is a ten-act Sanskrit play attributed to King Shudraka. The play tells the love story of Charudatta, a generous Brahmin merchant of Ujjayini who has lost his wealth, and Vasantasena, a rich and noble courtesan.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements about the technological innovations during the Industrial Revolutions are correct ? 1. Mule was the nickname for a machine invented in 1779, that allowed the spinning of strong and fine yarn. 2. Water Frame, invented in 1769 by Richard Arkwright, made it possible to weave pure cotton clothes. 3. Power loom, invented by Edmund Cartwright in 1787, could be used to weave any kind of materials. Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.1, 2 and 3
- C.2 and 3 only
- D.3 only
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All three statements correctly describe the spinning and weaving machines that drove the British cotton industry in the late eighteenth century.
Read the full explanation →Which one among the following was NOT a Panch Sheel principle ?
- A.Peaceful Co-existence
- B.Mutual respect for territorial integrity
- C.Nuclear deterrence
- D.Non-interference in internal affairs
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Panchsheel is a set of five principles of peaceful relations between states, and the threat of nuclear weapons has no place in it.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements about Rabatak inscription is not correct ?
- A.It throws important light on Kushana genealogy.
- B.It refers to Kanishka as 'a king of kings and a son of God'.
- C.The 23-line inscription is written in Gandhari language.
- D.It mentions names of States which were part of Kanishka's empire.
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The Rabatak inscription is written in the Bactrian language using the Greek script, not in Gandhari. The inscription was found in 1993 at Rabatak in northern Afghanistan.
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