Significance of the Maurya Rule — UPSC Prelims Practice
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hard•9 questions•~10 min
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Question 01
hard
Consider the following statements about Maurya administration:
1. The *samaharta* was the chief custodian of the state treasury and store-house.
2. The *sannidatha* was the highest officer in charge of revenue assessment.
3. The *Arthashastra* mentions 27 *adhyakshas* to regulate economic activities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Question 02
medium
Which of the following pairs is correctly matched regarding Maurya-era functionaries and their roles?
1. Mantri — Commander-in-Chief
2. Senapati — Commander-in-Chief
3. Yuvaraja — Crown Prince
4. Purohita — High Priest
Select the correct answer:
Question 03
hard
Regarding the fall of the Maurya Empire, consider the following:
1. Pushyamitra Sunga was a brahmanical general who killed Brihadratha in public.
2. The Maurya empire formally ended in 232 BCE when Asoka died.
3. The Satavahanas, who rose in the Deccan, claimed to be brahmanas.
4. The Sungas performed Vedic sacrifices that had been neglected by Asoka.
Which of the above statements are correct?
Question 04
medium
The earliest rock-cut cave architecture in India is associated with which of the following?
Question 05
hard
Which of the following best explains why the Gangetic basin lost its strategic material advantage by the time the Maurya empire began to decline?
Question 06
hard
With reference to material culture in the Maurya period, consider the following statements:
1. Burnt bricks were used for the first time in northeastern India during the Maurya period.
2. Ringwells, which first appeared under the Mauryas in the Gangetic basin, made settlements near rivers no longer necessary.
3. Northern Black Polished (NBP) ware was exclusive to the Maurya period and not found in earlier layers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Question 07
medium
The punch-marked silver coins of the Maurya period carried which symbols that served as imperial currency?
Question 08
medium
Which Greek ruler constructed the Great Wall of China to guard against Scythian attacks, a measure that Asoka notably failed to replicate on India's north-western frontier?
Question 09
hard
Consider the following about Asoka's policy and its consequences:
1. Asoka introduced rotation of officers in Tosali, Ujjain, and Taxila to curb provincial oppression.
2. Asoka spent 256 nights on a pilgrimage tour primarily for religious reasons with no administrative purpose.
3. The *mahamatras* appointed by Asoka were intended to prevent torture of townsmen by officers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?