Structured Essay-Type Questions
1. With reference to Chandragupta Maurya's conquest, explain the following:
(a) Conquest of Punjab
(b) Conquest of Magadha
(c) War with Seleucus.
2. With reference to Mauryan administration, explain the following:
(a) Reforms introduced by Chandragupta Maurya
(b) Changes brought about by Ashoka.
3. With reference to Ashoka's reign explain the following:
(a) His Kalinga War
(b) His Dharma or Dhamma
(c) His Administration
Answers
Answer:
1.(a)Conquest of Punjab: After establishing his authority over Punjab, Chandragupta looked towards Punjab. ... He conquered Eastern Punjab upto Jhelum. Then he marched towards the west as far as the river Indus and conquered the land between Jhelum and Indus.
1.(b) Conquest of Punjab: After establishing his authority over Punjab, Chandragupta looked towards Punjab. ... Then he marched towards the west as far as the river Indus and conquered the land between Jhelum and Indus. This is confirmed by the remark of Pliny that, “Indus skirts the frontier of Prasic (Magadha)”.
1. (c)Seleucus crossed the Indus and waged war with Sandrocottus [Maurya], king of the Indians, who dwelt on the banks of that stream, until they came to an understanding with each other and contracted a marriage relationship. Some of these exploits were performed before the death of Antigonus and some afterward.
2(a)Taxes were levied on liquor shops, gambling houses and some professional. Some taxes were collected from forests and mines. From the revenue collected, the state provided various facilities like roads, irrigation, hospital and met other expenses of the state. the mauryans also had a well laid recruitment policy.
2(b)Ashoka added a new fifth province;Kalinga in the existing four provinces; with Tosali as its capital. The Mauryan centralised monarchy became a paternal despotism under Ashoka. Ashoka simplified many rigorous practices related to administration regarding taxation and crop collection.
3 (a) Kalinga War (ended c. 261 BCE)[1] was fought in ancient India between the Maurya Empire under Ashoka and the state of Kalinga, an independent feudal kingdom located on the east coast, in the present-day state of Odisha and north parts of Andhra Pradesh. It is presumed that the battle was fought on Dhauli hills in Dhauli which is situated on the banks of Daya river. The Kalinga War included one of the largest and deadliest battles in Indian history.[6] Kalinga did not have a king as it was culturally run without any.[
3(b)..