Question

Emperor Ashoka was the son of which of the following Mauryan rulers?
1. Samudragupta
2. Bindusara
3. Chandragupta
4. Kanishka
5. Bimbisar

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : Bindusara

The correct answer is Bindusara.

• Bindusara is known as “The Son of a Great Father and the Father of a Great Son” because he was the son of a great father Chandragupta Maurya and the father of a great son Ashoka, the Great.
• He ruled the Mauryan dynasty from 298 BC to 273 BC.
• Bindusara brought sixteen states under the Mauryan Empire and thus conquered almost the entire Indian peninsula.
• The Mauryas were a dynasty, more than 2300 years ago, with three important rulers — Chandragupta, his son Bindusara, and Bindusara’s son, Ashoka.
• Ashoka was one of the greatest rulers known to history and on his instructions, inscriptions were carved on pillars, as well as on rock surfaces.
• Most of Ashoka’s inscriptions were in Prakrit and were written in the Brahmi script.

Ruler	Important Points
Chandragupta	Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Maurya Dynasty. In 305 BC, he marched against Seleucus Nikator (Alexanders general controlling NW India) & defeated him. He embraced Jainism towards the end of his life & stepped down from the throne in favour of his son Bindusara.
Samudragupta	He was also called ‘Napolean of India’ by V.A. Smith. He reigned from 335 AD to 380 AD. Samudragupta's campaigns are mentioned in the Eran inscription (Madhya Pradesh).
Kanishka	Kanishka (78 AD - 103 AD) was the most powerful ruler of the Kushana Empire. The capital of his empire was Purushpura (Peshawar). He was the founder of the Shaka Era of A.D. 78. Kanishka was a patron of Buddhism and he called the 4th Buddhist council in the Kundalvana of Kashmir in 78 AD. It was during Kanishka’s reign that Buddhism was divided into Mahayana and Hinayana.