Ashokan Edicts in Empire : Practice MCQ Questions & Answers with Explanations

The correct answer is C — this is the incorrect statement.

Ashoka's inscriptions were NOT written only in Sanskrit. They were primarily in Prakrit using the Brahmi script, and also found in Greek and Aramaic in the northwestern parts of the empire.

A is correct: Founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 321 BCE with guidance from Chanakya, after overthrowing the Nanda Dynasty.

B is correct: Under Ashoka, the empire covered almost the entire Indian subcontinent from the Himalayas to near the southern tip.

D is correct: The empire had a well-organized central bureaucracy with provincial divisions, tax collection, and law enforcement systems.

The correct answer is D: All of the above.

Statement I is correct: James Prinsep deciphered Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts in the 1830s, enabling the reading of Ashokan edicts for the first time.

Statement II is correct: Megasthenes served as Greek ambassador at Chandragupta Maurya's court in Pataliputra; his account Indica is a key source for Mauryan history.

Statement III is correct: Chanakya (Kautilya), author of the Arthashastra, was both the teacher and Prime Minister of Chandragupta Maurya.