Which of the following statements most accurately describes the social structure of Mauryan society in ancient India?
An organised society with distinct social classes and a wide range of occupational groups
Mauryan society was a well-organised, stratified society. Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador in Chandragupta Maurya’s court, described it in his Indica as being divided into seven classes — philosophers, farmers, soldiers, herdsmen, artisans, magistrates and councillors.
Alongside these classes, there existed a wide range of occupational and craft groups (guilds of weavers, metalworkers, traders, etc.), and settled agriculture was the economic backbone, supported by state officials.
It was therefore neither a purely tribal society without agriculture, nor one run only by merchant guilds, nor a fully egalitarian society without any differentiation.
Hence, Mauryan society is best described as an organised society with distinct social classes and a wide range of occupational groups.
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Important Questions from Mauryan Empire
Which one among the following rulers established Pataliputra as the capital of the Magadhan Empire?
Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists :
List-I
(Mahamatta)
List-II
(Function)
A.
Anta-mahamatta
1.
Women’s welfare
B.
Ithijhakha-mahamatta
2.
Spread of Dhamma
C.
Dhamma-mahamatta
3.
Associated with city
D.
Nagalaviyohalaka-ahamatta
4.
In-charge of frontier areas
Which one of the following was not a part of the dhamma of King Ashoka?
Consider the following statements about ancient Indian inscriptions:
1. The earliest inscriptions are in Sanskrit.
2. Kharosthi script, used in inscriptions in the north-west, was deciphered with the help of coins of Indo-Greek kings who ruled over the area.
3. Most of the inscriptions mention grand, unique events, and routine agricultural practices do not find mention.
How many of the above statements is/are correct
Which of the following Mauryan rulers did Seleucus fight against in the Seleucid–Mauryan War?
