Ancient and Medieval Indian Rulers

Ashok Vatika (also spelled Ashoka Vatika) was the beautiful garden in Lanka where Ravana kept Sita after her abduction. According to Ramayana, this was where Hanuman first met Sita while searching for her. Lanka is the name of the island kingdom, while Dandakaranya was the forest where Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana lived during their exile.

Shakuni (also called Saubala) was the prince of Gandhar (modern-day Kandahar in Afghanistan) and brother of Gandhari. He came to Hastinapura after his sister's marriage to Dhritarashtra and became the key conspirator against the Pandavas. His kingdom was Gandhar, not Hastinapur, Kashi, or Patliputra.

Anangabhima Deva completed the Jagannath Temple construction that was begun by Chodaganga Deva. The temple was finished in the 12th century under his rule.

Emperor Ashoka's son Mahendra (also called Mahinda) was sent as a Buddhist missionary to Sri Lanka around 250 BCE. He is credited with establishing Buddhism in Sri Lanka, where it remains the dominant religion today.

Emperor Ashoka was deeply moved by the massive death and destruction in the Kalinga War (261 BCE). This brutality led him to renounce violence, embrace Buddhism, and adopt the policy of Dhamma. Pataliputra was his capital, Paanipat and Kurukshetra were sites of other important battles but not this transformative one.

Anangabhima Dev completed the construction of the Jagannath Temple. While Chodaganga Dev started it, the completion occurred under Anangabhima Dev's rule. Pratap Rudra Dev and Kapilendra Dev were later rulers of the Ganga dynasty.

Brihadratha was the last ruler of the Mauryan Empire. He was assassinated by his commander-in-chief Pushyamitra Shunga in 185 BCE, which led to the establishment of the Shunga Dynasty. Brihadratha was a weak ruler, and his assassination marked the end of the Mauryan Empire that had begun with Chandragupta Maurya. Ashoka was a famous Mauryan emperor but not the last; Kunal and Tivara were other Mauryan rulers but not the final one.

The three ancient Tamil kingdoms were the Cheras, Cholas, and Pandyas. The fourth major dynasty that flourished in Tamil Nadu was the Pallavas, who ruled from Kanchipuram and were known for their temple architecture, patronage of Tamil literature, and maritime trade. The Kakatiyas, Rashtrakutas, and Hoysalas were prominent dynasties in other parts of India (Andhra/Telangana, Karnataka/Maharashtra, and Karnataka respectively), not Tamil Nadu.

Samudragupta's father was Chandragupta I (who founded the Gupta Empire) and his son was Chandragupta II (also known as Chandragupta Vikramaditya), one of the greatest Gupta rulers. Both father and son shared the name Chandragupta, making this a unique dynastic naming pattern in ancient Indian history.

Asoka (Ashoka) was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Maurya Empire. The succession was: Chandragupta Maurya → Bindusara (his son) → Asoka (Bindusara's son, making Asoka Chandragupta's grandson). Asoka became emperor around 268-232 BCE and is famous for his Kalinga war conversion to Buddhism.

To determine which option is true, the user must have some basic knowledge of Indian history and Chandragupta Maurya's reign. Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Maurya dynasty and the first emperor to unify most of India under one administration.

A. He called his people children - This option is not true. There is no record of Chandragupta Maurya referring to his people as children.

B. He converted to Buddhism and rejected war - This option is not true. Although Chandragupta Maurya did retire from his throne and live as a Jain in his later years, there is no evidence that he converted to Buddhism or rejected war.

C. He trained women to protect his palace - This option is true. According to historical records, Chandragupta Maurya recruited and trained women to protect his palace and harem. These women were known as the "Ladies of the Chamber" and were highly skilled in archery, sword-fighting, and other forms of combat.

D. He had stone pillars set up through India with Buddhist inscriptions on them - This option is true, but it refers to the wrong emperor. It was actually Chandragupta's grandson, Emperor Ashoka, who had stone pillars set up throughout India with Buddhist inscriptions on them.

Therefore, the correct option is:

The Answer is: C. He trained women to protect his palace.

Chandragupta Maurya, after capturing the rich Ganges Valley (Magadha region), went on to create the Maurya Empire with his son Bindusara and grandson Asoka. The Maurya Empire (322-185 BCE) was the first pan-Indian empire, stretching from the northwest to the Deccan. The Gupta, Deccan, and Tamil empires emerged much later or were different political entities.

After capturing the Ganges Valley (Magadha), Chandragupta Maurya conquered most of the Deccan peninsula, extending Mauryan control southward. The Indus River Valley was already under his control from the northwest, while the Western Ghats and Hindu Kush were geographical features/frontiers, not regions he conquered after the Ganges Valley.

The Gandhara School (in northwest Punjab/Peshawar) and Mathura School (in Uttar Pradesh) of art flourished during the reign of Kanishka, the most famous Kushan ruler (c. 78-144 CE). These schools developed the distinctive Greco-Buddhist style and Buddha images. Harshavardhana (7th century CE), Skandagupta (5th century CE), and Menander (2nd century BCE) ruled in different periods.

Chandragupta II (also known as Chandragupta Vikramaditya, c. 380-415 CE) adopted the titles 'Param Bhagavata' (Supreme Devotee) and 'Maharajadhiraja Sri Bhattaraka' (Great King of Kings, Lord). He was a powerful Gupta ruler known for his patronage of scholars like Kalidasa. Asoka and Chandragupta Maurya were earlier rulers, while Samudragupta was Chandragupta II's father.