Q. Consider the following statements with respect to Ashoka:
- He was the second king of the Mauryan Empire.
- According to the Buddhist traditions, he killed his 99 brothers to get to the throne.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer:
2 Only
Notes: The founder of Mauryan Empire was Chandragupta Maurya, who was succeeded by Bindusara. Ashoka was the third Mauryan Emperor. So, statement 1 is incorrect. Buddhist literature is a very important source for the study of Mauryan Kings, partly because Buddhism was patronised by Ashoka. In order to highlight the complete transformation of the character of Ashoka under the influence of Buddhism, the Buddhist literature makes an assertion that he killed his 99 brothers for the throne. But, the biography of Ashoka as found in the Buddhist literature is full of fantastical tales. So, they can’t be accepted uncritically. So, statement 2 is correct.