Post-Mauryan Period: previous-year questions

Answer: (B) Agathocles

Agathocles, an Indo-Greek (Bactrian) king of about 190-180 BCE, issued bilingual coins found at Ai-Khanoum (Afghanistan) showing Samkarshana-Balarama with plough and mace and Vasudeva-Krishna with wheel and conch, the earliest known images of these deities. Menander (A) is the Milinda of the Buddhist text Milindapanho, who ruled from Sakala (Sialkot) and conversed with the monk Nagasena; Heliocles and Archebius were later, minor rulers. Also remember Heliodorus, ambassador of King Antialcidas, who set up the Garuda pillar at Besnagar (Vidisha) in honour of Vasudeva. The Indo-Greeks were the first in India to issue gold coins and coins bearing the names and portraits of kings.

Answer: (C) The Satavahanas

The Nasik inscription of Gautami Balashri describes the achievements of her son Gautamiputra Satakarni, the greatest Satavahana ruler. The Vakatakas, Rashtrakutas and Guptas are known from other records, not from this prashasti.

Answer: (A) Junagarh inscription

The Junagadh (Girnar) rock inscription of 150 CE, in Sanskrit, records the Saka ruler Rudradaman's repair of the Sudarshana lake. The Aihole inscription is of Pulakeshin II, the Allahabad Pillar of Samudragupta, and the Bhitari Pillar of Skandagupta.

Answer: (B) Nagasena

The Milindapanho records the dialogue between the Indo-Greek king Menander (Milinda) and the Buddhist monk Nagasena, and is traditionally attributed to Nagasena. Vasumitra, Ashvaghosha and Dharmakirti were other Buddhist scholars.

Answer: (B) Kushan Dynasty.

The Gandhara school, blending Greco-Roman style with Buddhist themes, flourished under the Kushans, especially Kanishka, in the north-west. The Mathura school also grew under the Kushans, while Amaravati art is linked with the Satavahanas.

Answer: (B) Kanishka

The Fourth Buddhist Council was held in Kashmir (Kundalvana) under the patronage of the Kushan king Kanishka, presided over by Vasumitra. Ajatashatru patronised the First Council and Ashoka the Third.

Answer: (C) Kanishka

The Saka era, starting in 78 AD, is traditionally credited to the Kushana king Kanishka; India's national calendar adopted in 1957 is based on it. Bimbisara of the Haryanka dynasty was an early king of Magadha and a contemporary of the Buddha. Ajatashatru, his son, patronised the First Buddhist Council at Rajagriha. Menander (Milinda) was an Indo-Greek king whose dialogue with the monk Nagasena is recorded in the Milindapanho.

Answer: (C) Central Asia

The Kushanas were a branch of the Yuezhi tribes of Central Asia who moved through Bactria into north-western India; their greatest king was Kanishka. Greece is linked with the Indo-Greeks of Bactria, such as Menander. Iran is linked with the Parthians (Pahlavas), whose king Gondophares ruled in the north-west. Europe has no link with the Kushanas' origin.

Answer: (A) Heliodorus

Heliodorus, a Greek envoy of the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas of Taxila to the court of the Shunga king Bhagabhadra, set up the Garuda pillar at Besnagar (near Vidisha) in honour of Vasudeva. His inscription calls him a Bhagavata, making it an early record of a Greek adopting Vaishnavism. Megasthenes was Seleucus's ambassador to Chandragupta Maurya, long before this. Bimbisara and Ajatashatru were Haryanka kings of Magadha with no link to this pillar.

Answer: (B) Book on Philosophical discussion

The Milinda Panha ('Questions of Milinda') is a Pali text recording a philosophical dialogue between the Indo-Greek king Menander (Milinda) and the Buddhist monk Nagasena. Menander, whose capital was Sakala (Sialkot), is said to have become a Buddhist after these discussions. 'Scripture' is the tempting option, but the work is a dialogue on Buddhist doctrine rather than the Buddha's own teaching. It is a text, not an artefact or a film.

Answer: (B) Indo-Greek

Menander (Milinda) was the most famous Indo-Greek king, ruling from Sakala (Sialkot); his discussions with the monk Nagasena are recorded in the Milinda Panha. The Kushanas, whose greatest king was Kanishka, came from Central Asia. The Sakas included Rudradaman, known for the Junagadh inscription. Menander had no Chinese link.

Answer: (A) Purushpura

Kanishka's capital was Purushapura, modern Peshawar, where he built a great stupa; Mathura was an important second centre of his empire. Sialkot is ancient Sakala, the capital of the Indo-Greek king Menander. Bodh Gaya is where the Buddha attained enlightenment. Pathankot has no link with the Kushanas' capital.

Answer: (D) Kanishka

Kanishka, who began the Saka era of 78 AD, was the greatest Kushana king; he patronised the Fourth Buddhist Council at Kundalvana and Mahayana Buddhism. Menander was an Indo-Greek king, not a Kushana. Gondophernes was an Indo-Parthian king, associated by tradition with the visit of St Thomas. Maga was not a Kushana ruler.

Answer: (A) 78 A.D.

The Saka era (Sakabda) begins in 78 CE and is traditionally linked with the accession of the Kushana king Kanishka. It is the basis of India's National Calendar, adopted from 22 March 1957 (1 Chaitra 1879 Saka): Saka year = CE year minus 78. The Vikram Samvat begins in 57 BCE, the Gupta era in 319-20 CE, the Harsha era in 606 CE, the Hijri era in 622 CE, and the Bengali san is reckoned from 593-94 CE. Option (B), 78 B.C.E., plays on the BCE/CE confusion.

Answer: (B) Ashvaghosha

Buddhacharita, a Sanskrit epic poem (mahakavya) on the life of the Buddha, was written by Ashvaghosha, the court poet of the Kushana king Kanishka; he also wrote Saundarananda and Sariputra-prakarana. Buddhaghosha wrote the Visuddhimagga in Pali (5th century), Nagarjuna founded the Madhyamika (Shunyavada) school of Mahayana Buddhism, and Panini wrote the Sanskrit grammar Ashtadhyayi.

Answer: (C) Menander.

Menander I (Milinda) is the most famous Indo-Greek king, known from Indian Buddhist texts as 'Milinda' in the 'Milindapanha.' He ruled from Sagala (modern Sialkot) and reportedly converted to Buddhism. Demetrius was an earlier Indo-Greek ruler.