AMahavamsa
BMudrarakshasa
CMilindapanha
DParishishtaparvan
Answer:
B. Mudrarakshasa
Read Explanation:
Mudrarakshasa is a historical play written in Sanskrit by Vishakhadatta, believed to have been composed around the 4th to 8th century CE.
The play describes the ascension of Chandragupta Maurya to power and the strategies employed by his mentor Chanakya (Kautilya) to defeat the Nanda dynasty.
In Mudrarakshasa, Chandragupta Maurya is referred to by terms such as 'Vrishala' and 'Kula-hina', which imply low or non-Kshatriya social origin.
The term 'Vrishala' literally means 'a bull' but in a derogatory sense, often used for someone not belonging to a high caste, particularly a Shudra or a person of low birth.
This portrayal contrasts with some Buddhist and Jain texts, which suggest Chandragupta Maurya belonged to a Kshatriya clan (e.g., Moriyas, a branch of the Shakyas).
Brahminical texts often present Chandragupta Maurya as being of Shudra origin or born from a low-caste woman, sometimes linking him to the Nanda family through his mother or foster-mother, Mura.
Key competitive exam fact: Arthashastra, a treatise on statecraft, economics, and military strategy, is attributed to Chanakya (Kautilya), Chandragupta Maurya's chief advisor.
Chandragupta Maurya founded the Mauryan Empire around 322 BCE after overthrowing the Nanda dynasty.
He established one of the largest empires in ancient India, extending from Bengal and Assam in the east to Afghanistan and Balochistan in the west, and to Kashmir and Nepal in the north, and the Deccan Plateau in the south.
His reign is also significant for the encounter with the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire, led by Seleucus I Nicator, which resulted in a peace treaty and the marriage alliance between the two empires.