AChandragupta Maurya
BAsoka
CShantanu
DJanamejaya
Answer:
A. Chandragupta Maurya
Read Explanation:
Correct Answer: Option A) Chandragupta Maurya
Chandragupta Maurya is known as the First National Monarch of India because he was the founder of the Mauryan Empire (c. 322-297 BCE), which was the first empire to unite most of the Indian subcontinent under a single ruler.
Before Chandragupta Maurya, India was divided into numerous small kingdoms and republics. He successfully conquered and unified a vast territory stretching from the Indus River in the west to Bengal in the east, and from the Himalayas in the north to the Deccan Plateau in the south. This made him the first ruler to establish a truly pan-Indian empire, earning him the title of India's first national monarch.
Chandragupta Maurya founded the Mauryan dynasty with the help of his mentor Chanakya (Kautilya) and established Pataliputra (modern-day Patna) as his capital. His empire laid the foundation for subsequent rulers like his grandson Ashoka to further expand and consolidate Indian territories.
The other options are incorrect:
Ashoka was Chandragupta's grandson and a great emperor, but he inherited an already established empire
Shantanu was a legendary king from the Mahabharata, not a historical unifier of India
Janamejaya was also a mythological king from ancient texts, not a historical national monarch