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Which one of the following present day territories was outside the limits of Ashoka's empire ?
Explanation
The Mauryan Empire under Ashoka reached its maximum extent, covering most of the Indian subcontinent. His edicts, found from Afghanistan to Karnataka and Odisha, define the empire's boundaries [1]. Baluchistan was included in the western territories following Chandragupta Maurya's victory over Seleucus Nicator [2]. North Bengal was part of the empire, as evidenced by inscriptions found in the region [1]. Kashmir was also integrated into the empire; historical traditions and the Rajatarangini credit Ashoka with founding the city of Srinagar and building numerous stupas there. However, the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam remained outside the Mauryan limits. No Ashokan edicts or Mauryan archaeological remains have been discovered in the Assam region, and historical records indicate that the Kamarupa kingdom (Assam) only emerged into the broader political consciousness of North Indian empires during the later Gupta period.
Sources
- [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > Edicts of Ashoka > p. 52
- [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurya_Empire