Ans: C

Exp: 

Statement 1 is correct:  In the Arthashastra of Kautilya, it would appear that the state appointed twenty-seven superintendents (adhyakshas), principally to regulate its economic activities. They controlled and regulated agriculture, trade and commerce, weights and measures, crafts such as weaving and spinning, mining, and the like.

Statement 2 is incorrect: According to the Arthashastra of Kautilya, a striking social development of the Maurya period was the employment of slaves in agricultural operations. Megasthenes states that he did not notice any slaves in India, but there is little doubt that there had been domestic slaves from Vedic times onwards. It seems that during the Maurya period slaves were engaged in agricultural work on a large scale.

Statement 3 is correct: Megasthenes speaks of a road connecting northwestern India with Patna. Roads also linked Patna with Sasaram, and from there they ran to Mirzapur and central India. The capital was also connected with Kalinga via a route through eastern MP, and Kalinga in turn was linked with Andhra and Karnataka. All this facilitated transport in which horses may have played an important part.

Ans: A

Exp: 

Statement 1 is correct: The Mauryan administration, which was one of the earliest centralised and organised empires in ancient India, The state provided irrigation facilities and regulated water supply for the benefit of agriculturists. Megasthenes informs us that in the Maurya empire, the officials measured the land as in Egypt and inspected the channels through which water was distributed into smaller channels. This was particularly important for supporting agriculture, which was the backbone of the Mauryan economy

Statement 2 is incorrect: The Maurya period constitutes a landmark in the system of taxation in ancient India. Kautilya names many taxes which were collected from peasants, artisans, and traders. This required a piece of strong and efficient machinery for assessment, collection, and storage. The Mauryas attached greater importance to assessment than storage and deposit. The samaharta was the highest officer in charge of assessment and collection revenue, and the sannidhata was the chief custodian of the state treasury and storehouse. 

Ans: C

Exp: 

The Brahmanical law-books repeatedly stressed that the king should be guided by the laws laid down in the Dharmashastras and by the customs prevalent in India. Kautilya advises the king to promulgate dharma when the social order based on the varnas and ashramas (stages in life) collapses. He calls the king ‘dharmapravartaka’ or promulgator of the social order. That the royal orders were superior to other orders was asserted by Ashoka in his inscriptions. Ashoka promulgated dharma and appointed officials to inculcate and enforce its essentials throughout India.

Ans: B

Exp: 

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Mauryas, particularly during the reign of Emperor Ashoka and the earlier Mauryan rulers, made significant contributions to the development of stone masonry on a wide scale. They were known for their architectural innovations and the extensive use of stone in their structures. One of the notable examples of Mauryan stone architecture is the pillars and edicts erected by Emperor Ashoka across the empire. These pillars, carved out of stone, are remarkable for their craftsmanship and inscriptions, and they stand as a testament to the Mauryas’ proficiency in working with stone on a grand scale. 

Statement 2 is incorrect: Megasthenes, a Greek ambassador to the Mauryan court during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya,provide valuable accounts of the Mauryan Empire. He described the Maurya palace at Pataliputra as splendid as the one in the capital of Iran(not Greece).

Statement 3 is correct: Fragments of stone pillars and stumps indicating an 84-pillared hall have been discovered at Kumrahar, Patna, which attests to the high technical skill achieved by Maurya artisans in stone masonry.

Ans: D

Exp: 

Statement 1 is incorrect: In the central phase of the Northern Black Polished Ware around 300 BC, the central Gangetic plains(not the Deccan region) became the centre of terracotta art. 

Statement 2 is incorrect: In Maurya times, terracottas were produced on a large scale. They generally represented animals and women. The women included mother goddesses, and the animals included elephants. These terracottas were, however, modelled by hand. The stone statue of Yakshini in the form of a beautiful woman found in Didarganj (Patna) is noted for its Maurya polish.