RAS question
Megasthenes was the ambassador of Seleucus Nicator to the court of:
Correct answer: (B) Chandragupta Maurya.
Megasthenes was the Greek ambassador sent by Seleucus Nicator to the court of Chandragupta Maurya at Pataliputra.
Explanation
Megasthenes is linked with Chandragupta Maurya because he was the Greek ambassador sent by Seleucus Nicator to Chandragupta's court at Pataliputra. NCERT, Our Pasts-III, Part 1 supports the core historical association: it describes *Indika* as a work by Megasthenes, a Greek ambassador during Chandragupta's rule, preserved in fragments and quoted by later writers. That matters for RAS because Megasthenes is not just a name to memorise; his account is used as evidence for Mauryan history. NCERT notes that the book gives a detailed account of Mauryan administration, social classes and economic activities, which explains why his embassy is repeatedly asked in ancient Indian history.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Bindusara is wrong because the question asks about Megasthenes, while Deimachus, not Megasthenes, was the Greek ambassador to Bindusara.
- (C) Ashoka is wrong because his reign came after Chandragupta Maurya's, whereas Megasthenes is associated with Chandragupta's rule.
- (D) Chandragupta II is wrong because he was a Gupta ruler from a later period, not the Mauryan ruler connected with Megasthenes.
Concept
This tests the ancient Indian history theme of foreign accounts as sources for the Mauryan period. RAS often repeats such pairings because travellers' accounts help establish rulers, courts and administrative details.