RAS question
The Nanda dynasty, which preceded the Mauryas, was founded by:
Correct answer: (A) Mahapadma Nanda.
The Nanda dynasty of Magadha, which preceded the Mauryas, was founded by Mahapadma Nanda around 345 BCE.
Explanation
Mahapadma Nanda is identified as the founder of the Nanda dynasty, the Magadhan line that came before the Mauryas. His rise is placed around 345 BCE, and he held the titles Sarva Kshatrantaka, meaning destroyer of all Kshatriyas, and Ekarat, meaning sole sovereign. The National Institute of Open Schooling, History Lesson 5 supports the wider sequence: the Shishunaga dynasty was followed by the Nanda kings, Mahapadma Nanda was the most important Nanda ruler, and Brahmanical texts describe him as low-caste or at least non-Kshatriya. This is why the dynasty is remembered as the first non-Kshatriya ruling line of Magadha. Dhannanand is distinguished as the last Nanda, separate from Mahapadma Nanda.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Ajatashatru belongs to the earlier Haryanka context of Magadha, so he cannot be the founder of the later Nanda dynasty.
- (C) Dhana Nanda, called Dhannanand in the NIOS lesson, was the last Nanda king, not the dynasty's founder.
- (D) Bimbisara was an early important Magadhan ruler of the Haryanka dynasty, so he precedes the Nanda line rather than founding it.
Concept
This tests the dynastic sequence of Magadha, especially the transition from Shishunaga to Nanda and then Maurya. RAS asks such facts because ancient Indian political history often turns on identifying rulers, dynasties, and succession order accurately.