Which empire is associated with Ashoka and the spread of Buddhism?

• A. Gupta Empire.
• B. Maurya Empire.
• C. Han Dynasty.
• D. Sassanian Empire.

Answer: (B)

Ashoka's Maurya Empire and the spread of Buddhism are linked in history. Ashoka ruled the Maurya Dynasty in ancient India after Chandragupta Maurya. After the Kalinga War, he embraced Buddhism and promoted nonviolence, ethical governance, and religious tolerance. He actively spread Buddhist teachings by supporting missions beyond India and inscribing his moral guidance on pillars and rocks. His efforts helped establish Buddhism across large regions, including sending missions to Sri Lanka and influencing Buddhist communities far beyond the Indian subcontinent. This connection—Ashoka, the Maurya Empire, and the expansion of Buddhism—is what this question is testing.

The other polities listed are from different places and times: the Gupta Empire comes later in Indian history and is known for cultural achievements rather than Ashoka’s Buddhist campaigns; the Han Dynasty is Chinese; the Sassanian Empire is Persian. None of them are the empire most closely associated with Ashoka and the spread of Buddhism.