Question

emperor	description
bindusara<br>ca. 298 bce - ca. 272 bce	bindusara was hindu his entire life. he allowed people to practice many different religions.
ashoka<br>ca. 268 bce - ca. 232 bce	ashoka was hindu at the beginning of his reign. but around 263 bce, he changed his own religion to buddhism, a religion based on the teachings of siddhartha gautama. he worked to spread buddhism, but he did not make other people change their religions.

based on the information in the table, which of the following statements are true? select the two that apply.

• the first three mauryan emperors were all hindu when they started ruling.
• under the rule of bindusara, everyone in the mauryan empire had to be hindu.
• leaders of the mauryan empire were tolerant, or accepting, of different religions.
• ashoka was the first mauryan emperor to change his religion.

Explanation:

• Chandragupta, Bindusara, and Ashoka were Hindu at the start of their reigns (Chandragupta later became Jain, Ashoka later Buddhist).
• All three emperors allowed people to practice many different religions, showing tolerance.
• Bindusara did not force everyone to be Hindu (he allowed diverse religions).
• Chandragupta changed his religion before Ashoka, so Ashoka was not the first.

Answer:

The first three Mauryan Emperors were all Hindu when they started ruling.
Leaders of the Mauryan Empire were tolerant, or accepting, of different religions.