Which one of the following historical figures was NOT a contemporary of the other three in ancient India?

Introduction / Context:
Chronology is crucial in history. Many exam questions test whether you can correctly place key figures in their proper time periods and identify who lived together or interacted directly. In this question, three of the names are associated with the 6th–5th centuries BCE, the time of the Buddha and the 16 mahajanapadas, while one name belongs to a much later Indo-Greek period. Recognising this difference allows you to identify who was not a contemporary of the others.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The list includes Bimbisara, Gautama Buddha, Milinda (Menander) and Prasenjit.
• Bimbisara and Prasenjit are kings of the mahajanapada age; Gautama Buddha is the founder of Buddhism.
• Milinda (Menander) was an Indo-Greek king known from the text Milinda Panha.
• We assume the learner knows that the Buddha's lifetime is approximately in the 6th–5th centuries BCE and that Indo-Greek rulers came much later.

Concept / Approach:
Bimbisara (of Magadha) and Prasenjit (of Kosala) were both kings of important mahajanapadas during the Buddha's lifetime. Gautama Buddha, who lived around the 6th–5th centuries BCE, interacted with rulers like Bimbisara and Prasenjit according to Buddhist texts. Milinda, however, is identified with Menander, an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the 2nd century BCE, several centuries after the Buddha's time. Therefore, Milinda is not a contemporary of Bimbisara, Buddha and Prasenjit, who all belong to an earlier era.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Place Gautama Buddha in time, around the 6th–5th centuries BCE. Step 2: Recall that Bimbisara (Magadha) and Prasenjit (Kosala) are kings described in Buddhist texts as contemporaries of the Buddha. Step 3: Understand that their interactions, such as patronage and dialogues, are part of early Buddhist literature. Step 4: Identify Milinda as Menander, an Indo-Greek king who ruled parts of northwest India and Afghanistan in the 2nd century BCE. Step 5: Recognise that this date is several centuries after the time of Bimbisara, Buddha and Prasenjit. Step 6: Conclude that Milinda (Menander) is not a contemporary of the other three.

Verification / Alternative check:
Chronological lists in history textbooks place the mahajanapada period and the Buddha around 6th–5th centuries BCE, followed by the Mauryan Empire in the 4th–3rd centuries BCE. Indo-Greek rulers such as Menander appear even later, in the 2nd century BCE. The Buddhist work Milinda Panha records dialogues between the monk Nagasena and King Milinda, showing his later historical context. These timelines confirm that Milinda belongs to a different era than Bimbisara, Prasenjit and the Buddha.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Bimbisara: A king of Magadha who is consistently described as a contemporary and supporter of the Buddha.
• Gautama Buddha: Central figure of Buddhism, whose life overlapped with kings like Bimbisara and Prasenjit.
• Prasenjit: King of Kosala, another contemporary of the Buddha mentioned in Buddhist texts.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to treat all ancient names as belonging to a vaguely “old” period, without paying attention to specific centuries. Learners may also confuse Milinda with other names from early Buddhism. To answer correctly, it helps to memorise that Bimbisara, Prasenjit and the Buddha belong to the mahajanapada era, while Milinda (Menander) is an Indo-Greek ruler of a later period, making him the odd one out.

Final Answer:
The figure who was NOT a contemporary of the other three is Milinda (Menander).