Thursday, January 9, 2014
MCQ on History of Ancient India- Set 1
Posted on 2:48 AM by Unknown
1.Who among the
following invented Zero?
[A] Aryabhatta
[B] Varahamihira
[C] Bhaskara I
[D] An unknown
Indian
Answer: An unknown Indian [ the most
fundamental contribution of ancient India to the progress of civilisation is
the decimal system of numeration including the invention of the number zero.
This system uses 9 digits and a symbol for zero to denote all integral numbers,
by assigning a place value to the digits. This system was used in Vedas and
Valmiki Ramayana. Mohanjodaro and Harappa civilisations (3000 B.C.) also used
this system..So,we can say Zero is invented by unknown Indian.]
2.Which of the
following musical instruments is / are composite or Indo-Islamic in origin ?
1. Sitar
2. Shehnai
3. Tabla
4. Sarangi
Choose the correct
option from the codes given below:
[A] 1 & 2 Only
[B] 1, 3 & 4
Only
[C] 1, 2 & 3
Only
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Answer: 1, 3 & 4 Only [Shehnai is not composite
or Indo-Islamic in origin.]
3.Which among the
following is known as the earliest example of Panchayatana style of temple?
[A] Dashavatara
temple at Deogarh
[B] Temple at
Pathari
[C]
Shatrughneshwara temple at Bhubaneshwar
[D] Lakshmana
temple at Sirpur
Answer:Dashavatara temple.Deogarh [The Dashavatara
Temple or Vishnu Temple also called Gupta temple at Deogarh. It was built in
the Gupta Period (320 to c. 600 AD ). Archaeologists have inferred that it is
the earliest known Panchayatana temple in North India. A hindu temple is a
Panchayatana one when the main shrine is surrounded by four subsidiary shrines.]
4.Which among the
following is the hallmark feature of the Dravida style of temple architecture?
[A] Shikhara
[B] Gopuram
[C] Vimana
[D] Mandapa
Answer: Vimana [Vimana is a term
for the tower above the Garbhagriha or Sanctum sanctorum in a Hindu temple in
Dravidian style.]
5. Which among the
following is / are works of Kalidasa?
1. Ritusamhara
2. Meghaduta
3. Dasakumarcharita
4. Kumarashambhava
Choose the correct
option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 2, 3
&4
[C] Only 1, 2 &
4
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Answer:Only 1, 2 & 4 [Dashakumaracharita
(The narrative of ten young men) is a prose romance in Sanskrit, attributed to
Dandin in the 7th century CE. Dandin is a 6th-7th century Sanskrit author of
prose romances and expounder on poetics.]
6. Which among the
following is the most famous Bronze Image of Chola Period?
[A] Murugan
[B] Nataraja
[C] Venkateshwar
[D] Vishnu
Answer: Nataraja [Chola art:The most famous of
all the bronze icons is that of Nataraja, the Divine Dancer. The symbolism
presents Siva as lord of the cosmic dance of creation and destruction.
7. Which among
conclusions has been derived from the debasement of the coins and gradual
disappearance of gold coins during the post-Gupta period?
[A] Commodities
became cheap
[B] Gold Mining was
stalled
[C] Money economy
was gradually replaced by Barter Economy
[D] There was a
decline in trade
Answer:There was a decline in trade [Debasement of the
coins and gradual disappearance of gold coins during the post-Gupta period
indicates the Decline of Trade.]
8. Which among the
following ancient authors has complained of the drain of gold to India (due to
trade hegemony of ancient India)?
[A] Ptolemy
[B] Nero
[C] Strabo
[D] Pliny
Answer:Pliny [ The lamentation of
the Roman writer Pliny in the 1st century A.D refers to heavy drain of Gold
from Roman into India in payment of her imports from India. He writes that the
drain of Gold is in return for unproductive luxuries. The Roman gold and silver
were steadily drained into South India in exchange not only for spices, but
also muslin, silk and other costly luxuries.]
9. In the revenue
department of Mauryas, who among the following was in-charge of the collection
of all revenues in the empire?
[A] Sannidhatri
[B] Pradeshta
[C] Yukta
[D] Samahatra
Answer: Samahatra [ Mauryan
administration: Samaharta – chancellor of the exchequer; responsible for the
collection of revenue. The Revenue Department had Samharta who was incharge of
the collection of all revenues in the empire]
10. The Pagodas at
Mahabalipuram had been constructed by ___?
[A] Cholas
[B] Chalukyas of
Kalyani
[C] Pallavas
[D] Pandyas
Answer:Pallavas [Pallava dynasty:
the reign of Narasimhavarman I : constructed five rath temples at the port town
of Mamllapuram (Mahabalipuram) These are now known as seven raths or Pagodas.]
11. Which among the
following Kushana king adopted the epithet Dharma-thida?
[A] Vima Kadaphises
[B] Kuzul
Kadaphises
[C] Kanishka the
Great
[D] Huvishka
Answer: Kuzul Kadaphises [Kuzul Kadaphises
(or Kadphises I) was the founder of kushanas dynasty. Kujula known to have
assumed in his coins the epithets Dharma-thida and Sacha-dharma-thita which
evidently refer to his adherence to the Buddhist and Saiva faiths.]
12. Which among the
following Gupta emperors called himself “Lichchhavi-dauhitra”?
[A] Shrigupta
[B] Chandragupta I
[C] Chandragupta II
[D] Samudragupta
Answer:Samudragupta [Chandragupta-I
married the daughter of Licchhavis, a royal influential family .His son and
successor Samudragupta calls himself Lichchavi-dauhitra the son of the daughter
of the Lichchavis.]
13. In Pali texts, who
among the following is referred to as Nigantha Nātaputta?
[A] Gautam Buddha
[B] Mahavira
[C] Parshvanatha
[D] Rishabha
Answer:Mahavira [Nigantha Nātaputta
refers to Mahavira. A Nirgrantha refers to Jains. A person who has attained
kevalya can be a nirgrantha.]
14.At which among the
following sites of Indus Valley Civilization, the rows of distinctive fire
altars with provision of ritual bathing have been found ?
[A] Mohen-jo-daro
[B] Harappa
[C] Kalibangan
[D] Lothal
Answer: Kalibangan {Kalibangan – is an
archaeological site where Ploughed Field, Bones of Camel, Circular and
Rectangular Graves, distinctive fire (Vedic ) altars with provision of ritual
bathing have been found.]
15. The earliest
evidence of rice cultivation comes from which among the following valleys?
[A] Central Ganga
Valley
[B] Belan Valley
[C] Gomal Valley
[D] Bolan Valley
Answer: Belan Valley [Belan Valley,
Allahabad is one of the regions the earliest evidence of rice cultivation has
come.]
16. The inscriptions of
Ashoka and the Brahmi script were deciphered by ___?
[A] Alexander
Cunningham
[B] James Princep
[C] Max Muller
[D] Mortimer
Wheeler
Answer: James Princep [James Princep
(1799-1840) was an English scholar, orientalist and antiquary. He was the
founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal and is best
remembered for deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India.
He was the first to decipher the inscriptions of Ashoka and the Brahmi script.]
17. Which among the
following is a Tamil grammatical treatise ?
[A] Pattupattu
[B] Ettutogai
[C] Silappadikaram
[D] Tolkappiam
Answer: Tolkappiam [The Tolkappiyam is
a work on the grammar of the Tamil language It is written in the form of short
formulaic compositions and comprises three books – the Ezhuttadikaram, the
Solladikaram and the Poruladikaram.It deals with orthography, phonology,
morphology, semantics, prosody and the subject matter of literature.]
18.Veda which is
partly in prose and partly in verses is ___ ?
[A] Rigveda
[B] Samaveda
[C] Yajurveda
[D] Atharvaveda
Answer: Yajurveda [Adhyayas of Yajur
Veda, made up partly of verses and partly of prose, contain a number of prayers
and sacrificial formulae. Extensive details for carrying out different
sacrifices are given in the chapters of the Yajur Veda.]
19. Which of the
following Chola kings was the first to capture Maldives ?
[A] Rajaraja
[B] Rajendra I
[C] Rajadhiraja
[D] Rajendra II
Answer:Rajaraja [Rajaraja Chola I
laid the foundation for the growth of the Chola kingdom into an empire, by
conquering the kingdoms of southern India and the Chola Empire expanded as far
as Sri Lanka in the south, and Kalinga (Orissa) in the northeast. He conquered
Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Sumatra and other places in Malay Peninsula. The naval
conquest of the ‘old islands of the sea numbering 12,000’, the Maldives marked
one of the conquests of Rajaraja. Rajaraja I built a strong navy with the aim
of controlling the sea.}
20. Who among the
following authors is known for his satires exposing the evils of contemporary
society ?
[A] Ksemendra
[B] Pravarsena
[C] Sriharsa
[D] Visakhadutta
Answer:Ksemendra [Kshemendra was a
Kashmirian poet of the 11th century, writing in Sanskrit.In his most of the
works like ‘Kalavilas’, ‘Narma Mala’ describes the inner weakness of man and
society and the corrupt official machinery of those times.In his one of the
work ‘Samaya Matrika’ ,he depicted super seductress ‘Kankali’ character By
depicting it ,he wishes to reform the degradation in the society. In short
Ksemendra had chosen the vehicle of satire.]
21. “The king was the
ruler of all except Brahamanas”. This was the view of __?
[A] Manu
[B] Yajnavalkya
[C] Apasthamba
[D] Gautama
Answer:Gautama-dharmasutra [The Dharmasutras:
The Law Codes of Apastamba, Gautama, Baudhayana, and Vasistha The Dharmasutras
are the four surviving written works of the ancient Indian tradition on the
subject of dharma, or the rules of behavior a community recognizes as binding
on its members. Gautama-dharmasutra is believed to be the oldest of the four
Hindu Dharmasastras, It survives as an independent treatise. According to
Gautama the ruler is the owner of everything in his realm except the
brahmanas]
22. For which among the
following offenses, Manu recommended higher punishment to Brahamans than the
persons of other varnas?
[A] Profanity
[B] Murder
[C] Theft
[D] Treason
Answer: Theft [According to Manu,
a Brahamana was to be awarded higher punishment than the persons of other
varnas for the offence of Theft.]
23. Metronymics were
borne by the later rulers of which among the following dynasties?
[A] Maurya
[B] Sunga
[C] Kanva
[D] Satavahana
Answer: Satavahana [Metronymics: A name
derived from the name of a mother or female ancestor. The metronymics are borne
by the later Satavahanas and not by the early Satavahanas. It was mainly
because Satavahanas had to establish matrimonial alliance with maharathis. The
metronymics of the Satavahanas was the result of such alliances.]
24. One of the writers
of the Dharmashashtra disapproved the practice of Sati declaring it as an act
of suicide. Identify him from the given options:
[A] Angiras
[B] Medhatithi
[C] Usana
[D] Visnu
Answer: Medhatithi [Medhatithi is one
of the oldest and most famous commentators on the Manusmriti. He considered
sati system identical to suicide, which was forbidden by the Vedas. One shall
not die before the span of one’s life is run out. ]
25. Vallabhi era is
identical with which of the following era?
[A] The Vikrama era
[B] The Gupta era
[C] The Harsha era
[D] None of the
above
Answer:The Gupta era [Vallabhi era is
identical with Gupta era and Vallabhi era followed Gupta era in A.D. 366.]
26. The cotton cloth
worn by Indians had a brighter white colour than any cotton found elsewhere.
This view was recorded by __?
[A] Alexander
[B] Megasthenes
[C] Nearchus
[D] Pliny
Answer: Megasthenes [Megasthenes – an
ancient Greek historian and diplomat, author of an account of India, the
Indica, in four books. He was sent by the Hellenistic king Seleucus I on
embassies to the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya. He wrote that the dress
worn by the Indians was made of cotton of a brighter white colour than any
cotton found elsewhere.]
27. Which among the
following is / are the terms used for coins of the Gupta period?
1. Dinara
2. Dramma
3. Rupaka
4. Suvarna
Choose the correct
answer from the codes given below:
[A] 4 only
[B] 2, 3
[C] 1, 4
[D] 1, 2, 3, 4
Answer:1, 4 [The gold coins of
Gupta period were called Dinara inspired by the Roman coins but later the coins
were minted in the Indian style with the weight standard of 9.2 gms of gold and
called Suvarna.]
28. The Kushans issues
the coins made of __?
1. Gold
2. Silver
3. Copper
Choose the correct
option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 1 & 2
[C] Only 1 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Answer: 1, 2 & 3[The Kushans issued
coins of Gold, Silver and Copper .]
29. The last Mauryan
ruler, who was killed by his Commander-in-Chief was __?
[A] Dasaratha
[B] Kun-ala
[C] Samprati
[D] Brihadratha
Answer: Brihadratha[Maurya Emperor
Brihadratha was killed by his senapati (Commander-in-Chief) Pushymitra Shunga .
Pushymitra Shunga founded the Shunga Dynasty in around 185-183 BC.]
30. According to the
beliefs of the Pasupata sect, Siva is the lord of Pasu. Pasu here refers to __?
[A] Lion
[B] Bull
[C] Parvati
[D] Jiva
Answer: Jiva [The Pasupata was a
Saivite sect associated with Siva in his aspect of the “Herdsman” (pasu,
“animal” and pati, “lord”). The devotees of Pashupati Siva are called
Pashupatas.]
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