Ancient Indian History MCQs
Multiple Choice Quiz Questions (MCQs) on Ancient Indian History for General Studies and GK preparation of SSC, NDA, CDS, UPSC, UPPSC and State PSC Examinations.
1. The reign of which of the following reigns was known as golden age for Mathura school of art?
[A] Indo-Greeks
[B] Sakas
[C] Kushanas
[D] Gupta
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [ Kushanas ]
Notes:
The period of Kushana King Kanishka, Huviska and Vasudeva is considered to be golden age for Mathura school of art. The theme of Mathura school of art may vary from Buddhist to Brahmanical to sometimes secular. The more stress is given to the inner beauty and facial emotions rather than bodily gesture. The sculptures were made on White-spotted red stones.
2. At which age Gautam Buddha got Nirvana?
[A] 24
[B] 35
[C] 38
[D] 42
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [35 ]
Notes:
Gautam Buddha attained Nirvana at the age of 35. He achieved enlightenment, or nirvana, while meditating under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya. The literal meaning of Nirvana is “blowing out”. According to Buddha, leading a balanced life would lead to a person attaining both Moksha and Nirvana. Buddha was born into the royal family of the Sakya clan in Lumbini, near the Indo-Nepal Border. At the age of 29, he left home and rejected his life of riches, and embraced a lifestyle of asceticism.
3. Who defeated Harsha Vardhana on the banks of river Narmada in 630 A.D.?
[A] Pulakesin II
[B] Mahendravarman I
[C] Pulakesin I
[D] Kirtivarman I
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ Pulakesin II ]
Notes:
As per the Aihole inscription, Harsha Vardhana was defeated by Pulakesin-II, the great Chalukya king, on the banks of river Narmada in 630 A.D.
4. Who was the founder of Chalukya Dynasty ?
[A] Vishnuvardhan
[B] Pulakesin I
[C] Kirtivarman I
[D] Pulakesin II
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [ Pulakesin I ]
Notes:
The founder of Chalukya dynasty, Pulakesin I established a small kingdom with Badami (or Vatapi) as its capital in Bijapur District, Karnataka .
5. 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
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ Dashavatara temple at Deogarh ]
Notes:
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.
6. At which among the following places, the Dharma-Chakra Jina Vihara was constructed by Gahadavala Queen Kumaradevi?
[A] Bodha Gaya
[B] Rajgrih
[C] Kushinagar
[D] Sarnath
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [ Sarnath ]
Notes:
Dharmachakra Jina Vihara In Sarnath, Varanasi :The last great monument in the 12th century : The temples included what is described as the Main Shrine and another entitled the, Dharmachakra Jina Vihara was the gift of Kumaradevi, the Buddhist queen of the great Gahadavala king Govindrachandra of Kannauj (CE 1114-1154).
7. Which among the following Indus Valley site is located in Montogomery (Punjab) in Pakistan?
[A] Harappa
[B] Mohenjodaro
[C] Kalibanga
[D] Chanhudaro
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ Harappa ]
Notes:
Indus Valley site of Harappa is located in the Montgomery district of Punjab, Pakistan. The site was discovered in 1921 by Rai Bahadur Dayaram Sahni. It is located on the banks of the Ravi River, about 24 km west of Sahiwal.
8. Who composed Buddhacharita?
[A] Kanishka I
[B] Kanishka II
[C] Asvaghosha
[D] Charak
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [ Asvaghosha ]
Notes:
Asvaghosha, a poet in the court of Kaniska I, composed biography of Buddha (Buddhacharita). He was the first dramatist who used Sanskrit in composing the plays.
9. The Excavated Buddhist Site, Lalitgiri , which was notified as Centrally Protected in the year 1937, is located in which among the following states of India?
[A] Andhra Pradesh
[B] Odisha
[C] West Bengal
[D] Karnataka
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Odisha]
Notes:
Lalitgiri is situated in Cuttack district of Odisha which is at a distance of around 100 kms from Bhubaneswar. The Buddhist relics found during excavation was notified as centrally protected in the year 1937.
10. Which among the following text of Buddhism speaks about the sixteen Mahajanapadas?
[A] Digh Nikaya
[B] Anguttar Nikaya
[C] Maha Parinibbana Sutta
[D] Majjhima Nikaya
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Anguttar Nikaya]
Notes:
16 Mahajanapadas have been listed by several Buddhist and Jainsm texts. For example Anguttara Nikaya gives a list of sixteen great nations, which is slightly diffrent from Digha Nikaya which mentions only twelve Mahajanapadas. Similarly, Jain text Vyākhyāprajñapti (or Bhagavati Sutra) gives a different list of sixteen Mahajanapadas.
