Ancient Indian History MCQs

Notes:
The Chola period marked a significant improvement in the craft techniques and various centres of craft production emerged. Palaiyarai was an important administrative center and residential capital of the Cholas.

Notes:
Kumhrar is located in Patna. It is the name of an area of Patna where remains of the ancient city of Pataliputra have been found. The excavation started in 1913 by the Archaeological survey of India.

Notes:
Lord Mahavir’s preaching were orally compiled into many texts (scriptures) by his disciples. These scriptures are known as Jain Agam or Agam Sutras. The Agam Sutras teach great reverence for all forms of life, strict codes of vegetarianism, asceticism, compassion, nonviolence, and opposition to war. Ang-agam is known as the oldest religious scriptures and the backbone of Jain Literature.

Notes:
Pali is a Middle Indo-Aryan language (of Prakrit group) of the Indian subcontinent. It is best known as the language of many of the earliest extant Buddhist scriptures, as collected in the Pali Canon or Tipitaka, and as the liturgical language of Theravada Buddhism. Pali is a literary language of the Prakrit language family and was first written down in Sri Lanka in the first century BCE.

Notes:
The most famous work by Varahamihira is the treatise on mathematical astronomy called the Pancha Siddhantika (“Five Astronomical Treatises”). It is dated 575 AD. It is a summary of five earlier astronomical systems, namely the Surya, Romaka, Paulisa, Vasistha and Paitamaha.

Notes:
Vardhamana Mahavira was also known as ‘Jina’ which literally means the ‘conqueror’. Jina refers to the one who has conquered love and hate, pleasure and pain, attachment and aversion, and has thereby freed `his’ soul from the karmas obscuring knowledge, perception, truth, and ability. It was from this word that Jainism was derived.

Notes:
Odantapuri, in ancient times was a celebrated Buddhist centre of learning (vihara) in India identified with modern Bihar Sharif in Bihar. It was founded in the 7th century CE by Gopala, the first ruler of the Pala dynasty, in emulation of its neighbour Nalanda, another distinguished centre of Buddhist learning.

Notes:
Manda is located on the right bank ofChenab Riverin the foothills ofPir Panjal Range. It is considered to be the most northern site belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization. It was excavated by Archaeological Survey of India during 1976-77 by J. P. Joshi.The artifacts found from archaeological site of Manda are the Pre Harappan Red wares.

Notes:
The Chola inscriptions mentioned various types of land as follows: Brahmadeya: These were the lands gifted to Brahamanas. Therefore a lot of Brahamana settlements emerged in the Kaveri valley and in the other southern parts of India. Vellanvagai: Land of non-Brahamana peasant proprietors. Shalabhoga: This refers to the land of the maintenance of a school. Devadana, tirunamattukkani: Land gifted to temples. Pallichchhandam: Land donated to Jaina institutions.

Notes:
Dhamekh Stupa at Sarnath is one of the prominent Buddhist structures in India that was constructed by the great Mauryan king, Ashoka. The Dhamekh Stupa is cylindrical in shape and about 34 m high and 28.3 m in diameter. The lower portion of the Stupa is covered completely with beautifully carved stones.