Ancient Indian History MCQs

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“Kahapana” or “Karshapan” was a common coin during Pre-Gupta period. It was made of copper and also of silver.

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Mahajanpada Asaka Located on the banks of the Godavari River. Its capital was Potali, Potana or Podana, which now lies in the Nandura Tehsil, Buldana district in the Indian state of Maharashtra and it was the only Mahajanapada situated to the south of the Vindhya Range, and was in Dakshinapatha.

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Bimbisara was contemporary of both Mahavira and Buddha. The Jain texts mention that he was a disciple of Lord Mahavira. The Buddhist texts mention that he met Buddha before enlightment. Buddha promised him to visit his capital after he gets enlightment. He was a patron of Buddha and as a mark of goodwill; he presented the Bamboo Grove (karanda venu vana) to the Sangha.

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Fa-Hien was a Chinese Buddhist, was one of the pilgrims who visited India during the reign of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II. His main motive is to study the teachings of Gautama Buddha.

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Charak was a contemporary of King Kanishka. Charak was a member of Kanishka’s court and is known as the “Father of Indian Medicine”. Charak was a major contributor to Ayurveda and is famous for writing the Charak Samhita.  Kanishka was the king of the Kushan dynasty, which ruled over the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan, and possibly areas of Central Asia. Other scholars in Kanishka’s court included Parsva, Vasumitra, Asvaghosa, Nagarjuna, and Mathara.

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The name Lothal is derived from the term “Lothall,” which means “mound of the dead” in the local language.

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Yajnavalkyasmriti, which is almost regarded as the official law book of Guptas, was composed also in Gupta era.

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The correct answer is the Chhandogya Upanishad. This text, dating back to around 800-600 BCE, is one of the oldest Upanishads and is important for its philosophical discussions, including the concept of rebirth (punarjanma). It introduces the idea of the eternal soul (Atman) and its journey through cycles of birth and death, laying foundational thoughts for later Hindu philosophies. The Chhandogya Upanishad is also known for its exploration of the relationship between the individual soul and the universal spirit (Brahman).

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Flint is a sedimentary rock that was used by prehistoric humans to make tools. It is a type of microcrystalline quartz that is strong and durable, but can be easily shaped and carved. Flint is a silica material that breaks to create very sharp edges. Early humans learned to make these sharp edged tools intentionally and how to keep them sharp. They used flint to butcher animals, hunt, and cut other materials more efficiently.
Flint is one of the oldest and most used stone types used for making various early human tools. The process of shaping flint into stone is called flintknapping. Flake tools are created through flintknapping.

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The Kanishka stupa was a monumental stupa established by the Kushan king Kanishka during the 2nd century CE in today’s Shaji-ki-Dheri on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan. The stupa was built during the Kushan era to house Buddhist relics.