Ancient Indian History MCQs

Notes:
Rummindei Pillar Inscription says that The Beloved of the Gods, the king Piyadassi, when he had been consecrated twenty years, came in person find referenced the place where Buddha Sakyamuni was born. He caused a stone enclosure to be made and a stone pillar to be erected. As the Lord was born here in the village of Lumbini, he has exempted it from tax, and fixed its contribution [i.e. Of grain] at one-eigth.

Notes:
Near the banks of Krishna one of the following rivers, the excavation in recent years has brought to light that Indus Valley Civilization percolated to far south.

Notes:
Aihole inscription mentions the name of Kalidas. The inscription is found at Aihole in Karnataka state. The Aihole inscription was written by the Ravikirti, court poet of Chalukya King, Pulakeshi II who reigned from 610 to 642 CE. The poetic verses of Ravikirti, in praise of the king, can be read in the Meguti temple, dated 634 CE.

Notes:
The important non-Harappan chalcolithic cultures are

1. Banas culture (2600BC–1900 BC) in south-east Rajasthan, with Ahar near Udaipur and Gilund as its key-sites
2. Kayatha culture (2100BC–2000 BC) with Kayatha in Chambal as its chief site in Madhya Pradesh;
3. Malwa Culture (1700BC–1400BC) with Navdatoli in Western Madhya Pradesh as an important site
4. Jorwe culture (1400BC– 700BC) with Inamgaon and Chandoli near Pune in Maharashtra as its chief centres

Notes:
The Harappan trading site of Shortughai located in northeast Afghanistan served as an outpost for procuring lapis lazuli that was highly prized for its deep blue color. Lapis mining sites were located nearby in the Badakhshan region. From here, lapis was likely traded along routes further south to major cities like Mohenjo-daro where lapis beads, pendants, and vases have been discovered. High value commodities like lapis helped motivate long distance trade networks.

Notes:
Double burials, the practice of burying one male and one female in the same grave, have been evidenced at the Harappan site of Lothal in Gujarat indicating possible family ties. This is in contrast to the primary method of interring the dead individually. The double burial practice was likely not the norm but shows some variance in funeral customs existed. Lothal’s dockyard, bead factories and large warehouse buildings signify its role as a prominent trade center of the maritime Harappan networks.

Notes:
Large buildings identified as granaries and warehouses used for storage of grains and trade materials have been excavated at Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and Banawali. Their raised platforms and vents were designed to protect against flooding or moisture. The scale indicates centralized storage and distribution systems to support each city’s population. Grain storage signified organized food security policies and robust public administration to implement them across the civilization.

Notes:
Great Granary located in Mohenjo-daro’s lower city is the largest building of the site spanning almost 500 square meters. Built on a high brick podium, it comprises of 3 rows of 6 chambers and a staircase. It was likely used for storage and distribution of grain to city inhabitants, implying centralized control. Granaries symbolized affluence and food security for urban growth.

Notes:
Excavations at Chanhudaro have revealed remains of an ink-well while Lothal has also yielded satlura-style sealings with Harappan script associated with writing activity. This indicates the people were literate and writing was likely used for administrative functions – as evidenced by thousands of seals and varying raw materials like pottery, copper, ivory objects discovered carrying script.

Notes:
All the given statements about the Neolithic period in India are correct. Neolithic communities appeared after 6000 BCE, used ground stone tools, practiced agriculture of wheat, barley and rearing of animals, and were familiar with techniques like pottery making, spinning and fishing.