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.
11. Who are the mother, wife, and daughter of Emperor Asoka respectively?
[A] Mahadevi, Subhadrangi, Sanghmitra
[B] Subhadrangi, Mahadevi, Sanghmitra
[C] Mahadevi, Sanghamitra, Subhadrangi
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Subhadrangi, Mahadevi, Sanghmitra]
Notes:
Emperor Asoka, who ruled most of India after the Maurya Dynasty, was born to his mother, Subhadrangi. He was married to Mahadevi and they had a daughter named Sanghmitra. Asoka is known for his significant contributions to Buddhism.
12. In which among the following , the first description about the Bhils , a tribe of Rajasthan was found?
[A] Vedas
[B] Brahmanas
[C] Mahabharata
[D] Puranas
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Brahmanas]
Notes:
In Aitareya Brahman
13. Megasthenes was an ambassador for which of the following empires?
[A] Greek
[B] Egyptian
[C] Roman
[D] Ottoman
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Greek]
Notes:
Megasthenes described what he called “the great capital of Pataliputra” as the most largest and prosperous city in the world. He wrote about its palaces, school, temples, parks, and said that the wall around the city “was crowned with 570 towers and had 64 gates”.
14. In which year, Kalinga War was fought?
[A] 263 B.C
[B] 260 B.C
[C] 261 B.C
[D] 262 B.C
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [261 B.C]
Notes:
The Kalinga War was fought in 261 BC. The war was fought between Ashoka, the Mauryan Emperor, and the ruler of the State of Kalinga. The war was completed in the eighth year of Ashoka’s reign.
The Kalinga War was one of the most famous and bloodiest battles in world history. The war resulted in the deaths of 1,000,000 people, 150,000 captured, and an additional 1,000,000 died as a result of the conflict. The war was a turning point in Ashoka’s life. He vowed never to make war again and decided to devote the rest of his life to the spread of Dharma.
15. “Live well, as long as you live. Live well even by borrowings, for, once cremated, there is no ‘return.” This rejection of after-life is an aphorism of which of the following sects? (UPSC Prelims 1994)
[A] Kapalika sect
[B] Sunyavada of Nagarjuna
[C] Ajivikas
[D] Charvakas
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Charvakas]
Notes:
The rejection of after-life is an aphorism of the Charvakas. Charvaka also known as Lokayata, is an ancient school of Indian materialism.
Charvaka holds direct perception, empiricism, and conditional inference as proper sources of knowledge, embraces philosophical skepticism and rejects ritualism, and supernaturalism.
16. In which of the following sites, earliest evidence of settled agriculture in the Indian subcontinent is found?
[A] Dholavira
[B] Lothal
[C] Mohenjadaro
[D] Mehrgarh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [ Mehrgarh ]
Notes:
Mehrgarh is a Neolithic site, which lies on the Kacchi Plain of Balochistan. The earliest evidence of settled agriculture in the subcontinent is found in Mehrgarh
17. With reference to ancient Jainism, which one of the following statements is correct? (UPSC Prelims 2004)
[A] Jainism was spread in South India under the leadership of Sthalabahu.
[B] The Jainas who remained under the leadership of Bhadrabahu were called Shvetambaras after the Council held at Pataliputra.
[C] Jainism enjoyed the patronage of the Kalinga king Kharavela in the first century BC.
[D] In the initial stage of Jainism, the Jainas worshipped images unlike Buddhists.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Jainism enjoyed the patronage of the Kalinga king Kharavela in the first century BC.]
Notes:
Jainism spread in South India under the leadership of Bhadrabahu (not Sthalabahu). The Jainas who remained under the leadership of Bhadrabahu were called Digambaras (not Shvetambaras) after the first council held at Pataliputra (modern Patna) by Sthulbahu.
18. Which of the following harappan trading site is famous for procuring lapis lazuli?
[A] Kalibangan
[B] Lothal
[C] Dholavira
[D] Shortughai
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Shortughai]
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.
19. Most of the Indus terracotta figurines were:
[A] hand-modelled
[B] sculptured with a chisel
[C] made in single moulds
[D] cut with a saw
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [hand-modelled]
Notes:
Most terracotta figurines recovered from Indus Civilization urban sites were hand modeled rather than molded, suggesting artisans were skilled at independently sculpting and crafting small statues in clay reflecting localized stylistic conventions. Depictions include zebu bulls, toys with movable limbs, cows feeding calves, females adorned with bangles and headdresses interpreted possibly as mother goddesses. The cow and bull imagery resonates with subsequent Indian traditions exemplifying continuing cultural elements.
20. Which Harappan pottery is said to be the earliest example of its kind in the world?
[A] Glazed
[B] Knobbed
[C] Perforated
[D] Polychrome
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Glazed]
Notes:
The glazed steatite pottery found from Harappan sites is considered the earliest example of glazed pottery in the world. It is thinner than most other pottery and also lacks conventional surface treatment of red slip and buff surface. Instead, a thin layer of silica was fused to the body during the firing process in the kiln, which gave the pottery a smooth, glassy and shiny surface. Their technique of firing pottery reached high levels of sophistication.
