Ancient Indian History MCQs

Notes:
The Mousterian refers to a techno-complex (archaeological industry) of flint lithic tools associated primarily with Neanderthals. Acheulean refers to the ancient industry of stone tool manufacture characterized by distinctive oval and pear-shaped “hand-axes” associated with Homo erectus and related species. Oldowan is the oldest-known stone tool industry and dates back as far as 2.5 million years ago. The term Grotian is related to international law and does not related to ancient stone tool industries.

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Aryabahata was the first Indian astronomer to state that the Earth is spherical and rotates on its axis. He went on to explain that the apparent daily east- west motion of the sun, moon, planets, and stars is due to the rotation of the Earth from west to east. He introduced two systems for reckoning time: (1) the audayika system, from sunrise to next sunrise, and (2) the ardharaatrika system, that is, midnight to midnight (sidereal time). The time for one sidereal rotation of the Earth is given as 23h 56m 4.1s (modern value: 23h 56m 4.091s). Responsible for the Indian mathematical renaissance, Aryabhata set the pattern and tone of modern mathematical investigations.

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The Hindu religious text Manusmriti describes Brahmavarta as the region between the rivers Sarasawti and Drishadwati in India. The earliest of the Hindu sacred text, Rig-Veda refers to the Saprasindhava, Panchanada, Madhyadesha and Praki. These were perhaps the first references to the emergence of regions. The geographical location of these regions suggests that the Indo- Aryans preferred to settle down along the banks of the rivers-Sindhu (Indus), Vitasta, Jhelum), Asikni also known Chandrabhaga (Chenab). There is a general agreement that the region known as Panchanada included the plains of the five great eastern tributaries of the Sindhu River. Further east, the land between the Sarasawti and Drishadwati was known to the Indo-Aryan as Brahmavarta.

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In the caverns of Ajanta, India, one can see the many cave paintings that were left on the walls of cave temples. The Buddhists who had their temples their painting mural of Buddhist stories and legends and also of scenes of Gupta India.

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The Nyaya Sutras is an ancient Indian Sanskrit text composed by Aksapada Gautam and the foundational text of the Nyaya school of Hindu philosophy.. The Nyaya-sutras is attributed to Gautama, who was the principal author.

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Rajendra Chola I was one of the greatest emperors of the Chola dynasty. Apart from reaching northwards to River Ganges and moving overseas to Maldives and Sri Lanka, he also invaded the Southeast Asian territories of Srivijaya in Malaysia, Indonesia and southern Thailand. He assumed the title ‘Gangaikonda Chola’ after defeating the Gangas, Chalukyas, Cheras, Palas, Pandyas, Kalinga and other rulers. He built a vast empire and a strong military and naval force. His rule came to be known as the ‘Golden Age of Cholas’.

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Major sites of Malwa Culture include Daimabad, Inamgaon, Kayatha, Nagda, Vidisha, Eran, Mandsaur, and Navdatoli (near Maheshwar). A massive fortification wall and a moat have been discovered at Eran

Notes:
A fragment of a woven cloth was found at Harappa. This small fragment gives evidence of the Harappan’s knowledge of weaving and textile manufacture. Impressions of woven cloth have also been found on pottery jars and sealings from sites like Mohenjo-daro and Chanhudaro, indicating cotton cultivation and spinning industries contributed to Harappan economy and trade networks. Cloth production would have been a major craft industry employing many urban artisans across the Indus cities.

Notes:
Great Bath located in the citadel area of Mohenjo-daro is known for its finely crafted brickwork showcasing the architectural skills of the Harappans. It measures 12 meters long, 7 meters wide and was sunk more than 2 meters deep below the ground, lined with bitumen for waterproofing. The bathing pool itself was made water tight by finely fitted bricks and drainage system. The site itself has buildings made from millions of bricks which point to highly standardized production and quality control.

Notes:
Earliest Mandals of the Rig Veda i.e., II to VII are called family books because they are ascribed to particular families of seers/rishis. The Rig Veda is a collection of 1,028 hymns.