Ancient Indian History MCQs

Notes:
The Saka Era was founded by Kanishka, the emperor of Kushana empire from the year 78 A.D. The national calendar of India is based on the Saka Calendar which has been adopted as the official civil calendar besides the Gregorian calendar. The Saka Calender is based on luni-solar reckoning of time. The calendar consists of 365 days and 12 months like the normal Gregorian calendar. Chaitra is the first month of the year beginning on March 22 which is the day after the Spring Equinox. During leap years, the starting day of Chaitra corresponds with March 21.

Notes:
Priyadasi was an honorific epithets used by the Indian Emperor Ashoka in his inscriptions. Priyadasi means “He who regards others with kindness”, “Humane”. It is generally used in conjunction with the title “Devanampriya” (“Beloved of the Gods”).

Notes:
Tamralipta or Tamralipti was the name of an ancient city on the Bay of Bengal corresponding with Tamluk in modern-day India. Tamralipta may have been one of the most important urban centres of trade and commerce of early historic India, trading along the Silk Road with China, by Uttarapatha, the northern high road, the main trade route into the Middle East and Europe; and by seafaring routes to Bali, Java and the Far East.

Notes:
Dholavira, locally known as Kotada meaning large fort, is one of the largest Harappan sites located in modern day Gujarat. Its remains were discovered most recently in 1967-68 signifying it as the latest known metropolitan center of the Indus Civilization uncovered on Indian territory so far. Dholavira features a unique planned layout with complexes for residences, burial, water harvesting, and production activities spread across three adjacent mounds within formidable stone walls.

Notes:
Mehrgarh, located near the Bolan Pass in Balochistan, Pakistan provides the earliest evidence of settled farming in South Asia. Mehrgarh was continuously inhabited from 7000 BCE to 2500 BCE, showcasing the change from nomadic pastoralism to sedentary agriculture based on crops like wheat and barley, supplemented by herding sheep and goats.

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The Rig Veda was recently included by the UNESCO in the list of literature signifying World Human Heritage. The Rig Vedic hymns are dedicated to various deities like Indra, Agni, Soma etc.

Notes:
The Upanishads focus a lot on the philosophy of life, universe, self, body, sacrifice, etc. The Mandukyopanishad which is the largest of all Upanishads contains the phrase “Satyamev jayate ”.

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The term Vedanta literally signifies the ‘end of the Vedas’. They reveal the final aim of the Vedas. The Vedanta condemn all form of sacrifices and ceremonies that denote the last phase of the Vedic period.

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Sthulabhadra was the founder of the Shwetambar creed during the first partition of the Jain creed. Sthulabhadra stayed in the north during the severe famine. Shwetambars mean those who wore white cloth.

Notes:
The Pancha-khanda or Pancha-skandha mentioned in Buddhism are:
Rupa, Vedana, Sanna, Sankharas, and Vinnana.
Rupa is related to the physical factor and all the others are related to mental factors.