Ancient Indian History MCQs

Notes:
An important ruling family to gain prominence after the fall of the Gupta was that of the Pushyabhutis who had their capital at Thanesar (Thanesvara in Kurukshetra). The dynasty became influential with the accession of Prabhakarvardhana, who was able to defeat the Hunas and strengthen his position in the regions of Punjab and Haryana. After his death, his elder son Rajyavardhana came to the throne but he was treacherously killed by Shashanka, the king of Bengal and Bihar. Harshavardhana then ascended the throne in AD 606. He was only sixteen years of age at that time. Still he proved himself to be a great warrior and an able administrator

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Kumarasambhava, is an epic poem by Kalidasa written in the 5th century CE. The work describes the courting of the ascetic Shiva, who is meditating in the mountains, by Parvati, the daughter of the Himalayas; the conflagration of Kama (the god of desire)—after his arrow struck Shiva—by the fire from Shiva’s third eye; the wedding and lovemaking of Shiva and Parvati; and the subsequent birth of Kumara (Skanda), the war god. Kumara is son of shiva Kartikeya.

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The Bhagavata cult is also known as Heliodorus pillar. It is a stone column that was erected around 113 BCE in central India in Besnagar (near Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh). The temple and the inscriptions are among the earliest known evidence of these pillar capitals, found near the Heliodorus pillar, suggests the Bhagavata cult.

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Kacha is a prince from the gupta dynasty. He is known for issuance of gold coins of very high quality similar to that of gupta king samudragupta.

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The rajukas worked in a judicial capacity as well as being revenue administrators. During asoka’s reign they were given increased judicial powers in the settlement of disputes.

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Xuanzang also known as Hieun Tsang visited Nalanda first in 637B.C. and then again in 642 B.C. and studied under the guidance of Shilabhadra.

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Vijayalaya Chola is recognized as the founder of the Chola Dynasty. He established his control over the kingdom of Tanjore in 850 AD, marking the emergence of the Chola dynasty in the south of India. His reign ushered in a period of Chola supremacy which significantly influenced the political and cultural landscape of southern India.

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Foundation of the Indo-Greek empire by Demetrius in 182 BC. Beginning of Vikram samvat Era in 58BC by Vikramaditya of Ujjain. Fourth Buddhist Council was held in Kundalvana, Kashmir in 72 AD under the patronage of Kushan king Kanishka. The King Kharavela of Kalinga left Hathigumpha inscription in around 50BC. So correct answer would be C.

Notes:
Fire, an element of almost equal importance to water, has also played a major role in Indian religion, as an agent of ritual purification and as a means of transmitting offerings to the gods. While water seems to have had a religious significance throughout the Harappan realms, ritual installations involving fire are at present known only from the southern parts, along the Saraswati and in Gujarat. These fire altars were first uncovered at Kalibangan, where one of the platforms in the southern part of the citadel had a row of seven oblong clay-lined pits containing charcoal, ash, and terra-cotta cakes; such cakes were used in kilns to retain heat and perhaps had a similar function in these fire pits. In each pit there was also a cylindrical or faceted clay stele, perhaps representing the lingam (sacred phallus)

Notes:
The Indus Valley civilization grew wheat and barley as their staple food. Besides this, they also grew peas, sesamum, lentils and other pulses. In some places, particularly Gujarat, they also grew millets. It has not been proved if they consumed rice or not.