Ancient Indian History MCQs

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Lal Kot or Qila Rai Pithora is the original red fort in Delhi comprising the Qutub Minar Compex and other structures in areas around it. It was built during reign of Tomar King Anangpal Tomar in 11th century.

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The Martand Sun Temple was built by an emperor of the Kashmiri Karkoṭa dynasty, Lalitaditya Muktapida in the 8th century. The temple was destroyed by Islamic ruler Sikandar Butshikan in the early 15th century.

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Fertile Crescent was a land which was fertile and suited to agriculture. Neolithic people lived in Fertile Crescent. Painted pottery and polished hand axes came during Neolithic period.

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Buddha attained Niravana at Kushinagara, a village some 180 Kilometers from Varanasi and it was in the state of Mallas.

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The Elephanta Caves are hewn out of solid rock and filled with stone sculptures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Gharapuri Island can be reached by boat from the Gateway of India. The stone elephant after which these caves have been named has been shifted to the Bhau Dali Ladd Museum located next to Jijamata Udyan.

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Chandragupta Maurya welcomed Magasthenes. A clear picture of his Maurya administration is derived from two most important sources of history, namely, Kautilya’s Arthasastra and the Indika of Megasthenes.

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The Bhitargaon Temple is a terraced brick building fronted with a terracotta panel. Built in the 5th century during the Gupta period, it is the oldest remaining brick/terracotta Hindu shrine with a pyramidal roof and a high shikhara, though its upper chamber did sustain some damage in the 18th century.

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S.R. Rao, one of India’s pioneering archaeologists, theorized that the undeciphered Indus script likely represents an Early Indo-European language, more specifically of Indo-Iranian branch, originating before the influx of Indo-Aryan speakers associated with Vedic India. This hypothesis assumes demographic continuity rather than mass displacement between Indus and subsequent Indian populations. Rao’s proposed readings remain unproven though influences between Harappan and Rigvedic cultures have been suggested based on materials, rituals, and ideology.

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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.

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The theory that internal decay coupled with external shocks caused the collapse of the Indus Valley Civilization was proposed by archaeologist Gordon Childe in 1942. He suggested interruption of trade and loss of faith in the ruling elite led to disintegration, later compounded by attacks from bellicose tribes like the Aryans. However, climate change and natural disasters are now seen as more likely factors.