Ancient Indian History MCQs

Notes:
Vishnugupta was the last ruler of the Gupta empire. His reign lasted 10 years, from 540 to 550 CE.

Notes:
Rigvedic Name and Modern Names of Indian Rivers:

Ancient Name	Modern Name
Sindhu	Indus
Vitasta	Jhelum
Askini	Chenab
Vipasa	Beas
Purushini	Ravi
Satudri	Sutlej
Gomal	Gomati
Drishvadati	Ghaggar

Notes:
Sautramani was the sacrifice of the asuras and was adopted by the devas. The sacrificial materials used was sura, wine. In the Sautramani sacrifice the oblations of sura are prescribed.

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Sravasti was the capital of Kosala . There are 16 Mahajanapadas. The Mahajanapadas represent the state system of 600BC. The processes of emergence of Mahajanpadas were initiated by certain important economic changes.

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Fa-Hien was a Chinese Buddhist, was one of the pilgrims who visited India during the reign of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II. His main motive is to study the teachings of Gautama Buddha.

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The concept of zero as a number, and the use of a symbol to represent it, are generally attributed to the ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer Aryabhata. In his book “Aryabhatiya,” which was written in the 5th century CE, Aryabhata described the concept of zero as a placeholder in positional notation, and he used a dot to represent it. This was a significant development in the history of mathematics, as it allowed for the creation of more sophisticated mathematical systems.

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Buddha gave his first sermon at the Sarnath which is known as “Dhammachakra Parivartan”.

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Giak and Kiari are Neolithic sites located in Ladakh. The sites are on the left bank of the Indus River, about 13,000 feet above sea level. They are about 10 km apart.  In the early 1990s, a team of Japanese archaeologists led by Dr Masato Ota excavated the sites.

Notes:
Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, was an 8th-century Buddhist master from the Indian subcontinent. It is said he brought Vajrayana tantric Buddhism to Tibet and Bhutan and is recognized as the second Buddha in these regions. His name means “Lotus-Born”, as per the legend, by his birth he was miraculously appeared seated lotus. Subsequently, he played a crucial role in the development of Tibetan Buddhism and culture.

Notes:
The correct answer is “All are correct.” – Chandra Gupta Maurya was indeed associated with Megasthenes, who was a Greek ambassador to his court. – Bindusara, Chandra Gupta’s son, was linked to Deimakos, another Greek ambassador. – Harshavardhana, a later ruler, was visited by Hiuen Tsang (Xuanzang), a Chinese monk and traveler. Thus, all pairs are accurately matched with their respective historical figures.