Ancient Indian History MCQs

Notes:
Malavikagnimitram is the Sanskrit play, which depicts Agnimitra as its hero. Malvika is a maid servant whom Agnimitra falls in love. This was known to his chief queen, who imprisions her. Later it was known that Malvika was of a royal birth and she was accepted as queen of Agnimitra. Malavikagnimitram gives account of Rajsuya Yajna of Pushyamitra Shunga, father of Agnimitra.

Notes:
Lord Buddha preached his first sermon at Sarnath. Buddha preached most sermons at Sravasti. Lord Buddha preached his last sermon at Vaishali.

Notes:
Brihadeeswarar Temple or Peruvudaiyar Kovil or Rajrajeshwaram temple at Thanjavur is the world’s first complete “granite” temple. It was built by Rajraja Chola-I and is a part of UNESCO’s world Heritage sites. The Vimana or the temple tower (known as Raja Gopuram) is 216 Feet in height and is one of the tallest buildings of its kind. The Nandi is carved out of a single rock. This temple has completed 1 millennium in 2010. It was dictated by lord Shiva to Rajraja Chola I, when he triumphed Ilam (Sri Lanka) Island.

Notes:
The Guptas gave the largest grant of villages to temples and Brahmins. The practice of donating land to Brahmins was common during the Gupta period, which was a time of great cultural and intellectual flourishing in India.  The three types of land grants in the Gupta period were:

• Brahmadeya: Land given to a group of Brahmins.
• Devadana: Land given to the gods.
• Agrahara: A settlement of priests.

The land was typically used for farming or other agricultural purposes. The income generated from the land was used to support the Brahmins and their families. The taxes from the villages were assigned to the Brahmana donees, who were also given the right to get the donated land cultivated.

Notes:
The small caves were constructed for meditation purpose of Jain monks at Udaigiri by Kharvela. As per the inscription at the site, the caves were first excavated by king Kharavela of Chedi Dynasty.

Notes:
Guptas issued the largest number of gold coins in ancient India. During their rule they introduced gold coins for the trade and they have issued a large amount of gold coins in their kingdom for the trade and the welfare of their people.

Notes:
Amaravati, also known as Dhanyakataka/Dharanikota, is famous for its Buddhist Stupa. It was once a major center of Buddhist learning and art. The Stupa is attributed to Emperor Ashoka and is considered one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the country. Efforts are underway to secure a UNESCO World Heritage Site status for this important archaeological site that represents the earliest examples of sculptural art in India.

Notes:
The first Tamil Sangam was held to the south of Madurai under the patronage of Makeerthy, the Pandyan king. Agastya was the president of first sangam. The second sangam was also led by king Agastya. The third sangam is led by Nakkirar.

Notes:
Senguttuvan, the king of ancient Tamilakam, had erected the temple for Kannagi around 2000 years back at Vannathiparai and called it ‘Kannagi Kottam’. He is known as Red Cherra.

Notes:
Buddhist work that is written in Sanskrit is the “Divyavadana” (Option C). The “Divyavadana” is a collection of Buddhist stories and legends written in Sanskrit. It contains narratives of the lives and teachings of the Buddha, as well as stories about various Buddhist monks and nuns. Sanskrit was one of the classical languages used for Buddhist scriptures and texts, alongside Pali and other languages, depending on the Buddhist tradition and region.