Ancient Indian History MCQs

Notes:
Arumolivarman or Rajaraja I came to power after the rule of Uttama Chola. He ruled from c.985 to 1014 CE. He is regarded as the greatest Chola ruler as helped raise the Chola Empire to become the largest dominion in South India till the 13th century.

Notes:
Rajaraja I destroyed the chera navy at Trivandrum, attacked Quilon, and captured Madurai. He also captured the northern Sri Lanka and named it Mummadichola mandalam. Rajaraja I also conquered the Maldives islands.

Notes:
During the Chola period the general assembly of the local residents of non brahmadeya villages or the  vellanvagai villages  was referred to as Ur. It used to discuss matters without any formal rule or procedure.

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The Great Bath is one of the best-known structures among the ruins of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization at Mohenjodaro in Sindh, Pakistan. It is called the “earliest public water tank of the ancient world.” Archaeological evidence indicates that the Great Bath was built in the 3rd millennium BC. It measures approximately 12 metres (40 ft) by 7 metres (23 ft), with a maximum depth of 2.4 metres (8 ft). Two wide staircases, one from the north and one from the south, served as the entry to the structure. Most scholars agree that this tank would have been used for special religious functions where water was used to purify and renew the well being of the bathers.

Notes:
The Sama Veda is the third of the four Vedas, the ancient core Hindu scriptures, along with the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda which consists of a collection (samhita) of hymns, portions of hymns, and detached verses, all but 75 taken from the Sakala Sakha of the Rigveda, to be sung, using specifically indicated melodies called Samagana, by Udgatar priests at sacrifices. The origins of Indian music is traced from this veda. Samaveda’s Upaveda (technical manual) is Gandharva-veda that deals not only with the topics of music but also of dance and theatre.

Notes:
The first important ruler to emerge from the Chola dynasty was Rajaraja Chola I. During his reign, the Cholas expanded beyond South Indiawith their domains stretching from Sri Lanka in the south to Kalinga in the north. Raja Raja Chola also launched several naval campaigns that resulted in the capture of the Malabar Coast as well as the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

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Upanishad means “sitting down near”, referring to the student sitting down near the teacher while receiving esoteric knowledge. Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit Dictionary adds that, “Upanishad means ‘setting to rest ignorance by revealing the knowledge of the supreme spirit.’”

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Lothal in Ahemdabad, Gujarat was one of the most prominent cities of the ancient Indus valley civilization. Lothal had the world’s earliest known dock, which connected the city to an ancient course of the Sabarmati river on the trade route between Harappan cities in Sindh and the peninsula of Saur-ashtra when the surroun-ding Kutch desert of today was a part of the Arabian Sea.

Notes:
Digha Nikaya, a famous Buddhist book, mentions about Vajji Mahajanapada, which contains some of the speeches of Buddha. These were written down about 2300 years ago.

Notes:

• Rajaraja I (985 – 1014 A.D.) was born as Arunmozhi Varman and considered the greatest of all Chola rulers.
• Rajaraja I is the most celebrated of the Chola kings. He engaged in naval expeditions and emerged victorious on the West Coast, Sri Lanka and conquered the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.
• He defeated Cheras in the battle of Kandanur salai.
• He was also successful in the expedition of western and Eastern Chalukyas. He installed Shaktiverma on Vengi Throne.
• He constructed a dam across the Kaveri River.
• He was a devout follower of Saivism. He completed the construction of the famous Rajarajeswara temple or Brihadeeswara temple at Tanjore in 1010 A.D.
• His titles: Mummidi Chola, Jayankonda and Sivapadasekara.
• He abdicated his throne for his son Rajendra Chola 1.