Ancient Indian History MCQs

Notes:
The IX Mandala of the Rigveda, known as the Soma Mandala, is dedicated to Soma Pavamana (purifying Soma), the sacred potion Somaras. Soma refers to the drink made from the Soma plant, as well as the god associated with it. This Mandala contains hymns in praise of Soma, who was considered the drink of the gods in Vedic tradition.

Notes:
According to Buddhist traditions, Channa was the royal charioteer of Prince Siddhartha. When Siddhartha decided to leave his royal life and comforts to understand the cause of human suffering, it was Channa who escorted him outside the palace. It is believed that Channa later joined the Sangha, the Buddhist monastic community, and became an arahant, an enlightened disciple.

Notes:
The Buddhist scripture, Vinay Pitaka mainly deals with rules and regulations, which the Buddha promulgated. It describes in detail the gradual development of the Sangha. In other words, it is the code of ethics to be obeyed by the early sangha, monks and nuns.

Notes:
The Saka ruler, Rudradraman was responsible for important irrigation works in Saurashtra. His military achievements, his territories and his many personal qualities are highlighted in the famous Junagadh inscription, written in 150 AD. It is the first major inscription to be written in sanskrit.

Notes:
The Sakas introduced Satrap system of government along with Parthians that was similar to that of the Achaemenid and Seleucid systems in Iran. Under this system, the kingdom was divided into provinces each under military governor Mahakshatrapa (great satrap). The governors of lower status were called kshatrapas (satraps). These governors had the power to issue their own inscriptions and mint their own coins.

Notes:
The capital of Kanishka I was at Purushapura (modern Peshawar) and regional capitals were Taxila (Pakistan), Begram (Afghanistan) and Mathura (India).

Notes:
The Kalpasutra is a Jain text containing the biographies of the Jain Tirthankaras, most notably Parshvanath and Mahavira, including the latter’s Nirvana. The author of this text is Bhadrabahu.

Notes:
Gayatri Mantra comes from the third Mandala of the Rigveda. This Mandala has 62 hymns, mainly to Agni and Indra. It is one of the “family books” (mandalas 2-7), the oldest core of the Rigveda. This Mandala also mentions Kikats, a non-Aryan tribe, which most scholars agree that was resident of somewhere in near Magadha in modern Bihar.

Notes:
The correct answer is “Sugarcane Only.” While barley and rice were cultivated in the Indus Valley Civilization, there is no archaeological evidence of sugarcane cultivation in that region during that period. The Indus Valley Civilization, which thrived around 2500 BCE, is known for its advanced agricultural practices, including the cultivation of barley and rice, but sugarcane was primarily cultivated in other regions, such as Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, before spreading to India later.

Notes:
Adi Shankaracharya, also known as Sankara, is most renowned for Advaita Vedanta philosophy which interprets scriptures to assert the fundamental truth of unity of all existence. This philosophy rejects the concepts of dualism and states that individual soul (atman) and the ultimate reality (Brahman) are ultimately identical, hence negating the word “dvaita” which means “dual”.