Ancient Indian History MCQs

Notes:
In the context of Gautam Buddha, ‘Kanthaka’ was his royal horse. Kanthaka played a significant role in several instances of the Buddha’s life, most notably when it carried him to the river where he would relinquish his worldly possessions and begin his quest for enlightenment.

Notes:
According to Rigveda,the famous battle of ten kings ( or Dasrajan Yudha) was between Sudas, a Bharata king of the Tritsu family and the confederacy of ten well-known tribes- Puru, Yadu, Turvasa, Anu, Druhyu, Alina, Paktha ,Bhalanas,Shiva and Vishanin.In the bloody and decisive battle on the banks of River Parushni the Bharatas emerged victorious.

Notes:
Lakshmidhara was a minister of the Gahadavala king Govindachandra. He compiled the Krityakalpataru, also known as Kalpadruma, a digest of Dharmashastra dealing with religious duties and legal matters.

Notes:
The Northern Panchalas had their capital at Ahicchatra. On the other hand, Southern Panchalas had their capital at Kampilya.

Notes:
The Battle of Ten kings (Dashrajnya) is depicted in the 7th mandala of Rig Veda. This battle led to the formation of Bharata that gradually evolved into Bharatvarsha, Hindustan and India. It was the battle between 10 major tribal chiefs against Sudas of the Bharata tribe.

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 ancient city of Begram was identified as the capital under the reign of King Kanishka. He was a prominent ruler of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia around 2nd century CE. Kanishka is known for his military, political, and spiritual achievements, and his reign marked a significant era in Buddhism and arts.

Notes:
The Bamiyan cave murals in Afghanistan are recognized as the earliest known oil paintings. Scientific analysis identified drying oils in murals from the Bamiyan caves, and the paintings are generally dated to a period spanning the 5th to 9th centuries CE. These findings place the discovery in central Afghanistan, near the famous Bamiyan Buddha site, making Afghanistan the correct answer.

Notes:
Samudragupta believed in the policy of war and conquest and because of his bravery and generalship he is known as the “Napoleon of India” by historian Vincent. A. Smith.

Notes:
Harisena was the court poet of Samudragupta, who mentioned the achievements of Samudragupta in the Prayag-Prasasti inscription (or Allahabad Pillar inscription).