Ancient Indian History MCQs
Multiple Choice Quiz Questions (MCQs) on Ancient Indian History for General Studies and GK preparation of SSC, NDA, CDS, UPSC, UPPSC and State PSC Examinations.
31. Which of the following poet wrote Karpuramanjari?
[A] Sauda
[B] Rajashekhar
[C] Yashovarmana
[D] Banabhatta
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Rajashekhar]
Notes:
Rajashekhara wrote Karpuramanjari, a play in Prakrit. He was associated with the Pratihara court. His Kavyamimamsa is a work on poetics, not a play.
32. In which of the following battles, Shahab-ud-Din defeated Prithviraj Chauhan?
[A] 1st battle of Tarain
[B] 2nd battle of Tarain
[C] Battle of Haldighati
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [2nd battle of Tarain]
Notes:
The Second Battle of Tarain was fought in 1192 by the Chahamanas and their allies against the Ghurids, near Tarain. Prithviraj Chauhan’s forces had defeated Shahab-ud-Din in the First Battle of Tarain in 1191. Shahab-ud-Din repeated the attack next year and defeated Prithviraj Chauhan in the second battle of Tarain.
33. The Kalabhras ruled in which of the following regions?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Karnataka
[C] Adhra
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Tamil Nadu]
Notes:
The Kalabhras ruled parts of the Tamil country between the Sangam period and the rise of the later Pallava and Pandya powers. Buddhist and Jain traditions are associated with this period, although details of Kalabhra political history remain limited.
34. Which themes appear in some Brahmanical descriptions of disorder in the Kali age?
1. Social groups abandoning prescribed duties
2. Lower-status groups claiming higher status
3. Resistance to taxes and labour obligations
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 1 & 2
[C] Only 2 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [1, 2 & 3]
Notes:
All three occur as themes in descriptions of Kali-age disorder. These are normative accounts reflecting authors’ concerns and should not be read as uniform descriptions of every early medieval community.
35. Which of the following dominated the early medieval period?
1. Saivism
2. Vaishnavism
3. Buddhism
4. Jainism
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 2 & 3
[C] Only 1, 2 & 3
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Only 1 & 2]
Notes:
Shaivism and Vaishnavism gained extensive royal patronage and temple networks in early medieval India. Buddhism remained influential in regions such as Pala-ruled eastern India, while Jainism retained strong centres in western India and the Deccan.
36. Which of the following Jain writers flourished in the court of Paramara kings?
- Dhanesvarasuri
- Dhanapala
- Santisuri
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 1 & 3
[C] Only 2 & 3
[D] 1, 2, & 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [1, 2, & 3]
Notes:
The Paramara dynasty was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India from the 9th to 14th centuries. Many famous Jain writers like Dhanesvarasuri, Dhanapala, and Santisuri flourished in the court of Paramara kings.
37. Which of the following refers to a fine realised for 10 offences committed by the villagers?
[A] Pindaka
[B] Udranga
[C] Dasaparadh
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Dasaparadh]
Notes:
Dasaparadha refers to a fine which was realised for 10 offences committed by the villagers. Those offences included disobedience to the orders of the king, murder of a woman, intermixture of castes, adultery, theft, obscenity, assault, etc.
38. Which of the following wrote Aryasiddhanta?
[A] Balabhadra
[B] Aryabhata II
[C] Prithusvami
[D] Bhattotpala
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Aryabhata II]
Notes:
Aryabhata II composed the Mahasiddhanta, also called Aryasiddhanta. This surviving Sanskrit astronomical treatise must be distinguished from the lost Aryasiddhanta attributed to the earlier Aryabhata.
39. ‘Kani rights’ refers to which of the following in the Chola period?
[A] Right to cultivate
[B] Right of possession over land
[C] Superior possessive right
[D] Right to live a particular village
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Right of possession over land]
Notes:
The different inscriptions related to Chola empire point out to several instances of land transfers by the process of sale or
gif which involved the transfer of kani rights, that is, the right of possession over land associated with certain other rights and obligations.
40. Which of the following pairs of cultural achievements is associated with the Rashtrakuta period?
[A] Shore Temple and the works of Kalidasa
[B] Kailasa Temple at Ellora and the works of Pampa and Ponna
[C] Brihadisvara Temple and the works of Bana
[D] Konark Sun Temple and the works of Ashvaghosha
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Kailasa Temple at Ellora and the works of Pampa and Ponna]
Notes:
The Kailasa Temple at Ellora and the literary achievements of Pampa and Ponna belong to the Rashtrakuta period. Pampa served the Vemulavada Chalukya ruler Arikesari II, a Rashtrakuta feudatory; Ponna received Rashtrakuta patronage. Ranna is associated with the later Western Chalukyas.
