Ancient Indian History MCQs

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Emperor Ashoka was identified with various names which include Buddhashakya and Ashoka as mentionded in the Maski Rock Edict. In the the Sarnath Pillar inscription he is referred to as Dharmasoka.

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The Ashokan pillars are the most celebrated example of Mauryan art. The use of bull as a motif shows the inclination of Ashoka towards Buddhism. The bull represents fertility. The event of the birth of Buddha is also represented by Lotus and Bull.

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Mahameghavahana dynasty, which is also known as the Chedi dynasty ruled during the first or second century BCE. It was based in Kalinga in present-day Odisha. Kharavela was the most famous ruler of Chedi dynasty. The primary source for Kharavela is his rock-cut Hathigumpha inscription found in a cave in Udayagiri near Bhubaneswar.

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During the last two centuries of the BC era, the Northern and Northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent were governed by around 30 Hellenistic Kings. Significant areas under their rule included Taxila, which is located in present-day Pakistan, along with Peshawar and Sagala. Hellenistic rule greatly impacted the cultural and theological dynamics of these regions, influencing philosophical and scientific progress at that time.

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The capital of Menander was located at Sakala, that is, modern Sialkot in Punja. He is believed to have invaded and conquered the Ganga-Yamuna doab but failed to retain it for long.

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The Taxila Copper Plate inscription mentions about the dedication of a relic of the Buddha Shakyamuni to a Buddhist monastery by the Shaka ruler Patika Kusulaka. Mathura lion capital also mentions Patika Kusulaka.

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The Satavahanas claimed their descent from Brahamana varna. They performed Vedic rituals and worshipped gods like Krishna, Vasudeva, as evident in the Naneghat cave inscription of Naganika of 1st century BCE.

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Nagarjuna was also termed as the Indian Einstein. He proposed the Theory of Relativity in his time in the form of a Sutra which is also called as the Prajna Parimata Sutra. He was a great patron of Mahayana doctrine.

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Kumaragupta I  who regined from c.415 to  455 CE adopted the title of Shakraditya and Mahendraditya and
performed ashavmedha sacrifice. He was the son of Chandragupta II.

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During the Gupta period the Agrahara grants were restricted to Brahmins only. These grants were meant to be perpetual, hereditary and tax free, accompanied with the assignment of all land revenue.