Ancient Indian History MCQs
1. Who presided Second Buddhist Council?
[A] Mahakassapa[B] Vasumitra
[C] Moggliputra Tissa
[D] Sabakami
2. The earliest evidence of rice cultivation comes from which among the following valleys?
[A] Central Ganga Valley[B] Belan Valley
[C] Gomal Valley
[D] Bolan Valley
3. Which among the following Kushana king adopted the epithet Dharma-thida?
[A] Vima Kadaphises[B] Kuzul Kadaphises
[C] Kanishka the Great
[D] Huvishka
4. Who among the following is the author of ‘Harshacharita’?
[A] Banabhatta[B] Hiuen Tsang
[C] Harshavardhan
[D] Bhaskarvarman
5. Which of the following Chinese emperors was contemporary of Harshavardhana?
[A] Taizong[B] Wu Zetian
[C] Ruizong
[D] Xuanzong
6. Purusha sukta is a part of which among the following vedas?
[A] Sam Veda[B] Rig Veda
[C] Atharva Veda
[D] Yajur Veda
7. Who wrote Malvikagnimitra?
[A] Kalidas[B] Tulsidas
[C] Agnimitra
[D] Chanakya
8. Which of the following was the main capital of Kushana king Kanishka-I?
[A] Purushapura[B] Pataliputra
[C] Taxila
[D] Mathura
9. Who was the first Indo-Greek king, who became Buddhist?
[A] Antiochus II[B] Apollodotus I
[C] Apollodotus II
[D] Menander II
10. Who among the following is ascribed for the work Mudrarakshaha?
[A] Kalidasa[B] Vishakhadatta
[C] Kautilya
[D] Bhatrihari
11. In ancient India, the 8 smaller clans / kingdoms called “Athakula” belonged to which among the following Mahajanapadas?
[A] Magadha[B] Kosala
[C] Vriji
[D] Chedi
12. Who among the following emperors wrote the play ‘Nagananda’ in Sanskrit language?
[A] Harshavadhana[B] Bindusara
[C] Prabhakaravardhana
[D] Chandragupta II
13. Which of the following is the first month of the Saka era?
[A] Chaitra[B] Vaishakha
[C] Phalguna
[D] Pausha
14. Which one of the following is considered to be the world’s greatest iconographical creations made by the sthapatis of south India, particularly during the Chola period?
[A] Mahishasuramardini[B] Nataraja
[C] Rama
[D] Somaskanda
15. Which of the following Indus city has the distinction of having its lower town also being surrounded by a separate massive brick wall?
[A] Kalibangan[B] Lothal
[C] Dholavira
[D] Banwali
16. Which of the following practice was not followed by the Indus people?
[A] Worship of trees, animals, and birds[B] Worship of idols of different gods
[C] Belief in ghosts and evil spirits
[D] Belief in life hereafter as suggested by the burial practices of the rich
17. Which of the following Jain doctrine signifies the system of describing reality from different points of view?
[A] Anekantavada[B] Syadavada
[C] Nayavada
[D] Pancha Mahavrata
18. What was the name of Siddhartha’s charioteer?
[A] Channa[B] Kanthaka
[C] Kondanna
[D] Vappa
19. What was the capital city called during the 6th century BCE?
[A] Mahanagara[B] Rajdhani
[C] Nigama
[D] Pura
20. Which of the following was the contemporary of both Buddha and Mahavira?
[A] Bimbisara[B] Ashoka
[C] Chadragupta Maurya
[D] Bindusara
21. The sacred books of the Jainas are known as?
[A] Agama[B] Tripitaks
[C] Shruti
[D] None of the above
22. Where was the capital of the state of Mauryas situated?
[A] Piphalivana[B] Mithila
[C] Suputa
[D] Ramagrama
23. Which of the following rock edict mentions about the war of Kalinga?
[A] Twelfth Edict[B] Tenth Edict
[C] Thirteenth Edict
[D] Fourteenth Edict
24. Which of the following is an example of rock-cut architecture of the Mauryan period?
[A] Dhauli caves[B] Sanchi Stupa
[C] Bhimbhetka caves
[D] Elephanta caves
25. Which of the following was the reason behind an increase in the manufacture of oil in the post-Mauryan period?
[A] Use of oil wheel[B] Use of pumps
[C] More reserves found
[D] Oil was the center of the economy
26. During which of the following periods cotton was exported to different countries?
[A] Mauryans[B] Satavahanas
[C] Kanvas
[D] Shungas
27. Which of the following kings was the last ruler of the Kushana empire?
[A] Kadphises I[B] Ashvagosha
[C] Vasudeva II
[D] Vima Kadphises
28. Which of the following was Chandragupta II’s second capital?
[A] Prayag[B] Patliputra
[C] Ujjain
[D] Avanti
29. Which of the statements are correct with respect to administration during the time of Harsha?
1. The administration had become feudal.
2. There was more decentralization.
3. The army was larger in size than the Mauryans.
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Only 2 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
30. Which of the following kings was identified as king Juzr from the travel accounts of the 9th-century Arab merchant, Sulaiman?
[A] Vatsaraja[B] Nagabhatta I
[C] Harichandra
[D] Mihir Bhoja
31. Which of the following Gupta King followed a policy of war and conquest and enormously enlarged his kingdom?
[A] Chandragupta I[B] Chandragupta II
[C] Samudragupta
[D] Kumargupta
32. Which of the following places developed as a great center of education for Mahayana Buddhism during the Gupta period?
1) Taxila
2) Nalanda
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Both 1 & 2
[D] Neither 1 & 2
33. In the early medieval India, which of the following refers to tax levied upon the whole village?
[A] Bhoga[B] Kara
[C] Hiranya
[D] Pindka
34. Which of the following temples is considered to be the earliest temple of Bhubaneswar?
[A] Mukteshwara temple[B] Parasuramesvara temple
[C] Lingraj Temple
[D] Brahmeshwar Temple
35. The Muktesvara temple of Orissa was built in which of the following centuries?
[A] 6th century AD[B] 8th century AD
[C] 9th century AD
[D] 10th century AD
36. Which of the following authors wrote Raghava-Pandaviya?
[A] Padmagupta[B] Kaviraja
[C] Kumaradas
[D] Sanmitracharita
37. Vikramaditya I ruled during which of the following periods?
[A] c. 625–650 CE[B] c. 640–670 CE
[C] c. 650–675 CE
[D] c. 655–680 CE
38. During the reign of which of the following kings, Bay of Bengal was converted into a ‘Chola lake’?
[A] Rajendra I[B] Virarajendra
[C] Rajadhiraja
[D] Athirajendra
39. ‘Agraharas’ refers to which of the following?
[A] Villagers[B] Peasants
[C] Rent-free brahmadeya villages
[D] Land of the nobility
40. The exclusive assembly of Brahmans/gatherings of the adult male members in the agraharas in the Chola empire was referred to as?
[A] Ur[B] Sabha
[C] Samiti
[D] None of the above
41. Which of the following kings was posted as the Chola viceroy of Sri Lanka by Rajadhiraja Chola?
[A] Kollutung[B] Rajendra I
[C] Virarajendra
[D] Rajendra II
42. Which of the following were the important ports of India on the western coast during the Sangam age?
1. Bharukachchha
2. Sopara
3. Kalyana
4. Muziris
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 1 & 4
[C] Only 2, 3 & 4
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
43. Gautam Buddha belonged to which clan?
[A] Kuru[B] Sakya
[C] Maurya
[D] Gnathrika
44. Who built the famous Vaikunta Perumal temple at Kanchipuram?
[A] Parmeshvara Varman II[B] Nandivarman II
[C] Narasimna Varman II
[D] Aparajita Varman
45. In which of these sites Gautama Buddha was born?
[A] Bodh Gaya[B] Kushinagar
[C] Sarnath
[D] Lumbini
46. In which place the first Buddhist Council was held?
[A] Pataliputra[B] Vaishali
[C] Rajagriha
[D] Kashmir
47. In which year Alexander invaded India?
[A] 323 BC[B] 326 BC
[C] 454 BC
[D] 467 BC
48. Which king ruled Magadha after the Mauryan dynasty?
[A] Haryanka dynasty[B] Nanda Dynasty
[C] Shishunag dynasty
[D] Shunga Dynasty
49. Which one of the following Vedas contains sacrificial formulae?
[A] Rig Veda[B] Sama Veda
[C] Yajur Veda
[D] Atharva Veda
50. What is the Subject mentioned in Manu Smriti?
[A] Politics[B] Law
[C] Economics
[D] Astronomy