Ancient Indian History

▪ The Indus valley site from where miniature of bullock cart obtained:

Ans: Harappa

• The first Indus valley site selected by UNESCO for conservation:

Ans: Mohenjo daro

• The largest among the Indus valley sites excavated till date:

Ans: Rakhigarhi

• The second largest among the Indus valley sites excavated till date:

Ans: Dholavira

• Who opined that the reason for the decline of Indus Valley civilization was invasion of Aryans?

Ans: Mortimer Wheeler

• Which text provides information regarding the stay of Aryans in Iran? 

Ans: Zend Avesta

• The first foreigners to invade India:

Ans: Persians

• In 1872 who published the first Harappan seal:

 Ans: Alexander Cunningham

• Harappan Civilization was discovered in:

Ans: 1921

• Surkotda in Bhuj district of Gujarat was excavated by:

Ans: J.P. Joshi

• The Indus valley site from where evidence for the domestication of horse has been obtained:

Ans: Surkotda

• Apart from Lothal there is one site where rice husk has been found. It is: 

Ans: Rangpur

• Which was the only Indus city without a citadel:

Ans: Chanhudaro

• Name of which Indus valley site means 'black bangles:

Ans: Kalibangan

• The most important public place in Mohenjo-Daro:

Ans: Great Bath

• The name of which place means 'Mound of the Dead':

Ans: Mohenjo-Daro

• Who led the excavation in Harappa:

Ans: Darya Ram Sahni

• Who led the excavation in Mohenjo-Daro:

Ans: R.D. Banerji

• Father of Indian Archaeology:

Ans: Alexander Cunningham

• Indus people had trade relations with the people of:

Ans: Mesopotami

• Indus site situated on an island:

Ans: Dholavira

• Which was a port town of Indus Valley Civilisation: 

Ans: Lothal

▪ Excavation at Lothal was led by:

Ans: S.R. Rao

• Ropar was excavated by:

Ans: Y.D. Sharma

• According to Max Muller, the Aryans came to India from:

Ans: Central Asia

• Who has the opinion that the original home of Aryans was Arctic region: 

Ans: Bal Gangadhar Tilak

• The first European to invade India:

Ans: Alexander

• Alexander was the king of:

Ans: Macedonia

• Alexander invaded India in the year:

Ans: 327-326 BC

▪ Alexander passed away at:

Ans: Babylon

• Who opposed Alexander in the battle of Hydaspes:

Ans: Porus

• The Battle of Hydaspes was fought on the banks of the river.

Ans: Jhelum

• The last city conquered by Alexander during the invasion to India:

Ans: Patala

• What was the name of the horse of Alexander:

Ans: Bucephalus

• "Marmara' in the vedic age was referred to the people occupied with the profession of:

Ans: Chariot maker

• What was the name of Iron in Vedic period:

Ans: Shyama

• Which river was known as ‘Kalindi’:

Ans: Yamuna

• During, the Vedic age the river Beas was known as:

Ans: Vipasa

• Which river was known as 'Vitasta' during the Vedic age:

Ans: Jhelum

• ____ river was known as ‘Drishadvati’ in Vedic period:

Ans: Ghaggar

• Sutlej was known as _____ during the Vedic age:

Ans: Satadru

• The forces led by whom won the Battle of the Ten Kings?

Ans: Sudas

• The words 'Thathwamasi’ is the part of:

Ans: Sama Veda

• In which Mandala of the Rig Veda is the famous ‘Gayatri Manthra’:

Ans: Third

• The earliest Veda:

Ans: Rig Veda

• The latest Veda:

Ans: Atharva Veda

• Ayurveda is an upaveda of:

Ans: Atharva Veda

• The oldest literary work in India:

Ans: Rig Veda

• The only Veda in prose form:

Ans: Yajur Veda

• The number of verses in Skanda Purana, the largest purana:

Ans: 81000

• Source of Indian Philosophy:

Ans: Upanishads

• The words 'Satyameva Jayate’ is a part of:

Ans: Mundakopanishad

• The oldest Upanishads:

Ans: Brihadaranyopanishad and Chandogyopanishad

• Which is called 'Encyclopaedia of Buddhism':

Ans: Mahavibhasha

• The first biography of Buddha, 'Buddhacharita’ was authored by:

Ans: Ashvaghosha

• Buddha got enlightenment at:

Ans: Bodh Gaya

• The first Buddhist council was held at:

Ans: Rajagriha

• The first Buddhist nun was:

Ans: Gautarni

• Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana at:

Ans: Kushinagara

• Buddha gave his first sermon at:

Ans: Saranath

• The fourth Buddhist council was convened during the reign of:

Ans: Kanishka

• The second Buddhist council held in the year:

Ans: 383 BC

• Who was the patron of the first of Buddhist council:

Ans: Ajatasatru

• The Zen Buddhism is popular in:

Ans: Japan

• The ancient Buddhist scripture was mainly written in:

Ans: Pali

• The emperor who made Buddhism a world religion:

Ans: Ashoka

• The first sermon of Buddha is known as:

Ans: Dharamachakra pravarthan

• The holy books of Buddhism:

Ans: Tripitakas

• The place of worship of Buddhists:

Ans: Pagoda

• Who called Budhha as 'the light of Asia':

Ans: Edwin Arnold

• The Maurya king who was known as 'Devenam Priyadarshi':

Ans: Ashoka

• Vitr110 deciphered Asokan edicts:

Ans: James Princep

• The first king to talk to the people directly through inscriptions:

Ans: Ashoka

• The battle of Kalinga was in:

Ans: 261 BC

• A vivid description about Kalinga war is given in the ____ the rock edict of Ashoka:

Ans: 13th

• The last war of Asoka was against:

Ans: Kalinga

• Which king was also known as Kakavarna:

Ans: Kalasoka

• Who wrote 'Vajrasoochi"?

Ans: Aswaghosha

▪ The symbol of Mahavira was:

Ans: Lion

• The Asokan rock edict in Shahbaz Garhi is in ______ script:

Ans: Kharoshti

• Who translated Bhagavad Gita into English?

Ans: Charles Wilkins

• During the Sangam age hill region was known as:

Ans: Kurunji

• Tamralipti was an ancient city in:

Ans: Bengal

• The first literary evidence about the South Indian kings is found in:

Ans: Indica

• The king related to Girnar inscription:

Ans: Rudradaman

• The Sangam Chola king who fought 'Battle of Venni' and defeated elven kings:

Ans: Karikala

• Which was the forest region during the Sangam age:

Ans: Mullai

• The followers of which religion was known as 'Nirgranthas' in earlier times:

Ans: Jainism

• The Governor of Chandragupta Maurya who constructed Sudarshan lake at Kathiawar:

Ans: Pushyagupta

• Who wrote Fu-Ko-Ki?

Ans: Fabien

▪ The work 'Ravanavadham’ was compiled by:

Ans: Bhatti

▪ The battle of Manimangalam took place between Narasimhavarma and _____.

Ans: Pulakesin. II

• The Chola king who destructed the Chera navy:

Ans: Rajaraja Chola I

• The Persian king who sent ambassador to the court of Pulakesin II:

Ans: Khusru II

• Who assumed the title 'Vatapi Konda':

Ans: Narasimhavarman I

• From whom Vijayalaya Chola captured Tanjore:

Ans: Pandyas

▪ The Pallava ruler who built the temple of Vaikuntha Perumal at Kanchi: 

Ans: Nandivarman II

• The second Jain council was headed by:

Ans: Devardhi Kshmasramana

  

• Sandhyakar Nandi's Ramacharitam is a biography of:

Ans: Rampala of Bengal

• Manyakheta was the capital of:

Ans: Rashtrakutas

• The royal emblem of Pallavas:

Ans: Bull

• Patanjali lived during the period of:

Ans: Pushyamitra Sunga

• The capital of the Huna king Mihirakula was:

Ans: Sagala

• Who authored ‘Kamasutra’:

Ans: Vatsyayana

• The Arab traveller who visited the court of Amoghavarsha:

Ans: Sulaiman

• Mahabalipuram city was built by:

Ans: Narasimhavarman I

• The 'Saptanga theory (Theory of seven limbs of state) was propounded by:

Ans: Chanakya

• Near which river Kalinga war took place:

Ans: Daya

• Which pillar erected by Asoka is the longest of all pillars:

Ans: Seventh

• During the Sangam age Agricultural region was known as:

Ans: Marudam

• Who started the Gupta Era in A.D. 320:

Ans: Chandragupta I

• The capital of Lichchhavis:

Ans: Vaisali

• The Sunga king whose court was visited by Heliodorus:

Ans: Bhagabhadra

• Which is regarded as the only history book written in Ancient India:

Ans: Rajatarangini

• Which cereal was known as 'Vrihi' in ancient times:

Ans: Rice

• The propounder of Yoga philosophy:

Ans: Patanjali

• The two most important assemblies from political point of view are during Vedic age:

Ans: Sabha and Samiti

• Nalanda University was founded by:

Ans: Kumaragupta

• Who is known as Indian Einstein':

Ans: Nagarjuna

• Who is regarded as the first Thirthankara of Jainism:

Ans: Rishabba

• The 24th and last Thirthankara of Jainism:

Ans: Mahavira

• Who was called as 'Second Ashoka' in recognition to his contribution to Buddhism:

Ans: Kanishka

• Jaina monastic establishments are called:

Ans: Basadis

• Mahavira passed away at:

Ans: Pavapuri

• Author of Kalpasutra:

Ans: Bhadrabahu

• The doctrine triratnas is associated with:

Ans: Jainism

▪ The first Jain council was held at:

Ans: Patliputra

▪ The Mauryan ruler who accepted Jainism:

Ans: Chandragupta Maurya

• Who was the first disciple of Mahavira:

Ans: Jamali

• The first patricide in Indian history:

Ans: Ajatasatru

• Triratnas of Jainism:

Ans: Right Faith, Right Knowledge, Right Action

• The capital of Magadha was:

Ans: Rajgriha

• The number of Mahajanapadas in the north India in the sixth century B.C:

Ans: 16

• Chandragupta Maurya was succeeded by:

Ans: Bindusara

• The capital of Mauryan empire was:

Ans: Patliputra

• The Mauryan emperor who was known ‘Amitraghata:

Ans: Bindusara

• The minister of Chandragupta Maurya:

Ans: Chanakya

• Who authored ‘Arthasastri:

Ans: Chanakya

• Who authored 'indica':

Ans: Megasthenes

• Who built the famous stupa at Sanchi:

Ans: Ashoka

• Who founded the Mauryan empire:

Ans: Chandragupta Maurya

• Who wrote 'Mudraraksha’:

Ans:  Visakhadutta

• Arthasastra is a book on:

Ans: Statecraft

• Sunga dvnasty was succeeded by:

Ans: Kanva

• The Gandhara school of art was the contribution of:

Ans: Inds-Greeks

• The Greek ambassador to the court of Chandragupta Maurya:

Ans: Megasthanes

• The Greek General who was defeated by Chandragupta Maurya:

Ans: Seleucus Nicator

• The last Mauryan king who was assassinated by his general Pushyamitra Sunga:

Ans: Brihadratha

• The modern name of Kalinga is:

Ans: Odisha

• The real name of Chanakya:

Ans: Vishnugupta

• Who founded the Konva dynasty:

Ans: Vasudeva

• Who founded the Sunga dynasty:

Ans: Pushyamitra

• Who is called 'Indian Machiavelly’:

Ans: Chanakya

• Who wrote" Milinda Panho':

Ans: Nagarjuna

• Capital of Kanishka:

Ans: Peshawar

• Saka Era was founded by:

Ans: Kanishka

• Saka Era was started in:

Ans: AD 78

• The most famous Kushana ruler:

Ans: Kanishka

• Who authored 'Saundarananda' and 'Buddhacharita’:

Ans: Aswaghosha

• The most famous Parthian king in Indian History:

Ans: Gondophernes

• The only Indian ruler whose territory was extended upto Central Asia:

Ans: Kanishka

• Harisena was the court poet of:

Ans: Samudragupta

• Kalidasa lived in the court of:

Ans: Chandragupta II

• The Gupta Era was started in:

Ans: 320AD

• The Gupta king who was called 'Indian Napoleon' by the famous

historian Vincent A Smith:

Ans: Samudragupta

• The home ]and of the Kushans:

Ans: North Central Asia

• The Navratnas adorned the court of:

Ans: Vikramadithya

• The title 'Vikramaditya’ was assumed by:

Ans: Chandragupta II

• Which period is referred to as the the classical age of Ancient India:

Ans: Guptas

• Who is regarded as the real founder of the Gupta dynasty:

Ans: Chandragupta

• Fahian visited India ruling the reign of:

Ans: Chandragupta II

• Samudragupta’s achievements are mentioned in:

Ans: Allahahad inscription

• The court language of Guptas:

Ans: Sanskrit

• The first Chinese pilgrim to visit India:

Ans: Fabian

• Who authored 'Panchatantra’:

Ans: Vishnu Sharma

• Who is called 'Indian Newton':

Ans: Aryabbatta

• The Sangam was held under the royal patronage of:

Ans: Pandyas

• Who is called the Shakespear of India:

Ans: Kalidas

• Who was the first to use decimal system:

Ans: Aryabbatta

• The chola king who conquered Sri Lanka:

Ans: Elara

• The greatest work of Tamil Grammar during Sangam age:

Ans: Tolkappium

• The main port of Cholas during sangam age:

Ans: Pubar

• The capital of Pandyas:

Ans: Madurai

▪ Which is called the Bible of Tamil Land:

Ans: Thirukkural

• Which is considered as Oclyssy of Tamil poetry:

Ans: Mani mekhalai

• Who authored 'Chilappathikaram’:

Ans: Ilango Adikal

• The first historical reference of Pandyas were made by:

Ans: Megasthenes

• Banabhatta lived in the court of:

Ans: Harsh Vardhana

• Who authored "Kadamhari':

Ans: Banahhatta

• The alternative name of Harsha was:

Ans: Siladitya

• The capital of Harsha's empire was:

Ans: Kanauj