Ancient History (Part-I)

Total Questions: 50

31. The Badami rock inscription of Pulakesin I is dated in the Saka year 465. If the same were to be dated in Vikrama Samvat, the year would be: [1997]

Correct Answer: (a) 601
Solution:

Vikrama Era (58 BCE): The Vikrama Era, also known as the Vikram Samvat, is traditionally associated with King Vikramaditya of Ujjain. It is believed to have been started in 58 BCE, following Vikramaditya's victory over the Shakas. This calendar is still used in parts of India and Nepal, particularly in religious and cultural contexts.

Shaka Era (78 CE): The Shaka Era was started by the Shaka ruler, King Shalivahana, in 78 CE. It is also known as the Shalivahana Saka. The Shaka Era is widely used in Indian epigraphy and has also been adopted as the Indian national calendar.

Kalachuri Era (248 CE): The Kalachuri Era was initiated by the Kalachuri dynasty, which ruled in central India. It began in 248 CE. This era is often referred to in inscriptions from central and western India.

Gupta Era (320 CE): The Gupta Era was started by the Gupta dynasty, specifically by Chandragupta I, in 320 CE. It marks the beginning of wh...what is often referred to as the "Golden Age of India." The Gupta Era is important for its contributions to art, culture, and the spread of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Harsha Era (606 CE): The Harsha Era was initiated by Emperor Harshavardhana in 606 CE, marking the start of his reign. Harsha's reign is noted for the consolidation of northern India and for cultural and religious advancements.

So if we want to convert Badami rock inscription of Pulakesin II to Vikram era, it will be 465+78+58=601 Vikram Samvat.

32. Many of the Greeks, Kushanas, and Shakas embraced Buddhism rather than Hinduism because: [1998]

Correct Answer: (c) Caste - ridden Hinduism did not attract them
Solution:They embraced Buddhism because caste ridden Hinduism did not attract them. Buddhism provided easiest entry in comparison to Hinduism which had strict birth related caste structure. So these rulers embraced Buddhism in order to strengthen their dominance over the local people.
Buddhism arose in the 6th century BCE in the Gangetic plain during a time of second urbanisation and social changes in India. As Buddha’s teachings resonated with people discontented with Vedic rituals and caste system, Buddhism quickly spread across northern India. Political and economic support by merchants and artisans fostered Buddhist growth. Further, under the Mauryas, Buddhism expanded both in India and outside. Doctrinal debates within Buddhism led to the emergence of major schools like Theravada and Mahayana.
Buddhism started to decline due to many socio-political factors. Its decline started with the Gupta dynasty, and by the 12th century CE, it almost disappeared in India; however, it continued to thrive in other Asian countries.

33. The Ashoka major rock edicts tell us about the Sangam Kingdom include rock edicts: [1998]

Correct Answer: (c) II and XIII
Solution:The ll and XIII rock edicts mention the southern kingdoms of Chola, Pandya, Satyaputra, Keralaputra and Tambapanni.

The Ashoka edicts can be classified into three categories:
Major Rock Edicts

  • The Major Rock Edicts were 14 in number and were found in eight places:
    o Mansehra,
    o Shahbazgarhi,
    o Kalsi,
    o Dhauli,
    o Jaugada,
    o Sopara,
    o Girnar, and
    o Yerraguddi.

Minor Rock Edicts

  • The Minor Rock Edicts were found at places like Maski, Gurjara, etc.
  • Ashoka appears only in copies of Minor Rock Edicts, while all other inscriptions mention him as Devanampiya, dear to the gods.

Pillar Edicts

  • The Pillar Edicts were seven in number in six places:
    o Delhi-Topra,
    o Delhi-Meerut,
    o Lauriya-Areraj,
    o Lauriya-Nandangarh,
    o Prayag, and
    o Rampurva.

34. Which one of the following pairs are correctly matched? [1998]

1. Mrichhakatikam – Shudraka

2. Buddhacharita – Vasuvandhu

3. Mudrarakshasa – Vishakhadatta

4. Harshacharita – Banabhatta

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Correct Answer: (b) 1, 3, and 4
Solution:

Mrichchakatika, meaning "The Little Clay Cart," is a renowned 10-act Sanskrit drama by the ancient Indian playwright Shudraka. The play is significant for its use of everyday life characters, social commentary on themes of love, poverty, and political intrigue, and its deviation from classical Sanskrit drama tradition by focusing on a love story between a Brahmin, Charudatta, and a courtesan, Vasantasena.

Mudrarakshasa is a significant Sanskrit play by Vishakhadatta that serves as a secondary historical source, detailing the strategies of Chanakya in establishing Chandragupta Maurya’s rule and the consolidation of the Mauryan Empire. It provides insights into ancient Indian statecraft, political intrigue, and the use of diplomacy and espionage during that era.

Harshacharita is a Sanskrit historical biography of the Indian emperor Harsha (reigned 606–647 CE), written by his court poet Banabhatta. It is considered the first historical biography in Sanskrit and provides significant details about Harsha’s life, administration, and the cultural landscape of 7th-century North India, though with a biased, favorable perspective on the emperor.

Harshacharita is a Sanskrit historical biography of the Indian emperor Harsha (reigned 606–647 CE), written by his court poet Banabhatta. It is considered the first historical biography in Sanskrit and provides significant details about Harsha’s life, administration, and the cultural landscape of 7th-century North India, though with a biased, favorable perspective on the emperor.

35. What is the correct chronological order in which the following appeared in India? [1998]

1. Gold coins

2. Punch marked silver coins

3. Iron plough

4. Urban culture

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Correct Answer: (d) 4 , 3 , 2 , 1
Solution:In India Indus Valley Civilization appeared the first signs of urbanization between 2500 and 2000 BCE According to researchers, it is a hard fact that the earliest known specimen of iron ploughshare comes from Ganwaria in District Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh and dates from ca. 700 BC.

The first documented coinage is deemed to start with 'Punch Marked' coins issued between the 7th-6th century BC and Istcentury AD. It was the Indo Greeks who ruled a large part of North-Western India around 200 BC (2218 years ago) that first introduced coins made of Pure Gold in India before Kushans. Therefore, according to the question the correct chronological order of the event appeared in India is 4, 3, 2 and 1.

36. Assertion (A): According to Ashoka’s edicts social harmony among the people was more important than religious devotion. [1998]

Reason (R): He spread ideas of equity instead of promotion of religion.

Correct Answer: (a) Both A and R are true but R is the correct explanation of A
Solution:Ashoka's edicts put stress on social harmony among the people by spreading ideas of equity instead of promotion of religion.

The Ashoka edicts can be classified into three categories:
Major Rock Edicts

  • The Major Rock Edicts were 14 in number and were found in eight places:
    o Mansehra,
    o Shahbazgarhi,
    o Kalsi,
    o Dhauli,
    o Jaugada,
    o Sopara,
    o Girnar, and
    o Yerraguddi.

Minor Rock Edicts

  • The Minor Rock Edicts were found at places like Maski, Gurjara, etc.
  • Ashoka appears only in copies of Minor Rock Edicts, while all other inscriptions mention him as Devanampiya, dear to the gods.

Pillar Edicts

  • The Pillar Edicts were seven in number in six places:
    o Delhi-Topra,
    o Delhi-Meerut,
    o Lauriya-Areraj,
    o Lauriya-Nandangarh,
    o Prayag, and
    o Rampurva.

37. Which of the following pairs are correctly matched? [[1998]]

  1. Lothal : Ancient dockyard
  2. Sarnath : First Sermon of Buddha
  3. Rajgir : Lion capital of Ashoka
  4. Nalanda : Great seat of Buddhist learning

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

Correct Answer: (c) 1, 2 and 4
Solution:Lion capital of Ashoka is in Saranath (not Rajgir).

Lothal’s ancient dockyard, one of the world’s oldest artificial docks, was a large rectangular basin used for the Harappan civilization’s maritime trade. Discovered by S.R. Rao in 1954, the dockyard was connected to an ancient course of the Sabarmati River, which provided access to the Arabian Sea.
The first sermon of Buddha, known as Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta or “The Turning of the Wheel of Law,” was delivered at the Deer Park in Sarnath to his five former ascetic companions. In this sermon, he introduced the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, establishing the fundamental teachings of Buddhism and marking the beginning of a spiritual community, the Sangha.
Nalanda was a great seat of Buddhist learning in ancient India, operating as the world’s first residential university from the 5th to 13th centuries. Located in modern-day Bihar, it was a thriving center of Buddhist philosophy and scholarship, attracting thousands of students and teachers from across Asia. The university was destroyed in the 12th century but its legacy is being revived through the modern Nalanda University.

38. Which one of the following ancient Indian records is the earliest royal order to preserve food-grains to be utilised during the crises in the country? [1998]

Correct Answer: (a) Sohgaura Copper-plate
Solution:The earliest known copper-plate called Sohgaura is a Maurya record that mentions famine relief efforts. It is one of the very few pre-Ashoka Brahmi inscriptions in India.
The inscription records an order to distribute grain from established granaries to the public during a famine or period of scarcity. It is a Mauryan period record, making it one of the oldest known inscriptions from that era and from India overall. The inscription is written in the Brahmi script and the Prakrit language. It provides crucial information about ancient Indian administrative measures, organized governance, and the concern for public welfare during emergencies like famines, showcasing advanced public administration during the Mauryan period.

39. The concept of Eight fold path forms the theme of: [1998]

Correct Answer: (d) Dharma Chakara Pravartana Sutta
Solution:The Noble Eight fold Path, is one of the principal teachings of the Buddha, who described it as the way leading to the cessation of suffering (Dukkha) and attainment of self-awakening.

In Buddhist symbolism, the Noble Eight fold Path is often represented by means of the Dharma wheel (Dharmachakra), whose eight spokes represent the eight elements of the path.

Eight fold path includes right understanding, right speech, right livelihood; right mindfulness, right thought, right action, right effort and right concentration.

40. The given map relates to : [1998]

Correct Answer: (c) Ashoka towards close of his reign.
Solution:The given map is related to the reign of Ashoka towards end of his rule. Ashoka (304-232 BC), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled over the Indian subcontinent from 269 BC to 232 ВС.
  • The extent of Ashoka’s empire covered the entire territory from the Hindu Kush to Bengal, including Afghanistan, Baluchistan, and the whole of India, with the exception of a small area in the farthest south.
  • Kashmir and the valleys of Nepal were also included in the extent of his empire. According to discovered history, the great Mauryan king Ashoka (1st century BC) established the old city of Srinagar and named it Puranshankari (now Panderthan).
  • In his Sanskrit inscriptions, Ashoka is called Buddhashya and Muni Shakya.
    o Ashoka was also known as Devampiya, i.e. beloved of the Gods, and as Priyadarshi, i.e. of pleasing appearance.