Indian History and World History (Part-2)

Vedic Civilization

Total Questions: 27

11. In the Rig vedas there is a hymn in the form of a dialogue between Sage Vishvamitra and two rivers that were worshiped as goddesses. Which are these rivers? [S.S.C. Online CGL (T-I) 13.04.2022 (Shift-I)]

(a) Ganga and Yamuna
(b) Alakananda and Bhagirathi
(c) Ravi and Chenab
(d) Beas and Sutlej

Correct Answer: (d) Beas and Sutlej

Solution:In the Rigveda there is a hymn in the form of a dialogue between the sage Vishvamitra and the rivers Beas and Sutlej, which are considered deities. Some Rig Vedic chants take the form of dialogues.

This is part of one such hymn, a dialogue between a sage named Vishvamitra and the two rivers, Beas and Sutlej, who are worshiped as gods.

12. Which of the following was NOT a type of sacrifice performed by kings in ancient India to establish their position? [S.S.C. Online Graduate Level (T-I) 9.03.2020 (Shift-III)]

(a) Rajasuya
(b) Vajapeya
(c) Muvendavelan
(d) Ashvamedha

Correct Answer: (c) Muvendavelan

Solution:Muvendavelan was NOT a type of sacrifice performed by kings in ancient India to seek legitimacy.

Instead, Muvendavelan was a famous military officer of the Chola Empire, known for his generous donation to the numerous temples where he had been deployed by the king.

13. The Vedic Civilisation in India flourished along the river________. [S.S.C. Online Graduate Level (T-I) 4.03.2020 (Shift-I)]

(a) Tapi
(b) Godavari
(c) Narmada
(d) Saraswati

Correct Answer: (d) Saraswati

Solution:The Vedic civilization is the earliest in the history of ancient India. It is named after the Vedas, the early literature of the Hindu people. The Vedic Civilization flourished along the river Saraswati, in a region that now consists of the modern Indian states of Haryana and Punjab. The Vedic age is the period considered to be between 1500 BC to 500 BC.

Civilization	Major River(s)	Present-day Region
Mesopotamian Civilization	Tigris and Euphrates	Iraq, parts of Syria and Turkey
Egyptian Civilization	Nile River	Egypt
Indus Valley Civilization	Indus River and its tributaries	Pakistan and northwest India
Chinese Civilization	Yellow River (Huang He) and Yangtze	China
Greek Civilization	No single major river, but used rivers like Eurotas and Alpheus	Greece
Roman Civilization	Tiber River	Italy
Mayan Civilization	No major rivers, but dependent on cenotes and rainfall	Mexico, Guatemala, Belize
Inca Civilization	Along rivers in the Andes, such as the Urubamba	Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia
Mesopotamian (Sumerians, Akkadians, etc.)	Tigris and Euphrates	Iraq region

14. Which three Vedas are jointly called “Vedatrayi”? [S.S.C. Online Stenographer 13.09.2017 (Shift-II)]

(a) Rig Veda, Yajurveda, Atharva Veda
(b) Rig Veda, Samaveda, Atharva Veda
(c) Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda
(d) Yajurveda, Samaveda, Atharva Veda

Correct Answer: (c) Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda

Solution:The three Vedas are jointly called vedatrayi are

Rig veda,
Samaveda and
Yajurveda.

There are four Vedas in total; Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda.

Atharva Veda is the latest of all the four Vedas and did not exist when Vedatrayi was introduced. Hence, Atharva Veda is not a part of Vedatrayi.

15. Which of the following text is referred as ‘Vedanta’? [S.S.C. Online MTS (T-I) 6.08.2019 (Shift-II)]

(a) Vedangas
(b) Aranyakas
(c) Upanishads
(d) Brahmanas

Correct Answer: (c) Upanishads

Solution:The Upanishads, along with Brahmasutra and Bhagavad Gita, are referred to as Vedanta or Departures.

The Upanishads are known to be the last Source of the Shrutis in Hinduism associated with Vedas. Upanishads are considered to be the important sources of Indian philosophy and, it deals with the knowledge of Brahma, Jiva and Jagat.

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16. The Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and Dharmasutras are all written in which language? [S.S.C. Online MTS (T-I) 9.10.2017 (Shift-I)]

(a) Hindi
(b) Prakrit
(c) Pali
(d) Sanskrit

Correct Answer: (d) Sanskrit

Solution:The most ancient documents like Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, and Dharmasutras are written in the Sanskrit language.

17. ‘Purusha Sukta’ is a hymn from which Veda? [S.S.C. Online C.H.S.L. (T-I) 5.08.2021 (Shift-II)]

(a) Yajurveda
(b) Samaveda
(c) Atharvaveda
(d) Rigveda

Correct Answer: (d) Rigveda

Solution:‘Purusha Sukta’ is a hymn of Rigveda. In the 10th Mandala of the Rigveda.

Purusha Sukta is concerned with marriage ceremonies.

18. Which of the following Vedas dealt with music? [S.S.C. Online MTS (T-I) 12.10.2021 (Shift-II)]

(a) Atharva Veda
(b) Rig Veda
(c) Yajur Veda
(d) Sama Veda

Correct Answer: (d) Sama Veda

Solution:The Samaveda deals with music. It is a collection of verses. The Samaveda is mainly drawn from the Rig veda.

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19. Which of the following is the oldest of the Vedas? [S.S.C. Online MTS (T-I) 18.10.2021 (Shift-I)]

(a) Yajurveda
(b) Samaveda
(c) Rigveda
(d) Atharvaveda

Correct Answer: (c) Rigveda

Solution:There are four Vedas:

the Rig Veda,
the Sama Veda,
the Yajur Veda and
the Atharva Veda.

From these, the Rig Veda is the earliest and was composed about 3500 years ago.

20. The Upanishads are the ________. [S.S.C. Online Graduate Level (T-I) 31.08.2016 (Shift-I)]

(a) Great Epics
(b) Story Books
(c) Source of Hindu Philosophy
(d) Law Books

Correct Answer: (c) Source of Hindu Philosophy

Solution:The Upanishads are a collection of texts of religious and philosophical nature, written in India probably between 800 BCE and 500 BCE, during a time when Indian society started to question the traditional Vedic religious order.

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