History Ancient India - MCQs

History Ancient India - MCQs – Set 2

Q.1. Which ruler is mentioned in the Hathigumpha inscription?

(a) Yasovarman

(b) Pulakeshin II

(d) Gautamiputra Satakarni

Q.2. St. Thomas is believed to have come to India to spread Christianity during the reign of which ruler?

(a) Cheras

(b) Parthians

(d) Cholas

Q.3. During the reign of which Gupta ruler did the Chinese traveller Fa-Hien visit India?

(a) Chandra Gupta I

(b) Chandra Gupta II

(d) Kumara Gupta

Q.4. Who was the author of Kadambari?

(a) Banabhatta

(b) Harshavardhana

(d) Vakpati

Q.5. Pulakesin II was the greatest ruler of which dynasty?

(a) Cholas

(b) Pallavas of Kanchi

(d) Chalukyas of Badami

Q.6. To which clan did Gautama Buddha belong?

(a) Gnathrika

(b) Maurya

(d) Licchavi

Q.7. The Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram bear witness to the art patronised by which dynasty?

(a) Pandyas

(b) Pallavas

(d) Chalukyas

Q.8. The caves and rock-cut temples at Ellora are associated with which religions?

(a) Hindu and Buddhist

(b) Buddhist and Jain

(d) Hindu, Buddhist and Jain

Q.9. In which year was the Kalinga War fought?

(a) 260 BC

(b) 261 BC

(d) 232 BC

Q.10. Three Emperors but which came first - Harshvardhan, Amoghavarsha I and Raja Raja Chola?

(a) Harshvardhan

(b) Amoghavarsha I

(d) Dharmapala

Answer:

1. c

Notes: The Hathigumpha Inscription in a cavern called Hathigumpha in Udayagiri hills near Bhubaneswar in Odisha was inscribed by Kharavela In the latter half of the first century B.C.. This inscription is the main source of information about Kharavela.

Written in Prakrit using the Brahmi script, it describes Kharavela’s military campaigns, public works, and religious activities.

2. b

Notes: Christian apostle St. Thomas is said to have visited the empire of Gondophernes Parthian ruler in the 1st century BC.

3. b

Notes: Fa-hsien, also known as Faxian, was a Chinese monk who came to India on a pilgrimage tour during the reign of Chandra Gupta II ((reigned c 376-415).

4. a

Kadambari is a work attributed to Banabhatta who was the court-poet of Harsha, a great and famous ruler in ancient India who ascended the throne in 606 AD.

5. d

Pulkesin II is the greatest ruler of the Chalukya dynasty of Badami.

6. c

Shakya was an ancient tribe (janapada) of the Indian Subcontinent in ancient times.

7. b

The Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram is a historical nickname for the coastal town of Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) in Tamil Nadu. Mahabalipuram is known for rock-cut temples

The relief of "The Descent of the Ganges", also known as Arjuna's Penance, is the most striking of the sculptures in the rock-cut temples of Mahabalipuram.

8. d

29 km from the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, Ellora boasts 34 rock-sculpted temples dating back to sometime between the 5th and 8th centuries. These cave temples belonging to the Hindu, Buddhist and Jaina faiths have been chiseled out of the hills.

9. b

The Kaling War was fought between Ashoka of Mauryan Empire and Kalinga Kingdom in 261 B.C. After his victory in the Battle of Kalinga, Ashoka substituted conquest by Righteousness (dharma) in place of the policy of territorial aggression. The battle marks a turning point not only in Indian history but in world history too.

10. a

It's Harshvardhan who reigned from 606 AD to 647 AD. Dharmapala ruled from 770 to 810 AD. Amoghavarsha I was the greatest Rashtrakuta ruler who ruled from 814 AD to 878 AD, a reign of 64 years. The power of the Chola dynasty reached its pinnacle during the reign of Rajaraja I who ruled from 985 to 1014.

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