Q 1 – Who deciphered Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts?
(a) James Princip
(b) Cunningham
(c) Wheler
(d) John Marshall
Ans. (a) James Princip
Q 2 – How many Mahajanapada were there?
(a) 17
(b) 14
(c) 18
(d) 16
Ans. (d) 16
Q 3 – Which of these was the most powerful Mahajanapada from 6th to 4th century BCE?
(a) Kuru
(b) Magadha
(c) Panchal
(d) Ciandhara
Ans. (b) Magadha
Q 4 – Who appointed Dhamma Mahamatras?
(a) Bimbisara
(b) Samudraupta
(c) Ashoka
(d) Pandya
Ans. (c) Ashoka
Q 5 – Who founded the Mauryan Empire?
(a) Ashoka
(b) Chandragupta Maurys
(c) Bindusara
(d) Ajatashatru
Ans. (b) Chandragupta Maurya
Q 6 – Sangam is a literature of _________ language.
(a) Tamil
(b) Malsyam
(c) Sanskrit
(d) Marathi
Ans. (a) Tamil
Q 7 – Harishena was the court poet of ________
(a) Samudragupta
(b) Chandragupta II
(c) Ashoka
(d) Chandragupta Maurya
Ans. (a) Samudragupta
Q 8 – Consider the following statements about the Mauryan Empire:
1. There were 5 major political centres in the Empire.
2. Megasthenes wrote about the Mauryan Empire in his book Indica.
3. Ashoka founded the Mauryan Empire in 321 B.C.
4. Ashoka used his resources to propagate Buddhism.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1, 2 and 4
(c) 2, 3 and 4
(d) 1, 3 and 4
Ans. (b) 1, 2 and 4
Q 9 – What are big rocks kept on the burial in central and south India called?
(a) Northern Black Polished Ware
(b) Pillars
(c) Boulders
(d) Megaliths
Ans. (d) Megaliths
Q 10 – Who was Dhamma Mahamatta?
(a) Special revenue officers appointed by Ashoka for tax collection
(b) Special officers appointed by Ashoka for maintaining law and order in the kingdom
(c) Special officers appointed by Ashoka to spread the message of dhamma
(d) Special officer appointed by Ashoka to stop the spread of dhamma
Ans. (c) Special officers appointed by Ashoka to spread the message of dhamma
Q 11 – Why is the sixth century BCE often considered a major turning point in Indian history?
(a) Emergence of states, cities, and towns; Use of iron
(b) Emergence of states, cities, and towns; Dominance of Hinduism
(c) Dominance of Hinduism; Use of iron
(d) Emergence of Buddhism and Jainism, Extensive use of Copper
Ans. (a) Emergence of states, cities, and towns; Use of iron
Q 12 – Who composed the Prayag Prashasti in praise of Samudragupta?
(a) Prabhavati Gupta
(b) Harisena
(c) Kautilya
(d) Banabhatta
Ans. (b) Harisena
Q 13 – Which of the following is not one of the main features of Ashoka’s dhamma?
(a) Respect the elders and be generous to the Brahmins.
(b) Consider your religion superior to the other religions.
(c) Gahapati should respect members of the family, relatives, servants, the poor, and the slaves.
(d) Follow non-violence.
Ans. (b) Consider your religion superior to the other religions.
Q 14 – What were the guilds of the merchants and craftsmen called?
(a) Shrenis
(b) Ur
(c) Adimai
(d) Uzhavar
Ans. (a) Shrenis
Q 15 – What is James Prinsep’s contribution in the development of the Indian epigraphy?
(a) He deciphered the Brahmi script used in most of the Ashokan inscriptions.
(b) He deciphered the Kharoshthi script used in most of the Ashokan inscriptions.
(c) Both ‘a’ and ‘b’
(d) None of these
Ans. (a) He deciphered the Brahmi script used in most of the Ashokan inscriptions.
Q 16 – Ventures of which of the following traders were risky but highly profitable?
(a) Peddlers
(b) Seafarers
(c) Merchants with caravans of bullock carts and pack-animals
(d) All of the above
Q 17 – Who issued the first coins bearing the names of rulers?
(a) Mauryas
(b) Guptas
(c) Indo-Greeks
(d) Satavahanas
Ans. (c) Indo-Greeks
Q 18 – Ashoka is mentioned by which titles in his inscriptions?
(a) Ashoka, Piyadassi
(b) Masattuvan, Ashoka
(c) Devanampiya, Piyadassi
(d) Devaputra, Piyadassi
Ans. (c) Devanampiya, Piyadassi
Q 19 – Name the languages in which the Ashokan inscriptions were written.
(a) Pali, Prakrit, and Greek
(b) Pali, Sanskrit, and Aramaic
(c) Prakrit, Aramaic, and Greek
(d) Pali, Sanskrit, and Greek
Ans. (c) Prakrit, Aramaic, and Greek
Q 20 – Consider the following statements regarding Magadha.
(i) Magadha was the most powerful mahajanapada.
(ii) Initially Pataliputra was the capital of Magadha and later it was shifted to Rajagriha.
(iii) Elephants were found in abundance in the forests of Magadha.
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
(a) I and II
(b) II and III
(c) I and III
(d) II only
Ans. (c) I and III