76. In the sixth century BC northern India was divided into
(a) sixteen great states
(b) eight republican states
(c) both (a) and (b) above
(d) Anga and Magadha
Ans: (c)
77. Of all the states in northern India in 6th century BC which of the following states emerged as the most powerful?
(a) Anga
(b) Magadha
(c) Kashi
(d) Kosala Ans: (b)
78. When Alexander invaded India, Magadha was being ruled by the
(a) Haryankas
(b) Sisunagas
(c) Nandas
(d) Mauryas
Ans: (c)
79. Chandragupta Maurya with the help of Chanakya decided to overthrow the Nandas because
(a) Chanakya had been humiliated by the Nandas
(b) the Nandas were low-born
(c) the Nandas had accumulated a great deal of wealth by extortion and oppression of the people
(d) Chanakya wanted to restore the ideal of Kshatriya rule
Ans: (c)
80. The decline of the Nandas at the hands of Kautilya and Chandragupta Maurya has been vividly portrayed in the Sanakrit play written by Kalidasa
(a) Mudrarakshas
(b) Devichandragupta
(c) Malavikagnimitram
(d) Mrichhakatika
Ans: (c)
81. Kautilya (also known as Vishnugupta and Chanakya) is the author of Arthasastra which has been compared with
(a) Plato's State
(b) Machiavelli's Prince
(c) Karl Marx's Das Kapital
(d) Hitler's Mein Kampf
Ans: (b)
82. Megasthanes, the ambassador of Selucus at the Mauryan court in Pataliputra, wrote an account of the period in his book
(a) Travels of Megasthanes
(b) Indika
(c) Indicoplecusts
(d) Both (b) and (c)
Ans: (b)
83. Which of the following is the single most important source of the history of Ashoka?
(a) Sri Lankan chronicles Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa
(b) Buddhist works Divyavadana and Ashokavadana
(c) Inscriptions of Ashoka
(d) Archaeological Sources and the Puranas
Ans: (c)
84. After the Kalinga War, Ashoka decided never to wage any war because?
(a) After the conquest of Kalinga the political unity of Mauryan India had been achieved
(b) Ashoka felt apologetic about the destruction of men and material on both sides in the war
(c) He was moved by the violence, slaughter and sufferings to the combatants and non combatants in the war
(d) Shortly after the war he adopted Buddhism which was opposed to violence Ans: (c)
85. In his inscriptions Ashoka called himself
(a) Devanampriya Priyadarshi King
(b) Ashoka Priyadarshi
(c) Dhammasoka (Dharmasoka)
(d) Daivaputra
Ans: (a)
86. Ashoka’s claim to be one of the greatest rulers in world history life in the fact that
(a) his aims covered both the religious and secular aspects of life
(b) he worked for the material moral and spiritual uplift of the people
(c) after a single conquest he dedicated himself completely to the cause of peace
(d) he attempted to unify the people of different castes and communities into a bound of common moral ideal
Ans: (c)
87. The moat important official post with vast responsibilities created by Asoka was
(a) Rajuka
(b) Yukta
(c) Dharamamahamatya
(d) Prativedaka
Ans: (c)
88. The Mauryan sculptors had attained the highest perfection in the carving of
(a) floral designs
(b) pillars
(c) animal figures
(d) yaksha figures
Ans: (c)
89. The most striking feature of the Ashokan pillars is their
(a) monolithic structure
(b) carving
(c) polish
(d) uniformity of workmanship
Ans: (c)
90. Which of the following was not one of the actual cause for the decline of the Mauryan empire?
(a) Ashoka's pacifist policies
(b) Division of the empire after Ashoka
Ans: (a)
(c) Foreign aggressions particularly Greek
(d) Economic and financial crisis
91. Who usurped power from the Mauryas after killing the last Mauryan ruler Brihadratha?
(a) Pushyamitra Sunga
(b) Agnimitra
(c) Vasumitra
(d) Jyesthamitra
Ans: (a)
92. The most famous Indo-Greek ruler of India, famous for his sense of Justice and dialogues with a Buddhist monk Nagasena (as described in the Buddhist work Milinda Panho) was
(a) Demetrius
(b) Menander
(c) Eukratises
(d) Heliocles
Ans: (b)
93. The first great empire to the south of the Vindhayas was of the
(a) Cholas
(b) Cheras
(c) Pandyas
(d) Satavahanas
Ans: (d)
94. The greatest claim to fame of the Satavahanas is on account of
(a) Pursuing a tolerant religious policy and giving common patronage to Buddhism and Brahmanism
(b) Adoption of Prakrit as their court language in preference to Sanskrit
(c) Great economic prosperity and brisk inland and foreign trade
(d) Great contribution to Indian art as evident from the art of Amravati and Nagarjunakonda
Ans: (c)
95. Mohenjo-Daro is situated in
(a) Montgomery district
(b) Larkana district
(c) Chandigarh area
(d) Gujarat
Ans: (b)
96. Which of the following is the oldest of the Vedas?
(a) Sama Veda
(b) Atharva Veda
(c) Yajur Veda
(d) Rig Veda
Ans: (d)
97. The family of the Rig Vedic Aryans was
(a) Patrilineal
(b) Patriarchal
(c) Matriarchal
(d) Matrilineal
Ans: (b)
98. Gautama Buddha was brought up by
(a) Mahaprajapati
(b) Mayadevi
(c) Kundavi
(d) Sangamitra
Ans: (a)
99. Mahavira was
(a) the 20th Tirthankara
(b) the 21st Tirthankara
(c) the 23rd Tirthankara
(d) the 24th Tirthankara
Ans: (d)
100. The Phrsae the 'Light of Asia' is applied to
(a) Alexander
(b) Chandragupta Maurya
(c) Mahavira
(d) The Buddha
Ans: (d)
