HISTORY OF EARLY INDIA

Core Course of BA History III semester

(CUCBCSS 2014 Admn onwards)
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

1.The Chalcolithic age was followed by

(a) Old Stone age (b) New Stone age
(c) Iron age (d) Mesolithic age

2. The port city of the Harappan culture

(a) Kalibangan (b) Lothal
(c) Banawali (d) Rupar

3. The earliest of the Vedas

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

4. The Tripitakas are written in the language of

(a) Sanskrit (b) Prakrit (c)0 Pali (d) Hindi

5. Nanda dynasty was preceded by

(a) Mauryas (b) Sisunagas
(c) Haryankas (d) Guptas

6. Most of the Asokan edicts are in language

(a) Pali (b) Sanskrit (c) Karoshti (d) Brahmi

7. Which pre-state society in ancient india is considered as lineage society

a) Rig Vedic b) Capitalistic
c) Socialistic d) Utopian

8. The myth about the origin of the world related with the great flood is depicted in the
tradition.
a) Itihasa-purana b) Lineage
c) Buddhist d) Jain

9. The tradition traces the lineage of all kings of ancient India either to the
Suryvamsa or to theChandravamsa.
a) Itihasa Purana b) vedic
c) kavya d) upanishad
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10. The Mahabharata war was fought on the plains of .

a) Meerut b) Afghanistan
c) Kurukshetra d) Lothal

11. A glorious civilization flourished in the valley of the river Indus and its neighbouring
regions prior to the rise of the Chalcolithic Age.
a) Harappan b) Maghadan
c) Vedic d) Later Vedic

12. The Director-General of Archaeological Department of India at the beginning of

excavations at Harappa was. .
a) Sir John Marshal b) Mortimer Wheeler
c) Dayaram Sahni d) R.D. Banerji

13. Which was the indivisible factor of the Harappan Culture.

a) Rivers b) Villages
c) Mountains d) Planned cities

14. The city of Harappa had existed on the banks of the river .
a) Ravi b) Narmada
c) Brahmaputhra d) Ganga

15. Dayaram Sahni, M.S.Vats and Mortimer Wheeler excavated the city
a) Harappa b) Madras c) Bombay d) Bengal

16. Which was the large city of the Harappan civilization.

a) Mohenjodaro b) Lothal
c) Kalibangan d) Rupar

17. The excavations at was first started in 1922 by Sir John Marshall with
R.D. Banerji.
a) Kalibangan b) Lothal
c) Mohenjodaro d) Banwali

18. The dried up river in the Indus valley civilization

a)Ganga b)sindhu
c)Ghagger d)Ravi

19. Kalibangan site was excavated by

a) B.K.Thapar b) Mortimer Wheeler
c) Dayaram Sahni d) S.R. Rao

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20. The culture was essentially an urban culture.

a) Vedic b) Harappan c) Buddhist d) Jain

21. Harappan seals have been discovered in

a) America b) Mesopotamia c) Japan d) China

22. The male god with three faces in Yogic pose surrounded by four animals depicted
on the harappan seals is identified as
a) pasupati b)rudra c) indra d) brahma

23. The word Veda is derived from the word

a) ved b) dev c) vid d) vadam

24. Black and Red Ware (BRW) have been found at

a) Atranjikhera b) Alangirpur c) Hasthinapuri d) Lothal

25. The was the oldest and the most important book of the Aryans.
a) Yajurveda b) Samaveda
c) Rigveda d) Atharva Veda

26. .. contains both hymns and commentaries. .

a) Atharva Veda b) Rigveda c) Samaveda d) Yajurveda

27. The Ramayana was composed by the great saint ...

a) brahma b) Vasisht c) bana d) Valmiki

28. In their migration to the east and south-east the . came into conflict with the
Dasas or Dasyus.
a) Aryans b) Dravidians c) Sudras d) Vaisyas

29. The . were dark-complexioned, snub-nosed, worshippers of the phallus,

rich in cattle and lived in fortified strongholds known as pura.
a) Visigoths b) Aryans c) Dasas d) rakshasa

30. The .. Society was a tribal society.

a) Gupta b) Harappan c) Msopotamian d) Rig Vedic

31. The Battle of Ten Kings mentioned in the .

a) Rig Veda b) Upanishads
c) Sangam Literature d) Ramayana

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32. In the vedic period gavishti means

a) war b) yaga c) trade d) pooja

33. The learned women like Apala, Ghoshala,Lopa mutra, Vishwara etc. were mentioned in
a) The Rig Veda b) Mahabharatha
c) Ramayana d) Mahabharatha

34. The term Shudra is mentioned in the book of Rigveda, which was a later
addition.
a) First b) Third c) Seven d) ten

35. The term used for the tribal unit or clan

a) Vis b) jana c) gana d) kula

36. Bali is a tribute given to

a) Mantri b) Raja c) Senani d) Priests

37. Who was the Sky god.

a) Vayu b) Varuna c) Ushas d) Rudra

38. Who was the storm god.

a) Rudra b) Vayu c) Ushas d) Agni

39. The gift giving to the performer of the sacrifice.

a) Dakshina b) Sutlej c) Bali d) Dana

40. The earliest reference of Dana and Dakshina is seen in the Dana Stuti hymns of ..
a) Budhist Literature b) Sangam Literature
c) Rigveda d) Jain

41.Which was a tribute eventually became a tax on land.

a) Dakshina b) Sutlej c) Bali d) Dana

42. Which is the transformation period of the pastoral society to a sedentary agrarian society?
a) later Vedic b) Vedic
c) Harappan d) Pre-Harappan

43. The . formed the priestly class.

a) Sudras b) Kshatriyas c) Vyshyas d) Brahmins

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44. The . were trained in war fare.

a) Sudras b) Brahmins c) Vyshyas d) Kshatriyas

45. The were engaged in trade and agriculture.

a) Vyshyas b) Brahmins c) Kshatriyas d) Sudras

46. The . formed the lowest section of the Varna society.

a) Shudras b) Brahmins c) Kshatriyas d) Vyshyas

47. Janapatha derived from

a) Gana b) kula c) janaka d) jana

48. By the .. Century B.C. the use of iron had become widespread in India
a) First b) Second c) Fourth d) Sixth

49. When did Mahajanapadas were flourishing in North India.

a) Buddha period b) Gupta period
c) vedic period d) maurya period

50. Magadha came into prominence under the leadership of

a) Rama b) Harsha
c) Bimbisara d) samudra gupta

51. The most notable achievement of Bimbisara was the annexation of Anga which had its
capital at Champa near ..
a) kosala b) Anga c)kasi d) Puri

52. Ajatasatru was succeeded by his son

a) Udayan b) Bimbisaran c) Harshan d) Bindusaran

53. The . Ware culture is identified by its distinctive pottery.

a) NBP b) PGW c) NPF d) NRP

54. The first reference of varna system was found in

a) kavya b) aranyaka
c) purana d) Purusha-Sukta

55. The . as priests and teachers claimed the highest status in society.
a) Shudras b) Brahmins c) Kshatriyas d) Vyshyas

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56. The Jain tradition regards .. as the founder of Jainism.

a) Rishaba b) Mahavira c) Sidharth d) Parswanath

57. The 23rd Thirthankara was

a) Parswanath b) Mahavira c) Sidharth d) Rishaba

58. Parswanath was the fore- runner of

a) Rishaba b) Mahavira
c) Chandra Gupta d) Sidharth

59. Vardhamana Mahavira was born at

a) Kundala b) Amaravati c) Rupar d) Pataliputra

60. Vardhamana Mahavira was married to

a) Madhavi b) Yesodha c) Kannaki d) Saradha

61. Vardhamana Mahavira attained Nirvana at

a) anga b) pava c) ujjain d) kosala

62. Who taught tri-ratnas.

a) Mahavira b) Asoka c) Parswanath d) Sidharth

63. Digambaras and Swethambaras are sections in the

a) Hinduism b) Buddhism
c) Jainism d) Zorastrianism

64. After becoming a .monk, Chandra Gupta Maurya attained Nirvana

a) Jain b) Buddhist c) Hindu d) Parsi

65. Gautama Buddha passed away at the age of 80 at

a) Kapilavasthu b) Magadha c) Gaya d) Kusi nagara

66. Buddha preached his followers the . Noble Truths

a) 4 b) 6 c) 7 d) 9

67. The Eight Fold path of .. is also called the Middle path.
a) bali bahu b) Mahavira
c) Sankaracharya d) Buddha

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68. Buddhism spread far and wide under the patronage of

a) Samudra Gupta b) Chandra Gupta Maurya
c) BinduSara d) Asoka

69. The term Gahapathi seen in the .. literature in the sense of the head of a
household.
a) Vedic Literature b) Sangam Literature
c) Buddhist d) Jain Literature

70. Magadha has risen to authority during the reigns of Bimbisara and Ajatashatru of .
Dynasty.
a) Shishunaga b) Nanda c) Mauryan d) Gupta

71. Who overthrew the Nanda dynasty

a) Chandragupta Maurya b) Asoka
c) Aswaghosha d) Nagarjuna

72. . is an important treatise on the administrationof the Mauryan times.

a) Arthasastra b) Indica
c) Harsha Charitha d) Si Yu Ki

73. Indica is the accounts on India prepared by .

a) Chandragupta Maurya b) Megasthenese
c) Seleucus Nikethor d) Kautilya

74. Megasthenese stayed at the court of Pataliputra

a) Mauryan b) Gupta
c) Vijayanagara d) Bhamini

75. The first attempt of Chandragupta towards political integration was his war with ..
a) Nagarjuna b) Aswaghosha
c) Scleucus Nikator d) Vasubandhu

76. The institution of the Dharma Mahamatras was started by ...

a) Kumara Gupta b) Megasthenes
c) Samudra Gupta d) Ashoka

77. Policy of Dhamma is associated with

a) Kumara Gupta b) Chandragupta
c) Samudra Gupta d) Asoka

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78. Who appointed Dharma Mahamatrasto propogate Dharma among the people
a) Asoka b) Mortimer Wheeler
c) Megasthenes d) Bindusara

79. Who conducted Dharma Yathras to propagate Dharma.

a) Asoka b) Megasthenes
c) Chandragupta d)Samudra Gupta

80. Who founded the Sunga dynasty

a) Brihandratha b) Aoka
c) Pushyamitra d) Bindusara

81. . were the huge stone slabs erected over the burials.
a) Paleolithic b) Vedic
c) Harappan d) Megalithic

82. In the age Kerala was a part of Tamilakam.

a) Mauryan b) Jainist c) Buddhist d) Sangam

83. The Sangam literature divided the land into . on the basis of soil formation and
Topography.
a) Tinai b) vish c) kula d) gana

84. . was Hilly and Forest regions.

a) Kurinchi b) Neythal c) Mullai d) Palai

85. .. was pastoral and jungle areas.

a) Mullai b) Kurinchi c) Neythal d) Palai

86. The .. region was dry and unfertile area.

a) Palai b) Kurinchi c) Neythal d) Mullai

87. .. was a Cultivable land.

a) Marutham b) Kurinchi c) Neythal d) Mullai

88. The coastal region was called ..

a) Kurinchi b) Neythal c) Mullai d) Palai

89. The .. region was inhabited by Kuravar, Vetar and Kanavar.

a) Palai b) Neythal c) Mullai d) Kurinchi

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90. The .. region was inhabited Maravar kallar vettuvar who resorted to plunder and
warfare.
a) Palai b) Kurinchi c) Neythal d) Mullai

91. The people of worshipped the war goddess Kottavai.

a) Kurinchi b) Palai c) Neythal d) Mullai

92. The main occupations of the people of . territory were fishing and salt making.
a) Kurinchi b) Neythal c) Neythal d) Mullai

93. is a treatise on Tamil grammar and poetics

a) Tolkappiyam b) Ettutogai
c) Pattupattu d) Patinenkilkanakku

94. Manimekalai was written by

a) Kannaki b) Sathanar c) Naladiyar d) Madhavi

95. The Sangam collections at present consist of . poems

a) 1684 b) 2248 c) 906 d) 2279

96. Capital city of Pandyas

a) Kaveri b)Vanji c)Madurai d) Uraiyur

97.The Wonder that was India is written by ..

a) Basham A.L b) Champakalakshmi R
c) Jha D.N d) Kosambi D.D.

98. Who is the Author of From Lineage to State?

a) Romila Thapar b) Sastri Nilakanta K.A
c) Sharma R.S d) Karashima Naboru
99. Material Culture and Social Formation in Ancient India is the book of .
a) R.S.Sharma b) N.Subrahmanyam
c) D.D. Kosambi d) Romila Thapar

100. Who is the author of the Sangam Polity?

a) R.S.Sharma b) K.A.Nilakanta Sastri
c) MGS d) N.Subrahmanyam

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ANSWER KEY

1.c 26.d 51.a 76.d

2.b 27.d 52.a 77.d
3.a 28.a 53.a 78.a
4.c 29.c 54.d 79.a
5.a 30.d 55.b 80.c
6.d 31.a 56.a 81.d
7.a 32.a 57.a 82.d
8.a 33.a 58.b 83.a
9.a 34.d 59.a 84.a
10.c 35.a 60.b 85.a
11.a 36.b 61.b 86.a
12.a 37.b 62.a 87.a
13.d 38.a 63.c 88.b
14.a 39.a 64.a 89.d
15.a 40.c 65.d 90.a
16.a 41.c 66.a 91.b
17.c 42.a 67.d 92.b
18. c 43.d 68.d 93.a
19.a 44.d 69.a 94.b
20.b 45.a 70.a 95.d
21.b 46.a 71.a 96.c
22. a 47.d 72.a 97.a
23.c 48.d 73.b 98.a
24.a 49.a 74.a 99.a
25.c 50.c 75.c 100.d

Prepared by:
Smt. Haripriya.M,
Asst: Professor, N.S.S. College, Manjeri

Scrutinised by:
Sri. Ashraf Koyilothan Kandiyil,
Chairman, Board of Studies - History (UG)

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