Previous year ssc Indian History:Dynasties of Ancient India-Part1

 

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   Dynasties of Ancient India-Part1

Daily Online General Knowledge Quiz:Previous year paper gk questions with answers and explanation in English on Indian History:Dynasties of Ancient India.

1.Ashoka embraced Buddhism?
A. Before Kalinga war
B. After the Kalinga War
C. Just before his death
D. When he was a Crown Prince

After the Kalinga War

Note: Emperor Ashoka was the third king of the Mauryan Dynasty(304-232 BCE). He ruled a kingdom that stretched from the Hindu Kush to the Bay of Bengal, it was India's first great empire.

Remorseful after his bloody campaign and conquest of Kalinga, Ashoka embraced Buddhism.

After embracing Buddhism, reverence for life, tolerance, compassion and peaceful co-existence were the cornerstones of his administration.

2.The original founder of the Manuscripts and editor of Kautilya's Arthashastra was?
A. Srikanta Shastri
B. Srinivasa Iyangar
C. R Shamashastry
D.William Jones

R Shamashastry

Note: In 1905, Rudrapatnam Shamashastry discovered the Arthashastra among a heap of manuscripts.

3. Which one of the following is the most lasting contribution of the Rashtrakutas?
 A. Patronage of Jainism
B. Kailasa temple
C. Pampa, Ponna, Ranna, the three writers of Kannada Poetry and Kailasa Temple.
D. Conquests

Pampa, Ponna, Ranna, the three writers of Kannada Poetry and Kailasa Temple.

Note: The Kailasa Temple was built by the Rashtrakutas King ,Krishna I in the AD 8th century.

The period of Rashtrakutas rule was an important time in the history of South Indian literature in general and particularly Kannada literature.

This era was practically the end of classical Prakrit and Sanskrit writings, when a whole wealth of topics were available to be written in Kannada language.

4.Ravikirti, a jain, who composed the Aihole Prashasti, was patronised by?
A.      Pulakeshi I
B.      Harsha
C.      Kharavela
D.      Pulakeshi II

Pulakeshi II

Note: Chalukya King Pulakeshi II patronised Ravikirti. A list of war of conquests along with the early history of the Chalukya is inscribed on the walls of Jain Temple at Aihole (Karnataka).

The Prashasti is an Indian genre of inscriptions , composed by poets in praise of their rulers.

The  Aihole Inscription, also known as the Aihole prashasti was composed by a Jain poet, Ravikirti.

5.Name the famous king of Kushan dynasty?
  A. Kanishka
  B. Harsha
  C. Pulakesin
  D. Vikramaditya

Kanishka

Note: Kanishka was the prominent emperor of the Kushan dynasty (127-151).

Upon his accession, Kanishka ruled the empire extending from Turfan in the Tarim basin to pataliputra.

Kanishka was the successor of Vima Kadphises.

6.A semi-circular structure with a dome-shaped roof erected over the sacred relics of Buddha is known as?
A. Stupas
B. Edicts
C. Monoliths
D.Pillars

Stupas

Note: Stupa, Buddhist commemorative monument usually housing sacred relics associated with the Buddha or other saintly persons. The hemispherical form of the stupa appears to have derived from pre-Buddhist burial mounds in India. Some of them are Sarnath and Sanchi.

7.Enumerate the Vedangas.?
A.11.
B.6
C.5
D.4

6

Note: The Vedanga:- limb of the veda are six auxiliary disciples traditionally associated with the study and understand of the vedas.

Six vedas are:

1. Siksha

2. Kalpa

3. Vyakarana 

4. Nirukta

5. Chhanda

6. Jyotisha

8.Who was the grandson of Ashoka?
A. Dashanan
B. Dasraj
C. Dashkumar
D. Dasharath

Dasharath

Note: Dasharath was the grandson of Ashoka and was the last ruler of Mauryan dynasty to have issued imperial inscriptions. 

Dasharath is known to have dedicated three caves in the Nagarjuni hills to the Ajivikas.

The Ajivikas belonged to an ancient Indian sect of naked wandering ascetics who believed in karma, fatalism and extreme passivity

9.The Gandhara art flourished under?
A. The Guptas
B. The mauryas
C. The Kushanas
D. The Satavahanas

The Kushanas

Note: The Gandhara art flourished under and achieved its peak during Kushana period from the 1st century to 5th century.

The Gandhara art declined and suffered destruction after invasion of the White Huns in the 5th century.

10.Which one of the following is the principal source of information on Ashoka's campaign against Kalinga?
A. Divyavadana
B. Mahavamsa
C. Rock Edict XIII
D. Pillar Edict VII

Rock Edict XIII

Note: Rock Edict XIII provides information about the victory of Ashoka over Kalinga.

Rock Edict XII also mentions Ashoka’s Dhamma victory over Greek Kings Antiochus of Syria (Amtiyoko), Ptolemy of Egypt (Turamaye), Magas of Cyrene (Maka), Antigonus of Macedon (Amtikini), Alexander of Epirus (Alikasudaro). It also mentions Pandyas, Cholas, etc.

The thirteenth rock edict which was issued at the end of the Kalinga war gives a vivid picture of the change of Ashoka from an aggressive and violent warrior to a great lover and preacher of peace. 

The direct and immediate effect of the Kalinga war was the conversion of Ashoka to Buddhism.

Under Ashoka's rule, ban on slavery, capital punishment as well as environmental regulations came into place.

11.Which one of the following inscriptions relate to the Chalukya  king Pulakeshin II ?
A.Hathigupta
B.Maski
C.Aihole
D.Nasik

Aihole

Note: A detailed account of his victories is found in a long inscription engraved on the walls of a Jain temple at Aihole dated AD 634-635.

Aihole is situated in Karnataka and is widely recognized as the Cradle of Indian Architecture. It served as the capital of Chalukyas.

Aihole inscription gives information about the conquests of Pulakeshin, especially how he defeated Harshavardhana.

12.Which ancient Indian kingdom is wrongly matched below with its capital?
A. Kakatiya    : Warangal
B.  Maurya     : Pataliputra
C.  Pandya      : Madurai
D.  Pallava      : Vellore

D

Note: Chandragupta Maurya dethroned the last Nanda ruler Dhananand and occupied Pataliputra in 322 BC and almost all the Mauryan kings ruled from Pataliputra.

The Pandyas were first mentioned by Megasthenese, who said Pandya kingdom was famous for pearls.

The capital of Pandya territory was at Madurai, situated on the banks of Vaigai river. 

Pallavas capital was Kanchi.

Kakatiyas capital was at Warangal.

13. Rajatarangini was written by?
 A. Kalhana
B. Kautilya
C. Alberuni
D. Kalidasa

Kalhana

Note: The author of Rajatarangini was Kalhana. This book gives an account of the history of Kashmir in deail.

The work generally records the heritage of the Kashmir, but 120 verses of Rajatarangini describe the misrule prevailing in Kashmir during the reign of king Kalash who was the son of king Ananta Deva of Kashmir.

14.The first grammarian of the Sanskrit language was?
A.      Kalhana
B.      Panini
C.      Maitreyi
D.      Kalidasa

Panini

Note: Panini was a Sanskrit grammarian. He wrote Sanskrit grammar known as Ashtadhyayi(means eight chapters).

Ashtadhyayi sums up in 4000 sutras the science of phonetics and grammar that evolved in the vedic period.

15.The Chinese pilgrim visited India during the reign of Harshavardhana was?
  A. Hiuen Tsang
  B. Fa Hein
  C. Itsing
  D. Wang Hiuen Tse

Hiuen Tsang

Note: Hiuen Tsang visited India during the reign of Harshavardhana. 

Hiuen Tsang mentions two most celebrated events of Harshavardhana's reign, The assemblies at Kannauj and at Prayaga.

According to Hiuen Tsang, Nalanda university meant for Buddhist monks, was maintained by the revenue from 200 villages which were granted by Harshavardhana.