Ancient History UPSC Prelims PYQs Practice

Sanghabhuti, an Indian Buddhist monk, who travelled to China at the end of the fourth century AD, was the author of a commentary on :

With reference to ancient India, Gautama Buddha was generally known by which of the following epithets?

1. Nayaputta
2. Shakyamuni
3. Tathagata

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

With reference to ancient India, consider the following statements:

1. The concept of Stupa is Buddhist in origin.
2. Stupa was generally a repository of relics.
3. Stupa was a votive and commemorative structure in Buddhist tradition.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

In which one of the following regions was Dhanyakataka, which flourished as a prominent Buddhist centre under the Mahasanghikas, located?

From the declines of Guptas until the rise of Harshavardhana in the early seventh century, which of the following kingdoms were holding power in Northern India?

1. The Guptas of Magadha
2. The Paramaras of Malwa
3. The Pushyabhutis of Thanesar
4. The Maukharis of Kanauj
5. The Yadavas of Devagiri
6. The Maitrakas of Valabhi

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

With reference to the scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, consider the following statements:

1. Panini is associated with Pushyamitra Shunga.
2. Amarasimha is associated with Harshavardhana.
3. Kalidasa is associated with Chandra Gupta-II.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

With reference to forced labour (Vishti) in India during the Gupta period, which one of the following statements is correct?

The painting of Bodhisattva Padmapani is one of the most famous and oft-illustrated paintings at -

According to Kautilya's Arthashastra, which of the following are correct?

1. A person could be a slave as a result of a judicial punishment.
2. If a female slave bore her master a son, she was legally free.
3. If a son born to a female slave was fathered by her master, the son was entitled to the legal status of the master's son.

Which of the statements given above are correct ?

Who of the following had first deciphered the edicts of Emperor Ashoka?

Ashokan inscriptions suggest that the 'Pradesika', 'Rajuka' and 'Yukta' were important officers at the

With reference to ancient India (600–322 BC), consider the following pairs:

Territorial region – River flowing in the region I. Asmaka : Godavari II. Kamboja : Vipas III. Avanti : Mahanadi IV. Kosala : Sarayu

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

Which of the following Kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha?

1. Avanti
2. Gandhara
3. Kosala
4. Magadha

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

With reference to the guilds (Shreni) of ancient India that played a very important role in the country’s economy, which of the following statements is /are correct?

1. Every guild was registered with the central authority of the State and the king was the chief administrative authority on them.
2. The wages, rules of work, standards and prices were fixed by the guild.
3. The guild had judicial powers over its own members.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

In the context of the history of India, consider the following pairs:

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

With reference to ancient South India, Korkai, Poompuhar and Muchiri were well known as

Who among the following led a successful military campaign against the kingdom of Srivijaya?

Which of the following characterizes/ characterize the people of Indus Civilization?

1. They possessed great palaces and temples.
2. They worshipped both male and female deities.
3. They employed horse-drawn chariots in warfare.

Select the correct statement/ statements using the codes given below.

With reference to the difference between the culture of Rigvedic Aryans and Indus Valley people, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them.
2. Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, silver and copper whereas Indus Valley people knew only copper and iron.
3. Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people have been aware of this animal. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Which one of the following is not a Harappan site?

The irrigation device called 'Araghatta' was

Which one of the following ancient towns is well-known for its elaborate system of water harvesting and management by building a series of dams and channelizing water into connected reservoirs?

With reference to the history of India, consider the following pairs:

Famous Place - Present State

1. Bhilsa - Madhya Pradesh
2. Dwarasamudra - Maharashtra
3. Girinagar - Gujarat
4. Sthanesvara - Uttar Pradesh

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

Consider the following information:

In which of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?

Consider the following pairs:

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?