Ancient History of India

21. Which among the following was/were the shell-based production centre(s

Which among the following was/were the shell-based production centre(s) of the Indus Valley Civilization ?

Subscribe on YouTube
Shortughai
Lothal
Balakot and Nageshwar
Allahdino and Dholavira
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2021
Download PDFAttempt Online
Balakot and Nageshwar were well-known specialized centres for shell working during the Indus Valley Civilization period due to their coastal location.
– Coastal settlements of the Harappan Civilization often specialized in crafts utilizing marine resources like shells.
– Shell objects such as bangles, beads, inlay, and ladles were produced in large quantities at these sites.
Lothal was a major port city and manufacturing centre, including bead making and metallurgy, but Balakot and Nageshwar are particularly renowned for shell-based industries. Shortughai (in Afghanistan) was important for Lapis Lazuli. Dholavira was a major urban centre with diverse crafts, and Allahdino was a coastal settlement with craft production, but Balakot and Nageshwar are most directly identified as primary shell production centres.

Join Our Telegram Channel

22. Which of the following statements about the Ashokan pillars is/are not

Which of the following statements about the Ashokan pillars is/are not correct ?

  • The 14th century Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi makes reference to the Ashokan pillars.
  • The writer Shams Siraj Afif gives an account of the Ashokan pillars known as Delhi-Topra and Delhi-Meerut.
  • There are instances of the Ashokan pillars or their fragments being worshipped as Shiv Lingas.
  • The Ashokan pillars were produced in gold, iron and bronze.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Join Our Telegram Channel
1 only
2 only
2, 3 and 4 only
4 only
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2018
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct option is D) 4 only.
The question asks for statements that are *not* correct.
Statement 1 is correct. Medieval texts, including accounts from the Sultanate period like the Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi, do indeed mention Ashokan pillars, particularly in the context of Firuz Shah Tughlaq’s efforts to relocate them.
Statement 2 is correct. Shams Siraj Afif, the author whose work is included in the Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi, provides accounts of Firuz Shah Tughlaq moving two Ashokan pillars from Topra and Meerut to Delhi. These are historically known as the Delhi-Topra and Delhi-Meerut pillars.
Statement 3 is correct. There are historical and anecdotal accounts of ancient pillars or their fragments being found in various locations and, over time, being incorporated into local religious practices, sometimes identified with or worshipped as Shiv Lingas.
Statement 4 is incorrect. Ashokan pillars were characteristically monolithic structures carved from polished sandstone, typically sourced from quarries like Chunar. They were not made of gold, iron, or bronze.
The material used for Ashokan pillars (sandstone) and their construction technique (monolithic) are key features distinguishing them. The polished surface finish is another hallmark.

Subscribe on YouTube

23. Which of the following statements about Kautilya’s Arthashastra is/are

Which of the following statements about Kautilya’s Arthashastra is/are correct ?

  • It is the first Indian text to describe a State.
  • It does not contain any reference to the Mauryas.
  • It is a theoretical text.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Join Our Telegram Channel
1 only
1 and 3 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2018
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct option is D) 1, 2 and 3.
Statement 1 is correct. Kautilya’s Arthashastra is considered the first comprehensive treatise in ancient India specifically dedicated to statecraft, administration, and political economy, providing a detailed description of the structure and functions of a state.
Statement 2 is correct. A notable feature of the Arthashastra text is the absence of any direct mention of the Mauryan dynasty or Chandragupta Maurya, despite the traditional association of Kautilya (Chanakya) with Chandragupta. This fact is significant for scholarly debates about the text’s precise date.
Statement 3 is correct. While practical and prescriptive, the Arthashastra is fundamentally a theoretical text in the sense that it lays down principles, models, and strategies for the ideal functioning of a state, based on Kautilya’s systematic analysis of governance.
The Arthashastra covers a wide range of topics including the duties of the king, council of ministers, diplomacy, war, law, economics, and internal administration. It provides a detailed blueprint for an efficient and powerful state apparatus.

Subscribe on YouTube

24. Buddha’s teachings were compiled as Tripitaka — literally meaning thre

Buddha’s teachings were compiled as Tripitaka — literally meaning three baskets to hold different types of texts. Which of the following texts is/are correctly matched according to the subject matter ?

Subscribe on YouTube
  • 1. Vinaya Pitaka : Buddha’s teachings
  • 2. Sutta Pitaka : Rules and regulations of the monastic order
  • 3. Abhidhamma Pitaka : Philosophical matters

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

3 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2018
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is A. Only the match for Abhidhamma Pitaka (philosophical matters) is correctly stated.
– The Tripitaka (Pali) or Tripitaka (Sanskrit) is the traditional collection of Buddhist scriptures, comprising three main divisions or “baskets”:
– Vinaya Pitaka: Contains the rules and regulations for the monastic order (Sangha).
– Sutta Pitaka: Contains the discourses or sermons delivered by the Buddha and sometimes his close disciples. This is where Buddha’s core teachings are compiled.
– Abhidhamma Pitaka: Contains philosophical, psychological, and metaphysical analysis and interpretation of the teachings found in the Sutta Pitaka.
– Let’s check the given matches:
– 1. Vinaya Pitaka : Buddha’s teachings. Incorrect. Buddha’s teachings (discourses) are in the Sutta Pitaka. Vinaya Pitaka is for monastic rules.
– 2. Sutta Pitaka : Rules and regulations of the monastic order. Incorrect. Rules and regulations are in the Vinaya Pitaka. Sutta Pitaka is for teachings/discourses.
– 3. Abhidhamma Pitaka : Philosophical matters. Correct. This pitaka deals with the higher philosophy and metaphysics of Buddhism.
– Therefore, only statement 3 is correctly matched.
– The Tripitaka is the foundational scripture for Theravada Buddhism. Different Buddhist schools may have different versions or additional texts.
– The three pitakas were compiled orally first and later written down centuries after the Buddha’s passing.

Join Our Telegram Channel

25. Mahavibhasha, an encyclopaedia of Buddhist philosophy is the work of w

Mahavibhasha, an encyclopaedia of Buddhist philosophy is the work of which Buddhist Council ?

Subscribe on YouTube
First Council
Second Council
Third Council
Fourth Council
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2017
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is D.
The Mahavibhasha is a large encyclopaedic commentary on Buddhist philosophy, specifically the Abhidharma text called Jnanaprasthana.
This text is primarily associated with the Sarvastivada school of Buddhism.
It was compiled during the Fourth Buddhist Council, which was held under the patronage of the Kushana emperor Kanishka, traditionally believed to have taken place in Kashmir around the 1st or 2nd century CE.
The Fourth Buddhist Council is considered significant for the systematization of the Sarvastivada Abhidharma and is sometimes seen as a precursor to the development of Mahayana Buddhism, although it was primarily a Hinayana (Sarvastivada) council.

Join Our Telegram Channel

26. In ancient India, Mehrgarh was a

In ancient India, Mehrgarh was a

Join Our Telegram Channel
neolithic site in the Bolan Valley
graveyard of the Delhi Sultans
kingdom in the Deccan area
fort in Rajasthan
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2017
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is A.
Mehrgarh is one of the most important Neolithic sites in archaeology.
It is located in the Bolan Valley in the Balochistan province of Pakistan, near the Indus plains.
The site provides evidence of early farming (wheat and barley) and herding (cattle, sheep, and goats) dating back to around 7000 BCE.
It represents one of the earliest known farming villages in South Asia.
Mehrgarh is crucial for understanding the transition from nomadic life to settled agricultural communities in the Indian subcontinent and its surrounding regions.

Subscribe on YouTube

27. In which one of the following edicts is the name ‘Ashoka’ inscribed ?

In which one of the following edicts is the name ‘Ashoka’ inscribed ?

Join Our Telegram Channel
Shahbazgarhi major rock edict
Minor rock edict - I at Maski
Dhauli major rock edict
Kandahar pillar edict
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2017
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is B.
In most of his edicts, Emperor Ashoka referred to himself by titles like ‘Devanampiya Piyadassi’ (Beloved of the Gods, of pleasant appearance).
His personal name ‘Ashoka’ is explicitly mentioned in only a few edicts.
The Minor Rock Edict I found at Maski (in Karnataka) is one of the edicts where the name ‘Ashoka’ is clearly inscribed along with the title ‘Devanampiya Piyadassi’.
Other edicts mentioning ‘Ashoka’ include Gurjara, Udegolam, and Nittur.
The discovery of the Maski edict was crucial in confirming the identity of Devanampiya Piyadassi with the historical King Ashoka.

Subscribe on YouTube

28. Which one among the following temples is the earliest in time ?

Which one among the following temples is the earliest in time ?

Subscribe on YouTube
The Sun Temple at Martand
The Jandial Temple
The Gupta Temple at Deogarh
The Kailasanatha Temple at Kanchipuram
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2017
Download PDFAttempt Online
The Jandial Temple is the earliest temple among the given options.
– The Jandial Temple, located near Taxila (present-day Pakistan), is a well-preserved temple complex built in the Hellenistic style, featuring Ionic columns. It is generally dated to the Indo-Greek period, around the late 2nd or early 1st century BCE.
– The Gupta Temple at Deogarh (Dashavatara Temple) is a prime example of Gupta period architecture, typically dated to the late 5th or early 6th century CE.
– The Sun Temple at Martand in Kashmir was built by King Lalitaditya Muktapida of the Karkota dynasty in the 8th century CE (around 725-753 CE).
– The Kailasanatha Temple at Kanchipuram was built by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman II (Rajasimha) around the early 8th century CE (circa 700-728 CE).
Comparing the dates, the Jandial Temple (2nd-1st century BCE) is significantly earlier than the others, which belong to the Gupta or post-Gupta periods (5th century CE onwards).
The Jandial temple’s architecture reflects the cultural synthesis that occurred in the Gandhara region due to the interaction of Indian and Hellenistic influences. It represents a unique example of a structure resembling classical Greek temples on the Indian subcontinent.

Join Our Telegram Channel

29. Which one of the following does not describe one part of the classic H

Which one of the following does not describe one part of the classic Hindu temple ?

Subscribe on YouTube
Garbhagriha
Mandapa
Tribhanga
Antarala
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2017
Download PDFAttempt Online
Tribhanga does not describe one part of the classic Hindu temple.
Garbhagriha, Mandapa, and Antarala are integral parts of the ground plan and superstructure of a classic Hindu temple. The Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) is the innermost chamber housing the main deity. The Mandapa is a pillared hall or porch leading to the Garbhagriha, used for congregational purposes. The Antarala is a vestibule or antechamber connecting the Mandapa to the Garbhagriha. Tribhanga, however, is a dynamic pose or stance in Indian classical dance (like Odissi, Bharatanatyam) and sculpture, characterized by three bends in the body (at the neck, waist, and knee), creating an S-shaped curve. It is an aesthetic principle applied to figural representation, not an architectural component of the temple structure itself.
Other common parts of a Hindu temple include the Shikara or Vimana (towering superstructure), Gopuram (entrance gateway, especially in South Indian temples), Vahana (mount of the deity, often placed facing the Garbhagriha), and Prakara (compound wall).

Join Our Telegram Channel

30. Arrange the following ‘Mahajanapadas’ in terms of their locations from

Arrange the following ‘Mahajanapadas’ in terms of their locations from south to north :

Subscribe on YouTube
  • 1. Chedi
  • 2. Ashmaka
  • 3. Panchala
  • 4. Kamboja

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1-4-2-3
4-2-3-1
2-1-3-4
4-3-1-2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CBI DSP LDCE – 2023
Download PDFAttempt Online
Arranging the given Mahajanapadas from south to north yields the order: Ashmaka, Chedi, Panchala, Kamboja.
The 16 Mahajanapadas were major kingdoms or oligarchies that existed in ancient India during the 6th-4th centuries BCE. Their geographical locations are key to arranging them spatially:
1. **Ashmaka (Assaka):** Located in the Deccan region, on the banks of the Godavari River (modern Maharashtra/Andhra Pradesh). This is the southernmost among the given options.
2. **Chedi:** Located in the Bundelkhand region (parts of modern Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh), south of the Yamuna River. It was north of Ashmaka.
3. **Panchala:** Located in the fertile region of the upper Ganges valley, in present-day western Uttar Pradesh. It was north of Chedi.
4. **Kamboja:** Located in the extreme northwest of the Indian subcontinent, possibly in parts of modern Afghanistan and Pakistan, adjoining Gandhara. This is the northernmost among the given options.

Therefore, the south-to-north order is Ashmaka (2) -> Chedi (1) -> Panchala (3) -> Kamboja (4), which is 2-1-3-4.

Understanding the locations of the major Mahajanapadas like Magadha, Kosala, Avanti, Vatsa, Kuru, Panchala, Gandhara, Kamboja, etc., is important for studying the political and geographical landscape of India during the Mahajanapada period.

Join Our Telegram Channel
Page 1Page 2Page 3Page 4Page 5