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Q1History & Culture·Vedic Age and MahajanapadasPYQ 2025
With reference to ancient India (600-322 BC), consider the following pairs:
Territorial region - River flowing in the region
1. Asmaka : Godavari
2. Kamboja : Vipas
3. Avanti : Mahanadi
4. Kosala : Sarayu
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- AOnly one
- BOnly twoCorrect
- COnly three
- DAll the four
Explanation
Correct. Asmaka was located on the banks of the Godavari in the Deccan, and Kosala was situated along the Sarayu (Rapti-Sarayu basin) in modern eastern Uttar Pradesh. Kamboja lay in the far northwest (modern Afghanistan-Pakistan border area), not along the Vipas (Beas). Avanti was in western Malwa associated with the Kshipra river, not the Mahanadi.
Q2History & Culture·Vedic Age and MahajanapadasPYQ 2017
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 having been aware of this animal.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- A1 only
- B2 and 3 only
- C1 and 3 onlyCorrect
- D1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Correct. Statement 1 is correct: Rigvedic texts reference armour (varman) and helmets in warfare, which are absent from Harappan evidence. Statement 3 is correct: the horse was domesticated by the Aryans but there is no conclusive evidence of its presence in the Indus Valley. Statement 2 is wrong because the Indus people knew gold and silver, and iron was unknown to both civilizations at that time.
Q3History & Culture·Vedic Age and MahajanapadasPYQ 2012
The religion of early Vedic Aryans was primarily of:
- ABhakti
- BImage worship and Yajnas
- CWorship of nature and YajnasCorrect
- DWorship of nature and Bhakti
Explanation
Correct. Early Vedic religion centred on the worship of natural forces personified as deities — Indra (thunder/rain), Agni (fire), Varuna (cosmic order), Surya (sun) — and elaborate sacrificial rituals (yajnas) to propitiate them.
Q4History & Culture·Vedic Age and MahajanapadasPYQ 2011
The 'dharma' and 'Rita' depict a central idea of ancient Vedic civilization of India. In this context, consider the following statements:
1. Dharma was a conception of obligations and of the discharge of one's duties to oneself and to others.
2. Rita was the fundamental moral law governing the functioning of the universe and all it contained.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A1 only
- B2 only
- CBoth 1 and 2Correct
- DNeither 1 nor 2
Explanation
Correct. Dharma represented one's duties and moral obligations, while Rita was the fundamental cosmic law that regulated the natural and moral order of the universe. Both concepts are central to Vedic thought and are frequently referenced in the Rig Veda.
Q5History & Culture·Vedic Age and MahajanapadasPYQ 2005
Who among the following was not a contemporary of the other three?
- ABimbisara
- BGautama Buddha
- CMilindaCorrect
- DPrasenjit
Explanation
Correct. Milinda (Menander I) was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the 2nd century BCE, roughly 300 years after Bimbisara, Buddha, and Prasenjit. He is famous for the Milinda Panha dialogue with the Buddhist monk Nagasena.
Q6History & Culture·Vedic Age and MahajanapadasPYQ 1999
The term 'Aryan' denotes:
- AAn ethnic group
- BA nomadic people
- CA speech groupCorrect
- DA superior race
Explanation
Correct. In modern scholarly usage, 'Aryan' refers to speakers of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. The term is linguistic, not racial or ethnic.
Q7History & Culture·Vedic Age and MahajanapadasPYQ 1999
Which one of the following was initially the most powerful city-state of India in the 6th century B.C.?
- AGandhar
- BKamboj
- CKashi
- DMagadhCorrect
Explanation
Correct. Magadha, under the Haryanka dynasty beginning with Bimbisara, emerged as the most powerful state in 6th-century BCE India due to its fertile land, control of iron ore deposits, strategic location, and use of elephants in warfare.
Q8History & Culture·Vedic Age and Mahajanapadas
Consider the following statements about iron in ancient India:
1. The earliest evidence of iron in India dates to around 1800 BCE from sites in the Ganga-Yamuna doab.
2. Widespread use of iron tools helped in clearing dense forests of the middle Gangetic plain.
3. The Later Vedic term 'Krishna Ayas' likely refers to iron.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A2 and 3 only
- B1 and 2 only
- C3 only
- D1, 2 and 3Correct
Explanation
Correct. Archaeological evidence from sites like Malhar (Uttar Pradesh) shows early iron use from c. 1800 BCE. Iron axes and ploughshares were crucial for clearing the dense forests of the middle Ganga plain, enabling the agricultural expansion that supported the Mahajanapadas. 'Krishna Ayas' in the Later Vedic texts is widely accepted as a reference to iron.
Q9History & Culture·Vedic Age and Mahajanapadas
The Satapatha Brahmana is associated with which Veda?
- ARig Veda
- BYajur VedaCorrect
- CSama Veda
- DAtharva Veda
Explanation
Correct. The Satapatha Brahmana ('Brahmana of a hundred paths') belongs to the Shukla (White) Yajur Veda. It is one of the most important and voluminous Brahmana texts, dealing extensively with sacrificial rituals and containing early philosophical ideas.
Q10History & Culture·Vedic Age and Mahajanapadas
Which of the following is NOT a feature of the Later Vedic political system?
- AEmergence of the concept of divine right of kings
- BElaborate coronation rituals like Rajasuya
- CContinued dominance of tribal assemblies over the kingCorrect
- DTerritorial kingdoms replacing tribal polities
Explanation
Correct — this is NOT a feature. In the Later Vedic period, the power of tribal assemblies (Sabha and Samiti) declined significantly as royal authority increased. The king became more powerful and less dependent on popular consent.
Q11History & Culture·Vedic Age and Mahajanapadas
The philosophical concept of 'Brahman' (the ultimate reality) and 'Atman' (the individual soul) being identical is primarily found in:
- AThe Rig Veda Samhita
- BThe Brahmana texts
- CThe UpanishadsCorrect
- DThe Dharmasutras
Explanation
Correct. The identity of Brahman (the universal absolute) and Atman (the individual self) is the central teaching of the Upanishads, encapsulated in the mahavakyas (great sayings) such as 'Tat Tvam Asi' (Thou art That) and 'Aham Brahmasmi' (I am Brahman).
Q12History & Culture·Vedic Age and Mahajanapadas
Ajatashatru, the king of Magadha, is known for which of the following?
1. He killed his father Bimbisara to seize the throne.
2. He fought the first Buddhist Council at Rajagriha.
3. He built the fort of Pataliputra at the confluence of the Ganga and Son.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- A1 only
- B1 and 3 onlyCorrect
- C2 and 3 only
- D1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Correct. Ajatashatru patricided Bimbisara to take the throne (statement 1) and built a fort at Pataligrama (which later became Pataliputra) at the strategic confluence of the Ganga and Son (statement 3). Statement 2 is misleading — he did not 'fight' the First Buddhist Council; it was held during his reign at Rajagriha (Saptaparni Cave) after the Buddha's death, with his patronage.