History - Ancient India Flashcards
1
Q
Man is said to have first appeared in which stage of the evolution of the Earth’s crust?
A
4th - Pleistocene
2
Q
Palaeolithic man was also called _____.
A
Quartzite man
3
Q
Tools used in early Palaeolithic age
A
Hand axes, cleavers, choppers
4
Q
Tools used in middle Palaeolithic age
A
Flakes-blades, borers & scrapers
5
Q
Tools used in upper Palaeolithic age
A
Scrappers & burin
6
Q
Earliest evidence for domestication of animals in India was found here.
A
Adamgarh in MP & Bagor in Rajasthan
7
Q
Site of pre-historic painting in Madhya Pradesh
A
Bhimbetka
8
Q
This age was characterised by the use of polished stone tools.
A
Neolithic age
- earliest farming communities
- first use of potter’s wheel
9
Q
Oldest Neolithic sites in India
A
Mehargarh & Baluchistan
10
Q
First metal to be used.
A
Copper
11
Q
People of this age were first to use painted pottery.
A
Chalcolithic
- black and red pottery with white line designs
- Malwa ware: richest amongst Chalcolithic ceramics
12
Q
Which age does the Indus Valley Civilisation belong to?
A
Bronze
13
Q
Who first discovered Harappa?
A
Dayaram Sahni [1921]
14
Q
Who discovered Mohenjodaro?
A
RD Bannerjea [1922]
- aka Mound of the Dead
15
Q
Harappan civilisation was named by ____.
A
John Marshall
16
Q
Indus valley civ is also called ‘Saraswathi-Sindhu’ civilization because sites were found on ___ river.
A
Hakra-Ghaggar river
17
Q
River bank near Harappa
A
Ravi
18
Q
River bank near Mohenjodaro
A
Indus
19
Q
Oldest Harappan site
A
Bhirrana
20
Q
Largest and latest excavated site in India
A
Dholavira
- RS Bist & JP Joshi
- 1967-68
21
Q
Place that housed the ruling class in the Indus Valley Civ
A
Citadel
22
Q
The Great Bath was located in ____.
A
Mohenjodaro
23
Q
Indus Valley were the first to produce this crop in the world.
A
Cotton
24
Q
First city without a citadel
A
Chanhudaro
25
Who among the following was the first Satavahana King to introduce the Ruler’s head on the coins?
Satkarni I
26
Garuda was adopted as dynastic emblem after the imperial Guptas by ___?
Rashtrakutas
27
Chief male deity of Indus Valley Civilization
Pashupati Mahadeva [proto Shiva]
- there is an elephant, tiger, rhino, buffalo and two deer in the figurine
28
Style of writing from right to left in the first line and then left to right in the second line is called _____.
Boustrophedon
29
Manchester of Indus Valley Civilization
Lothal
30
When did the Aryans migrate from Central Asia?
2000-1500 BC
31
Modern river name of Sindhu
Indus
32
Modern river name of Vitasta & Askini
Jhelum & Chenub
33
Rigvedic river name of river Ravi
Parushni
34
Rigvedic river name of Satluj
Shutudri
35
Rigvedic river name of Saraswati
Nandi tara
36
Slaughter of the original inhabitants by Aryans
Dasyuhatya
37
Measure of time by Aryans
Godhuli
38
Measure of distance
Gavyuti
39
Religious advisor of the during during Aryan period was called ____.
Purohit
- most important functionary
40
____ was a rigvedic God of plants.
Soma
41
Most important Rigvedic god
Indra
- Breaker of forts
42
This Rigvedic god was considered to be the Father of the World
Dyaus
43
God of light to whom the Gayatri mantra is addressed
Savitri
44
Type of marriage during the Vedic period where the girl was married to a priest as part of his fee
Daiva
45
Chariot race ritual during the Vedic period where the royal chariot was made to win against kinsmen.
Vajapeya
46
Ritual during the Vedic period where the king performed sacrifices that gave him supreme power.
Rajasuya
47
Later vedic period is also known as ____.
Painted greyware phase
48
The term 'rashtra' first appeared in which period?
Later Vedic period
49
____ refers to the theory of divine origin of kinship in the rigvedic period.
Taittariya Brahmana
50
____ refers to the civil functionaries in the rigvedic period.
Satapatha Brahmana
51
Varnas moved from being occupational to hereditary in this period.
Later Rigvedic period
52
Which upanishad gives the first reference to the 4 ashramas?
Jabala Upanishad
- 4 stages of life: Brahmachariya, Grihaprashta, Vanaprastha, Sanyasa
53
God of shudras during the later vedic period
Pushan
54
How many hymns are there in the Rig Veda?
1028
- divided into 10 mandalas
55
This famous hymn from the Rig Veda explains how the 4 varnas came from the parts of Brahma.
Purushasukta
- mouth, arms, thighs, feet
56
Which mandala in the Rig Veda contains the Gayatri Mantra?
3rd
57
Which veda is a collection of melodies.
Sama Veda
- contins dhrupad raga
58
Which veda deals with the procedure of performing sacrifices?
Yajur Veda
59
This veda is the book of magical formulae.
Atharva Veda
60
The Upanishads are also called _____.
Vedarita
- denote the last phase of vedic period
61
____ reveal the aim of the Vedas.
Upanishads
62
How many Upanishads are there?
108
63
____ explain the hidden meaning behind the hymns and Vedas.
Brahmanas
64
Which Brahmana recommends 100 sacred paths?
Shatapatha Brahmana
- attached to Yajur Veda
65
Sages in forests explained the Vedic scriptures in the form of ____.
Aranyakas
66
Who wrote 'Ashtadhyayi' on Vyakarna?
Panini
67
Which vedanga deals with pronunciation?
Shiksha
68
Which vedanga deals with grammar?
Vyakarna
69
Which vedanga deals with astronomy?
Jyotisha
70
Which vedanga deals with etymology?
Nirukta
71
Which vedanga deals with rituals?
Kalpa
72
Which upaveda deals with the art of warfare?
Dhanuveda
- upaveda of Yajur veda
73
Which upaveda deals with art and music?
Gandharavaveda
- upadveda of Soma veda
74
Which upaveda deals with military technology?
Shastrashastra
- upadveda of Atharva veda
75
Which upaveda deals with medicine?
Ayur Veda
- upadveda of Rig veda
76
Mahabharata was written by ___.
Ved Vyas
- older than Ramayana
- 100,000 verses in final compilation
77
Author of Ramayana
Valmiki
- 24,000 verses
78
These were the law books written in sloka form.
Dharma Shastra
79
Oldest and most famous smriti
Manusmriti / Manav Dharma Shastra
80
What was the name of Gautam Buddha’s only son?
Rahul
81
At which site, has all the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic sites been found in sequence?
Belan Valley
82
The greatest Chera King remembered for building a temple of ‘Kannagi’ the Goddess of Chastity?
Senguttuvan
83
Oldest republic in the world in the pre-mauryan age.
Lichchhavis
84
Capital of Gandhara during the pre-mauryan age.
Taxila
85
Capital of Kasi during the pre-mauryan age.
Varanasi
86
Magadha was victorious in a battle between which 3 other mahajanapadas?
Kosala, Vatsa & Avanti
87
Founder of Magadha empire
Jarasandha & Brihadratha
88
First king to have a standing army
Bimbisara
89
Son of Bimbisara
Ajatashatru
90
Buddha died during this king's reign.
Ajatashatru
- patroned the first Buddhist council
91
Who convened the second Buddhist Council?
Kalashoka
92
First non-Kshatriya dynasty
Nanda dynasty
93
Founder of Nanda dynasty
Mahapadmananda
- aka Ekarat / Sarvakshatrantaka
- aka first empire builder of Indian history
94
Last Nanda ruler
Dhanananda
95
Alexander invaded India during whose rule?
Dhanananda
96
First foreign conqueror to penetrated well into India.
Cyrus of Persia
- enrolled Indians in Persian Army
97
____ employed Indians in the long war again Greeks.
Xerxes
- successor of Darius
98
Grandson of Cyrus who invaded north-west India
Darius
99
Alexander defeated Porus in which battle?
Battle of Hydaspas
