Pariksha SaathiGeneral Studies
Ancient and Medieval Indian History: Practice Questions with Answers
233 practice questions on Ancient and Medieval Indian History, with answers; most also have an explanation or a worked solution. Try each one before you open its answer.
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Q.101
Which Veda is regarded as the origin of Indian music because its hymns were meant to be sung?
- A Yajurveda
- B Samaveda
- C Atharvaveda
- D Rigveda
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Samaveda
The Samaveda is the Veda of melodies (saman). The Yajurveda contains sacrificial formulae and the Atharvaveda deals with charms, spells and medicine.
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Q.102
The Humayun-nama, an account of the reigns of Babur and Humayun written at Akbar's request, is the work of whom?
- A Jahanara Begum
- B Nur Jahan
- C Gulbadan Begum
- D Zeb-un-Nissa
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Gulbadan Begum
Gulbadan Begum, Babur's daughter and Humayun's half-sister, wrote the Humayun-nama in Persian. Jahanara and Zeb-un-Nissa were daughters of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb respectively.
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Q.103
Brihat Samhita, an encyclopaedic work on astronomy, astrology and natural phenomena of the Gupta age, was written by whom?
- A Varahamihira
- B Aryabhata
- C Brahmagupta
- D Bhaskara I
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Varahamihira
Varahamihira wrote Brihat Samhita and Pancha Siddhantika. Aryabhata wrote the Aryabhatiya (499 AD) and Brahmagupta wrote the Brahmasphutasiddhanta.
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Q.104
The Dahsala (Zabti) system of land revenue, based on the average produce and prices of ten years, was introduced in Akbar's reign by whom?
- A Abul Fazl
- B Birbal
- C Man Singh
- D Todar Mal
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Todar Mal
Raja Todar Mal, Akbar's revenue minister, finalised the Dahsala system in 1580. Abul Fazl was the author of Akbarnama and Ain-i-Akbari, which describe the system.
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Q.105
Chandragupta Maurya, guided by Chanakya, founded the Mauryan empire by overthrowing which Nanda ruler?
- A Mahapadma Nanda
- B Mahanandin
- C Udayin
- D Dhana Nanda
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Dhana Nanda
Chandragupta Maurya defeated Dhana Nanda, the last Nanda king, around 322-321 BC and took Pataliputra. Greek writers called him Sandrokottos.
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Q.106
Which of the following pairs of monument and builder in Delhi is NOT correctly matched?
- A Kotla Firoz Shah - Sikandar Lodi
- B Alai Darwaza - Alauddin Khalji
- C Tughlaqabad - Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
- D Jahanpanah - Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Kotla Firoz Shah - Sikandar Lodi
Kotla Firoz Shah was the citadel of Firozabad, the city founded by Firoz Shah Tughlaq. The other three pairs are correct.
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Q.107
Which Gupta ruler, shown playing the veena on his coins, was called the 'Napoleon of India' by historian V.A. Smith?
- A Chandragupta II
- B Samudragupta
- C Chandragupta I
- D Skandagupta
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Samudragupta
Samudragupta earned the title because of the extensive conquests listed in the Prayag Prashasti; his lyrist-type coins show him with a veena and Harisena calls him Kaviraja.
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Q.108
Arrange the following Sikh Gurus in chronological order:
1. Guru Hargobind
2. Guru Amar Das
3. Guru Tegh Bahadur
4. Guru Arjan Dev
- A 4, 2, 1, 3
- B 2, 4, 1, 3
- C 2, 1, 4, 3
- D 2, 4, 3, 1
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) 2, 4, 1, 3
Guru Amar Das was the third Guru, Guru Arjan Dev the fifth, Guru Hargobind the sixth and Guru Tegh Bahadur the ninth.
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Q.109
In the Maratha revenue system, what was 'sardeshmukhi'?
- A One-fourth of the land revenue
- B An additional ten per cent levy
- C A tax on pilgrims
- D A cess on salt
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) An additional ten per cent levy
Sardeshmukhi was an extra levy of ten per cent claimed by Shivaji as the hereditary sardeshmukh of the land. Chauth was the one-fourth share of revenue demanded from territories outside his direct rule.
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Q.110
Consider the following statements:
1. In the First Battle of Tarain (1191), Prithviraj Chauhan defeated Muhammad Ghori.
2. In the Second Battle of Tarain (1192), Muhammad Ghori defeated Prithviraj Chauhan.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A Only 1
- B Only 2
- C Both 1 and 2
- D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Both 1 and 2
Prithviraj Chauhan won the first battle at Tarain (near Thanesar in Haryana) in 1191, but Ghori returned the next year and won decisively, opening north India to Turkish rule.
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Q.111
Which Harappan site in Gujarat is famous for its dockyard, suggesting maritime trade?
- A Harappa
- B Dholavira
- C Lothal
- D Rakhigarhi
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Lothal
Lothal, on the Bhogava river near the Gulf of Khambhat, has a rectangular dockyard. Dholavira is known for its water reservoirs, not a dockyard.
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Q.112
In which language did Babur write his memoirs, the Baburnama (Tuzuk-i-Baburi)?
- A Persian
- B Turki (Chagatai Turkish)
- C Arabic
- D Urdu
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Turki (Chagatai Turkish)
Babur wrote his memoirs in his mother tongue, Chagatai Turki. They were translated into Persian in Akbar's reign by Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan.
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Q.113
Harsha's elder brother Rajyavardhana was treacherously killed by which ruler of Gauda (Bengal)?
- A Bhaskaravarman
- B Devagupta
- C Grahavarman
- D Shashanka
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Shashanka
Shashanka of Gauda killed Rajyavardhana, after which Harsha came to the throne in 606 AD. Bhaskaravarman of Kamarupa became Harsha's ally against Shashanka.
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Q.114
Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, is located in which present-day country?
- A India
- B Nepal
- C Bhutan
- D Sri Lanka
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Nepal
Lumbini lies in the Terai of southern Nepal, close to the Indian border, in what was the land of the Shakya clan. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Q.115
In most inscriptions Ashoka calls himself Devanampiya Piyadasi. The personal name 'Ashoka' appears in the minor rock edict found at which place?
- A Girnar
- B Dhauli
- C Sarnath
- D Maski
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Maski
The Maski edict in Karnataka was the first to be found bearing the name Ashoka; the name also occurs at Gujarra, Nittur and Udegolam. Girnar and Dhauli are major rock edict sites.
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Q.116
Buddhacharita, a Sanskrit poem on the life of the Buddha, was composed by which scholar traditionally associated with Kanishka's court?
- A Nagarjuna
- B Vasumitra
- C Buddhaghosa
- D Ashvaghosha
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Ashvaghosha
Ashvaghosha wrote the Buddhacharita and the Saundarananda. Nagarjuna was the founder of the Madhyamika school, and Buddhaghosa was a later Pali commentator in Sri Lanka.
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Q.117
The marble tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah at Agra, noted for its fine inlay work, was built by whom for her father?
- A Mumtaz Mahal
- B Jahanara Begum
- C Nur Jahan
- D Gulbadan Begum
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Nur Jahan
Nur Jahan built the tomb in the 1620s for her father Mirza Ghiyas Beg, who held the title Itimad-ud-Daulah under Jahangir. Mumtaz Mahal, for whom the Taj Mahal was built, was Nur Jahan's niece.
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Q.118
Which animal motif is the most common on Harappan seals?
- A Elephant
- B Tiger
- C Humped bull
- D One-horned (unicorn-like) animal
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) One-horned (unicorn-like) animal
The one-horned 'unicorn'-like animal, often shown before a ritual stand, appears on far more seals than any other animal. Elephants, tigers, rhinoceroses and humped bulls appear less often.
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Q.119
In the classification of land under Akbar described in the Ain-i-Akbari, what was 'polaj'?
- A Land cultivated every year and never left fallow
- B Land left fallow for a short time to recover its strength
- C Land left fallow for three or four years
- D Land left uncultivated for five years or more
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Land cultivated every year and never left fallow
The Ain lists polaj (cultivated every year), parauti (left fallow for a time to recover), chachar (fallow for three or four years) and banjar (uncultivated for five years or more).
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Q.120
Which Haryanka ruler of Magadha annexed Anga and strengthened his position through marriage alliances with the ruling families of Kosala, the Lichchhavis and the Madras?
- A Ajatashatru
- B Bimbisara
- C Udayin
- D Shishunaga
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Bimbisara
Bimbisara, a contemporary of the Buddha, married into the royal houses of Kosala, the Lichchhavis of Vaishali and the Madras, and conquered Anga. His son Ajatashatru later fought Kosala and the Vajji confederacy.
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Q.121
Consider the following statements about the Harappan script: 1. It was generally written from right to left. 2. It was an alphabetic script of about 26 letters. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A Only 1
- B Only 2
- C Both 1 and 2
- D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Only 1
Seals show wider spacing on the right and cramped signs on the left, so the script was generally written from right to left. It had roughly 375 to 400 signs, far too many for an alphabet.
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Q.122
In the First Battle of Panipat (1526), Babur defeated which ruler to lay the foundation of Mughal rule in India?
- A Rana Sanga
- B Hemu
- C Sikandar Lodi
- D Ibrahim Lodi
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Ibrahim Lodi
Babur defeated and killed Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat using artillery and the tulughma tactic. He defeated Rana Sanga the next year at Khanwa.
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Q.123
Patanjali, author of the Mahabhashya, a commentary on Panini's grammar, is regarded as a contemporary of which ruler?
- A Kanishka
- B Kharavela
- C Pushyamitra Shunga
- D Chandragupta Maurya
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Correct answer: (C) Pushyamitra Shunga
Patanjali's Mahabhashya refers to sacrifices performed for Pushyamitra Shunga, who revived Vedic rituals such as the Ashvamedha. Pushyamitra founded the Shunga dynasty in about 185 BC.
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Q.124
Razia Sultan angered the Turkish nobles by appointing which Abyssinian (Habshi) noble as master of the royal stables (amir-i-akhur)?
- A Jamaluddin Yaqut
- B Malik Altunia
- C Malik Kafur
- D Khusrau Khan
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Jamaluddin Yaqut
Razia's favour to Jamaluddin Yaqut provoked a revolt by Malik Altunia, the governor of Bhatinda, whom she later married. Khusrau Khan briefly seized the throne in 1320, at the end of the Khalji period.
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Q.125
According to Christian tradition, St Thomas the Apostle came to India during the reign of which Indo-Parthian (Pahlava) king?
- A Menander
- B Gondophernes
- C Rudradaman I
- D Kujula Kadphises
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Gondophernes
The Acts of Thomas link St Thomas with Gondophernes, whose rule in the north-west is also attested by the Takht-i-Bahi inscription and by coins. Kujula Kadphises was the founder of Kushana power.
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Q.126
The national motto 'Satyameva Jayate' is taken from which Upanishad?
- A Katha Upanishad
- B Mundaka Upanishad
- C Chhandogya Upanishad
- D Isha Upanishad
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Mundaka Upanishad
Satyameva Jayate comes from the Mundaka Upanishad, attached to the Atharvaveda. The Katha Upanishad contains the Nachiketa-Yama dialogue.
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Q.127
Ashoka's creation of a new class of officers called Dhamma Mahamatras, to spread Dhamma among the people, is recorded in which of his edicts?
- A Rock Edict V
- B Rock Edict XII
- C Pillar Edict I
- D Minor Rock Edict I
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Rock Edict V
In Rock Edict V Ashoka says that, thirteen years after his consecration, he appointed Dhamma Mahamatras. Rock Edict XII deals with tolerance and respect among all sects.
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Q.128
Megasthenes, the author of Indica, came to the court of Chandragupta Maurya as the ambassador of which ruler?
- A Seleucus Nicator
- B Alexander
- C Antiochus I
- D Ptolemy II
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Seleucus Nicator
After his defeat and treaty with Chandragupta Maurya, Seleucus Nicator sent Megasthenes as his envoy to Pataliputra. Alexander had died in 323 BC, before Chandragupta's rise.
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Q.129
The Uttaramerur inscriptions, which describe the election of village committee members by the kudavolai (pot-ticket) system, belong to the reign of which Chola king?
- A Parantaka I
- B Rajaraja I
- C Rajendra I
- D Kulottunga I
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Parantaka I
The two Uttaramerur inscriptions of 919 and 921 AD belong to Parantaka I and are the classic source on Chola village self-government through the sabha and its variyams (committees).
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Q.130
Rudramadevi, one of the few women to rule a major kingdom in medieval South India, belonged to which dynasty?
- A Hoysala
- B Kakatiya
- C Yadava
- D Eastern Ganga
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Kakatiya
Rudramadevi ruled the Kakatiya kingdom from Warangal in the 13th century. The Hoysalas ruled from Dwarasamudra (Halebidu) in Karnataka.
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Q.131
According to Jain tradition, which monk led a migration to the south during a famine in Magadha and was accompanied by Chandragupta Maurya to Shravanabelagola?
- A Sthulabhadra
- B Bhadrabahu
- C Hemachandra
- D Kundakunda
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Bhadrabahu
Bhadrabahu led the southern migration, and his followers became the Digambaras. Sthulabhadra stayed in Magadha and his followers became the Svetambaras after the first Jain council at Pataliputra.
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Q.132
At which centre of learning did the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang study for several years during Harsha's reign?
- A Taxila
- B Vikramashila
- C Odantapuri
- D Nalanda
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Nalanda
Xuanzang studied at Nalanda under its head, the scholar Shilabhadra. Vikramashila and Odantapuri were founded later, under the Pala kings.
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Q.133
Tirukkural, the Tamil classic of short couplets on virtue, wealth and love, was composed by whom?
- A Ilango Adigal
- B Sattanar
- C Thiruvalluvar
- D Kambar
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Thiruvalluvar
Thiruvalluvar's Tirukkural has 1,330 couplets in three sections: aram (virtue), porul (wealth) and inbam (love). Kambar, a much later poet, wrote the Tamil Ramayana.
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Q.134
Which of the following correctly matches the three powers of the tripartite struggle with their home regions?
- A Palas - Deccan; Pratiharas - Bengal and Bihar; Rashtrakutas - western India
- B Palas - western India; Pratiharas - Deccan; Rashtrakutas - Bengal and Bihar
- C Palas - Bengal and Bihar; Pratiharas - Deccan; Rashtrakutas - western India
- D Palas - Bengal and Bihar; Pratiharas - western India; Rashtrakutas - Deccan
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Palas - Bengal and Bihar; Pratiharas - western India; Rashtrakutas - Deccan
The Palas ruled Bengal and Bihar, the Gurjara-Pratiharas rose in western India (Rajasthan, Malwa and Gujarat) and the Rashtrakutas ruled the Deccan from Manyakheta. Each pushed towards Kannauj from its own base.
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Q.135
The famous Buddhist university at Nalanda is believed to have been founded by which Gupta ruler?
- A Ashoka
- B Harsha
- C Chandragupta II
- D Kumaragupta I
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Kumaragupta I
Nalanda Mahavihara was founded by Kumaragupta I (Shakraditya) in the fifth century AD. Harsha later patronised it generously, as Hiuen Tsang records, but did not found it.
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Q.136
Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon, known as Dharmachakra Pravartana, at which place?
- A Sarnath
- B Bodh Gaya
- C Kushinagar
- D Lumbini
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Sarnath
The first sermon was given at Sarnath near Varanasi, in the Deer Park. Bodh Gaya is where he attained enlightenment and Kushinagar is where he died.
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Q.137
The Bijak is a collection of the verses of which Bhakti saint?
- A Ravidas
- B Kabir
- C Dadu Dayal
- D Surdas
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Kabir
The Bijak is the scripture of the Kabirpanthis; Kabir's verses are also found in the Guru Granth Sahib. Surdas's poems on Krishna are collected in the Sursagar.
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Q.138
In 712 AD the Arab commander Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh after defeating which ruler?
- A Dahir
- B Jayapala
- C Anandapala
- D Prithviraj Chauhan
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Dahir
Muhammad bin Qasim, sent by the Umayyad governor Hajjaj, defeated Raja Dahir of Sindh in 712. Jayapala and Anandapala were Hindu Shahi kings who fought Mahmud of Ghazni about three centuries later.
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Q.139
In which battle of 1540 did Sher Shah defeat Humayun decisively, forcing him into an exile that lasted about fifteen years?
- A Chausa
- B Ghaghra
- C Kannauj (Bilgram)
- D Sirhind
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Kannauj (Bilgram)
After his first defeat at Chausa in 1539, Humayun lost again at Kannauj (Bilgram) in 1540 and eventually went to Persia. He regained Delhi in 1555 after winning the battle of Sirhind.
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Q.140
Which of the following pairs of Rigvedic river name and modern river is correctly matched?
- A Parushni - Chenab
- B Asikni - Beas
- C Vitasta - Jhelum
- D Shutudri - Ravi
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Vitasta - Jhelum
The Rigvedic Vitasta is the Jhelum. The Parushni is the Ravi, the Asikni the Chenab, the Vipas the Beas and the Shutudri the Sutlej.
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Q.141
Which Sikh Guru was executed in Delhi in 1675 on the orders of Aurangzeb?
- A Guru Arjan Dev
- B Guru Tegh Bahadur
- C Guru Har Rai
- D Guru Har Krishan
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Guru Tegh Bahadur
Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru, was executed at Chandni Chowk, where Gurdwara Sis Ganj now stands. He was the father of Guru Gobind Singh.
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Q.142
The Jama Masjid of Delhi, the Red Fort of Delhi and the Peacock Throne (Takht-i-Taus) are all associated with which Mughal emperor?
- A Shah Jahan
- B Akbar
- C Jahangir
- D Aurangzeb
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal, founded Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) with the Red Fort and Jama Masjid and commissioned the Peacock Throne, later carried off by Nadir Shah in 1739.
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Q.143
Kushinagar, where the Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana, was a centre of which republican clan (gana-sangha)?
- A Shakyas
- B Lichchhavis
- C Koliyas
- D Mallas
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Mallas
Kushinagar (Kusinara) and Pava were the two chief centres of the Mallas, one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas. The Shakyas ruled from Kapilavastu and the Lichchhavis from Vaishali.
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Q.144
Sir Thomas Roe, the ambassador of King James I of England, visited the court of which Mughal emperor to secure trading rights?
- A Akbar
- B Jahangir
- C Shah Jahan
- D Aurangzeb
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Jahangir
Thomas Roe stayed at Jahangir's court from 1615 to 1619 and obtained permission for English factories. Captain Hawkins had visited Jahangir earlier in 1609.
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Q.145
The Battle of Khanwa (1527) was fought between Babur and which Rajput ruler?
- A Rana Sanga
- B Medini Rai
- C Rana Pratap
- D Rao Maldeo
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Rana Sanga
Rana Sanga of Mewar led a Rajput confederacy against Babur at Khanwa and was defeated. Medini Rai was defeated at Chanderi in 1528; Rana Pratap fought Akbar's forces at Haldighati in 1576.
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Q.146
Which of the following pairs of foreign traveller and the ruler during whose time he visited India is correctly matched?
- A Fa-Hien - Harshavardhana
- B Hiuen Tsang - Chandragupta II
- C Al-Biruni - Mahmud of Ghazni
- D Ibn Battuta - Alauddin Khalji
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Al-Biruni - Mahmud of Ghazni
Al-Biruni came with Mahmud of Ghazni and wrote Kitab-ul-Hind. Fa-Hien visited under Chandragupta II, Hiuen Tsang under Harsha, and Ibn Battuta under Muhammad bin Tughlaq, who made him qazi of Delhi.
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Q.147
The jizya tax on non-Muslims, abolished by Akbar in 1564, was reimposed in 1679 by which Mughal emperor?
- A Shah Jahan
- B Jahangir
- C Aurangzeb
- D Bahadur Shah I
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb reimposed jizya in 1679 as part of his orthodox religious policy, which also included banning music at court and appointing muhtasibs to enforce Islamic law.
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Q.148
The 'Triratna' (three jewels) of Jainism, regarded as the path to liberation, are:
- A Right faith, right knowledge and right conduct
- B Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha
- C Ahimsa, satya and asteya
- D Karma, dharma and moksha
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Right faith, right knowledge and right conduct
Jainism's three jewels are samyak darshana (right faith), samyak jnana (right knowledge) and samyak charitra (right conduct). The Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha are the three jewels of Buddhism.
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Q.149
In the Battle of Haldighati (1576) against Maharana Pratap of Mewar, who commanded Akbar's army?
- A Raja Man Singh
- B Raja Todar Mal
- C Bairam Khan
- D Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Raja Man Singh
Raja Man Singh of Amber led the Mughal forces at Haldighati, with Asaf Khan. Bairam Khan, Akbar's regent, had died in 1561.
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Q.150
Akbar's son Salim (later Jahangir) was named after which Sufi saint, whose tomb stands in the courtyard of the Jama Masjid at Fatehpur Sikri?
- A Nizamuddin Auliya
- B Moinuddin Chishti
- C Baba Farid
- D Sheikh Salim Chishti
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Sheikh Salim Chishti
Akbar credited the birth of his son in 1569 to the blessings of Sheikh Salim Chishti of Sikri and built his new capital, Fatehpur Sikri, there. Moinuddin Chishti's dargah, which Akbar also visited, is at Ajmer.
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How these questions were made
Authored by an AI assistant (Claude) from its own general knowledge of stable, well-established facts (no live lookup) - not reviewed by a subject-matter expert; verify against an official source before relying on any fact.