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RBSE SS History study materials
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RBSE SS History practice questions

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Question 1Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

Which material was most commonly used for writing official land-grant records (tamra-patra) in early medieval Rajasthan?

  1. Palm leaves
  2. Cotton cloth
  3. Copper plates Correct answer.
  4. Birch bark

Explanation

Land grants in early medieval Rajasthan were typically incised on copper plates, which survive far better than organic materials. Palm leaf and birch bark were used for manuscripts but rarely for permanent royal grants. Cotton cloth was not a standard medium for such legal records.

Question 2Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

A coin bearing the legend 'Bhoja' and a horse-rider motif is most useful to a historian primarily for which purpose?

  1. Establishing monsoon patterns
  2. Reconstructing agricultural yields
  3. Dating the composition of the Vedas
  4. Identifying the issuing dynasty and its royal titles Correct answer.

Explanation

Legends and motifs on coins are the primary evidence for identifying issuing authorities and their claimed titles. They do not record agrarian output, Vedic chronology, or climate data. Numismatics thus serves political and dynastic reconstruction.

Question 3Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

Inscriptions that record the construction of a temple and the endowment of land for its maintenance are best described as which kind of source?

  1. Epigraphic and documentary Correct answer.
  2. Oral and folkloric
  3. Numismatic and metrological
  4. Literary and mythological

Explanation

Such records are epigraphic because they are inscribed, and documentary because they register a transaction or endowment. They are not primarily mythological, numismatic, or oral in character. This dual classification is central to source criticism.

Question 4Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

Which feature most reliably distinguishes a prashasti (eulogy) from a purely administrative inscription?

  1. Mention of a temple
  2. Panegyric praise of the ruler's lineage and virtues Correct answer.
  3. Use of the Sanskrit language
  4. Presence of a date

Explanation

A prashasti is defined by its panegyric function, glorifying the ruler's descent, valour, and generosity. Sanskrit, dates, and temple references appear in administrative records as well. The eulogistic content is the defining marker.

Question 5Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

A historian studying trade routes of ancient Rajasthan would find which numismatic evidence most directly relevant?

  1. Portraits of kings on coins
  2. Religious symbols stamped on coins
  3. The weight standard of a single issue
  4. Hoards of coins found at nodes along routes Correct answer.

Explanation

Hoards located at particular sites indicate the movement and concentration of wealth along routes. Portraits, symbols, and weight standards inform political and economic detail but do not by themselves map routes. Distribution patterns are the key spatial evidence.

Question 6Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

A copper-plate grant records that a village was donated 'with its fields, wells, and pastures, exempt from royal dues'. Which inference is best supported?

  1. The king had abolished land revenue throughout the kingdom
  2. The grant records a military campaign
  3. The grant transferred defined economic rights over a locality Correct answer.
  4. The village was previously uninhabited

Explanation

The formula enumerates specific resources and privileges, showing a transfer of rights over land and its produce. It does not imply the village was empty, that revenue was abolished kingdom-wide, or that a campaign occurred. Such clauses are standard indicators of agrarian endowment.

Question 7Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

A stone inscription at a temple records donations by merchants, artisans, and a local guild. What does this evidence most directly suggest?

  1. Decline of urban commerce
  2. Royal monopoly over temple construction
  3. Absence of a money economy
  4. Broad social participation in temple patronage Correct answer.

Explanation

Donations from several occupational groups indicate that patronage extended beyond royalty to mercantile and craft communities. It suggests an active commercial economy rather than its decline. The record does not support a royal monopoly.

Question 8Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

Why must historians treat the genealogical claims in a royal prashasti with caution?

  1. They were written in a language the court did not use
  2. They never contain any factual information
  3. They were always composed after the dynasty ended
  4. They were composed to legitimise the ruler's authority Correct answer.

Explanation

Eulogies had a political purpose, enhancing the ruler's legitimacy through exalted ancestry and divine associations. This does not make them wholly false, but their claims require corroboration. They were courtly productions, not neutral records.

Question 9Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

A coin type issued by a ruler is found widely outside his core territory. Which interpretation is most cautious?

  1. It shows the coin was minted abroad
  2. It demonstrates the ruler's personal travel
  3. It proves the ruler conquered those regions
  4. It indicates circulation or exchange extending beyond political control Correct answer.

Explanation

Wide distribution of a coin type shows that it circulated, which may result from trade, tribute, or imitation. Political conquest is only one of several possible explanations and requires corroboration from other sources. The cautious reading stresses circulation rather than conquest.

Question 10Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

Which source type would best help a historian reconstruct the daily administrative vocabulary of a district in early medieval Rajasthan?

  1. Local revenue and boundary inscriptions Correct answer.
  2. Royal genealogical panegyrics
  3. Epic poetry in Sanskrit
  4. Temple sculpture programmes

Explanation

Local records of revenue, boundaries, and village affairs preserve administrative terminology in practical use. Epic poetry and panegyric employ a literary register, while sculpture conveys iconography. Practical documents are the best guide to administrative vocabulary.

Question 11Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

An inscription describes a king's victory over a rival but omits the rival's name. How should a historian proceed?

  1. Corroborate with other inscriptions and coins before identifying the rival Correct answer.
  2. Assume the rival was the nearest neighbouring dynasty
  3. Treat the omission as proof no battle occurred
  4. Reject the inscription as unreliable

Explanation

Omissions in eulogistic records are common, so identification requires independent corroboration from other inscriptions, coins, or literary texts. Assuming the nearest neighbour is speculative. The record is not thereby worthless, nor does silence prove the event did not happen.

Question 12Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

Which combination best illustrates the principle of corroboration in reconstructing dynastic history?

  1. Comparing two manuscripts of the same text
  2. Studying the artistic style of a temple
  3. Reading a single prashasti very closely
  4. Matching a prashasti's genealogy with a land grant and coins of the same ruler Correct answer.

Explanation

Corroboration means confirming a claim through independent sources of different types. A prashasti, a land grant, and coins are distinct genres that can jointly support a genealogy. Close reading of one text or comparing copies of the same text does not provide independent confirmation.

Question 13Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

A grant inscription mentions a 'dvija' donee and specifies the share of produce assigned. What does this reveal about the grant's function?

  1. It transferred revenue rights to a religious beneficiary Correct answer.
  2. It registered a criminal judgment
  3. It described a market transaction between equals
  4. It recorded a military levy

Explanation

Grants to brahmin donees assigning shares of produce represent the transfer of revenue rights to religious beneficiaries. This is a hallmark of the agrarian endowment economy. The record does not concern military levies, market exchange, or criminal cases.

Question 14Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

A historian notices that a later inscription copies the phrasing of an earlier one almost verbatim. What is the most appropriate methodological conclusion?

  1. Both inscriptions refer to the same event
  2. The earlier inscription was composed later
  3. Formulae were conventional, so phrasing alone cannot date or attribute the record Correct answer.
  4. The later inscription must be a forgery

Explanation

Inscriptional language was highly formulaic, so shared phrasing reflects convention rather than direct dependence or forgery. Dating and attribution must rest on names, dates, and palaeography. Verbatim formulaic overlap does not prove a common event.

Question 15Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

Which methodological problem arises when a temple's foundation inscription survives but the temple itself has been rebuilt several times?

  1. The rebuilt temple proves the inscription is fake
  2. The inscription becomes useless for dating the site
  3. The inscription must describe the latest reconstruction
  4. The inscription dates the original foundation, not the standing structure Correct answer.

Explanation

A foundation inscription refers to the original construction, while the standing fabric may belong to later phases. The historian must therefore separate epigraphic from architectural chronology. The inscription remains valuable, and it does not describe later rebuilds.

Question 16Sources and Historiography: Inscriptions, Coins, Texts and Monuments

Two inscriptions give different regnal years for the same royal event. Which approach best resolves the discrepancy?

  1. Prefer the longer inscription
  2. Prefer the record found nearer the capital
  3. Average the two years
  4. Examine the era system, calendrical details, and palaeography of each record Correct answer.

Explanation

Discrepancies often arise from differing era systems, regnal reckoning, or later copying, so the era, calendar, and script must be examined. Length, find-spot, and averaging are not sound criteria. This is standard epigraphic method.

Question 17Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

Which river valley was the centre of the Harappan Civilisation?

  1. Narmada
  2. Indus Correct answer.
  3. Godavari
  4. Ganga

Explanation

The Harappan Civilisation is also called the Indus Valley Civilisation because its major sites such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro lie in the Indus basin and its tributary regions. The other rivers are associated with later or different cultural zones.

Question 18Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

Harappa, the site that gave the civilisation its name, is located in which modern region?

  1. Sindh province of Pakistan
  2. Rajasthan
  3. Gujarat
  4. Punjab province of Pakistan Correct answer.

Explanation

Harappa lies on the left bank of the Ravi in the Sahiwal district area of Punjab province, Pakistan. Mohenjo-daro, by contrast, is in Sindh.

Question 19Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

The Great Bath, a large rectangular tank with steps, is a famous structure of which Harappan site?

  1. Dholavira
  2. Lothal
  3. Kalibangan
  4. Mohenjo-daro Correct answer.

Explanation

The Great Bath was excavated in the citadel area of Mohenjo-daro and is interpreted as a structure for ritual or public bathing. Its waterproofing with bitumen and careful brickwork show advanced engineering.

Question 20Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

Harappan seals are most often made of which material and usually carry which kind of depiction?

  1. Ivory seals bearing only geometric lines
  2. Steatite seals bearing animal motifs and script signs Correct answer.
  3. Copper plates bearing only human figures
  4. Gold seals bearing royal portraits

Explanation

Most Harappan seals are made of steatite, a soft stone, and typically show an animal such as the unicorn, bull, or elephant along with a short inscription in the undeciphered script. They were probably used for trade, ownership, and ritual purposes.

Question 21Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

Which crop is evidenced at Harappan sites through charred grains, showing that agriculture was central to the economy?

  1. Tomato
  2. Wheat Correct answer.
  3. Potato
  4. Maize

Explanation

Wheat and barley were staple crops of the Harappan region, and charred grains of these cereals have been recovered from several sites. Maize, potato, and tomato are New World crops introduced to India much later.

Question 22Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

At Lothal, the large rectangular basin with inlet and outlet channels is generally interpreted as what?

  1. A stadium for chariot races
  2. A royal burial tank
  3. A dockyard linked to maritime trade Correct answer.
  4. A reservoir for drinking water only

Explanation

The Lothal basin is widely interpreted as a dockyard, with channels connecting it to the Sabarmati system, indicating involvement in maritime trade with the Persian Gulf region. Its position beside a warehouse strengthens the trade interpretation.

Question 23Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

The Harappan script remains undeciphered. Which statement best describes its known features?

  1. It is alphabetic and written from left to right only
  2. It is logo-syllabic with short inscriptions, often on seals Correct answer.
  3. It is a fully deciphered Prakrit language
  4. It uses only pictorial scenes with no signs

Explanation

The script consists of several hundred signs, is generally considered logo-syllabic, and appears mostly in very short inscriptions on seals and small objects. Because no long bilingual text has been found, it remains undeciphered.

Question 24Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

A student compares Harappan and Mesopotamian cities. Which feature is most characteristic of Harappan town planning?

  1. Circular settlements arranged around a central palace
  2. Temples on raised platforms dominating each city
  3. Cities built entirely of mud without streets
  4. Grid-like streets with standardised burnt-brick houses and drainage Correct answer.

Explanation

Harappan cities show streets laid out on a grid, standardised baked-brick sizes, and covered drains along the streets. This planned civic infrastructure is a defining feature, unlike the other descriptions.

Question 25Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

Which Harappan site provides evidence of a ploughed field, suggesting early agricultural technique?

  1. Chanhudaro
  2. Ropar
  3. Surkotada
  4. Kalibangan Correct answer.

Explanation

Kalibangan in Rajasthan has yielded a ploughed field with furrows crossing at right angles, indicating field preparation for crops. This is one of the earliest archaeological traces of ploughing in South Asia.

Question 26Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

The discovery of carnelian beads and shell objects at distant sites outside the Harappan zone is used as evidence for what?

  1. Local production only for village use
  2. Complete isolation of Harappan towns
  3. Long-distance exchange networks Correct answer.
  4. Decline of craft specialisation

Explanation

Harappan-style beads and shell inlays found in Mesopotamia and elsewhere indicate long-distance exchange. Such finds, along with Mesopotamian references to Meluhha, support the reconstruction of trade networks.

Question 27Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

Which statement best explains why the Harappan civilisation is described as an urban civilisation?

  1. It had villages but no craft production
  2. It had cities with planned streets, public structures, and specialised crafts Correct answer.
  3. It had only temporary camps of hunter-gatherers
  4. It had written records but no settlements

Explanation

Urbanism here means large nucleated settlements with planned layout, civic structures such as drains and granaries, and a population supported by specialised crafts and surplus agriculture. The other options contradict the archaeological record.

Question 28Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

Mohenjo-daro's Great Bath is often linked with which interpretation of Harappan social life?

  1. Military drill and weapon storage
  2. Ritual purification and public bathing Correct answer.
  3. Coin minting for trade
  4. Industrial metal smelting

Explanation

The careful waterproofing, steps, and location in the citadel suggest the Great Bath served ritual or public bathing functions. This points to concerns with purity or communal ritual rather than industry or warfare.

Question 29Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

A burial at Farmana and the cemetery at Harappa are studied mainly to understand which aspect of Harappan society?

  1. Mortuary practices and possible social differentiation Correct answer.
  2. The monsoon pattern
  3. The script's grammar
  4. Trade routes to Egypt

Explanation

Grave goods, burial orientation, and cemetery layout help reconstruct funerary customs and, where goods differ, possible social ranking. They do not directly reveal grammar, climate, or Egyptian routes.

Question 30Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

Which of these best distinguishes the Harappan script from later Brahmi inscriptions?

  1. Both are alphabetic scripts of the same language
  2. Harappan script is deciphered; Brahmi is not
  3. Harappan script appears only on coins; Brahmi only on seals
  4. Harappan script is undeciphered and mostly on seals; Brahmi is deciphered and used in longer records Correct answer.

Explanation

Brahmi has been deciphered and appears in long Ashokan edicts, while the Harappan script remains undeciphered and survives in short seal inscriptions. This contrast is central to early Indian epigraphy.

Question 31Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

Which combination of evidence most strongly supports the idea of craft specialisation in Harappan society?

  1. Uniform house sizes and absence of tools
  2. Only imported finished goods with no local production
  3. Randomly scattered pottery with no standardisation
  4. Standardised weights, bead workshops, and specialised tool kits Correct answer.

Explanation

Standardised chert weights, workshop areas such as those at Chanhudaro, and specialised tool kits indicate full-time craft specialists. These features reflect production for exchange beyond the household.

Question 32Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian Cultures

Scholars debate the causes of Harappan decline. Which explanation is most consistent with evidence such as shifting river courses and reduced monsoon strength?

  1. The abandonment of all trade before cities formed
  2. The invention of iron tools leading to collapse
  3. A single sudden invasion by the Aryans
  4. A combination of environmental change and economic disruption Correct answer.

Explanation

Current scholarship favours multicausal explanations combining hydrological change, weakening monsoons, and the breakdown of trade and urban organisation. The invasion hypothesis is no longer supported by the archaeological evidence.

Question 33Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

Which Vedic text is commonly described as the earliest of the four Samhitas and contains the hymns of the Rigveda?

  1. The Atharvaveda Samhita
  2. The Rigveda Samhita Correct answer.
  3. The Samaveda Samhita
  4. The Yajurveda Samhita

Explanation

The Rigveda Samhita is regarded as the oldest of the four Samhitas and preserves the hymns addressed to the Vedic deities. The other three Samhitas build on different functions, such as sacrificial formulae, melodic recitation and domestic or magical texts.

Question 34Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

In the Vedic period, the term 'sabha' most commonly refers to which kind of assembly or institution?

  1. A type of sacrificial priest
  2. A council associated with the king and the community Correct answer.
  3. A unit of land measurement
  4. A tax collected by the king

Explanation

The sabha appears in Vedic texts as an assembly or council that could advise the king and settle disputes. It is distinct from the samiti, which was a broader popular assembly.

Question 35Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

The term 'janapada' in early Indian history literally means which of the following?

  1. A guild of merchants
  2. A royal sacrificial ritual
  3. A forest hermitage
  4. The territory where a people (jana) placed their foot Correct answer.

Explanation

Janapada is formed from 'jana' (people or tribe) and 'pada' (foot), meaning the land where a tribe settled. Over time the term came to denote a territorial state with a capital and ruling lineage.

Question 36Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

Which Mauryan ruler is credited with the Kalinga war and the subsequent adoption of a policy of dhamma?

  1. Chandragupta Maurya
  2. Bindusara
  3. Ashoka Correct answer.
  4. Dasaratha

Explanation

Ashoka's thirteenth major rock edict describes the Kalinga war and his remorse, followed by the propagation of dhamma. Chandragupta founded the dynasty and Bindusara expanded it, but the Kalinga episode belongs to Ashoka.

Question 37Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

Chandragupta Maurya's chief minister and adviser, associated with the Arthashastra, was which figure?

  1. Panini
  2. Patanjali
  3. Kautilya (Chanakya) Correct answer.
  4. Kalidasa

Explanation

Kautilya, also called Chanakya or Vishnugupta, is traditionally credited with the Arthashastra and with guiding Chandragupta to power. The text is a treatise on statecraft, economy and military policy.

Question 38Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

Which Gupta ruler is most closely associated with the title 'Vikramaditya' and the flourishing of Sanskrit literature at his court?

  1. Kumaragupta I
  2. Samudragupta
  3. Chandragupta II Correct answer.
  4. Skandagupta

Explanation

Chandragupta II is traditionally identified with the title Vikramaditya and is linked to the Navaratna poets, including Kalidasa. His reign saw notable cultural and territorial expansion.

Question 39Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

Which source provides the most detailed account of Samudragupta's military campaigns and conquests?

  1. The Allahabad pillar inscription composed by Harishena Correct answer.
  2. The Aihole inscription of Pulakeshin II
  3. The Nasik inscription of Gautami Balashri
  4. The Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman

Explanation

The Allahabad pillar inscription, also called the Prayag prashasti, was composed by Harishena in praise of Samudragupta. It lists his conquests in Aryavarta, the dakshinapatha and the frontier kingdoms.

Question 40Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

Which of Ashoka's edicts is the standard source for the list of his dhamma officials, the dhamma-mahamattas?

  1. The Major Rock Edict V Correct answer.
  2. The Bhabru edict
  3. The Minor Rock Edict I
  4. The Rummindei pillar inscription

Explanation

The fifth major rock edict refers to the appointment of dhamma-mahamattas to promote the welfare and dhamma of the people. Other edicts deal with Ashoka's personal commitment, the Buddha's birthplace or the Buddhist community.

Question 41Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

Which of the following best explains why the Mauryan capital Pataliputra was strategically important?

  1. It was located on the Deccan plateau near gold mines
  2. It stood near the confluence of major rivers, giving access to trade and transport routes Correct answer.
  3. It was a coastal port on the Arabian Sea
  4. It was a mountain fortress controlling the Khyber Pass

Explanation

Pataliputra lay at the junction of the Ganga and several tributaries, which supported river transport, trade and control over the fertile middle Ganga plain. This position helped the Mauryas govern a vast empire.

Question 42Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

The Ashokan edicts that list the names of contemporary Hellenistic kings are most useful to historians for which purpose?

  1. Identifying the founders of the Satavahana dynasty
  2. Establishing the chronology and diplomatic reach of the Mauryan empire Correct answer.
  3. Dating the composition of the Rigveda
  4. Reconstructing the genealogy of the Gupta dynasty

Explanation

Ashoka's thirteenth major rock edict names rulers such as Antiochus and Ptolemy, which helps fix his reign in time and shows the extent of his diplomatic contacts. Such synchronisms are crucial for dating Mauryan history.

Question 43Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

Which feature was central to Gupta-period land grants recorded in copper-plate charters?

  1. Replacement of Sanskrit with Pali in all records
  2. Prohibition of temple construction
  3. Complete abolition of private property
  4. Transfer of revenue rights and administrative privileges to the grantee Correct answer.

Explanation

Gupta land-grant charters typically transferred rights over revenue and sometimes judicial or administrative authority to Brahmanas or officials. Such grants are seen as evidence of the growth of a more decentralised, landed order.

Question 44Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

The Arthashastra's discussion of 'saptanga' refers to which concept?

  1. The seven sacred rivers
  2. The seven stages of life
  3. The seven elements of the state Correct answer.
  4. The seven forms of sacrifice

Explanation

The saptanga doctrine lists seven constituent elements of a state: king, ministers, territory, fort, treasury, army and ally. It is a framework for analysing state strength and policy.

Question 45Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

Which of the following was a distinctive religious development of the Gupta period?

  1. Rise of temple-based Puranic worship with images of Vishnu and Shiva Correct answer.
  2. Exclusive dominance of Jainism in north India
  3. Rejection of Sanskrit as a literary language
  4. Complete disappearance of Vedic sacrifice

Explanation

The Gupta period saw the growth of Puranic Hinduism, with temples, image worship and devotional literature devoted to Vishnu, Shiva and the Devi. Vedic ritual continued alongside these developments.

Question 46Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

Which statement most accurately describes the position of the king in Vedic-era governance as reflected in the Rigveda?

  1. The king held absolute power over all land and labour
  2. The king was chosen only by hereditary succession without any assembly
  3. The king was a war leader whose authority was checked by assemblies such as the sabha and samiti Correct answer.
  4. The king was a priest who performed all sacrifices personally

Explanation

Rigvedic references suggest kingship was closely tied to leadership in war and was balanced by tribal assemblies. The sabha and samiti appear as bodies whose consent and counsel mattered.

Question 47Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

The sixteen Mahajanapadas are traditionally listed in which kind of source?

  1. The Arthashastra's chapter on spies
  2. The Allahabad pillar inscription
  3. Buddhist and Jaina canonical texts such as the Anguttara Nikaya Correct answer.
  4. The Harshacharita of Banabhatta

Explanation

Lists of the sixteen Mahajanapadas appear in early Buddhist and Jaina texts, notably the Anguttara Nikaya. These sources reflect the political geography of the middle Ganga plain in the sixth century BCE.

Question 48Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

Magadha emerged as the most powerful Mahajanapada in the sixth to fourth centuries BCE primarily because of which combination of advantages?

  1. Desert trade routes and horse breeding
  2. Maritime colonies on the Red Sea
  3. Fertile land, iron resources, river routes and strategic capitals Correct answer.
  4. Control of the Himalayan passes and silk routes

Explanation

Magadha benefited from fertile agricultural land, nearby iron deposits, control of the Ganga trade routes and strong capitals such as Rajagriha and Pataliputra. These advantages supported large armies and territorial expansion.

Question 49Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

Which Gupta ruler's inscriptions describe the performance of the ashvamedha sacrifice, reinforcing claims of imperial sovereignty?

  1. Chandragupta I
  2. Skandagupta
  3. Samudragupta Correct answer.
  4. Budhagupta

Explanation

Samudragupta's coins and inscriptions, including references in the Allahabad prashasti, associate him with the ashvamedha, a ritual asserting paramount status. The horse sacrifice was a traditional marker of imperial ambition.

Question 50Vedic Period, Janapadas and Rise of Empires (Mauryas, Guptas)

The Mauryan institution of 'dhammamahamatta' is best interpreted as which of the following?

  1. Officials appointed to promote the principles of dhamma and public welfare Correct answer.
  2. Hereditary provincial governors of the northwest
  3. Priests who conducted the ashvamedha
  4. Merchant guild leaders supervising trade

Explanation

Dhamma-mahamattas were special officers created by Ashoka to spread dhamma and attend to the welfare of different communities. Their duties included public works and mediation, not provincial governorship or ritual priesthood.