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UPMSP Intermediate History - Code 128 study materials
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UPMSP Intermediate History - Code 128 practice questions

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Question 1Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

The inscriptions of Ashoka were first convincingly deciphered in the 1830s chiefly through the efforts of which scholar?

  1. John Marshall
  2. William Jones
  3. Alexander Cunningham
  4. James Prinsep Correct answer.

Explanation

James Prinsep, working as assay master at the Calcutta Mint, used the bilingual Greek–Aramaic edicts and the repeated royal name to fix the values of the Brahmi letters and identified 'Devanampiya Piyadasi' with Ashoka. His readings, published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, opened the whole field of Indian epigraphy.

Question 2Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

Which Ashokan edict type is found at sites such as Girnar, Sopara, Jaugada and Dhauli, and addresses officials and the general public rather than being confined to the area near the capital?

  1. The Rummindei pillar inscription
  2. The Major Rock Edicts Correct answer.
  3. The Queen's Edict
  4. The Bhabru inscription

Explanation

The Major Rock Edicts, a set of fourteen, were copied at frontier and provincial centres including Girnar, Sopara, Jaugada and Dhauli, and they are the principal medium through which Ashoka's dhamma policy was broadcast. The other three are individual pillar or short inscriptions tied to specific places and events.

Question 3Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

The Ashtadhyayi of Panini is best classified within the study of ancient India as which kind of source?

  1. A manual of statecraft prescribing royal duties
  2. A Buddhist canonical text recording the councils
  3. A metrical astronomical text giving planetary calculations
  4. A grammatical treatise that preserves evidence on language, society and geography Correct answer.

Explanation

Panini's Ashtadhyayi is a systematic grammar of Sanskrit composed of nearly four thousand rules, and because its rules cite place names, tribes, occupations and social groups it is treated by historians as an important indirect source. It is not a narrative history but a technical work whose incidental references are historically valuable.

Question 4Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

At which Indus Valley site were the famous series of square steatite seals with unicorn motifs and short undeciphered inscriptions recovered in the largest numbers?

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

Explanation

Mohenjo-daro, excavated from 1922 under R. D. Banerji and later John Marshall, yielded hundreds of square steatite seals bearing animal motifs and short sign sequences. Such seals were used in trade and administration, and their concentration at the site reflects its role as a major urban centre.

Question 5Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

A historian studying Harappan trade notices that Mesopotamian texts refer to a place called Meluhha and that Indus-type seals and beads appear at sites in the Persian Gulf. Which conclusion is best supported by this combined evidence?

  1. Maritime and overland exchange linked the Indus region with West Asia during the third and early second millennium BCE Correct answer.
  2. The Indus script has been deciphered from Mesopotamian bilingual tablets
  3. The Indus people had no contact with regions beyond the subcontinent
  4. Harappan cities were colonies administered from Mesopotamian capitals

Explanation

The Mesopotamian references to Meluhha, together with the find of Indus seals, weights and carnelian beads at Gulf and Mesopotamian sites, support a picture of long-distance exchange. The evidence indicates contact and trade without implying political dependence or a solved script.

Question 6Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

The Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman is historically important chiefly because it is the earliest known example in India of which feature?

  1. A bilingual edict in Greek and Aramaic
  2. A land grant recorded on copper plates
  3. An inscription issued in the Prakrit of the common people
  4. A long inscription composed entirely in chaste Sanskrit Correct answer.

Explanation

Rudradaman's Junagadh inscription of about 150 CE, recording the repair of the Sudarshana lake, is composed in polished literary Sanskrit and is regarded as the earliest lengthy Sanskrit inscription. Earlier Ashokan edicts used Prakrit, so this marks a shift in epigraphic language.

Question 7Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

Which script, used for Ashokan edicts in the north-west including Shahbazgarhi and Manshera, is written from right to left?

  1. Brahmi
  2. Tamil-Brahmi
  3. Kharosthi-derived Sharada
  4. Kharoshthi Correct answer.

Explanation

Kharoshthi was written from right to left and was used in Gandhara and the north-west, derived from an Aramaic model. Brahmi, used elsewhere for the edicts, was written from left to right, and the contrast in direction is one of the standard diagnostic features taught in epigraphy.

Question 8Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

The Allahabad Pillar inscription, also called the Prayaga-prashasti, is the principal source for the conquests and policies of which ruler?

  1. Harshavardhana
  2. Chandragupta Maurya
  3. Samudragupta Correct answer.
  4. Kanishka

Explanation

The Prayaga-prashasti, composed by the court poet Harishena, eulogises Samudragupta's campaigns, his tributary kings and his policy towards frontier peoples. It is a panegyric, so historians read it critically while still treating it as the key record of Gupta military expansion.

Question 9Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

A copper-plate charter recording a village grant issued by a Gupta-period ruler is examined by a historian. Which feature of such records is most useful for reconstructing administrative and agrarian history?

  1. The names of officials, the boundaries of the land and the privileges transferred to the donee Correct answer.
  2. The genealogical list of the donor's mythical ancestors alone
  3. The signature of the engraver and the price of the plate
  4. The date expressed only in regnal years without any era

Explanation

Land-grant plates typically specify the donor, the beneficiaries, the boundaries of the field or village, the taxes and dues remitted, and the officials addressed. These details allow historians to trace the growth of landed intermediaries, revenue arrangements and the reach of royal authority.

Question 10Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

The Aihole inscription of Pulakeshin II is valued by historians primarily for which reason?

  1. It lists the donors who funded the Sanchi stupa railings
  2. It records the defeat of Harsha and gives a dated account of Chalukya achievements Correct answer.
  3. It contains the earliest known Tamil-Brahmi cave inscriptions
  4. It preserves the text of Ashoka's dhamma edicts in Prakrit

Explanation

Composed by Ravikirti, the Aihole inscription of 634 CE praises Pulakeshin II and states that Harsha's fame was checked by the Chalukya arms. Because it carries a date in the Shaka era, it also helps anchor early Chalukya chronology.

Question 11Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

In the study of Indian prehistory, the term 'microlith' refers to which class of archaeological finds?

  1. Large handaxes and cleavers of the Lower Palaeolithic
  2. Ground and polished stone axes of the Neolithic
  3. Copper implements of the early Chalcolithic
  4. Small stone tools, often blade-based, typical of Mesolithic assemblages Correct answer.

Explanation

Microliths are diminutive stone artefacts such as blades, crescents, triangles and trapezes, generally made on fine blades and characteristic of Mesolithic industries. They are distinguished from the heavy bifacial tools of the Palaeolithic and from the polished axes of the Neolithic.

Question 12Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh is chiefly significant in Indian archaeology because of which discovery?

  1. Rock shelters with paintings spanning prehistoric to historic periods Correct answer.
  2. An Ashokan pillar bearing the Queen's Edict
  3. A complete Harappan city with a granary
  4. A Buddhist monastery with relic caskets

Explanation

The Bhimbetka rock shelters, recognised by V. S. Wakankar and later studied extensively, contain paintings in more than seven hundred shelters, with subjects ranging from hunting scenes to later historic figures. They are a key source for prehistoric art and lifeways in central India.

Question 13Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

A scholar compares the Pali canon, the Ardhamagadhi canon of the Jains and the Sanskrit Puranas. Which methodological point about these literary sources is most sound?

  1. Each is purely fictional and has no value for historical reconstruction
  2. Each was transmitted by a religious community and must be read with attention to its sectarian purpose and date of compilation Correct answer.
  3. Each was written by a named court historian in the employ of a king
  4. Each was composed in a single sitting and can be treated as a contemporary record

Explanation

Canonical and Puranic texts were preserved and shaped by communities with doctrinal interests, and their present form results from long processes of recitation, editing and compilation. Historians therefore use them critically, cross-checking with inscriptions, coins and archaeology rather than accepting them at face value.

Question 14Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

The Nasik cave inscriptions of the Satavahana period are especially useful to historians for which reason?

  1. They contain the earliest specimen of the Kharoshthi script
  2. They describe the construction of the Sudarshana lake by Chandragupta
  3. They record land and cash donations by lay followers and merchants to Buddhist monasteries Correct answer.
  4. They preserve the only known copy of Ashoka's Fourteen Rock Edicts

Explanation

The Nasik inscriptions, notably those of Gautamiputra Satakarni and his mother Gautami Balashri, record gifts of fields, coins and villages to the monks at a cave monastery. They illuminate the relationship between the Satavahana state, merchant donors and Buddhist institutions.

Question 15Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

Which of the following best explains why numismatics is treated as an independent source for ancient Indian history?

  1. Coins are valuable mainly because they contain long narrative texts
  2. Coins carry names, titles, symbols and dates that can be tied to rulers and economic conditions Correct answer.
  3. Coins are always found in temples and therefore prove royal patronage of religion
  4. Coins were minted only by foreign rulers and so document invasions

Explanation

Coins supply evidence of rulers' names and titles, dynastic succession, the metals in circulation, trade contacts shown by finds abroad and iconographic change. Their legends are short, so they complement rather than replace inscriptions and literary texts.

Question 16Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

The Rabatak inscription, discovered in Afghanistan, provides important evidence about which ruler and his dynastic connections?

  1. Skandagupta of the Guptas
  2. Rudradaman of the Western Kshatrapas
  3. Kanishka I of the Kushanas Correct answer.
  4. Menander of the Indo-Greeks

Explanation

The Rabatak inscription, written in the Bactrian language and Greek script, records Kanishka's order for the construction of a sanctuary and lists his predecessors and the deities honoured. It has reshaped scholarly understanding of early Kushana chronology and royal ideology.

Question 17Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

A historian examining the Sanchi stupa railings finds hundreds of short inscriptions naming individual donors, including artisans, merchants and monks. What does this corpus most directly reveal?

  1. The military campaigns of the Shunga dynasty
  2. The boundary lines of villages granted to Brahmins
  3. The administrative districts established by Ashoka
  4. The social range of lay and monastic patronage of Buddhist monuments Correct answer.

Explanation

Donor inscriptions at Sanchi, Bharhut and similar sites record names, occupations and family relationships of those who paid for parts of the monument. They show that patronage extended beyond royalty to guilds, traders, artisans and monks, which is a major theme in the social history of early Buddhism.

Question 18Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

Which statement correctly describes the method of relative dating used for excavated pottery in Indian archaeology?

  1. Each pottery type is dated by the radiocarbon age of the clay itself
  2. Painted pottery is always later than plain pottery at every site
  3. Assemblages are arranged in a stratified sequence, and changes in fabric and form are used to place layers in order Correct answer.
  4. Pottery is dated by the language of the inscription painted on it

Explanation

Relative dating rests on stratigraphy: layers are deposited in order, and characteristic wares such as Painted Grey Ware or Northern Black Polished Ware are used as horizon markers. Absolute dates come from radiocarbon and other scientific methods, which are then tied to the stratigraphic sequence.

Question 19Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

The Painted Grey Ware culture of the upper Ganga plain is most commonly associated with which historical development?

  1. The spread of iron-using, agricultural settlements linked to the later Vedic period Correct answer.
  2. The urban phase of the Harappan civilisation
  3. The maritime trade of the Chola kingdom
  4. The earliest Buddhist rock-cut monasteries of the Deccan

Explanation

Painted Grey Ware, a fine grey pottery with painted designs, is found at sites such as Hastinapur and Atranjikhera in association with iron objects and agricultural settlements of the first millennium BCE. It is therefore linked to the later Vedic communities of the Ganga–Yamuna region.

Question 20Archaeology, Epigraphy and the Study of Ancient India

Which of the following pairs of an inscription and its correct significance is matched accurately?

  1. Heliodorus pillar - records the conquests of Samudragupta
  2. Mehrauli iron pillar inscription - eulogy of a ruler named Chandra, often identified with Chandragupta II Correct answer.
  3. Besnagar garuda pillar - records Ashoka's dhamma policy
  4. Hathigumpha inscription - records the land grants of Rudradaman

Explanation

The iron pillar at Mehrauli carries a Sanskrit verse eulogy of a king called Chandra who is generally identified with Chandragupta II, and it is also famous for the metallurgical skill it displays. Correctly pairing an inscription with its content is a basic epigraphic skill tested in this syllabus.

Question 21Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

The Harappan site of Lothal is best known for which archaeological feature?

  1. A circular stupa of the Mauryan period
  2. A cemetery of megalithic burials
  3. A dockyard connected to the Gulf of Khambhat Correct answer.
  4. A massive granary built on a raised citadel

Explanation

Lothal in Gujarat lies near the Bhogavo river and the Gulf of Khambhat, and excavators identified a large trapezoidal basin with an inlet channel that they interpreted as a dockyard for maritime trade. This identification is supported by the site's location, its warehouse-like structure nearby, and finds such as a Persian Gulf seal.

Question 22Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

Which of these Harappan cities is located in present-day Pakistan on the right bank of the Indus?

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

Explanation

Mohenjo-daro lies in Sindh, in present-day Pakistan, on the right bank of the Indus in the Larkana district. It is one of the largest Harappan cities and is famous for the Great Bath and the Great Granary.

Question 23Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

The Harappan script is best described by which statement?

  1. It is a fully deciphered Dravidian language written in Brahmi letters
  2. It is an alphabetic script of about twenty-two letters used on pottery
  3. It is a bilingual script written alongside Old Persian cuneiform
  4. It consists of short inscriptions, mostly on seals, and remains undeciphered Correct answer.

Explanation

Harappan writing survives mainly on small seals and sealings, with a few longer inscriptions on copper tools and pottery, and the total corpus is short. The signs are generally treated as logo-syllabic, and no generally accepted decipherment exists, so the language itself is unknown.

Question 24Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

Which metal was the primary material for Harappan tools and weapons?

  1. Tin
  2. Steel
  3. Iron
  4. Bronze Correct answer.

Explanation

The Harappans used copper and bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, for tools, weapons, and vessels; iron was not in use in South Asia during this period. The absence of iron is a defining feature of the Bronze Age Indus civilisation.

Question 25Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

The Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro is located in which part of the city?

  1. The citadel mound Correct answer.
  2. The craft workshop quarter
  3. The lower town near the granary
  4. The cemetery to the west

Explanation

The Great Bath is on the citadel mound of Mohenjo-daro, a raised platform area that also contained large public buildings. Its position suggests a civic or ritual function rather than ordinary domestic use. The bath is a brick-lined tank with steps at both ends and a bitumen layer for waterproofing.

Question 26Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

Which crop was a major staple of the Harappan economy alongside wheat?

  1. Barley Correct answer.
  2. Maize
  3. Rice
  4. Tea

Explanation

Barley and wheat were the principal cereals cultivated by the Harappans, and both have been recovered from sites such as Mohenjo-daro and Harappa. Rice was cultivated in some regions but was not a staple of the core Indus zone, and maize is a New World crop introduced much later.

Question 27Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

The standardised Harappan weights were generally made of which material?

  1. Ivory
  2. Gold
  3. Chert Correct answer.
  4. Baked clay

Explanation

Harappan weights are typically small cubical pieces of chert, a hard stone, and they follow a binary system in the lower denominations with decimal multiples above. Their uniformity across widely separated sites is evidence of shared trade and measurement norms.

Question 28Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

Cylinder seals found at Harappan sites are significant mainly because they indicate contact with which region?

  1. Mesopotamia Correct answer.
  2. Egypt
  3. China
  4. Greece

Explanation

Cylinder seals are characteristic of Mesopotamian administrative practice, and examples found at Harappan sites such as Mohenjo-daro point to trade or cultural contact with West Asia. Mesopotamian texts also refer to a trading partner called Meluhha, which many scholars link to the Indus region.

Question 29Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

Which statement about the drainage system of Harappan cities is accurate?

  1. Waste water was stored in the Great Bath for reuse
  2. Covered drains with soak pits carried waste water from houses into street drains Correct answer.
  3. Drainage was confined to the citadel and absent in the lower town
  4. Drains ran only along the main streets and not into houses

Explanation

Harappan houses had bathing platforms and chutes that fed into covered street drains, often provided with manholes and soak pits for inspection and settlement of solids. This planned sanitation is one of the strongest indicators of municipal organisation at Mohenjo-daro and Harappa.

Question 30Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

The 'granary' at Mohenjo-daro is identified mainly on which basis?

  1. Inscriptions naming it as a storehouse
  2. The presence of grain preserved in sealed jars
  3. Its resemblance to later Mauryan storehouses
  4. Its size, ventilation channels, and proximity to the citadel Correct answer.

Explanation

No inscription identifies the structure, so its function is inferred from its large size, thick walls, and the brick platform with ventilation channels, together with its position on the citadel. The identification remains an interpretation rather than a certainty.

Question 31Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

Rakhigarhi's importance in Harappan studies rests chiefly on which fact?

  1. It is the earliest known Harappan site in Gujarat
  2. It is the only Harappan site with a dockyard
  3. It is one of the largest Harappan sites and lies in Haryana Correct answer.
  4. It is the site of the first Harappan seal discovered

Explanation

Rakhigarhi, in the Hisar district of Haryana, is among the largest known Harappan settlements and has yielded burials, craft debris, and evidence for a planned layout. Its location in the Ghaggar-Hakra region helps show the eastern extent of the civilisation.

Question 32Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

Which Harappan site is located on an island in the Rann of Kutch and shows a sophisticated water reservoir system?

  1. Banawali
  2. Kalibangan
  3. Chanhudaro
  4. Dholavira Correct answer.

Explanation

Dholavira lies on Khadir island in the Rann of Kutch and is notable for its three-part division into citadel, middle town, and lower town, as well as large rock-cut reservoirs for storing water. Its water management reflects adaptation to a semi-arid environment.

Question 33Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

The ploughed field found at Kalibangan is significant because it provides evidence of which activity?

  1. Early agricultural practice in the Harappan period Correct answer.
  2. Ritual bathing in tanks
  3. Terrace farming on hill slopes
  4. Brick making on a large scale

Explanation

Kalibangan yielded a field with furrows crossing at right angles, which is interpreted as evidence of plough-based cultivation in the Harappan period. This is among the earliest direct traces of agricultural layout in South Asia.

Question 34Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

Which of these materials was a major Harappan import from regions to the west?

  1. Lapis lazuli Correct answer.
  2. Timber
  3. Cotton
  4. Rice

Explanation

Lapis lazuli from Badakhshan in present-day Afghanistan was imported into the Indus region and used for beads and inlay work. This long-distance trade is attested by finds of the stone at Harappan sites and by Mesopotamian references to Meluhha.

Question 35Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

The decline of the Harappan cities is most commonly associated with which combination of factors?

  1. Climatic drying, river shifts, and the collapse of trade networks Correct answer.
  2. The introduction of iron tools and weapons
  3. Invasion by the Mauryan army
  4. A single catastrophic earthquake that destroyed every city

Explanation

Most scholars explain the decline through a combination of environmental stress, including weakening monsoons and shifts in river systems such as the Ghaggar-Hakra, together with the breakdown of long-distance trade and internal urban organisation. The process was gradual and varied from region to region.

Question 36Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

The Vedic text that contains the famous hymn on the Purusha sacrifice, used to explain the origin of the four varnas, is the

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

Explanation

The Purusha-sukta, which describes the creation of the four social orders from the body of the cosmic being, is in the tenth mandala of the Rigveda. This hymn is the earliest textual reference used to explain varna.

Question 37Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

Which of the following best distinguishes the Rigvedic period from the later Vedic period?

  1. Iron tools and settled agriculture were more prominent in the later Vedic period Correct answer.
  2. The later Vedic period had no knowledge of agriculture
  3. The Rigvedic period used coins as a medium of exchange
  4. The Rigvedic period had a fully developed caste system with untouchability

Explanation

The later Vedic period saw the spread of iron technology and of settled agriculture in the Ganga-Yamuna region, which supported larger territorial units. The Rigvedic economy was more pastoral, and the varna order grew more rigid only later.

Question 38Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

The term 'sabha' in the Rigvedic context refers to

  1. A unit of land measurement
  2. A council of elders or assembly of the people Correct answer.
  3. A tax levied on cattle
  4. A type of sacrificial altar

Explanation

The Rigveda mentions the sabha and the samiti as assemblies, and these bodies had a role in deliberation and in the selection of leadership. Their precise powers are debated, but they are clearly political and social gatherings rather than economic or ritual terms.

Question 39Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

Which statement about Harappan society is best supported by the archaeological evidence?

  1. It had a well-organised urban society whose political form remains debated Correct answer.
  2. It was a society organised entirely around the varna system
  3. It was a society with a centralised state and a single ruler attested by inscriptions
  4. It was a hunter-gatherer society with no craft specialisation

Explanation

The uniformity of weights, bricks, and seals indicates strong shared norms and organisation, but no palace or royal inscription has been found and the political structure remains debated. Some scholars argue for a centralised authority and others for a coalition of elites.

Question 40Harappan Civilisation and Early Indian History

The Harappan evidence for craft specialisation is best illustrated by which combination of finds?

  1. Megalithic burials at Brahmagiri
  2. Bead workshops at Chanhudaro and shell working at Nageshwar Correct answer.
  3. Iron smelting furnaces at Mohenjo-daro
  4. Punch-marked coins at Harappa

Explanation

Chanhudaro has yielded evidence for bead manufacture, including unfinished beads and raw material, while Nageshwar shows specialised shell working for bangles and ornaments. Together with standardised weights and seals, these finds point to full-time specialists serving wider markets.

Question 41Political, Social and Economic History of Ancient India (Mauryas to Guptas)

अशोक के अभिलेखों में प्रयुक्त 'धम्म' शब्द का सर्वाधिक स्वीकृत अर्थ क्या है?

  1. सामाजिक नैतिकता एवं सदाचार का संदेश Correct answer.
  2. राज्य के लिए बलपूर्वक वसूला गया कर
  3. वैदिक यज्ञों का अनुष्ठान
  4. बौद्ध संघ में प्रवेश की विधि

Explanation

अशोक के स्तंभ और शिलालेखों में 'धम्म' का अर्थ किसी संकीर्ण धार्मिक मत से अधिक व्यापक है; इसमें माता-पिता और गुरुजनों की सेवा, प्राणियों के प्रति दया, दान और सहिष्णुता जैसे नैतिक आदेश सम्मिलित हैं। अतः यह सामाजिक सदाचार का संदेश है, न कि यज्ञ या कर-व्यवस्था।

Question 42Political, Social and Economic History of Ancient India (Mauryas to Guptas)

मौर्यकाल में 'अमात्य' पद से सामान्यतः किस वर्ग के अधिकारियों का बोध होता है?

  1. केवल राजकीय कारखानों के शिल्पी
  2. सेना के केवल अश्वारोही सैनिक
  3. केवल ग्राम-स्तरीय कर-संग्राहक
  4. उच्च प्रशासनिक एवं परामर्शदात्रीय अधिकारी Correct answer.

Explanation

कौटिल्य के अर्थशास्त्र तथा अशोक के अभिलेखों में अमात्य उच्च अधिकारियों के लिए प्रयुक्त है, जो राज्य के विभिन्न विभागों में परामर्श और निरीक्षण का कार्य करते थे। ये मंत्रिपरिषद के सदस्य भी हो सकते थे, अतः पद उच्च प्रशासनिक श्रेणी का था।

Question 43Political, Social and Economic History of Ancient India (Mauryas to Guptas)

मेगस्थनीज की पुस्तक 'इंडिका' में मौर्यकालीन समाज के विषय में जो विवरण मिलता है, उसकी मुख्य सीमा क्या मानी जाती है?

  1. इसमें चंद्रगुप्त मौर्य का उल्लेख ही नहीं है
  2. इसमें सात वर्गों का विभाजन वर्ण-व्यवस्था से पूर्णतः मेल नहीं खाता Correct answer.
  3. यह पूर्णतः संस्कृत स्रोतों का अनुवाद है
  4. यह केवल गुप्तकालीन समाज का वर्णन करती है

Explanation

मेगस्थनीज ने समाज को सात व्यावसायिक वर्गों में बाँटा, जिसमें दार्शनिक, कृषक, पशुपालक, शिल्पी, सैनिक, निरीक्षक और सलाहकार सम्मिलित थे। यह विभाजन जन्म-आधारित चातुर्वर्ण्य से मेल नहीं खाता, इसलिए विद्वान इसे बाहरी पर्यवेक्षक का दृष्टिकोण मानते हैं।

Question 44Political, Social and Economic History of Ancient India (Mauryas to Guptas)

अशोक के कलिंग-युद्ध के पश्चात् उसकी नीति में जो परिवर्तन हुआ, उसका सर्वोत्तम प्रमाण कौन-सा अभिलेख है?

  1. भाब्रू का शिलालेख
  2. तेरहवाँ शिलालेख Correct answer.
  3. गिरनार का शिलालेख
  4. रुम्मिनदेई का स्तंभलेख

Explanation

तेरहवें शिलालेख में अशोक स्वयं कलिंग युद्ध में हुए हत्याकांड पर पश्चात्ताप व्यक्त करता है और कहता है कि अब वह धम्म-विजय चाहता है। यही लेख युद्ध-नीति से धम्म-नीति की ओर परिवर्तन का सबसे स्पष्ट आत्मकथात्मक प्रमाण है।

Question 45Political, Social and Economic History of Ancient India (Mauryas to Guptas)

कौटिल्य के अर्थशास्त्र में वर्णित 'षड्गुण' संबंधी विचार किस विषय से जुड़ा है?

  1. विदेशी राज्यों के साथ कूटनीति का संचालन Correct answer.
  2. धातु-मुद्राओं की शुद्धता जाँचना
  3. ग्राम-कर की दरें निर्धारित करना
  4. सिंचाई-नहरों का निर्माण

Explanation

षड्गुण का अर्थ है संधि, विग्रह, आसन, यान, संश्रय और द्वैधीभाव - ये छह कूटनीतिक विकल्प हैं जिनसे राजा अन्य राज्यों के साथ संबंध तय करता है। यह विषय अर्थशास्त्र के षाड्गुण्य अधिकरण में विस्तार से आया है।

Question 46Political, Social and Economic History of Ancient India (Mauryas to Guptas)

मौर्यकालीन प्रशासन में 'प्रदेष्टा' का कार्य क्या था?

  1. सीमांत किलों की रक्षा करना
  2. दंड-विधान का संचालन और अपराधों की जाँच Correct answer.
  3. राज्य के कोष का लेखा रखना
  4. ग्राम-सभा का चुनाव कराना

Explanation

प्रदेष्टा दंड-विधान से संबंधित अधिकारी था, जो अपराधों की जाँच और दंड-निर्धारण का कार्य देखता था। कौटिल्य के वर्णन में यह उच्च न्यायिक-प्रशासनिक पद माना गया है।

Question 47Political, Social and Economic History of Ancient India (Mauryas to Guptas)

मौर्यकालीन अर्थव्यवस्था में 'सीता' शब्द किससे संबंधित था?

  1. पशुधन की गणना का अभिलेख
  2. राजकीय भूमि पर कृषि से प्राप्त राजस्व Correct answer.
  3. विदेशी व्यापारियों पर लगाया गया शुल्क
  4. विवाह पर लिया जाने वाला उपहार

Explanation

अर्थशास्त्र में सीता उस राजस्व को कहा गया है जो राजा की अपनी भूमि (सीताध्यक्ष के अधीन खेती) से प्राप्त होता था। यह भूमि-उत्पाद का राजकीय भाग था, जिसे भाग या बलि से पृथक रखा गया है।

Question 48Political, Social and Economic History of Ancient India (Mauryas to Guptas)

अशोक के पश्चात् मौर्य साम्राज्य के पतन के संदर्भ में 'अशोक-वचन' का क्या अर्थ माना जाता है?

  1. अशोक की धम्म-नीति का प्रचार-साहित्य
  2. अशोक द्वारा निर्मित स्तूपों की सूची
  3. बौद्ध संघ को दिए गए दान का अभिलेख
  4. पुराणों में उल्लिखित अंतिम मौर्य शासकों के नाम Correct answer.

Explanation

पुराणों और परवर्ती परंपरा में अशोक के उत्तराधिकारियों की सूची 'अशोक-वचन' के रूप में मिलती है, जिससे मौर्य वंश के अंतिम शासकों के नाम ज्ञात होते हैं। यह सूची राजवंशीय परंपरा का भाग है, धार्मिक साहित्य का नहीं।

Question 49Political, Social and Economic History of Ancient India (Mauryas to Guptas)

शुंग वंश के संस्थापक पुष्यमित्र शुंग ने सत्ता किस प्रकार प्राप्त की, ऐसा परंपरागत विवरण है?

  1. विदेशी आक्रमणकारी को पराजित करके
  2. विवाह-संबंध से राजगद्दी पाकर
  3. जनसभा के निर्वाचन से
  4. मौर्य सेनापति के रूप में विद्रोह करके Correct answer.

Explanation

परंपरागत विवरण के अनुसार पुष्यमित्र मौर्य सेना का सेनापति था और उसने अंतिम मौर्य शासक को हटाकर शुंग वंश की स्थापना की। यह विवरण बाणभट्ट के हर्षचरित तथा परवर्ती स्रोतों में मिलता है।

Question 50Political, Social and Economic History of Ancient India (Mauryas to Guptas)

भरहुत स्तूप का संबंध किस राजवंश के काल से माना जाता है, जिससे उसका प्रारंभिक निर्माण जुड़ा है?

  1. कुषाण वंश
  2. गुप्त वंश
  3. सातवाहन वंश
  4. शुंग वंश Correct answer.

Explanation

भरहुत का स्तूप शुंग काल में निर्मित माना जाता है; इसकी वेदिका और तोरण के अवशेष शुंग-युगीन कला के महत्वपूर्ण उदाहरण हैं। बाद में इसका विस्तार हुआ, पर प्रारंभिक निर्माण शुंग काल का माना जाता है।