Ancient History Questions: Vedic Age, Jainism & Buddhism

1. Which of the following animal played the most significant role in the life of Aryans?

Ans. Horse

2. Which of the following text is the oldest text in Iranian Language?

Ans. The Avesta

3. Rigveda Consist of how many Mandalas?

Ans. 10 Mandalas

4. The earliest specimen of the Aryans is found from which of the following inscriptions?

Ans. Hittite inscription (Turkey), Kassite inscription (Iraq) and Mittanni inscription (Syria)

5. In the Rigveda, Indra is mentioned by which of the following name?

Ans. Purandara (Breaker of Fort)

6. What is the Upveda of Yajurveda?

Ans. Dhanurveda

7. Who was the founder of Nyaya Darshan (Philosophy)?

Ans. Akshapada Gautama

8. Which of the following mandala of Rigveda is also called Soma Mandala?

Ans. 9th Mandala

9. Which of the following was the first Samskaras among 16 Samskara of people during the
later Vedic period?

Ans. Garbhadhana

10. The Battle of the Ten Kings was fought on the bank of which of the following river?

Ans. Purushni (Ravi)

11. Which were the two most important assemblies of the Rigvedic period?

Ans. Sabha and Samiti

 12. Who composed the Gayatri Mantra to widen the Aryan world?

Ans. Vishwamitra

13. Which God acted as a king of intermediary between the Gods and the people?

Ans. God Agni

14. Who were the indigenous inhabitants of the Indian Subcontinent during the migration of
the Aryans, who came in conflict with them?

Ans. The Dasa or Dasyus

15. The collection of the Vedic hymns or mantras were known as?

Ans. The Samhitas

16. The famous Gayatri Mantra is addressed to?

Ans. Goddess Savita

17. Which Veda deals with magical spells and witchcraft?

Ans. Atharvaveda

18. Which Brahmin text speaks about the length of the ploughing rituals?

Ans. Shatpatha Brahmana

19. Which Yajna was performed by the king to prove his imperial sovereignty with the help
of a horse which is released for a period of one year in a region to show the supremacy of
the king?

Ans. Ashwamedha Yajna

20. In which Brahmin Text, Brahmins are described as the seeker of livelihood and acceptor
of gift, vaishyas are described as tribute payer and Shudras are described as the servant of
the upper three Varnas?

Ans. Aitreya Brahmana

21. Which were the four divisions of Varnas in the later Vedic period?

Ans. Brahmin, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras

22. Which were the four Ashramas or four stages of life mentioned in the Vedic text?
Ans. Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha, and Sanyasin

23. The sacrifice of the Yajnas in the Vedic period was called?

Ans. The Yajmana

24. The philosophical text which criticized the rituals and laid stress on the value of right
belief and knowledge is called?

Ans. The Upanishad

25. In which Veda, hymns are set in musical form?

Ans. Sama Veda

26. Vardhamana Mahavira and Gautam Buddha, both belonged to which of the following
varna?

Ans. The Kshatriya

27. Who was the first Tirthankara?

Ans. Rishabhdeva

28. Where was Vardhamana Mahavira born?

Ans. Kundagrama near Vaishali

29. Vardhamana Mahavira belonged to which of the following Kshatriya clan?

Ans. Jnatrika clan

30. Vardhamana Mahavira died at which place?

Ans. Pavapuri near Rajgir

31. Which was the only doctrine added by Mahavira in the 5 doctrines of Jainism?

Ans. Chastity (Brahmacharya)

32. Which are the two sub-sects of Jainism?

Ans. Shwetambara and Digambara

33. Where was Gautam Buddha born?

Ans. Lumbini (Nepal) near Kapilavastu

34. Jataka Kathas are the stories of?

Ans. Earlier births of Buddha

35. Buddhism was divided into two parts during whose reign?

Ans. Kanishka

36. Where did Gautam Buddha get enlightenment?

Ans. Gaya (Bihar)

37. Where did Gautam Buddha give his first Sermon?

Ans. Sarnath near Banaras

38. What are the main three elements of Buddhism?

Ans. Buddha, Sangha, and Dharma

39. The Greek and Indian scripture worked together to create a new kind of art on the north-
west frontier of India, Which is known as ____?

Ans. Gandharva Art

40. Where did Buddha attain Mahaparinirvana?

Ans. Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh)

41. Who enunciated the Eight Fold path?

Ans. Gautam Budhha

42. Buddhist texts were mainly written in which language?

Ans. Pali

43. The First Buddhist council was held in?

Ans. Rajgriha

44. Who was the first teacher of Gautam Budhha after his Mahabhinishkramana (Great going
forth)?
Ans. Alara Kalama

45. What is the symbol of Mahaparinirvana of Gautam Buddha?

Ans. Stupa

46. Name of two Tirthankaras which are also found in Rigveda?

Ans. Rishabhadeva and Arishtanemi

47. Which of the Tirthankars is described as an incarnation of Narayana in the Vishnu Purana
and the Bhagwat Purana?

Ans. Rishabhdeva

48. On which bank of the river, Mahavira attained Kaivalya?

Ans. Rijupalika

49. First Jain Council was held under the chairmanship of?

Ans. Sthalabhadra

50. Where did Mahavira give his first sermon?

Ans. On the hill Vipul-acala in the vicinity of Rajagrha.

RAS Study Notes

UPPSC Study Notes
BPSC Study Notes