Civil Services Examination - History: ancient and medieval India Online Test (MCQ Quiz)

1. Which of the following Indus Valley Civilization sites is famous for its Great Bath?

A) Harappa B) Mohenjo-daro C) Lothal D) Kalibangan

2. The earliest evidence of agriculture in the Indian subcontinent is found at which site?

A) Mehrgarh B) Chirand C) Koldihwa D) Burzahom

3. Who is considered the founder of the Mauryan Empire?

A) Ashoka B) Bindusara C) Chandragupta Maurya D) Kautilya

4. The rock edicts of Ashoka were written primarily in which script?

A) Brahmi B) Kharosthi C) Aramaic D) Greek

5. Which ancient Indian text is a treatise on statecraft and economic policy attributed to Kautilya?

A) Panchatantra B) Arthashastra C) Ramayana D) Mahabharata

6. The Gandhara school of art, which flourished in ancient India, is characterized by:

A) Purely indigenous Indian styles B) Hellenistic influences C) Persian motifs D) Gupta period aesthetics

7. Which dynasty ruled during the Gupta period, often referred to as the 'Golden Age of India'?

A) Kushanas B) Satavahanas C) Guptas D) Vakatakas

8. The Ajanta Caves are renowned for their exquisite:

A) Rock-cut architecture B) Stupas C) Frescoes and paintings D) Sculptures of Jain Tirthankaras

9. Who was the famous physician in ancient India whose work 'Charaka Samhita' is a foundational text of Ayurveda?

A) Sushruta B) Charaka C) Vagbhata D) Dhanvantari

10. The famous Konark Sun Temple was built during the reign of which dynasty?

A) Cholas B) Pallavas C) Eastern Gangas D) Rashtrakutas

11. Which of the following was NOT a major port of the Chola kingdom?

A) Puhar B) Kaveripattinam C) Mamallapuram D) Surat

12. The Chalukya dynasty, known for its patronage of art and architecture, had its capital at:

A) Dwarasamudra B) Badami C) Kanchipuram D) Madurai

13. The Rashtrakuta king who built the monolithic Kailasa temple at Ellora was:

A) Dantidurga B) Krishna I C) Amoghavarsha D) Govinda III

14. The 'Prithviraj Raso', an epic poem, chronicles the life and deeds of:

A) Mahmud of Ghazni B) Muhammad Ghori C) Prithviraj Chauhan D) Raja Hammir

15. Who founded the Delhi Sultanate in 1206 AD?

A) Iltutmish B) Balban C) Qutb-ud-din Aibak D) Alauddin Khalji

16. The 'Tughlaq Nama', a historical work, was written by:

A) Ziauddin Barani B) Amir Khusrau C) Isami D) Ibn Battuta

17. Alauddin Khalji's market control policy was primarily aimed at:

A) Increasing the revenue from land B) Controlling the prices of essential commodities C) Encouraging trade and commerce D) Funding his military campaigns

18. Muhammad bin Tughlaq's controversial experiment of shifting the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad was an attempt to:

A) Strengthen control over the Deccan B) Escape Mongol invasions C) Promote Islamic culture in the South D) Reduce the burden on Delhi

19. The Vijayanagara Empire was founded by which two brothers?

A) Harihara and Bukka B) Krishnadevaraya and Achyuta Deva Raya C) Vira Narasimha and Krishna Deva Raya D) Sadasiva Raya and Tirumala Deva Raya

20. The famous Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire was a contemporary of:

A) Babur B) Akbar C) Sher Shah Suri D) Humayun

21. The Bahmani Sultanate was established in the Deccan by:

A) Alauddin Bahman Shah B) Muhammad Shah I C) Firoz Shah Bahmani D) Ahmad Shah Wali

22. The Bhakti movement in medieval India was characterized by:

A) Emphasis on ritualistic worship B) Devotionalism and personal experience of God C) Strict adherence to caste rules D) Promotion of Sanskrit as the language of devotion

23. Kabir, a prominent Bhakti saint, was known for his teachings that:

A) Advocated for Hindu-Muslim unity and rejected idol worship B) Emphasized the supremacy of the Vedas C) Promoted the concept of 'Nirguna' Brahman exclusively D) Criticized the Sufi tradition

24. Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, emphasized:

A) Asceticism and renunciation B) The concept of 'One God' and selfless service (Seva) C) The caste system D) Ritualistic worship and pilgrimages

25. The Sufi saint who settled in Delhi and was revered by both Muslims and Hindus was:

A) Nizamuddin Auliya B) Moinuddin Chishti C) Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki D) Baba Farid

26. The famous 'Ain-i-Akbari' was compiled by:

A) Faizi B) Abul Fazl C) Todar Mal D) Birbal

27. Akbar's policy of 'Sulh-i-Kul' aimed at:

A) Religious conversion of non-Muslims B) Establishing a state religion C) Universal peace and tolerance among all religions D) Military conquest of neighboring states

28. The Mansabdari system introduced by the Mughals was a system of:

A) Land revenue collection B) Military organization and civil administration C) Judicial appointments D) Religious endowments

29. Which Mughal emperor is known for his architectural achievements, including the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort at Agra?

A) Akbar B) Jahangir C) Shah Jahan D) Aurangzeb

30. Aurangzeb's religious policy was characterized by:

A) Tolerance and accommodation B) Strict adherence to Islamic law and re-imposition of Jaziya C) Patronage of Hindu temples D) Encouragement of interfaith dialogue

31. The Maratha warrior Shivaji Maharaj established an independent kingdom with his capital at:

A) Pune B) Satara C) Raigad D) Tanjore

32. The Peshwas became the de facto rulers of the Maratha Confederacy during the reign of which Maratha king?

A) Shivaji Maharaj B) Sambhaji C) Rajaram D) Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj

33. The Battle of Plassey in 1757 was fought between:

A) The British East India Company and the Nawab of Bengal B) The French East India Company and the Nawab of Bengal C) The Dutch East India Company and the British D) The Marathas and the Mughals

34. The famous rock-cut temples of Elephanta are dedicated to which deity?

A) Brahma B) Vishnu C) Shiva D) Ganesha

35. Which ancient Indian mathematician is credited with developing the concept of zero and the decimal system?

A) Aryabhata B) Brahmagupta C) Varahamihira D) Bhaskara II

36. The Hampi ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are the remnants of which empire?

A) Chola Empire B) Pallava Kingdom C) Vijayanagara Empire D) Bahmani Sultanate

37. The 'Palaeography' is the study of:

A) Ancient coins B) Ancient inscriptions and scripts C) Ancient pottery D) Ancient architecture

38. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the Vedic period?

A) Development of early Vedic Sanskrit B) Emergence of the Janapadas C) Dominance of urban centers D) Composition of the Rigveda

39. The earliest known systematic treatise on Indian medicine is:

A) Sushruta Samhita B) Charaka Samhita C) Ashtanga Hridayam D) Bhel Samhita

40. The Sangam literature, a collection of ancient Tamil poetry, provides valuable insights into the socio-political conditions of:

A) The Gupta period B) The Mauryan period C) The early Chola, Chera, and Pandya kingdoms D) The Mughal era

41. Which Pallava king is credited with the construction of the monolithic rathas at Mahabalipuram?

A) Mahendravarman I B) Narasimhavarman I C) Nandivarman II D) Rajasimha

42. The famous Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur was built by:

A) Rajaraja Chola I B) Rajendra Chola I C) Kulottunga Chola I D) Vikramaditya VI

43. The architectural style of the Khajuraho temples is primarily associated with which dynasty?

A) Paramaras B) Chandellas C) Solankis D) Gahadavalas

44. Who was the founder of the Pala dynasty in Eastern India?

A) Devapala B) Dharmapala C) Gopala D) Mahipala

45. The administrative reforms of Sher Shah Suri included:

A) Abolition of the Mansabdari system B) Introduction of the 'Pattah' and 'Qabuliyat' system of land revenue C) Centralization of all administrative powers in the hands of the emperor D) Encouragement of foreign trade exclusively

46. The famous 'Buland Darwaza' at Fatehpur Sikri was built by:

A) Babur B) Humayun C) Akbar D) Shah Jahan

47. Which of the following was a major cause for the decline of the Mughal Empire?

A) Economic prosperity and strong trade relations B) Weak successors and constant wars of succession C) Religious tolerance and harmonious relations with all communities D) Effective military reforms and strong central authority

48. The treaty of Salbai in 1782 was signed between the British East India Company and:

A) The Nizam of Hyderabad B) The Sultan of Mysore C) The Marathas D) The Nawab of Awadh

49. The term 'Dravidian style' in architecture is most associated with the temples built by which dynasty?

A) Guptas B) Pallavas and Cholas C) Kushanas D) Rashtrakutas

50. The earliest evidence of coinage in India is found in the form of:

A) Punch-marked coins B) Dinars C) Drams D) Rupees

History: ancient and medieval India - Online Test

Test Results