UPSC Ancient India – Chapter 13: Mauryan Economy, Society, Art and Decline (21 MCQs)

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UPSC Ancient India – Chapter 13: Mauryan Economy, Society, Art and Decline (21 MCQs) – 21 questions, subject: History. Every question has the correct answer with a one-line explanation; tap "Show Answer". Free practice for TNPSC, UPSC, SSC, Bank and RRB exams – Shanmugam IAS Academy, Coimbatore.

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1.  

In the Mauryan period, crown lands were known as:

Correct Answer: A [sita]

Explanation:

Sita was the term for crown lands owned by the state and cultivated under the sitadhyaksha.

2.  

The Sudarshana lake built under Chandragupta Maurya is recorded in the inscription of:

Correct Answer: B [Rudradaman at Junagadh]

Explanation:

Rudradaman's Junagadh inscription of 150 CE records that Pushyagupta, Chandragupta's governor, built the Sudarshana lake.

3.  

The pottery regarded as the hallmark of the Mauryan phase is:

Correct Answer: C [Northern Black Polished Ware]

Explanation:

Northern Black Polished Ware, a glossy deluxe pottery, is found at Mauryan-period sites from the north-west to the Deccan.

4.  

Megasthenes was the ambassador of:

Correct Answer: A [Seleucus Nicator]

Explanation:

Seleucus Nicator sent Megasthenes as his ambassador to Chandragupta Maurya's court at Pataliputra after their treaty.

5.  

Most Ashokan pillars were made of sandstone quarried at:

Correct Answer: D [Chunar]

Explanation:

Most Ashokan pillar shafts are of buff Chunar sandstone, quarried near Varanasi and given the Mauryan polish.

6.  

The bull capital is associated with the Mauryan pillar at:

Correct Answer: D [Rampurva]

Explanation:

One of the two Ashokan pillars at Rampurva in Bihar was crowned by the famous bull capital.

7.  

The rock-cut caves of the Barabar hills were dedicated by Ashoka to the:

Correct Answer: C [Ajivikas]

Explanation:

Ashoka's inscriptions in the Barabar caves record their gift to the Ajivika ascetics.

8.  

The Lomas Rishi cave is famous for its:

Correct Answer: A [arched facade imitating wooden architecture]

Explanation:

Its entrance is carved like a wooden hut with a semicircular arch and an elephant frieze, forerunner of the chaitya arch.

9.  

The Didarganj Yakshi is shown holding a:

Correct Answer: C [chauri]

Explanation:

The life-size polished sandstone Didarganj Yakshi holds a chauri (fly-whisk) in her right hand.

10.  

Consider the following statements about the Sarnath Lion Capital:

1. It has four lions standing back to back.
2. Its abacus carries an elephant, a bull, a horse and a lion.
3. It commemorates the Buddha's death at Kushinagar.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

Four back-to-back lions and the abacus animals are correct; the capital marks the first sermon at Sarnath, not the Buddha's death.

11.  

Assertion (A): Mauryan pillars are classed as court art.

Reason (R): They were set up under royal patronage to carry the king's message.

Correct Answer: A [Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A]

Explanation:

Royal patronage and the purpose of spreading Ashoka's message are exactly what make the pillars court art.

12.  

The hemispherical dome of a stupa is called the:

Correct Answer: B [anda]

Explanation:

The anda is the hemispherical mound or dome raised over the relics on the base (medhi).

13.  

In Buddhist tradition, a stupa raised over objects used by the Buddha, such as his begging bowl, is called a:

Correct Answer: B [paribhogika stupa]

Explanation:

paribhogika stupas enshrine objects used by the Buddha, such as his bowl or robe.

14.  

Ashoka's grandson who dedicated caves in the Nagarjuni hills was:

Correct Answer: C [Dasharatha]

Explanation:

Dasharatha, Ashoka's grandson, dedicated caves in the Nagarjuni hills to the Ajivikas, as his inscriptions there record.

15.  

The rock-cut elephant above Ashoka's edicts is found at:

Correct Answer: C [Dhauli]

Explanation:

At Dhauli in Odisha the forepart of an elephant is carved out of the rock above Ashoka's edicts.

16.  

Guilds of artisans and merchants in Mauryan times were called:

Correct Answer: D [shreni]

Explanation:

Shreni was the term for guilds of artisans and merchants in Mauryan towns.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. Didarganj Yakshi found
2. Death of Brihadratha
3. Junagadh inscription of Rudradaman
4. Sarnath capital excavated

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: C [2-3-4-1]

Explanation:

Order: Death of Brihadratha (c. 185 BCE) → Junagadh inscription of Rudradaman (150 CE) → Sarnath capital excavated (1904–05) → Didarganj Yakshi found (1917).

18.  

The view that the spread of material culture to outlying regions helped cause the Mauryan decline is associated with:

Correct Answer: D [R. S. Sharma]

Explanation:

R. S. Sharma argued that iron tools and material culture spread to outlying regions, enabling new states to arise.

19.  

According to Megasthenes, Indian society was divided into:

Correct Answer: D [seven classes]

Explanation:

Megasthenes listed seven classes: philosophers, farmers, herdsmen, artisans, soldiers, overseers and councillors.

20.  

The Satiyaputras of Rock Edict II have been identified, through the Jambai inscription, with:

Correct Answer: B [the Atiyaman chiefs of the Tamil country]

Explanation:

the inscription mentions "Satiyaputo Atiyan Neduman Anci".

21.  
UPSC Prelims 2023

With reference to ancient India, consider the following statements:

1. The concept of Stupa is Buddhist in origin.
2. Stupa was generally a repository of relics.
3. Stupa was a votive and commemorative structure in Buddhist tradition.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

Correct Answer: B [Only two]

Explanation:

statements 2 and 3 are correct; the tradition of burial mounds predates Buddhism, so statement 1 is not correct.

➤ Full notes, maps, tables, a reason for every option and Mains PYQs – U01 · Ancient India (UPSC book, ₹249): www.shanmugamiasacademy.in/study-materials/upsc-ancient-india

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