UPSC Ancient India – Chapter 15: Post-Mauryan Economy, Society, Religion and Art (21 MCQs)

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UPSC Ancient India – Chapter 15: Post-Mauryan Economy, Society, Religion and Art (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.  

The Gandhara school of art mainly used:

Correct Answer: D [grey schist]

Explanation:

Gandhara sculptors of the north-west carved mainly in grey-blue schist, later adding stucco, under strong Hellenistic influence.

2.  

The main port of western India in the Periplus was:

Correct Answer: A [Barygaza]

Explanation:

The Periplus describes Barygaza (Bharuch) on the Narmada estuary as the chief port of western India.

3.  

The southern gateway of the Great Stupa at Sanchi was carved, according to its inscription, by:

Correct Answer: A [the ivory workers of Vidisha]

Explanation:

An inscription on the southern gateway records that the ivory workers of Vidisha carved it.

4.  

At Bharhut, the Buddha is represented by:

Correct Answer: B [symbols such as the throne and footprints]

Explanation:

Early stupa art at Bharhut avoided the human form and showed the Buddha by throne, footprints, Bodhi tree and wheel.

5.  

The Mathura school of sculpture mainly used:

Correct Answer: B [spotted red sandstone]

Explanation:

Mathura workshops used the local spotted red sandstone, which identifies the school at a glance.

6.  

The Bhagavata cult centred on the worship of:

Correct Answer: D [Vasudeva-Krishna]

Explanation:

The Bhagavatas practised bhakti to Vasudeva-Krishna, an early form of Vaishnavism, as the Heliodorus pillar shows.

7.  

The largest rock-cut chaitya hall of the period is at:

Correct Answer: D [Karle]

Explanation:

The great chaitya hall at Karle in Maharashtra is the largest rock-cut chaitya hall of the period.

8.  

The Udayagiri–Khandagiri caves in Odisha belong to:

Correct Answer: C [the Jains]

Explanation:

The Udayagiri-Khandagiri caves were cut for Jain monks in the time of Kharavela of Kalinga.

9.  

A chaitya is a:

Correct Answer: D [prayer hall with a stupa]

Explanation:

A chaitya is a prayer hall with a stupa at the far end, unlike a vihara, which is a monastery.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. The Gandhara school shows Hellenistic influence.
2. The Mathura school produced Buddhist, Jain and Brahmanical images.
3. The Amaravati school used grey schist.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

Gandhara shows Hellenistic influence and Mathura made images of three faiths; Amaravati used white limestone, so statement 3 fails.

11.  

Assertion (A): Many Buddhist caves of the western Deccan lie along trade routes.

Reason (R): Merchants and guilds were among the main donors of these caves.

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

Explanation:

Caves were cut along trade routes because merchants and guilds who used those routes paid for them.

12.  

The Roman writer who complained that India drained Rome of money was:

Correct Answer: C [Pliny]

Explanation:

Pliny the Elder complained in his Natural History that trade with India drained Rome of large sums every year.

13.  

The Kushana king known for a famous headless standing statue, inscribed with his name, from Mathura is:

Correct Answer: A [Kanishka]

Explanation:

The famous headless standing statue from Mat near Mathura bears Kanishka's name and titles.

14.  

The law book that treated foreign rulers as vratya kshatriyas is the:

Correct Answer: C [Manusmriti]

Explanation:

Manu treated Sakas, Yavanas and other foreign rulers as kshatriyas fallen in status for neglecting sacred rites.

15.  

Arretine ware found in India was:

Correct Answer: B [red-glazed Roman pottery]

Explanation:

Arretine ware is a red-glazed pottery made in Italy, found in India at Arikamedu as a Roman import.

16.  

The Nasik inscription of Ushavadata shows that guilds also acted as:

Correct Answer: C [banks]

Explanation:

Ushavadata deposited money with weavers' guilds at Nasik so the interest would support monks, a banking role.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. Sanchi declared a World Heritage Site
2. Bharhut railings carved
3. Bharhut found by Cunningham
4. First Buddha images at Mathura and Gandhara

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Explanation:

c. 2nd century BCE, c. 1st century CE, 1873, 1989.

18.  

Sittanavasal in Tamil Nadu is a:

Correct Answer: A [Jain cave site]

Explanation:

Sittanavasal has Jain rock beds with early Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions and a later Jain cave temple with paintings.

19.  

The Heliodorus pillar at Besnagar is a monument of:

Correct Answer: C [Bhagavatism]

Explanation:

Heliodorus, a Greek envoy, calls himself a Bhagavata and set up the Garuda pillar in honour of Vasudeva.

20.  

Outside India, the largest group of sculptures from the Amaravati stupa is held in the:

Correct Answer: A [British Museum, London]

Explanation:

many others are in the Government Museum, Chennai.

21.  
UPSC Prelims 2023

Consider the following pairs:

Site : Well Known for

1. Besnagar : Shaivite cave shrine
2. Bhaja : Buddhist cave shrine
3. Sittanavasal : Jain cave shrine

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Correct Answer: B [Only two]

Explanation:

pairs 2 and 3 are correct; Besnagar is known for the Heliodorus pillar.

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