UPSC Ancient India – Chapter 18: Harsha and Post-Gupta North India (23 MCQs)

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UPSC Ancient India – Chapter 18: Harsha and Post-Gupta North India (23 MCQs) – 23 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.  

Harsha belonged to the:

Correct Answer: D [Pushyabhuti family]

Explanation:

Harshavardhana belonged to the Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) family of Thanesar, which later united with Kanauj.

2.  

Harsha's elder brother Rajyavardhana was killed by:

Correct Answer: A [Shashanka]

Explanation:

Shashanka of Gauda killed Rajyavardhana after Rajyavardhana had defeated the king of Malwa.

3.  

Harsha's advance into the Deccan was stopped by Pulakeshin II on the banks of the:

Correct Answer: A [Narmada]

Explanation:

Pulakeshin II, as recorded in Ravikirti's Aihole inscription, halted Harsha's southward advance on the banks of the Narmada.

4.  

The Harshacharita was written by:

Correct Answer: C [Banabhatta]

Explanation:

Banabhatta, Harsha's court poet, wrote the Harshacharita, a biography describing the king's early life and rise.

5.  

Which of the following plays is credited to Harsha?

Correct Answer: B [Nagananda]

Explanation:

Nagananda, a play on a Buddhist theme of self-sacrifice, is one of the three Sanskrit plays credited to Harsha.

6.  

Hiuen Tsang studied at Nalanda under:

Correct Answer: B [Shilabhadra]

Explanation:

Shilabhadra, the head of Nalanda, taught Yogachara philosophy to Hiuen Tsang during his stay there.

7.  

The Maitrakas ruled from:

Correct Answer: D [Valabhi]

Explanation:

The Maitrakas ruled Saurashtra from Valabhi, which was also a noted centre of Buddhist learning.

8.  

Harsha's ally against Shashanka was the ruler of:

Correct Answer: B [Kamarupa]

Explanation:

Harsha allied with Bhaskaravarman, ruler of Kamarupa (Assam), against Shashanka of Gauda, who had killed Harsha's elder brother Rajyavardhana.

9.  

The Aihole inscription was composed by:

Correct Answer: C [Ravikirti]

Explanation:

Ravikirti, court poet of Pulakeshin II, composed the Aihole inscription that records the Chalukya victory over Harsha.

10.  

Consider the following statements about Hiuen Tsang's account:

1. He studied at Nalanda.
2. He described ordeals used to decide guilt.
3. He said that roads were completely safe from robbers.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

He studied at Nalanda and described ordeals, but roads were unsafe and he himself was robbed, so statement 3 is false.

11.  

Assertion (A): Kanauj became the most important city of north India in Harsha's time.

Reason (R): Harsha united Thanesar and Kanauj and made Kanauj his capital.

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

Explanation:

Kanauj rose to pre-eminence precisely because Harsha merged Thanesar and Kanauj and ruled from Kanauj as his capital.

12.  

The Harsha era begins in:

Correct Answer: C [606 CE]

Explanation:

The Harsha era is reckoned from 606 CE, the year of Harsha's accession to the throne.

13.  

The prose romance Kadambari was written by:

Correct Answer: C [Banabhatta]

Explanation:

Banabhatta wrote the Sanskrit prose romance Kadambari, which was completed after his death by his son Bhushanabhatta.

14.  

The Chinese pilgrim who came to India after Harsha's death was:

Correct Answer: A [I-tsing]

Explanation:

I-tsing reached India around 673 CE, about a quarter-century after Harsha's death in 647 CE, and studied at Nalanda.

15.  

Harsha's copper plate that bears his signature was found at:

Correct Answer: C [Banskhera]

Explanation:

The Banskhera copper plate records a land grant of Harsha and carries the king's own signature.

16.  

According to Hiuen Tsang, officials in Harsha's kingdom were mostly paid through:

Correct Answer: D [grants of land]

Explanation:

Hiuen Tsang records that Harsha's ministers and officials were paid by grants of land rather than in cash.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. Death of Harsha
2. Fa-hien's visit
3. Hiuen Tsang's arrival
4. I-tsing's arrival

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Explanation:

Order: Fa-hien's visit (c. 399) → Hiuen Tsang's arrival (c. 630) → Death of Harsha (647) → I-tsing's arrival (c. 673 CE).

18.  

Nalanda was destroyed in about 1200 CE during the raids of:

Correct Answer: B [Bakhtiyar Khalji]

Explanation:

Bakhtiyar Khalji's raids into Bihar around 1200 CE destroyed the Nalanda mahavihara.

19.  

At Prayaga, Harsha is said to have:

Correct Answer: B [given away his wealth at a great assembly]

Explanation:

Harsha held a quinquennial assembly at Prayaga where he gave away his accumulated wealth to the poor and religious men.

20.  

Hiuen Tsang visited the Pallava capital Kanchipuram in the reign of:

Correct Answer: D [Narasimhavarman I]

Explanation:

Hiuen Tsang reached Kanchi around 640 CE, when Narasimhavarman I (c. 630–668 CE) was the Pallava king.

21.  
UPSC Prelims 2021

From the decline of Guptas until the rise of Harshavardhana in the early seventh century, which of the following kingdoms were holding power in Northern India?

1. The Guptas of Magadha
2. The Paramaras of Malwa
3. The Pushyabhutis of Thanesar
4. The Maukharis of Kanauj
5. The Yadavas of Devagiri
6. The Maitrakas of Valabhi

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Correct Answer: B [1, 3, 4 and 6]

Explanation:

the Paramaras and Yadavas belong to a much later period.

22.  
UPSC Prelims 2020

Which of the following phrases defines the nature of the 'Hundi' generally referred to in the sources of the post-Harsha period?

Correct Answer: C [A bill of exchange]

Explanation:

A hundi was a merchant's bill of exchange that let money be transferred between places without carrying coins.

23.  
UPSC Prelims 2013

The Chinese traveller Yuan Chwang (Hiuen Tsang) who visited India recorded the general conditions and culture of India at that time. In this context, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. The roads and river routes were completely immune from robbery.
2. As regards punishment for offences, ordeals by fire, water, and poison were the instruments for determining the innocence or guilt of a person.
3. The tradesmen had to pay duties at ferries and barrier stations.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: B [2 and 3 only]

Explanation:

the roads were not safe; ordeals were used; light duties were paid at ferries and barriers.

➤ 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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