The Mauryan Empire, founded by Chandragupta Maurya, was one of the largest and most influential empires in ancient Indian history, spanning across most of the Indian subcontinent during the 3rd century BCE. This empire, along with the subsequent post-Mauryan empires that followed, played a pivotal role in shaping the cultural, political, and economic landscape of the region. As we delve into this fascinating era, multiple-choice questions (MCQs) serve as an engaging and effective way to test and reinforce our understanding of the Mauryan and post-Mauryan empires.
MCQs on Mauryan and Post Mauryan Empire
These MCQs not only challenge our knowledge but also encourage us to explore the intricacies of these ancient civilizations, their rulers, administrative systems, societal structures, and lasting legacies. So, let’s embark on this journey through history, where each MCQ will unravel the captivating tales of the Mauryan and post-Mauryan empires, allowing us to appreciate the rich tapestry of India’s past.
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MCQs Questions on Mauryan empire
Q1. The first Empire was established by which ruler in India?
(a) Chandragupta Maurya
(b) Ashoka
(c) Kanishka
(d) Chandragupta II Vikramaditya
Q2. Which among the following is India’s oldest dynasty?
(a) Gupta
(b) Maurya
(c) Vardhana
(d) Kushana
Q3. Who was called as ‘Sandrocottos’ by Justin, the Greek Writer?
(a) Chandragupta Maurya
(b) Chandragupta I
(c) Chandragupta II
(d) Samudragupta
Q4. By which name was Chanakya known in his childhood ?
(a) Ajaya
(b) Chanakya
(c) Vishnugupta
(d) Deogupta
Q5. From which city did the Mauryas rule?
a) Pataliputra
b) Lumbini
c) Varanasi
d) Magadha
Q6. Which of these was NOT a principle of Ashoka’s Dhamma?
a) Non-violence
b) Tolerance of all sects
c) Obedience to parents
d) Animal sacrifice
Q7. Deimachus came to India during the reign of
(a) Chandragupta Maurya
(b) Bindusara
(c) Ashoka
(d) Kanishka
Q8. Which one territory of the following was not a part of Ashoka’s empire?
(a) Afghanistan
(b) Bihar
(c) Sri Lanka
(d) Kalinga
Q9. India’s first hospital and herbal gardens were built by ?
(a) Ashoka
(b) Chandragupta Maurya
(c) Lord Mahavir
(d) Dhanvantari
Q10. Kautilya was prime minister of
(a) Chandragupta Vikramaditya
(b) Ashoka
(c) Chandragupta Maurya
(d) King Janak
Q11. What was the name of Ashoka’s rock edicts?
a) Kalinga Edicts
b) Bairat Edicts
c) Girnar Edicts
d) Jaugada Edicts
Q12. Which of the following languages was used for inscriptions during Ashoka’s reign?
a) Sanskrit
b) Pali
c) Prakrit
d) Both b and c
Q13. A Buddhist Council during the reign of Ashoka was held at
(a) Magadha
(b) Pataliputra
(c) Samastipur
(d) Rajgriha
Q14. Rajjuka’s were:
(a) Traders in the Chola Kingdom
(b) Officers in the Mauryan administration (c) Feudal Lords in the Gupta empire
(d) Soldiers in the Saka army
Q15. What was “Sarthwah” ?
(a) Brokers
(b) Convoy of Merchants
(c) Moneylender
(d) Pilgrims
Q16. Sarnath Pillar was built by
(a) Harshavardhana
(b) Ashoka
(c) Gautam Buddha
d) Kanishka
Q17. What were the two major religions followed during the Mauryan period?
a) Hinduism and Buddhism
b) Jainism and Zoroastrianism
c) Sikhism and Islam
d) Christianity and Taoism
Q18.Which present-day country was known as Gandhara during Mauryan times?
a) Pakistan
b) Nepal
c) Sri Lanka
d) Bangladesh
Q19. Which one of the following is considered the best Stupa ?
(a) Amravati
(b) Bharhut
(c) Sanchi
(d) Sarnath
Q20. Who constructed the ‘Sanchi Stupa’?
(a) Chandragupta
(b) Kautilya
(c) Gautam Buddha
(d) Ashoka
Q21. Language used in the inscriptions of Ashoka is ?
(a) Sanskrit
(b) Prakrit
(c) Pali
(d) Hindi
Q22. Ashokan inscriptions in north-western part of the Mauryan Empire near Peshawar were in:
(a) Brahmi Script
(b) Aramaic Script
(c) Devanagari Script
(d) Kharosthi Script
Q23. The fi rst scholar who read Ashokan edicts was
(a) Buhler
(b) Robert Sebel
(c) James Prinsep
(d) Cordriguttan
Q24. The name by which Ashoka is referred to his inscriptions is
(a) Chakravarti
(b) Dharmadeva
(c) Dharmakirti
(d) Priyadarshi
Q25. Which construction is considered an architectural marvel of the Mauryan period?
a) Sanchi Stupa
b) Ajanta Caves
c) Qutub Minar
d) Khajuraho Temples
Q26. What was the Ashokan administration divided into?
a) Provinces and Districts
b) Dominions and Territories
c) Counties and Shires
d) Janapadas and Vijitas
Q27. In which of the following inscriptions the name of ‘Ashoka’ has been mentioned?
(a) Bhabru Edict
(b) Rock Edict XIII
(c) Rummindei Pillar Inscription
(d) Minor Rock Edict of Maski
Q28. The Rummindei Pillar of Ashoka was put up to mark
(a) Birth of Buddha
(b) Enlightenment of Buddha
(c) First Sermon of Buddha
(d) Demise of Buddha
Q29. The Gujarra minor rock edict, in which the name of Ashoka is mentioned, is located in
(a) Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh (b) Datia district of Madhya Pradesh (c) Jaipur district of Rajasthan
(d) Champaran district of Bihar
Q30. The only pillar on which Ashoka declares himself as the emperor of Magadha
(a) Minor pillar of Maski
(b) Rummindei pillar
(c) Queen pillar
(d) Bhabru pillar
Q31. Kalsi is famous for
(a) Buddhist Chaityas
(b) Persian Coins
(c) Rock edicts of Ashoka
(d) Temples of Gupta period
Q32. What tax did Mauryan traders have to pay?
a) Salt Tax
b) Toll Tax
c) Barter Tax
d) Land Tax
Q33. Which of these occupations was followed during Mauryan times?
a) Agriculture
b) Weaving
c) Mining
d) All of the Above
Q34. What was the name of the arched gateway to the city of Pataliputra?
a) Pataliputra Gate
b) Victory Gate
c) Lion Gate
d) Ashokan Gate
Q35. Which Ashokan Rock Edict describes the victory and injuries of the Kalinga war?
(a) Rock edict I
(b) Rock edict II
(c) Rock edict XII
(d) Rock edict XIII
Q36. Which of the following South Kingdoms is not mentioned in the Ashokan inscriptions ?
(a) Chola
(b) Pandya
(c) Satiyaputta
(d) Satavahana
Q37. In the Mauryan period, tax evasion was punished with
(a) Death
(b) Confiscation of goods
(c) Imprisonment
(d) None of the above
Q38. Famous Greek ambassador Megasthenes came to the court of which emperor?
(a) Ashoka
(b) Harsha Vardhana
(c) Chandragupta Maurya
(d) None of the above
Q39. Which present-day state was known as Avanti during Mauryan rule?
a) Gujarat
b) Madhya Pradesh
c) Maharashtra
d) Rajasthan
Q40. Who was the Mauryan emperor before Ashoka?
a) Bimbisara
b) Chandragupta Maurya
c) Bindusara
d) Dhana Nanda
Q41. Megasthenes was the ambassador of -:
(a) Seleucus
(b) Alexander
(c) Darius
(d) the Greeks
Q42. In how many categories did Megasthenes divide the Indian Society?
(a) Four
(b) Five
(c) Six
(d) Seven
Q43. Which of the following sources gives a detailed account of city administration of the Mauryas ?
(a) Kautilya’s Arthashastra
(b) Megasthenes’ Indica
(c) Mudrarakshasa of Vishakha Datta (d) Inscription of Ashoka
Q44. Who was the author of ‘Indica’?
(a) Vishnugupta
(b) Megasthenes
(c) Deimachus
(d) Pliny
Q45. ‘Bhaga’ and ‘Bali’ were:
(a) Military Departments
(b) Sources of Revenue
(c) Religious Ceremonies
(d) Administrative Divisions
Q46. Which of these inscriptions helped decode the Brahmi script?
a) Rudradaman Inscription
b) Allahabad Pillar Inscription
c) Hathigumpha Inscription
d) Junagarh Rock Inscription
Q47. What was the name of Ashoka’s personal scripted biography?
a) Ashokavadana
b) Buddhacharita
c) Indica
d) Arthashastra
Q48. Land revenue, which was the chief source of income during the Mauryan period, was collected by which offi cer?
(a) Agronomoi
(b) Shulkadhyaksha
(c) Sitadhyaksha
(d) Akradhayaksha
Q49. ‘Sita’ in Mauryan period means:
(a) A goddess
(b) A religious sect
(c) Revenue from Crown land
(d) Barren land
Q50. Who of the following was associated with the collection of revenue in Mauryan Mantriparishad ?
(a) Samaharta
(b) Vyabharika
(c) Antapala
(d) Pradeshtha
Q51. Which of the following Mauryan offi cers was in charge of weights and measures ?
(a) Pautavadhyaksha
(b) Panyadhyaksha
(c) Sitadhyaksha
(d) Sunadhyaksha
Q52. The most famous centre of learning during Mauryan period was
(a) Vaishali
(b) Nalanda
(c) Taxila
(d) Ujjain
Q53. From which material were the famous pillars of Ashoka made?
a) Stone
b) Wood
c) Iron
d) Polished sandstone
Q54.Which among the following prohibits remarriage?
(a) Jataka
(b) Manusmriti
(c) Yagyavalkya
(d) Arthshastra
Q55. The last Mauryan emperor was?
(a) Jaloka
(b) Avanti Verma
(c) Nandi Vardhana
(d) Brihadratha
Q56. Which animal was depicted on Ashoka’s carved pillars and capitals?
a) Lion
b) Elephant
c) Bull
d) Horse
Q57. Which one of the following Indo-Greek rulers issued lead coins ?
(a) Strato – II
(b) Strato – I
(c) Demetrius
(d) Menander
Q58. Sixteen coins of King Menander have been found from which of the following sites?
(a) Bairat
(b) Nagari
(c) Rairh
(d) Nagar
Q59. Who amongst the following issued gold coins regularly in ancient India?
(a) Satavahana
(b) Saka
(c) Kushan
(d) Parthian
Q60. Buddha is depicted on the coins of :
(a) Vima Kadphises
(b) Kanishka
(c) Nahpaad
(d) Budhagupta
Q61. Which dynasty ruled after the Mauryas?
a) Nandas
b) Sungas
c) Guptas
d) Kushans
Q62. Who founded the Sunga dynasty?
a) Pushyamitra Sunga
b) Ashoka
c) Kanishka
d) Samudragupta
Q63. Which of the following Kings is credited to have issued gold coins for the first time ?
(a) Kujula Kadphises
(b) Vima Kadphises
(c) Kanishka
(d) Huvishka
Q64. Ashvaghosha was contemporary of
(a) Ashoka
(b) Chandragupta- II
(c) Kanishka
(d) Harshvardhan
Q65. The ancestors of Shungas originated from ?
(a) Magadha
(b) Prayag
(c) Ujjain
(d) Saurashtra
Q66. Which dynasty ruled over India after the Shunga dynasty?
(a) Satavahana
(b) Kushana
(c) Kanva
(d) Gupta
Q67. Which of these was NOT a Sunga ruler?
a) Devabhuti
b) Vasumitra
c) Narayana
d) Rudradaman
Q68. The last Sunga ruler was?
a) Pushyamitra
b) Agnimitra
c) Devabhuti
d) Vasudeva
Q69. Which dynasty was most powerful after Maurya in Southern India
(a) Satavahana
(b) Pallava
(c) Chola
(d) Chalukya
Q70. Simuka was the founder of which of the following dynasties?
(a) Chera
(b) Chola
(c) Pandya
(d) Satavahana
Q71. Which of the following dynasty empires expanded even outside of India?
(a) Gupta dynasty
(b) Maurya dynasty
(c) Kushan dynasty
(d) None of the above
Q72. Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
(a) Harappan Civilization – Painted Grey Ware
(b) The Kushans – Gandhara School of Art
(c) The Mughals – Ajanta Paintings (d) The Marathas – Pahari School of Painting
Q73. Bamiyan of Afghanistan was famous for
(a) Hindu temple
(b) Work of elephant teeth
(c) Gold coin of coinage
(d) Buddha statue
Q74. The Satavahana dynasty ruled over which region?
a) North India
b) Deccan plateau
c) East India
d) South India
Q75. Which of the following places was the capital of Satavahanas?
(a) Pratisthan
(b) NagarjunaKonda
(c) Shakal or Sialkot
(d) Pataliputra
Q76. The art style which combines Indian and Greek feature is called (a) Sikhar
(b) Vera
(c) Gandhara
(d) Nagara
Q77. For which of the following rulers “Ekabrahmana” has been used?
(a) Pushyamitra Shunga
(b) Kharavela
(c) Gautamiputra Shatakarni
(d) Susharman
Q78. The Kushan empire was founded by:
a) Kadphises I
b) Kanishka
c) Kujula Kadphises
d) Vima Takto
Q79. Which of the following Kings was a Patron of Jainism ?
(a) Ashoka
(b) Harsha
(c) Pulakeshin II
(d) Kharavela
Q80. Whose era began in 78 AD?
a) Kanishka’s era
b) Gupta era
c) Vikram era
d) Saka era
Q81. Where was Kanishka’s capital located?
a) Purushapura
b) Mathura
c) Taxila
d) Kashmir
Q82. The Vakatakas were contemporaries of which dynasty?
a) Guptas
b) Kushans
c) Mauryas
d) Chalukyas
Q83. The Pallava dynasty ruled from which region?
a) Bengal
b) Kashmir
c) Tamilakam
d) Malwa
Q84. Nagarjunakonda was the capital of which dynasty?
a) Ikshvakus
b) Kushanas
c) Vakatakas
d) Satavahanas
Q85. First Persian ruler who captured some part of India was- (a) Cyrus
(b) Cambyses
(c) Darius-I
(d) Saharsh
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Post Mauryan period upsc questions
- Which dynasty ruled after the decline of the Mauryan Empire?
a) Gupta Dynasty
b) Satavahana Dynasty
c) Sunga Dynasty
d) Nanda Dynasty
Answer: c) Sunga Dynasty
- Who founded the Sunga Dynasty?
a) Pushyamitra Sunga
b) Brihadratha
c) Agnimitra
d) Vasumitra
Answer: a) Pushyamitra Sunga
- The Satavahana Dynasty originated from which region?
a) Deccan
b) Magadha
c) Avanti
d) Kalinga
Answer: a) Deccan
- Which of the following rulers belonged to the Satavahana Dynasty?
a) Gautamiputra Satakarni
b) Rudradaman I
c) Naravahana
d) Both a and c
Answer: d) Both a and c
- The Kushanas were a dynasty of:
a) Indian origin
b) Central Asian origin
c) Iranian origin
d) Greek origin
Answer: b) Central Asian origin
- Which of the following Kushana rulers played a significant role in the spread of Buddhism?
a) Kanishka
b) Vima Kadphises
c) Huvishka
d) Both a and c
Answer: d) Both a and c
- The Vakataka Dynasty ruled in which region?
a) Deccan
b) Magadha
c) Avanti
d) Kalinga
Answer: a) Deccan
- The famous Chalukya Dynasty was founded by which ruler?
a) Pulakesin I
b) Pulakesin II
c) Vikramaditya I
d) Vikramaditya II
Answer: b) Pulakesin II
- The Gupta Empire is often referred to as the “Golden Age” of ancient India due to which of the following reasons?
a) Military conquests
b) Economic prosperity
c) Cultural achievements
d) Both b and c
Answer: d) Both b and c
- Which of the following rulers belonged to the Gupta Dynasty?
a) Chandragupta I
b) Samudragupta
c) Skandagupta
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
What were the major achievements of the Mauryan Empire?
The Mauryan Empire, founded by Chandragupta Maurya, was known for its vast territorial extent, efficient administrative system, and the propagation of Buddhism. Some major achievements include the establishment of a centralized government, the implementation of Kautilya’s Arthashastra, the spread of Buddhism under Ashoka, and the construction of impressive architectural marvels like the rock-cut edicts and stupas.
How did the decline of the Mauryan Empire pave the way for the rise of subsequent dynasties?
The decline of the Mauryan Empire, marked by weak successors and the fragmentation of the empire, created a power vacuum that led to the rise of various regional kingdoms and dynasties. This period saw the emergence of influential dynasties like the Sungas, Kanvas, Indo-Greeks, Indo-Parthians, and Satavahanas, who ruled over different parts of the subcontinent.
What were the significant contributions of the Gupta Empire?
The Gupta Empire, often referred to as the “Golden Age” of ancient India, made remarkable contributions in various fields. It witnessed a revival of Hinduism, the development of classical Sanskrit literature (Kalidasa’s works), advancements in science and mathematics (Aryabhata’s contributions), and the flourishing of art and architecture (sculptures at Elephanta Caves and Ajanta Caves).
How did the Kushana Empire influence the spread of Buddhism?
The Kushana Empire played a pivotal role in the spread and promotion of Buddhism. Rulers like Kanishka and Huvishka supported Buddhist activities, sponsored the construction of monasteries and stupas, and organized the Fourth Buddhist Council at Kundalavana. The Kushanas also facilitated the spread of Buddhist ideas and art along the Silk Road trade routes.
What were the major achievements of the Satavahana Dynasty?
The Satavahana Dynasty, which ruled over parts of the Deccan region, made significant contributions to art, architecture, and trade. They promoted the growth of Buddhism and Hinduism, with the construction of rock-cut caves like the Ajanta and Ellora Caves. The Satavahanas also encouraged maritime trade with Roman empires, leading to the exchange of goods and cultural influences.