Ancient History MCQs for SSC CGL/CHSL/MTS Exams

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  1. Who was the founder of the Maurya Empire?
    a) Ashoka
    b) Chandragupta Maurya
    c) Bindusara
    d) Bimbisara
    Answer: b) Chandragupta Maurya
  2. The famous Buddhist council held during the reign of Ashoka was the:
    a) First
    b) Second
    c) Third
    d) Fourth
    Answer: c) Third
  3. Who composed the Sanskrit grammar ‘Ashtadhyayi’?
    a) Panini
    b) Patanjali
    c) Kalidasa
    d) Bharavi
    Answer: a) Panini
  4. The Great Bath is located in which site of the Indus Valley Civilization?
    a) Mohenjodaro
    b) Harappa
    c) Lothal
    d) Kalibangan
    Answer: a) Mohenjodaro
  5. Which ruler is associated with the title “Devanampiya Piyadasi”?
    a) Chandragupta Maurya
    b) Ashoka
    c) Harshavardhana
    d) Samudragupta
    Answer: b) Ashoka
  6. Which dynasty was known for the construction of rock-cut caves at Ellora and Ajanta?
    a) Maurya
    b) Chola
    c) Rashtrakuta
    d) Gupta
    Answer: c) Rashtrakuta
  7. The Rigveda is a collection of:
    a) Prayers
    b) Hymns
    c) Rituals
    d) Philosophical discussions
    Answer: b) Hymns
  8. The capital city of Kanishka was at:
    a) Mathura
    b) Pataliputra
    c) Purushapura
    d) Taxila
    Answer: c) Purushapura
  9. Which ancient university was known for Buddhist learning?
    a) Nalanda
    b) Takshashila
    c) Vikramashila
    d) Vallabhi
    Answer: a) Nalanda
  10. Who was the last ruler of the Maurya dynasty?
    a) Brihadratha
    b) Ashoka
    c) Bindusara
    d) Dasharatha
    Answer: a) Brihadratha
  11. The famous poet Kalidasa belonged to which ruler’s court?
    a) Chandragupta II
    b) Harsha
    c) Kanishka
    d) Samudragupta
    Answer: a) Chandragupta II
  12. Who was the Greek ambassador at Chandragupta Maurya’s court?
    a) Megasthenes
    b) Ptolemy
    c) Pliny
    d) Strabo
    Answer: a) Megasthenes
  13. Which was the main occupation of the people of the Indus Valley Civilization?
    a) Trade
    b) Agriculture
    c) Fishing
    d) Pottery
    Answer: b) Agriculture
  14. Who was known as the ‘Napoleon of India’?
    a) Harsha
    b) Chandragupta Maurya
    c) Samudragupta
    d) Ashoka
    Answer: c) Samudragupta
  15. The term “Veda” means:
    a) Knowledge
    b) Wisdom
    c) Power
    d) Science
    Answer: a) Knowledge
  16. Harshavardhana’s capital was:
    a) Kannauj
    b) Ujjain
    c) Pataliputra
    d) Thanesar
    Answer: d) Thanesar
  17. The ‘Tripitaka’ is the sacred book of:
    a) Hindus
    b) Buddhists
    c) Jains
    d) Parsis
    Answer: b) Buddhists
  18. The first Jain Tirthankara was:
    a) Mahavira
    b) Rishabhanatha
    c) Parshvanatha
    d) Bahubali
    Answer: b) Rishabhanatha
  19. The Indus Valley Civilization script is:
    a) Alphabetic
    b) Pictographic
    c) Syllabic
    d) None of these
    Answer: b) Pictographic
  20. Ashoka’s inscriptions were written mostly in which language?
    a) Sanskrit
    b) Pali
    c) Prakrit
    d) Aramaic
    Answer: c) Prakrit
  21. The Upanishads are books on:
    a) Law
    b) Philosophy
    c) Medicine
    d) Social life
    Answer: b) Philosophy
  22. Which river is associated with the Rigvedic civilization?
    a) Ganga
    b) Saraswati
    c) Yamuna
    d) Sindhu (Indus)
    Answer: d) Sindhu (Indus)
  23. Who is known as the “Father of Indian Archaeology”?
    a) John Marshall
    b) Alexander Cunningham
    c) Mortimer Wheeler
    d) James Prinsep
    Answer: b) Alexander Cunningham
  24. Who was the founder of the Satavahana dynasty?
    a) Simuka
    b) Gautamiputra Satakarni
    c) Vasishthiputra Pulumavi
    d) Hala
    Answer: a) Simuka
  25. What was the main occupation of the Aryans?
    a) Fishing
    b) Agriculture
    c) Cattle rearing
    d) Hunting
    Answer: c) Cattle rearing
  26. The Battle of Kalinga was fought in the year:
    a) 261 BCE
    b) 232 BCE
    c) 273 BCE
    d) 321 BCE
    Answer: a) 261 BCE
  27. The earliest evidence of the practice of agriculture in the Indian subcontinent has been found at:
    a) Harappa
    b) Lothal
    c) Mehrgarh
    d) Kalibangan
    Answer: c) Mehrgarh
  28. The Harappan civilization was discovered in which year?
    a) 1921
    b) 1935
    c) 1942
    d) 1953
    Answer: a) 1921
  29. Which Gupta emperor adopted the title ‘Vikramaditya’?
    a) Chandragupta I
    b) Samudragupta
    c) Chandragupta II
    d) Skandagupta
    Answer: c) Chandragupta II
  30. The Jains believed that Mahavira attained Nirvana at:
    a) Rajagriha
    b) Pavapuri
    c) Vaishali
    d) Pataliputra
    Answer: b) Pavapuri
  31. Of course! Here’s 20 more Ancient History MCQs along with their answers for you:

    More Ancient History MCQs (with Answers)
  32. The Indus Valley people worshipped:
    a) Vishnu
    b) Pashupati
    c) Indra
    d) Agni
    Answer: b) Pashupati
  33. Which Mauryan ruler was known for his policy of Dhamma?
    a) Chandragupta Maurya
    b) Ashoka
    c) Bindusara
    d) Dasharatha
    Answer: b) Ashoka
  34. Which Veda contains the famous Gayatri Mantra?
    a) Rigveda
    b) Samaveda
    c) Yajurveda
    d) Atharvaveda
    Answer: a) Rigveda
  35. The famous bull-seal was found at:
    a) Lothal
    b) Mohenjodaro
    c) Kalibangan
    d) Harappa
    Answer: b) Mohenjodaro
  36. Which was the first metal used by man?
    a) Iron
    b) Bronze
    c) Copper
    d) Gold
    Answer: c) Copper
  37. Which was the main port of the Indus Valley Civilization?
    a) Harappa
    b) Mohenjodaro
    c) Lothal
    d) Kalibangan
    Answer: c) Lothal
  38. The famous “Sarnath Lion Capital” is associated with which emperor?
    a) Chandragupta Maurya
    b) Ashoka
    c) Kanishka
    d) Harsha
    Answer: b) Ashoka
  39. The earliest evidence of Silver in India is found at:
    a) Harappa
    b) Mohenjodaro
    c) Kunal
    d) Lothal
    Answer: c) Kunal
  40. The author of Arthashastra was:
    a) Kalidasa
    b) Panini
    c) Kautilya
    d) Patanjali
    Answer: c) Kautilya
  41. Ashoka sent his son Mahinda to which country for the spread of Buddhism?
    a) China
    b) Burma
    c) Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
    d) Tibet
    Answer: c) Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
  42. Which inscription mentions the achievements of Samudragupta?
    a) Mehrauli Iron Pillar Inscription
    b) Prayaga Prashasti
    c) Allahabad Pillar Inscription
    d) Nasik Inscription
    Answer: c) Allahabad Pillar Inscription
  43. The term “Varnas” in Vedic society refers to:
    a) Tribes
    b) Clans
    c) Castes
    d) Families
    Answer: c) Castes
  44. The oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India are at:
    a) Ajanta
    b) Ellora
    c) Barabar
    d) Udayagiri
    Answer: c) Barabar
  45. The capital of Magadha during the time of Bimbisara was:
    a) Rajagriha
    b) Pataliputra
    c) Champa
    d) Ujjain
    Answer: a) Rajagriha
  46. Who among the following is known for propagating the concept of Ahimsa?
    a) Ashoka
    b) Mahavira
    c) Buddha
    d) All of the above
    Answer: d) All of the above
  47. The famous book ‘Milinda Panha’ is a dialogue between King Menander and:
    a) Nagasena
    b) Kautilya
    c) Patanjali
    d) Panini
    Answer: a) Nagasena
  48. The Battle of Hydaspes was fought between Alexander and:
    a) Darius III
    b) Porus
    c) Chandragupta Maurya
    d) Ambhi
    Answer: b) Porus
  49. Which of the following was NOT a feature of the Indus Valley Civilization?
    a) Planned cities
    b) Fire altars
    c) Use of iron
    d) Great Granary
    Answer: c) Use of iron
  50. The Lothal site is known for which significant structure?
    a) Dockyard
    b) Observatory
    c) Fort
    d) Temple
    Answer: a) Dockyard
  51. The first Buddhist council was held at:
    a) Rajagriha
    b) Vaishali
    c) Pataliputra
    d) Kashmir
    Answer: a) Rajagriha

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