Ancient History of India

Ancient History of India

Ancient Indian history tells us about the earliest civilizations, kingdoms, cultures, and rulers that shaped the foundation of India. It starts with the Indus Valley Civilization and continues through the Vedic Age, Mauryan Empire, Gupta Empire and many other dynasties.
Learning about this period helps us understand India’s culture, art, religion and governance that influenced the world. These questions are especially useful for SSC, RRB, UPSC, State PSC and other competitive exams.

Ancient History of India Questions with Answer

1. When did the Indus Valley Civilization exist?
   ANSWER:  Around 2500–1500 BCE.
2. What was the main city of the Indus Valley Civilization?
   ANSWER:  Harappa.
3. Which river was important to the Indus Civilization?
   ANSWER:  The Indus River.
4. Who discovered Harappa?
   ANSWER:  Daya Ram Sahni in 1921.
5. Who discovered Mohenjo-Daro?
   ANSWER:  R. D. Banerjee in 1922.
6. What material did people of Harappa mostly use for building houses?
   ANSWER:  Burnt bricks.
7. Which animal was most commonly seen in Harappan seals?
   ANSWER:  The bull (or unicorn figure).
8. What was the main occupation of Harappan people?
   ANSWER:  Agriculture and trade.
9. What was the main crop of the Indus Valley people?
   ANSWER:  Wheat and barley.
10. Which foreign country did Harappans trade with?
    ANSWER:  Mesopotamia (modern Iraq).
11. Which period came after the Indus Valley Civilization?
    ANSWER:  The Vedic Period.
12. What are the main sources of information about the Vedic period?
    ANSWER:  The Vedas.
13. How many Vedas are there?
    ANSWER:  Four – Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda.
14. Which is the oldest Veda?
    ANSWER:  The Rigveda.
15. What language were the Vedas written in?
    ANSWER:  Sanskrit.
16. What was the main occupation of the Aryans?
    ANSWER:  Cattle rearing and farming.
17. Who was the chief of an Aryan tribe?
    ANSWER:  Raja.
18. Which metal was used during the later Vedic period?
    ANSWER:  Iron.
19. What was the main god of the Rigvedic people?
    ANSWER:  Indra.
20. What type of society was the Vedic society?
    ANSWER:  Patriarchal (male-dominated).
21. Who founded Jainism?
    ANSWER:  Mahavira (Vardhamana).
22. When was Mahavira born?
    ANSWER:  In 540 BCE.
23. Where was Mahavira born?
    ANSWER:  Kundagrama near Vaishali in Bihar.
24. What were the teachings of Jainism based on?
    ANSWER:  Ahimsa (non-violence) and truth.
25. Who was the founder of Buddhism?
    ANSWER:  Gautama Buddha.
26. Where was Gautama Buddha born?
    ANSWER:  Lumbini (now in Nepal).
27. What was the original name of Buddha?
    ANSWER:  Siddhartha Gautama.
28. Where did Buddha get enlightenment?
    ANSWER:  Bodh Gaya.
29. What was Buddha’s first sermon called?
    ANSWER:  Dhammachakrapravartana (Turning of the Wheel of Law).
30. Where did Buddha give his first sermon?
    ANSWER:  Sarnath.
31. What were Mahajanapadas?
    ANSWER:  Large states in ancient India.
32. How many Mahajanapadas were there?
    ANSWER:  Sixteen.
33. Which Mahajanapada became most powerful?
    ANSWER:  Magadha.
34. Who was the founder of the Haryanka dynasty of Magadha?
    ANSWER:  Bimbisara.
35. Who succeeded Bimbisara?
    ANSWER:  Ajatashatru.
36. What was the capital of Magadha?
    ANSWER:  Rajagriha (later Pataliputra).
37. Who was the last ruler of the Nanda dynasty?
    ANSWER:  Dhanananda.
38. Who defeated Dhanananda?
    ANSWER:  Chandragupta Maurya.
39. Who was Chandragupta Maurya’s advisor?
    ANSWER:  Chanakya (Kautilya).
40. What book did Chanakya write?
    ANSWER:  Arthashastra.
41. Who founded the Mauryan Empire?
    ANSWER:  Chandragupta Maurya.
42. When was the Mauryan Empire founded?
    ANSWER:  In 322 BCE.
43. Who was the most famous ruler of the Mauryan Empire?
    ANSWER:  Ashoka the Great.
44. Who was the father of Ashoka?
    ANSWER:  Bindusara.
45. Which war changed Ashoka’s life?
    ANSWER:  The Kalinga War.
46. What religion did Ashoka follow after the Kalinga War?
    ANSWER:  Buddhism.
47. What were Ashoka’s inscriptions written on?
    ANSWER:  Rocks and pillars.
48. In which script were Ashokan inscriptions written?
    ANSWER:  Brahmi script.
49. Who deciphered the Brahmi script?
    ANSWER:  James Prinsep.
50. What was the capital of the Mauryan Empire?
    ANSWER:  Pataliputra.
51. Which Greek ruler invaded India after the Mauryas?
    ANSWER:  Alexander the Great.
52. When did Alexander invade India?
    ANSWER:  In 326 BCE.
53. Who was the Indian king who fought Alexander?
    ANSWER:  King Porus.
54. What was the result of the battle between Alexander and Porus?
    ANSWER:  Porus was defeated but treated with respect.
55. What were Indo-Greeks known for?
    ANSWER:  Art and coinage.
56. Who was the most famous Indo-Greek king?
    ANSWER:  Menander (Milinda).
57. What book contains the dialogue between Milinda and a Buddhist monk?
    ANSWER:  Milinda Panha.
58. Who were the Shakas and Kushanas?
    ANSWER:  Central Asian tribes who ruled parts of India.
59. Who was the greatest Kushana ruler?
    ANSWER:  Kanishka.
60. Which religion did Kanishka support?
    ANSWER:  Mahayana Buddhism.
61. Who founded the Gupta Empire?
    ANSWER:  Sri Gupta.
62. Who was the most famous ruler of the Gupta dynasty?
    ANSWER:  Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya).
63. Which period is called the Golden Age of India?
    ANSWER:  The Gupta Period.
64. Who was the greatest poet in Chandragupta II’s court?
    ANSWER:  Kalidasa.
65. Which book did Kalidasa write?
    ANSWER:  Meghaduta and Abhijnanasakuntalam.
66. Who was the Chinese traveler during the Gupta period?
    ANSWER:  Fa-Hien.
67. What was the main religion during the Gupta Empire?
    ANSWER:  Hinduism, though other religions were also respected.
68. What was the capital of the Gupta Empire?
    ANSWER:  Pataliputra.
69. What was the main feature of Gupta art?
    ANSWER:  Beautiful sculptures and temples.
70. What was the main occupation of the people during the Gupta period?
    ANSWER:  Agriculture.
71. Name the three famous South Indian dynasties.
    ANSWER:  Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas.
72. Which dynasty ruled over the Kaveri delta?
    ANSWER:  The Chola dynasty.
73. Who was the greatest ruler of the early Cholas?
    ANSWER:  Karikala Chola.
74. What was the capital of the early Cholas?
    ANSWER:  Uraiyur.
75. Which famous temple was built by Raja Raja Chola I?
    ANSWER:  Brihadeshwara Temple at Thanjavur.
76. What language was used in Sangam literature?
    ANSWER:  Tamil.
77. What were the Sangams?
    ANSWER:  Assemblies of poets and scholars in ancient Tamil Nadu.
78. Who were the Cheras famous for?
    ANSWER:  Trade with Romans and Arabs.
79. What was the main port of the Pandyas?
    ANSWER:  Korkai.
80. Which metal trade was common in South India?
    ANSWER:  Iron and pearls.
81. What was the oldest university in India?
    ANSWER:  Takshashila.
82. Which was another famous ancient university?
    ANSWER:  Nalanda University.
83. Who founded Nalanda University?
    ANSWER:  Kumaragupta I.
84. Who wrote the Arthashastra?
    ANSWER:  Kautilya (Chanakya).
85. Who wrote the Ramayana?
    ANSWER:  Valmiki.
86. Who wrote the Mahabharata?
    ANSWER:  Vyasa.
87. Who wrote the famous play Mrichchhakatika?
    ANSWER:  Sudraka.
88. What is the subject of Panini’s Ashtadhyayi?
    ANSWER:  Sanskrit grammar.
89. Who wrote the book Shakuntala?
    ANSWER:  Kalidasa.
90. Who was Aryabhata?
    ANSWER:  A great mathematician and astronomer.
91. What were the famous caves of ancient India?
    ANSWER:   Ajanta and Ellora.
92. What are Ajanta caves famous for?
    ANSWER:   Buddhist paintings.
93. What are Ellora caves famous for?
    ANSWER:   Rock-cut temples of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain faiths.
94. Which is the largest monolithic statue in India?
    ANSWER:   The statue of Gomateshwara at Shravanabelagola.
95. What was the main style of Mauryan art?
    ANSWER:   Polished stone pillars and animal capitals.
96. Who built the Sanchi Stupa?
    ANSWER:   Ashoka.
97. What is the Iron Pillar of Delhi famous for?
    ANSWER:   It has not rusted for centuries.
98. Who wrote Surya Siddhanta?
    ANSWER:   Unknown author; an ancient text on astronomy.
99. Who was Charaka?
    ANSWER:   A famous physician and author of Charaka Samhita.
100. Who was Sushruta?
     ANSWER:   An ancient surgeon, known as the “Father of Surgery.”

Ancient India was a land of great civilizations, kings, thinkers and artists. From the Harappans to the Guptas, each era added something valuable to India’s growth in science, religion, art, and education. Studying this period helps us understand our roots, culture and achievements. For students and exam aspirants, ancient history is not just about remembering dates—it’s about recognizing India’s incredible journey through time.

FAQs on Ancient History of India

1. What is meant by Ancient History of India?
   Answer: Ancient History of India refers to the time period from the Indus Valley Civilization (around 2500 BCE) to the Gupta Empire (around 600 CE), when the earliest kingdoms, religions and cultures developed in India.
2. What are the main sources of information about ancient India?
   Answer: The main sources are archaeological remains, inscriptions, coins, and literary works like the Vedas, Puranas, Arthashastra and Buddhist texts.
3. Which was the first civilization in India?
   Answer: The Indus Valley Civilization was the first civilization in India.
4. What are the major periods of ancient Indian history?
   Answer:

1. Indus Valley Civilization
2. Vedic Period
3. Mahajanapada and Magadha Kingdoms
4. Mauryan Empire
5. Post-Mauryan Period (Kushanas, Shakas)
6. Gupta Empire (Golden Age)

5. Who was the founder of the Mauryan Empire?
   Answer: Chandragupta Maurya founded the Mauryan Empire in 322 BCE with the help of Chanakya (Kautilya).
6. Why is Ashoka called “The Great”?
   Answer: Ashoka is called “The Great” because after the Kalinga War, he spread the message of peace, non-violence, and Buddhism across India and abroad.
7. Why is the Gupta period called the Golden Age of India?
   Answer: Because during the Gupta period, India saw great progress in art, literature, science, and mathematics, and the economy and culture flourished.
8. What was the main religion of ancient India?
   Answer: Hinduism was the main religion, but Buddhism and Jainism also became very popular.
9. Who was Gautama Buddha?
   Answer: Gautama Buddha was the founder of Buddhism, born in Lumbini (Nepal), who taught about peace, compassion and the middle path.
10. What was the contribution of Aryabhata?
    Answer: Aryabhata was a great mathematician and astronomer who discovered that the Earth rotates on its axis and worked on decimal numbers and zero.