Post-Mauryan Period MCQs for UPSC Prelims

40 practice questions on Post-Mauryan Period from the Ancient & Medieval History section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus. 40 come with a written explanation and 2 are actual previous year questions. Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.

4 Easy 23 Medium 13 Hard 2 from past papers

Sample questions

Q1
Previous year question medium

With reference to the guilds (Shreni) of ancient India that played a very important role in the country's economy, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Every guild was registered with the central authority of the State and the king was the chief administrative authority on them. 2. The wages, rules of work, standards and prices were fixed by the guild. 3. The guild had judicial powers over its own members. Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

  1. A 1 and 2 only
  2. B 3 only
  3. C 2 and 3 only
  4. D 1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - 2 and 3 only

Ancient Indian guilds (shrenis) fixed wages, work rules, standards of quality and prices for their trades, and exercised judicial authority over their own members, so statements 2 and 3 are correct. They were largely autonomous and were not compulsorily registered with a central authority headed by the king as the chief administrator, so statement 1 is wrong. The answer is 2 and 3 only.

Q2
Previous year question hard

With reference to the scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, consider the following statements: 1. Panini is associated with Pushyamitra Shunga. 2. Amarasimha is associated with Harshavardhana. 3. Kalidasa is associated with Chandra Gupta-II. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A 1 and 2 only
  2. B 2 and 3 only
  3. C 3 only
  4. D 1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - 3 only

Only statement 3 is correct: Kalidasa, the great Sanskrit poet, is traditionally placed in the court of Chandra Gupta II (Vikramaditya). Statement 1 is wrong because the grammarian Panini predates the Shungas by centuries and is not associated with Pushyamitra Shunga. Statement 2 is wrong because the lexicographer Amarasimha, author of the Amarakosha, is counted among the navaratnas of Chandra Gupta II, not Harshavardhana. Hence only statement 3 holds true.

Q3
medium

The Indo-Greek king who is remembered in the Buddhist text 'Milindapanha' for his philosophical dialogue with the monk Nagasena was:

  1. A Demetrius
  2. B Menander (Milinda)
  3. C Antialcidas
  4. D Eucratides
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - Menander (Milinda)

The 'Milindapanha' (Questions of Milinda) records the dialogue between the Indo-Greek king Menander, called Milinda in Pali, and the Buddhist monk Nagasena. Menander is also remembered for issuing bilingual coins and reportedly embracing Buddhism. Antialcidas is known from the Heliodorus pillar at Besnagar, while Demetrius and Eucratides are other Bactrian-Greek rulers not linked to this text.

Q4
medium

The Heliodorus Pillar (Garuda-dhvaja) at Besnagar, near Vidisha, is significant because it indicates:

  1. A The earliest epigraphic use of zero as a numeral
  2. B A Greek ambassador's devotion to Vasudeva (Bhagavata/Vaishnava worship)
  3. C The southern limit of the Kushana empire
  4. D A grant of land to a Buddhist monastery by Menander
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - A Greek ambassador's devotion to Vasudeva (Bhagavata/Vaishnava worship)

The Heliodorus Pillar was erected by Heliodorus, a Greek envoy from the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas to the Sunga court, describing himself as a Bhagavata devotee of Vasudeva. It is a key early epigraphic evidence of Bhagavatism and the spread of Vaishnavism among foreigners.

Q5
medium

The Satavahana rulers, who dominated the Deccan in the post-Mauryan period, are notable for which of the following?

  1. A Issuing inscriptions in Prakrit and granting land to Buddhist monks and Brahmanas
  2. B Being the first dynasty to issue gold coins in large numbers in India
  3. C Establishing the city of Pataliputra as their capital
  4. D Introducing the Saka era in 78 CE
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - Issuing inscriptions in Prakrit and granting land to Buddhist monks and Brahmanas

The Satavahanas used Prakrit in their inscriptions and pioneered land grants (including tax-free villages) to Buddhist monks and Brahmanas. They were not the first major issuers of gold coins (that distinction is associated with the Kushanas), their capital was Pratishthana/Paithan not Pataliputra, and the Saka era is conventionally linked to the Shakas/Kushana ruler Kanishka, not the Satavahanas.

Q6
hard

Consider the following pairs of post-Mauryan rulers and the dynasties to which they belonged: 1. Gautamiputra Satakarni : Satavahana 2. Rudradaman I : Western Kshatrapas (Shaka) 3. Kanishka : Kushana 4. Kharavela : Mahameghavahana (Chedi) How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

  1. A Only two
  2. B Only three
  3. C All four
  4. D Only one
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - All four

All four pairs are correct. Gautamiputra Satakarni was the greatest Satavahana ruler. Rudradaman I was a Western Kshatrapa (Shaka) ruler known for the Junagadh rock inscription. Kanishka was the most famous Kushana emperor. Kharavela of Kalinga belonged to the Mahameghavahana (Chedi) dynasty and is known from the Hathigumpha inscription. Hence all four are correctly matched.

Q7
easy

The Junagadh rock inscription that records the repair of the Sudarshana lake by a governor of Rudradaman I provides early evidence of which of the following?

  1. A The earliest known long inscription in chaste Sanskrit prose
  2. B The first issue of gold coins in India
  3. C The introduction of the Saka era
  4. D The earliest use of the Brahmi script
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - The earliest known long inscription in chaste Sanskrit prose

The Junagadh (Girnar) rock inscription of Rudradaman I (c. 150 CE), a Western Kshatrapa ruler, is celebrated as the first major inscription composed in polished classical Sanskrit prose, marking Sanskrit's emergence as an epigraphic language. The earliest gold coins are linked to the Indo-Greeks/Kushanas, the Saka era's origin is debated, and Brahmi appears far earlier in the Ashokan edicts.

Q8
medium

The Kushana ruler Kanishka is credited with patronizing a Buddhist council. This Fourth Buddhist Council is traditionally said to have been held in which region, and it compiled commentaries known as the Vibhasha?

  1. A Kashmir (Kundalavana)
  2. B Vaishali
  3. C Pataliputra
  4. D Rajagriha
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - Kashmir (Kundalavana)

The Fourth Buddhist Council under Kanishka's patronage is traditionally placed in Kashmir (Kundalavana), presided over by Vasumitra with Ashvaghosha, and produced the Mahavibhasha commentaries. Vaishali hosted the Second Council, Pataliputra the Third (under Ashoka), and Rajagriha the First Council immediately after the Buddha's death.

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