Multiple Choice Quiz Questions (MCQs) on Ancient Indian History for General Studies and GK preparation of SSC, NDA, CDS, UPSC and State PSC Exams 2024-25.
The Ancient history of India is an crucial topic for the UPSC, State PSC Civil Services Examination. It is also an interesting topic while being a vast topic as well. The notes and topics in this article will help in candidate in cruising through the Ancient History of India segment with relative ease.
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Ancient History comes under History Sections of General Studies. So, it is worth having a grip on the subject and to make preparation easy we have prepared this study material in which you will learn though NCERT about the Pre-Historic Period, Historic Period, Civilisations, Scripts, Cultures, Pre- Mauryan and Mauryan Age their religious developments, art & architecture, trade. At last, Gupta and Post Gupta Age its literary sources, administration, inscriptions, rulers etc.
Read more: NCERT Ancient Indian History MCQs PDF
NCERT books are an essential part of UPSC and State PSC Civil services exams preparation. However, because of the comprehensive syllabus, IAS aspirants should also refer to NCERT notes with NCERT MCQs book and keep tabs on the current affairs of at least the past 12-15 months.
The important topics to study from Ancient Indian History are Prehistoric India, Historic India, Indus Valley Civilization, Vedic India, Mahajanapadas, Mauryan Period, Gupta and Post Gupta Period.
Read more: Must Read Books for Competitive Exams
Ancient Indian History Multiple Choice Quiz Questions (MCQs)
1. Robert Bruce Foote, who discovered first Palaeolithic tool in India, was a/an?
(a) Geologist
(b) Archaeologist
(c) Paleobotanist
(d) Historian
Answer: (a & b)
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, Robert Bruce Foote was a British geologist and archaeologist. He is considered as the father of Indian pre-history. He was associated with the Geological Survey and documented the antiquities of the Stone Age. Hence, both options (a) and (b) can be considered as correct.
2. The three-age system, divided into stone, bronze and iron from the collection of Copenhagen museum was coined by?
(a) Thomson
(b) Lubbock
(c) Taylor
(d) Childe
Answer: (a)
According to Commission Report Present archaeological system of the three main ages-stone, bronze and iron-was developed by the Danish archaeologist Christian Jorgensen Thomsen in 1818 and 1820. He classified Object of Museum in 1836.
3. According to the excavated evidence, the domestication of animal began in?
(a) Lower Palaeolithic period
(b) Middle Palaeolithic period
(c) Upper Palaeolithic period
(d) Mesolithic period
Answer: (d)
According to the excavated evidence, the domestication of animals began in the Mesolithic period. The earliest pieces of evidence of domestication of animals in India have been found at Adamgarh (Hoshangabad, M.P.) and Bagor (Bhilwara, Rajasthan).
4. Which among the following sites provides evidence of domestication of animals in the Mesolithic period?
(a) Odai
(b) Bori
(c) Bagor
(d) Lakhnia
Answer: (c)
5. In Mesolithic context, evidence of animal domestication has been found at:
(a) Langhnaj
(b) Birbhanpur
(c) Adamgarh
(d) Chopani Mando
Ans. (c)
6. From which one of the following sites bone implements have been found?
(a) Chopani-Mando
(b) Kakoria
(c) Mahadaha
(d) Sarai Nahar Rai
Answer: (c & d)
7. Bone ornaments in the Mesolithic context in India have been obtained from?
(a) Sarai Nahar Rai
(b) Mahadaha
(c) Lekhahia
(d) Chopani Mando
Answer: (a & b)
8. Three human skeletons in a single grave were recovered at?
(a) Sarai Nahar Rai
(b) Damdama
(c) Mahadaha
(d) Langhnaj
Answer: (b)
Damdama is a Mesolithic site in Pratapgarh district Uttar Pradesh. In Damdama, 41 human graves were found. Out of these graves, 5 are double burial. One triple burial grave is also found here. A grave with four human skeletons has been found at Sarai Nahar Rai.
9. The cultivation of cereals first started in?
(a) Neolithic Age
(b) Mesolithic Age
(c) Palaeolithic Age
(d) Proto-Historic Age
Answer: (a)
Grains were first ever produced in Neolithic Age. It was the time when people were introduced to agriculture. Koldihwa and Mehrgarh were the two Neolithic villages from where clear pieces of evidence of rice and wheat have been found.
10. During the Neolithic Age the earliest evidence of the origin of agriculture has been found at which of the following place in the North-Western region of Indian sub-continent?
(a) Munidgak
(b) Mehargarh
(c) Damb Sadat
(d) Balakot
(e) Amri
Answer: (b)
11. The earliest evidence of man in India is found in?
(a) Nilgiri Hills
(b) Shiwalik Hills
(c) Nallamala Hills
(d) Narmada Valley
Answer: (d)
In India, the first evidence of man was found in western Narmada region of Madhya Pradesh. It was discovered in 1982.
12. The first cereal used by man was:
(a) Wheat
(b) Rice
(c) Barley
(d) Sorghum
Answer: (c)
There are mainly eight types of food grains consumed by modern human society, namely barley, wheat, maize, millet, sorghum, mustard, oat and rice. These plants were present in the form of weed in different areas, which were later grown as seed by a human being at different places, in different times.
Although, barley was the first grain to be cultivated by human beings during 8000 B.C. in western Asian countries located between the northeast Mediterranean Sea and Iran. Later, in the same area, wheat was also cultivated around 8000 B.C.
Rice was the third grain to be cultivated by human beings in approx 7000 B.C. at the Yangtze River of China. Maize was cultivated in Central and South America during 6000 B.C.
The first evidence of maize was found in Mexico, millet in 5500 B.C. in China, sorghum in 5000 B.C. in East Africa, mustard in 5000 B.C. in South-East Asia and Oat in 2300 B.C. in Europe.
13. The earliest evidence of agriculture in Indian subcontinent comes from?
(a) Koldihwa
(b) Lahuradeva
(c) Mehrgarh
(d) Tokwa
Answer: (b)
According to the latest research, the earliest evidence of agriculture in Indian sub-continent has been reported from the Lahuradeva site in Sant Kabir Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh.
The evidence of human activity and beginning of rice cultivation at this site dates back to around 7000-9000 B.C. Significantly before this research, the earlier evidence of wheat was found at Mehrgarh (located in Balochistan, Pakistan) belonging to around 7000 B.C. and the earliest evidence of rice is known to be near the bank of the river Belan, district Allahabad, from where rice bran was found dating back to 6500 B.C. With above reference, if Lahuradeva is one option, then it will be the correct answer, but if Lahuradeva is not an option, then Mehrgarh would be the right answer.
14. With reference to the cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh, which of the following statement/s is/are correct?
(1) The oldest evidence of agriculture in the global context has been obtained from many excavated sites in this region.
(2) The oldest cultivated food grains are barley and paddy.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Code:
(a) Only 1
(b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a)
From Lahuradeva in Sant Kabir Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh, oldest evidence of agriculture has been obtained. The oldest food grains were barley and wheat. Hence option (a) is correct.
15. Name the site which has revealed the earliest evidence of settled life?
(a) Dholavira
(b) Kile Gul Mohammad
(c) Kalibangan
(d) Mehrgarh
Answer: (d)
16. The earliest evidence of agriculture in the Indian Subcontinent has been obtained from?
(a) Brahmagiri
(b) Burzahom
(c) Koldihwa
(d) Mehrgarh
Answer: (d)
17. The earliest evidence of Agriculture in Indian subcontinent is found at?
(a) Lothal
(b) Harappa
(c) Mehrgarh
(d) Munidgak
Answer: (c)
18. Which one of the following periods is also known as Chalcolithic Age?
(a) Old Stone Age
(b) New Stone Age
(c) Copper Age
(d) Iron Age
Answer: (c)
Copper Age is also known as the Chalcolithic age. The age in which instruments of copper were used in addition to stone, is called as Copper Age.
19. The cultural remains from Stone Age to Harappan Civilization have been obtained from which one of the following ancient sites?
(a) Amri
(b) Mehrgarh
(c) Kotdiji
(d) Kalibangan
Answer: (b)
The cultural remains from Stone Age to Harappan Civilization have been obtained from Mehrgarh located in Balochistan (Pakistan).
20. Excavation at Navadatoli was conducted by?
(a) K.D.Bajpai
(b) V.S. Wakankar
(C) H.D. Sankalia
(d) Mortimer Wheeler
Answer: (c)
21. In which state, the Navadatoli is located?
(a) Gujarat
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Chhattisgarh
(d) Madhya Pradesh
Answer: (d)