Ancient History - MOST IMPORTANT CDS Previous Year Questions

Which of the following is one of the 'three gems' (triratna) of Jainism?

Which one among the following motifs does not appear on Harappan seals?

Which one among the following is the earliest text?

Which one of the following statements about Ashoka's inscriptions is correct?

Which one of the following statements about the Ajivikas is not correct?

Consider the following statements about the use of stirrup in India :

1. The Konarak horse sculpture (c. 1250) shows a ring-stirrup.
2. A broad, probably wooden, stirrup appears in Khajuraho sculptures (probably 10th century).
3. The iron-stirrup was used in the Delhi Sultans' armies from the thirteenth century onwards.
   How many of the above statements is/are correct?

In the Rig Veda Samhita, use of the terms ishukrit and isukara referred to the maker of:

Which one of the following statements about the grammarian Katyayana is correct?

Which one of the following statements about Rig Vedic goddesses is correct?

Which one of the following statements about the Buddhist Goddess Hariti is correct?

Consider the following statements about the literary language Apabhramsha :

1. It appeared in recognizable forms by the sixth century.
2. It developed out of mixtures of regional vernaculars with the Prakrits and Sanskrit.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which one of the following present day territories was outside the limits of Ashoka's empire?

Which of the following can be considered a part of the ancient Indian Smriti Literature?

1. Puranas
2. Ramayana
3. Kalpa-Sutra
4. Vedas
   Select the answer using the code given below :

Which one of the following periods has provided the evidence of a ploughed field at Kalibangan in Rajasthan?

Consider the following pairs :
(Historical Place) : (Well-known for)
I. Girnar : Sudarshana Lake
II. Cholistan : Terracotta model of Plough
III. Mant (near Mathura) : Headless standing figure of Kanishka
IV. Sannati : Asokan Pillar Edict in Odisha
How many pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

Consider the following statements about Ellora :

1. This art-historical site is associated exclusively with Buddhism.
2. The Kailasa temple at Ellora has been built of dressed stone and kiln fired bricks.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

In which one of the following states are the Guntupalle Buddhist Caves located?

Consider the following statements about Ajanta Cave paintings :

1. The paintings depict yakshas, gandharvas and apsaras.
2. The artists have used the technique of providing "multiple perspectives".
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements about the Jorwe culture of the Deccan :

1. It covers, practically, the whole of modern Maharashtra except the coastal Konkan district.
2. The Pravara-Godavari valleys seem to have been the nuclear zone.
3. The large sites of this culture yield evidence of shifting agriculture.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements about Madurai, the capital city of the Pandya kingdom :

1. It has been described in Maduraikkanchi as a large grand city, enclosed by walls on three sides and the Vaigai river on the fourth side.
2. The Arthashastra mentions it as a centre of fine cotton textiles.
3. Other literary sources describe it as a major craft centre.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?