Ancient History - MOST IMPORTANT UPSC CSE Previous Year Questions
Practice real questions from previous year exams of UPSC CSE.
📘 The Vedic Period📚 Economic System
Q1
The term nishka, which meant an ornament in the Vedic period, was used in later times to denote a/an:
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1993
📘 Buddhism📚 Sects of Buddhism
Q2
The Buddhist sect Mahayana formally came into existence during the reign of:
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1993
📘 Jainism📚 Teachings of Mahavira
Q3
In Jainism 'perfect knowledge' is referred to as:
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1993
📘 Jainism📚 The 24 Tirthankaras
Q4
The last in the succession of Jaina Tirthankaras was:
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1993
📘 The Mauryan Empire (c. 322-185 BCE)📚 Ashokan Inscriptions and Sites
Q5
Ashokan inscriptions were first deciphered by:
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1993
📘 The Mauryan Empire (c. 322-185 BCE)📚 Literary Sources (Kautilya's Arthashastra, Megasthenes' Indica)
Q6
Chanakya, was also known as:
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1993
📘 Schools of Art and Architecture📚 Caves
Q7
The earliest rock-cut caves in western India are those at:
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1993
📘 The Gupta Empire (c. 319 - 550 CE)📚 Literature, Science & Technology during Guptas
Q8
Among the four works mentioned below which one is encyclopedic in nature?
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1993
📘 The Gupta Empire (c. 319 - 550 CE)📚 Literature, Science & Technology during Guptas
Q9
Who among the following is NOT associated with medicine in India?
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1993
📘 Key Foreign Travellers and Their Accounts📚 Others
Q10
Consider the following passage: "In the course of a career on the road spanning almost thirty years, he crossed the breadth of the Eastern hemisphere, visited territories equivalent to about 44 modern countries, and put behind him a total distance of approximately 73,000 miles." The world's greatest traveller of pre-modern times to whom the above passage refers is:
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1993
📘 Deccan & South India Dynasties📚 Chola Dynasty
Q11
A lot of details, regarding the village administration under the Cholas is provided by the Inscriptions at
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1993
📘 Deccan & South India Dynasties📚 Chola Dynasty
Q12
Which one of the following is considered to be the world's greatest iconographical creations made by the sthapatis of south India, particularly during the Chola period?
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1993
📘 Deccan & South India Dynasties📚 Pallava Dynasty
Q13
Which one of the following pairs of kings of ancient and medieval periods of Indian history and the works authored by them is correctly matched?
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1993
📘 Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) / Harappan Culture📚 Society, Culture & Technology in IVC
Q14
The earliest evidence of silver in India is found in the
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1994
📘 The Vedic Period📚 Later Vedic Period (c. 1000-600 BCE)
Q15
Which one of the following usages was a post Vedic development?
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1994
📘 Buddhism📚 Sects of Buddhism
Q16
Which one of the following is the most fundamental difference between Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism?
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1994
📘 General Miscelleneous📚 Miscelleneous
Q17
"Live well, as long as you live. Live well even by borrowings, for, once cremated, there is no 'return." This rejection of afterlife is an aphorism of the
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1994
📘 The Gupta Empire (c. 319 - 550 CE)📚 Society, Economy, Religion, and Culture
Q18
Vidhushaka, a common character in Sanskrit drama, is invariably a
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1994
📘 Schools of Art and Architecture📚 Gandhara School of Art
Q19
In the Gandhara sculptures the preaching mudra associated with the Buddha's First Sermon at Sarnath is
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1994
📘 The Hunas in India📚 Hunas
Q20
Toramana belonged to the ethnic horde of the
🎯 UPSC CSE PRE 1994