The paintings in the Ajanta and Ellora caves are indicative of development of art under the
(a) Rashtrakutas
(b) Pallavas
(c) Pandyas
(d) Chalukyas
Solution: (a)
The Ellora caves were patronized mainly by the Chalukya and the Rashtrakuta Dynasty rulers between the middle of sixth century and the eleventh century A.D. Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra are 28-30 rock-cut cave monuments created during the first century BC and 5th century AD, containing paintings and sculptures considered to be masterpieces of both Buddhist religious art and universal pictorial art.
The last Buddhist king who was a great Sanskrit scholar and a writer was
(a) Kanishka
(b) Ashoka
(c) Bimbisara
(d) Harshavardhana
Solution: (d)
Harshavardhana was a good scholar and a noted author. He wrote three plays in Sanskrit namely Ratnavali, Priyadarsika and Nagananda. We can find welldocumented record of his reign in the work of his court poet Banabhatta.
Who among the following foreigners was the first to visit India?
(a) Hiuen Tsang
(b) Magasthenese
(c) I-Tsing
(d) Fahien
Solution: (b)
Megasthenes was a Greek ethnographer and explorer in the Hellenistic period, author of the work Indica. He became an ambassador of Seleucus I of the Seleucid dynasty possibly to Chandragupta Maurya in Pataliputra, India. Scholars place it before 298 BC, the date of Chandragupta’s death. Hiuen Tsang came during the reign of Harshavardhana; while ITsing and Fa Hien came during the Gupta times.
Carving in the famous Ajanta caves was first started during the reign of the
(a) Kadambas
(b) Satavahanas
(c) Rashtrakutas
(d) Marathas
Solution: (b)
The earlier phase of Ajanta falls between third century BCE to second century BC. In this phase, just five caves were excavated: Caves 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15A. The region during this time was ruled by the Satavahana dynasty (230 BC – c. 220 A.D). Therefore, they may be called the Satavahana-period caves. This phase is also widely known as the Hinayana phase.
“Harsha Charita” was written by
(a) Kalidasa
(b) Banabhatta
(c) Valmiki
(d) Vyasa
Solution: (b)
The Harshacharita, is the biography of Indian Emperor Harsha by Banabhatta, also known as Bana, who was a Sanskrit writer of 7th century in India. He was the ‘Asthana Kavi’, meaning ‘Court Poet’, of King Harsha.
Buddhism in Nepal was introduced during the reign of
(a) Samudragupta
(b) Ashoka
(c) Chandragupta
(d) Harshavardhana
Solution: (b)
As a Buddhist emperor, Ashoka sent many prominent Buddhist monks (bhikshus) Sthaviras like Madhyamik Sthavira to modern Kashmir and Afghanistan; Maharaskshit Sthavira to Syria, Persia / Iran, Egypt, Greece, Italy and Turkey; and Massim Sthavira to Nepal. He built a number of stupas, Sangharama, viharas, chaitya, and residences for Buddhist monks all over South Asia and Central Asia. The Asokan pillar at Lumbini, Nepal speaks about Asoka and his works.
The greatest Kushan leader who got converted to Buddhism was
(a) Kujala
(b) Vima
(c) Kanishka
(d) Kadphises
Solution: (c)
Kanishka’s reputation in Buddhist tradition is based mainly that he convened the 4th Buddhist Council in Kashmir. Images of the Buddha based on 32 physical signs were made during his time. He provided encouragement to both the Gandhara school of GrecoBuddhist Art and the Mathura school of Hindu art. Kanishka personally seems to have embraced both Buddhism and the Persian cult of Mithra.
Which ruler murdered his father, Bimbisara to ascend the throne?
(a) Ashoka
(b) Ajatasatru
(c) Kanishka
(d) Simukha
Solution: (b)
Ajatasatru was a king of the Magadha empire in north India. He was the son of King Bimbisara, the great monarch of Magadha. He was contemporary to Mahavira and Buddha. According to the Jain tradition Bimbisara committed suicide while according to Buddhist tradition he was brutally murdered by his own son.
A great astronomer and mathematician during the Gupta period was
(a) Bhanugupta
(b) Vagabhatta
(c) Aryabhatta
(d) Varahamihira
Solution: (c)
Aryabhatta was the first in the line of great mathematician-astronomers from the classical age of Indian mathematics and Indian astronomy who belonged to the Gupta era. His period was 476–550 A.D. His most famous works are the Aryabhatiya (499 A.D) and the Arya-Siddhanta.
Alexander and the army of Porus camped on the opposite banks of this river
(a) Ravi
(b) Jhelum
(c) Sutlej
(d) Chenab
Solution: (b)
The Battle of the Hydaspes River was fought by Alexander the Great in 326 BC against King Porus of the Hindu Paurava kingdom on the banks of the Hydaspes River (Jhelum River) in the Punjab. The battle resulted in a complete Macedonian victory and the annexation of the Punjab. The battle is historically significant for opening up India for Greek political (Seleucid Empire, Indo-Greeks) and cultural influence (Greco-Buddhist art) which was to continue for many centuries.
