Test: SSC CGL Previous Year Questions: History (2023-20) - 1 - SSC CGL MCQ

Mohenjo Daro is an archaeological site in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The meaning of Mohenjo Daro is The mound of the dead. It was discovered in 1922 by RD Banerjee. It was developed around 3000 BCE and it was the largest city of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization.

Indus river. List of Harappan civilisation and its location on River: Harappa (Ravi river), Lothal (Bhogava river), Kalibangan (Ghaggar River), Amri (Indus river), Chanhudaro (Indus river), Suktagendor (Dast river).

Harappa. The Indus valley civilization (Bronze Age) is also called the Harappan culture. Other Important Sites : Harappa (river Ravi) - Excavated by Daya Ram Sahini in 1921, Mohenjodaro (Mound of Dead, river Indus) - Excavated by R.D Banerjee in 1922; Sutkagendor (Dast river, Balochistan); Chanhudaro (Pakistan, Indus river); Kalibangan (Rajasthan, Ghaggar river); Lothal (Gujarat, Bhogva river); Alamgirpur (Meerut, Hindon river).

Burnt. Lothal is located near the Gulf of Cambay/ Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat, on the bank of river Bhogavo, tributary of Sabarmati.

Old stone age. Old stone age also known as the Paleolithic Period. Tools - handaxes, choppers and cleavers. The earliest lower Palaeolithic site - Bori (Maharashtra). Mesolithic age - Sites - Gujarat (Langhnaj), Rajasthan (Bhilwara, Bagor), Uttar Pradesh (Damdama, Chopani Mando), Madhya Pradesh (Pachmarhi, Bhimbetka), Karnataka (Sanganakallu). New stone age also known as Neolithic age. Tools - Weapons made of bones - needles, arrowheads, etc. Sites - Burzahom (Kashmir), Chirand (Bihar), Mehrgarh (Balochistan).

Gujarat. Dholavira : It was discovered in 1968 by J.P. Joshi in Rann of Kachchh in Gujarat. It is situated on the banks of river Luni. It has a fortied citadel, and a lower town with walls made of sandstone or limestone. The rst astronomical observatory of the Harappan Civilization is located in Dholavira.

3000 years. A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a pre - historic structure or monument. Type - Clairn Circles type of Megalith (grave/memorial) were the stone pieces set in a circular shape around the grave. Menhir (standing stone), Capstone (Single megaliths placed horizontally over burial chambers), Dolmen (A large capstone on two or more support stones creating a chamber). Megalith Sites - Nilaskal (Karnataka), Hanamsagar (Karnataka), Junapani (Maharashtra), Hire Benakal (Karnataka), etc.

Indus Valley civilization. Mohenjo-Daro (Mound of the Dead Men) - Excavated by R. D Banerjee in 1922. Evidence - Great bath, Granary, Unicorn Seals (Most numbers of it in here), Bronze dancing girl statue, Pashupati Seals, Steatite statue of beard man. Important Sites in India : Rajasthan (Kalibangan), Gujarat (Lothal, Dholavira, Rangpur, Surkotada), Haryana (Banawali), Punjab (Ropar). In Pakistan - Harappa (on river Ravi), Mohenjodaro (on the bank of the Indus River in Sindh), and Chanhudaro (in Sindh).

7000 years ago. It is the oldest agricultural settlement in the Indian subcontinent.

Dholavira. Discovered in 1968 by archaeologist Jagat Pati Joshi. Fifth largest metropolis of Indus Valley Civilization, 40th Indian site on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Surkotada: Discovered in 1964-68 by Jagat Pati Joshi, located in northeast Bhuj in Gujarat. Chanhudaro: Discovered in 1931 by N. G. Majumdar, located in Sindh, Pakistan. Sotka koh - Discovered by George F. Dales, located on the Makran coast, near the city of Pasni, Balochistan (Pakistan).

Daojali Hading - A neolithic site in Dima Hasao District of Assam. Situated near Brahmaputra valley close to routes leading into China and Myanmar. Artifacts found - Jadeite stone (must have been transported from China). 4 types of ceramic - cord-marked, incised, stamped, and plain ne red ware.

Copper was the rst metal used in Indus Valley (Bronze Age civilization) to make tools, utensils, and other objects. Other metals used were lead, gold, bronze and silver.

A citadel is the core fortied area of a town. Harappan Civilization (Indus Valley Civilization or Bronze Age civilization), lasted from 2600 –1900 BCE was divided into the citadel and lower town. Rakhigarhi (Haryana) is the largest Harappan site in India.

Rectangular. Findings of Mohenjo-Daro: Prepared Garments, Temple-like Palace, Pashupati seal, Statue of a dancing girl, Ivory weight balance, The Great Bath, The Great Granary, and Priest-king statue.

Ropar is situated on the banks of the Sutlej River. Features - It was identied by excavations such as the steatite seal and marks on charred clay. Copper implements, as well as terracotta beads and bangles, were discovered.

Yajurveda: Notable Upanishads of Yajurveda - Brihadaranyaka, Isha, Taittriya, Katha, and Maithri. The Rigveda - It also includes the famous Gayatri mantra and the Purusha Sukta. Atharva Veda (‘Book of magic spells’) - Has 730 hymns (Suktas), and 20 books (Khandas).

Indra is the Vedic god of thunder, lightning, rain, and war. Rig Veda contains about 250 hymns in praise of Indra, and was also considered as chief god in it. Varuna is the Vedic god of the ocean, cosmic order, and law

Vitasta. Sapta Sindhu rivers and their ancient/alternate names - Indus (Sindhu, Singi Khamban), Jhelum (Hydaspes), Chenab (Asikini, Chandrabhaga), Ravi (Parushni, Airavati), Beas (Vipasha, Hyphasis), Sutlej (Sutudri, Zarodros) and the Saraswati river. Punjab was known as 'Sapta Sindhu' in the Vedic literature.

Vaishya. Vedic Age (1500-600 BC): Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva) were composed in this period. Four Varnas : Brahmans (priests and teachers of law), Kshatriyas (warriors, kings, administrators), Vaishyas (merchant-traders), Shudras (artisans and laborers).

Uttar Pradesh. Excavations at Hastinapur were carried out in the early 1950s by B.B. Lal, Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India. Hastinapur is famous for many historical temples like Karna temple, Pandeshwar temple, Kailash Parvat. It was also known as the capital city of Pandavas and Kauravas at the time of Mahabharata.

Gotra originally referred to the seven lineage segments of the Brahmans (priests), who trace their derivation from seven ancient seers: Atri, Bharadvaja, Bhrigu, Gotama, Kashyapa, Vasishtha, and Vishvamitra.

Kshatriyas (warriors, kings, administrators), Brahmins (priests, teachers, intellectuals), Vaishyas (agriculturalists, traders, farmers) and Shudras (workers, labourers, artisans). Dharmasutras - It contains guidelines for individual and social behaviour, ethical norms, as well as personal, civil and criminal law.

Rashtrakuta. Other temples made by Rashtrakutas - The Kailasanatha Temple in Ellora, the Navalinga Temples in Pattadakal. Chalukya dynasty - Ravana Phadi Cave (Aihole), Durga Temple (Aihole), Lad Khan temple (Aihole). Chola dynasty - Brihadeeswara temple (Thanjavur), Vijayala - Cholesvara (Narta Malai), Rajarajeshwar (Tanjore), Balasuramanya (Kannanur).

the conqueror. Jainism - There were 24 Tirthankaras (great teachers who had attained all knowledge (Moksha) while living and preached it to the people), First was Rishabnatha and last was Lord Vardhamana Mahavira. Five Doctrines - Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Aparigraha, Brahmacharya.

Prayer Hall. It is a rectangular hall with a semi-circular apse at one end, which contains a stupa or relic chamber. Other types of architecture : Stupa - It contained the Buddha's ashes. Vihara - Residence hall for the monks.

Vinaya Pitaka. Buddhist teachings were divided into Three Pitakas at the First Buddhist Council in 483 BC. Vinaya Pitaka: It consists of rules of conduct and discipline applicable to the monastic life of the monks and the nuns. It was compiled by Upali, and was written in Pali language.

Viharas were dwelling places used by wandering monks during the rainy season. Important Buddhist viharas - Ajanta, Ellora. Nasik, Karle, Kanheri, Bagh.

First sermon. The National Emblem of India was adopted from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath on 26 January 1950, the day India became a republic. The ‘capital’ has four Asiatic lions symbolizing power, courage, pride and condence seated on a circular abacus. Dinanath Bhargava has designed our National Emblem.

At Sarnath, Lord Buddha gave his rst sermon on the Four Noble Truths: Dukkha (There is sorrow in the world), Samudaya (There are causes of sorrow), Nirodha (There is a cure for suffering), Marga (There are eightfold paths for prevention).

Uttar Pradesh. Modern day names of other Mahajanapadas: Munger and Bhagalpur (Anga), Gaya and Patna (Magadha), Banaras (Kashi), Prayagraj (Vatsa), Malwa and Madhya Pradesh (Avanti), Rawalpindi (Gandhara), North Bihar (Vajji), Jaipur (Matsya), Meerut and Haryana (Kuru), Western Uttar Pradesh (Shurasena and Panchala), Bundelkhand region (Chedi), Rajouri, Hajra and North -West Frontier Province (Kamboja), Banks of Godavari (Asmaka or Assaka), Deoria and Uttar Pradesh (Malla).