Test: History - 3 - SSC CGL MCQ

Several tribal assemblies, such as sabha, samiti vidatha, and gana mentioned in the Rig Veda exercised deliberative, military and religious functions. But from the political point of view important were the sabha and Samiti. We have also some traces of the election of tribal chiefs by the tribal assembly called the samiti.

Digambara "sky-clad" is one of the two main sects of Jainism, the other being Svetambara. Generally Digambara monks wear no clothes whereas Svetam Bara "white-clad" monks usually wear white clothes.

Varahamihira (400 AD) was Indian astronomer mathematician and philosopher. He was one of the nine gems in the court of Gupta ruler Chandragupta Vikramaditya.

The seals of the Indus Valley Civilization have beern of the major sources for information about the period. Apart from giving plethora of information about the social and religious life of the period, they give insight into the economic activities. The economy of the Indus civilization was based on a highly organized agriculture, supplemented by an active commerce, probably connected to that of the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia. Trade amongst the civilizations is suggested by the finding of hundreds of small seals, supposedly produced by the Indus peoples, at the excavation sites of ancient Mesopotamian cities that were existent around the same time. Some of the seals mention the rulers of different countries.

Located on the banks of river Vegavathy, Kanchipuram served as the capital city of the Pallava Kingdom during the 4th to 9th century A.D.

The Kushan king Kanishka, who reigned from at least 127 AD, moved the capital from Pushkalavati (now called Charsadda in the Peshawar valley) to Purushapura (Peshawar) in the 2nd century AD. Following this move by the Kushans, Peshawar became agreat center of Buddhist learning even though Zoro astrianism, Hindusim and animism seem to have survived in the majority population.

Gandhara art is the style of Buddhist visual art that developed in what is now northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan between the 1^st century B.C and the 7^th century A.D. The style, of Greco Roman origin, seems to have flourished largely during the Kushan dynasty and was contemporaneous with an important but dissimilar school of Kushan art at Mathu ra.

The people of the Indus Civilization achieved great accuracy in measuring length, mass, and time. They were among the first to develop a system of uniform weights and measures. Their smallest division, which is marked on an ivory scale found in Lothal, was approximately 1.704 mm, the smallest division ever recorded on a scale of the Bronze Age.

Tripitaka is a traditional term used by various Buddhist sects to describe their various canons of scriptures. As the name suggests, a Tripitaka traditionally contains three "baskets" of teachings: a Sutra Pitaka, a Vinaya Pitaka and an Abhidharma Pitaka. Tripitaka is the three main categories of texts that make up the Buddhist canon.

Nalanda was an ancient center of higher learning in Bihar, India. It was a Buddhist center of learning from the fifth or sixth century CE to 1 197 CE. Nalanda flourished between the reign of the Chakraditya (whose identity is uncertain and who might have been either Kumara Gupta I or Kumara Gupta II) and 1197 CE, supported by patronage from the Hindu Gupta rulers as well as Buddhist emperors like Harsha and later emperors from the Pala Empire.

Nalanda was an ancient centre of higher learning in Bihar, which was a Buddhist centre of learning from the fifth or sixth century A.D. to 1197 CE. Nalanda flourished between the reign of the Sakraditya (whose identity is uncertain and who might have been either Kumara Gupta I or Kumara Gupta II) and 1197 supported by patronage from the Hindu Gupta A.D, HISTORY well as Buddhist emperors like Harsha and later emperors from the Pala Empire.

The archaeological record of the Indus civilization provides practically no evidence of armies, kings, slaves, social conflict, prisons, and other oftnegative traits that we traditionally associated with early civili zations. If there were neither slaves nor kings, a more egalitarian system of governance may have been practiced. Besides, compared to other ancient civilizations the houses were of nearly equal size indicating a more egalitarian social structure i.e. The Social System of the Harappans was fairly egalitarian.

The Vedic period (or Vedic age) was a period in history during which the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, were composed. The time span of the period is uncertain. Philological and linguistic evidence indicates that the Rig Veda, the oldest of the Vedas, was composed roughly between 1700 and 1100 BCE s the early Vedic period. It is an important source of information on the Vedic religion and their Gods as well as presents a detailed account of the life of the people at that time.

The Brihadeshwar Temple at Thanjavur (Tanjore) in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva anda brilliant example of the major heights achieved by Cholas in Tamil architecture It is a tribute anda reflection of the power of its patron Raja Raja Chola I. It remains India's largest temple and is one of the greatest glories of Indian architecture.The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Great Living Chola Temp.

Shilppadikaram is one of the five Great Epic cording to later Tamil literary tradition, the others being Manimegalai, Civaka Cintamani, Valayapathi and Kundalakesi. The poet prince Ilango Adigal is credited with this work. He is reputed to be the brother of Senguttuvan from Chera dynasty. Ilango Adigal was a Buddhist monk and Silappadhikaram and Manimekalai are Buddhist epics. Manimekalai, a purely Buddhist work of the 3rd Sangam period in Tamil literature is the most supreme and famous among the Buddhistork done in Tamil. It is a work expounding the doctrines and propagating the values of Buddhism. It also talks about the Tamil Buddhists in the island. (Source L. Basam Page No. 475).

Kadambari is a romantic novel in Sanskrit. It was substantially composed by Banabhatta in the first half of the 7th century, who did not survive to see it through completion. The novel was completed by Banabhatta's son Bhushanabhatta, according to the plan laid out by his late father. It is conventionally divided into Purvabhaga (earlier part) written by Banabhatta and Uttarabhaga (latter part) by Bhushanabhatta.

Chandragupta II The Great (was one of the most powerful emperors of the Gupta empire in northern India. His rule spanned c. 380-413/415 CE, during which the Gupta Empire achieved its zenith, art, a chitecture, and sculpture flourished, and the cultural development of ancient India reached its climax. Faxsien was the first of three great Chinese pilgrims who visited India from the fifth to the seventh centuries CE, in search of knowledge, manuscripts and relics. Faxian arrived during the reign of Chand gupta II and gave a general description of North India at that time. Among the other things, he reported about the absence of capital punishment, the lack of a polltax and land tax. Most citizens did not consume noions, garlic, meat, and wine.

It was during Harsha's reign that Hiuen Tsang came to India. He has given a vivid description of the social, economic and religious conditions, under the rule of Harsha spoke highly of the king.

Vamsathapakasini is among the last Buddhist texts produced in India. It gives us information about the origin of the Mauryas.

The Kailasanath temple is the oldest temple of Kanchipuram. It was built by the Pallavas in the early 8^th century CE. This temple was built by Pallava King Narasimhavarman II (Rajasimhan), and is also called Rajasimha Pallaveswaram.