Test: Ancient History of Haryana - Software Development MCQ

The correct answer is Safidon.Key Points

• The ancient city of Haryana Sarpadaman is known as safidon.
• Safidon was discovered in the fourteenth century by the Mughal King named Firoz Shah Tughlaq, he was one of the visionary rulers who discovered the place.
• He wanted to build a canal passing through the river Yamuna to jind.
• When Timur attacked India he attacked Punjab and the parts of Haryana but this place was safe from his hands as it wasn’t that talking.

Additional Information 

The correct answer is Bhiwani district.Key Points

• Mitathal is a village and Indus Valley civilization (IVC) Archaeological site in the Bhiwani tehsil of the Bhiwani district in the Indian state of Haryana.
• Part of Hisar division, it lies 12 kilometers north of the district headquarters Bhiwani and 249 kilometers from the state capital Chandigarh.
• As of the 2011 Census of India, the village had 1,448 households with a total population of 7,434 of which 4,002 were male and 3,432 female.

Additional Information Rakhigarhi

• Rakhigarhi or Rakhi Garhi is a village and an archaeological site belonging to the Indus Valley civilization in the Hisar District of the northern Indian state of Haryana, situated about 150 km northwest of Delhi. It was part of the mature phase of the Indus Valley Civilisation, dating to 2600-1900 BCE.

 Banawali

• Banawali, formerly known as Vanavali, is a hamlet and archaeological site located around 15 kilometers from Fatehabad district in Haryana, India. It was settled on the left bank of the dry river Saraswati during the Indus Valley Civilization period.

The correct answer is Rakhigarhi.Key Points

• Rakhigarhi is a Harappan site located in the Hisar district of the state of Haryana.
• It is the site of pre-Indus Vally civilization settlement and also mature Indus Valley Civilisation.
• It was excavated by Amarendra Nath between 1997 and 2000.
• This site is located in the Ghaggar-Hakra River plain.
• It consists of a set of seven mounds.
• Global Heritage Fund declared Rakhigarhi one of the ten most endangered heritage sites of Asia in May 2012.

Additional Information

• Lothal:
  • A city of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization located in Gujarat.
  • It located in the Bhal region of Gujarat state and discovered in 1954.
  • The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) excavated it from 13 February 1955 to 19 May 1960.
  • In ancient times, it was a vital and flourishing trading hub with its beads and gems trade.
  • It has been nominated as World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
• Dholavira:
  • The Site was discovered in 1967-68 by J.P. Joshi of the Archaeological Survey of India.
  • 40th site from India to get the UNESCO’s World Heritage tag.
  • It is located in the Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District in Gujarat.
  • Large black slipped jars with the pointed base were also found in this site.
  • A giant bronze hammer, a gold wire, gold ear stud, copper celts, terracotta tumblers, etc were also found.
• Kalibangan:
  • It is located in Pilibangan, between Suratgarh and Hanumangarh in the Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan.
  • Kalibangan site was discovered by Luigi Pio Tessitori, an Italian Indologist in 1953.
  • It is famous for pottery and black bangles.
  • Inscriptions, sculptures, earthenware pottery, coins, and seals have been found there during excavation.

The correct answer is Jainism.

• The compositions of Poet Pushpadant are related to Jainism.

Additional Information

• Jainism is a very ancient religion. According to some traditions, it is as old as the Vedic religion.
  • There is a succession of great teachers or Tirthankaras in the Jain tradition.
  • There were 24 Tirthankaras, the last of whom was Vardhaman Mahavira.
  • The first Tirthankara is believed to be Rishabhanatha or Rishabhdev.
  • The 23rd Tirthankara was Parshvanath who was born in Varanasi.
  • All Tirthankaras were Kshatriyas by birth.

Important Points

• Jainism – Jain Councils:
  • First council
    • Held at Pataliputra in the 3rd century BC.
    • Presided by Sthulabhadra.
  • Second Council
    • Held at Vallabhi in Gujarat in 512 AD.
    • Presided by Devardhi Kshemasarmana.

The correct answer is Agroha.

• Maharaja Agrasen was a Vaish King of the Solar Dynasty who adopted Vanika Dharma for the benefit of his people.
  • Literally, Agrawal means the “Children of Agrasen” or the “People of Agroha”, a city in ancient Kuru Panchala, near Hisar in the Haryana region said to be founded by Maharaja Agrasen.

Key Points

• Agrasen was a great Indian king of the merchant city of Agroha.
  • He is a descendant of Kush, son of Lord Rama and was born in the 35th generation after Lord Rama.
  • He is credited with founding the kingdom of merchants named Agroha in northern India and is known for his compassion in refusing to kill animals in yagyas.

Additional Information

• History of Haryana:
  • The history of Haryana is very proud and it starts from the Vedic period.
  • This state is believed to be the birthplace of the mythological Bharata dynasty, after which the country got its name, Bharat.
  • Haryana has been discussed in our great epic Mahabharata. Before becoming the capital of India, it became a part of the history of India with the arrival of Muslims and the capital of India of Delhi and remained anonymous until the First War of Independence in 1857.
  • Their territories were either merged with the British territories or handed over to the rulers of Patiala, Nabha and Jind.
  • After the reorganization of Punjab on November 1, 1966, Haryana became a complete one.

The correct answer is Fatehabad.

• Banawali is an archaeological site belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization period in the Fatehabad district of Haryana, India, and is located about 120 km northeast of Kalibanga and 16 km from Fatehabad.
  • Banavali, formerly called Vanavali, is on the left bank of the dried-up Saraswati river.

Key Points

• Banawali site was excavated by R.S.Bist in 1973 in Fatehabad, Haryana.
  • The Replica of the plough was field found in the Banawali district.
  • The clay figure of the mother goddess was also found there.

Important Points

• Mitathal is an Indus Valley Civilization site and village situated in the Bhiwani district of Haryana, India.
• Lohari Ragho is a village located in Hisar, Haryana, India.
• Rakhigarhi, or Rakhi Garhi (Rakhi Shahpur + Rakhi Khas), is a village in Hisar District in the state of Haryana in India.
• Balu is a small archeological site attributed to the Indus Valley Civilisation, located some 22 kilometers south of the city of Kaithal in the Indian state of Haryana.

The correct answer is All of these.Key Points

• Hisar, Sirsa and Fatehabad are the important places related to Siswal culture.
• Siswal is a site of Chalcolithic age.
• It is a typesite for Siswal culture, dating from around 3800 BC.
• Siswal culture is also known as Sothi–Siswal culture.​

Additional Information

• Hisar
  • The city of Hisar was founded by a Muslim ruler, Firozshah Tughlaq in 1354 A.D.
  • 'Hisar' is an Arabic word that means 'Fort'.
  • The city, which we know today as 'Hisar', was originally called 'Hisar Firoza' or in other words the 'Fort of Firoz'. 
  • The city was ruled by several major powers, including the Maurya in the third century BC, the Tughlaq in the 14th century, the Mughals in the 16th century, and the British in the 19th century.
  •  After India achieved independence, it was unified with the state of Punjab.
  • When Punjab was divided in 1966, Hisar became part of Haryana.​
• Fatehabad
  • The district derives its name from the eponymous headquarters town founded by Firoz Shah Tughlak in the 14th century.
  • He named it after his son Fateh Khan, as Fatehabad.
    The Fatehabad district was carved out of Hisar district on 15 July 1997.
  • This district was a part of the Mauryan Empire, which was discovered from the Ashokan pillars at Fatehabad.
  • The district Fatehabad was also a part of Nanda empire, according to Puranas and of the Kushan Empire.

The correct answer is Punch marked coins.

• Punch marked coins have been discovered form the mounds of Hisar and Agroha.

Key Points

• A collection of coins was found from the site, including 4 Indo Greek, one punch-marked and 51 other coins from Agrodaka.
  • The discovery of coins of Agraya Janapada (Republic) during excavation and its ancient name in literature as Agrodka is sufficient to prove it as the headquarters of a republic.
  • The site was excavated in 1978-84 by Mr. PK Sharan and Mr. JS Khatri of the Department of Archeology and Museums, Government of Haryana.
  • Apart from the residential and community houses, made of baked bricks, the remains of a Buddhist stupa and a Hindu temple existing side by side indicated co-existence and respect of communal harmony.

Additional Information

• The city of Hisar was founded by a Muslim ruler Firoz Shah Tughlaq in 1354 AD.
  • 'Hisar' is an Arabic word which means 'fort'.
  • The city which we know today as 'Hisar' was originally called 'Hisar Firoza (Hisar-e-Firoz)' or in other words 'Fort of Firoz'.
  • But as the days passed, the word 'turquoise' was dropped from its original name.

The correct answer is Nakula - Digvijyams.

• Rohtak derives its name from its headquarters town, Rohtak, which is called the Reformation of Rohtashgarh, a name still applied to the ruined sites of the two old sites.
  • Traditionally, it is named after King Rohtash, in whose days the city is said to have been built.
  • It is also claimed that the city derives its name from the Roherra (Tacoma undulate) tree which is called Rohitaka in Sanskrit.
  • It is said that before the city came into existence, it was the site of a forest of Rohitaka trees and hence the name Rohtak.
  • Another version links Rohtak with Rohitaka, which is mentioned in the Mahabharata in connection with the campaign of the Pandava warrior Nakula. 

Additional Information

• Divyavadana (meaning Divine Tales) is a text of Buddhist tales.
  • The origin of many of these stories is the original Mool Sarvastivada Vinaya Granth.
• Majjima Nikaya is a Buddhist text, the second of the five Nikayas or collections in the Sutta Pitaka, one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka of Theravada Buddhism. Composed between the 3rd century BCE and the 2nd century CE.

The correct answer is Rakhigarhi.

Key Points

• Rakhigarhi site of Indus valley civilisation situated at Rakhigarhi village in Hisar district.
• The site is located in the Sarasvati river plain, some 27 km from the seasonal Ghaggar river.
• The Global Heritage Fund declared Rakhigarhi one of the 10 most endangered heritage sites in Asia.
•  A team of Indian and South Korean researchers carried out excavations in Rakhigarhi.
• The team unearthed a fire altar, parts of a city wall, drainage structures as well as a hoard of semi-precious beads.

Additional InformationImportant Sites of Harappan Civilization:

The correct answer is Yamunanagar.

Key Points

• Delhi-Topra pillar edict is pillar inscription of Ashoka.
• It was originally erected in Topra Kalan of Yamunanagar district of Haryana.
• It is now found in FerozShah Kotla,Delhi.(believed to be shifted by Firuz Shah Tuglaq)
• The edict has inscriptions about morals by Ashoka.

Additional Information

• Panipat in Haryana is the place where the famous Battles of Panipat I, II, III took place which played an important role in shaping the History of India.
• Banwali and Rakhigarhi are famous Indus Valley sites found in the state.

The correct answer is Abul Fazl.

Key Points

• Abul Fazl called the Brahma Sarovar of Haryana a miniature sea.
• Braham Sarovar, as the name suggests, is associated with Lord Brahma.
  • Taking a dip in the holy water of Sarovar during Solar Eclipse is considered equal to the merits of performing thousands of Asvamedha Yajnas.
  • Having seen its huge water body, Abul-Fazl during solar eclipse has described the vast water body of this Sarovar as a miniature Sea.

Additional Information

• Abul Fazl was a political advisor and high-ranked official in the Akbar administration.
  • He helped Akbar with the framing of the vision of governance with Sulh-i-kul.
  • It was about peaceful and harmonious relationships among the different religions in his administration.
• He also wrote a three-volume history of Akbar’s reign, titled Akbar Nama.
  • The first volume deals with Akbar’s ancestry.
  • The second volume recorded events from Akbar’s reign.
  • The third volume is the Ain-i Akbari. It deals with Akbar’s administration, including rich statistics on crop diversity, wages, revenue, prices.

The correct answer is Karnal.

• It is believed that the name of the city of Karnal is derived from Karna-Tal, which translates into Karna Lake.
  • This can also be the reason for calling Karnal the city of Karna in the local language.
  • Karna Lake is maintained by Haryana Tourism Corporation.

Additional Information

• The city of Karnal, said to have been founded by King Karna of Mahabharata fame, rose to prominence in 1739 when Nadir Shah defeated Muhammad Shah at Karnal.
  • Raja Gopal Singh of Jind captured Karnal in 1863, and the Marathas established themselves in Karnal in 1785.
  • However, there were clashes between the Marathas and the Sikhs.
  • In 1795 the Marathas finally snatched it from Raja Bhag Singh of Jind and handed it over to George Thomas, who took part in the fighting.

The correct answer is Kheri Gujjar.Key Points

• By excavations done in Kheri Gujjar of Sonepat district, earthen utensils belonging to Mahabharata period have been found.
• Kheri Gujjar is a Village in Ganaur Tehsil in Sonipat District of Haryana State, India.
• It belongs to Rohtak Division .
• It is located 23 KM towards North from District head quarters Sonipat. 7 KM from Ganaur. 205 KM from State capital Chandigarh.

Additional Information

•  Sonipat
  • The name Sonepat  is derived from the word Sonpat which means in Sanskrit language the suvarna prastha (gold place).
  • The Sonipat region has yielded pottery of pre-Harappan, late-Harappan, Painted Grey Ware, early historical, Northern Black Polished Ware and early medieval time.
  • One popular tradition avers that it is one of the five patas or prasthas (Indraprastha, Panipat, Talpat, Bhaghpat and Sonipat) mentioned in the Mahabharata.
  • On 22 December 1972, Sonipat was given status of a full-fledged district.
  • Khwaja Khizr Tomb is a famous maqbara located at Jatwara, Sonipat built by Ibrahim Lodi in the memory of Khwaja Khizr.

The correct answer is Kurukshetra.

Key Points

• The great epic Mahabharata of Veda Vyasa was written in the city of Kurukshetra in Haryana.
  • The great battle of the text is depicted in a large panorama at the Science Center and the Kurukshetra Panorama.
  • Vyasa is also credited with writing eighteen major Puranas.
  • The Brahma Sutras, one of the fundamental texts of Vedanta, were written by Badarayan also known as Veda Vyasa.

Additional Information

• Shrimad Bhagavad Gita was written in the state of Haryana.
  • It was written by Ved Vyas on the banks of the river Saraswati.
  • This book was written in the Sanskrit language around the 2nd century BCE.
  • The Bhagavad Gita contains the supreme teachings of Lord Vishnu.
  • The people of Haryana state feel proud that the epic was recited by Lord Krishna at Jyotisar (Kurukshetra).

The correct answer is Sharafabad.

• Bahadurgarh was founded by Rathi Jats and was formerly known as Sharafabad.
  • ​Bahadurgarh is a city and a municipal council with 31 wards in the Jhajjar district in the state of Haryana.
  • It is called the "Gateway to Haryana".

Key Points

• Bahadurgarh was founded by the Mughal Emperor Alamgir II and gave the city in jagir to Bahadur Khan and Tej Khan, the Baloch rulers of Farrukhnagar in 1754, who changed its name from Sharafabad to Bahadurgarh.
• Jhajjar is one of the 21 districts of Haryana state, India.
  • Jhajjar district, Haryana was carved out of Rohtak district on July 15, 1997. 

The correct answer is Gavambhavana.

• In ancient times, Gohana was known as Gavambhavana and was considered a sacred place.
  • ​Gohana is a city in Sonipat district in the Indian state of Haryana.

Additional Information

• Haryana is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country.
  • It was separated from the former state of East Punjab on 1 November 1966 on linguistic grounds.
  • It ranks 21st in terms of area with less than 1.4% of India's land area.
  • The state capital is Chandigarh, which it shares with the neighboring state of Punjab.

The correct answer is Shairishkam.

Key Points

• Sirsa:
  • It is said to be one of the oldest places in North India and its ancient name was Saarishka, which is mentioned in the Mahabharata, Panini's Ashtadhyayi and Divyavadana.
  • In the Mahabharata, Sharishaka is described as being taken by Nakula in his conquest of the western quarter.
  • During the medieval period, the town was known as Sarsuti.
  • In the ancient period, Sirsa was also known as Sirsapattan.

The correct answer is Baba Farid.

Key Points

• Faridabad was founded in the year 1607 AD by Sheikh Farid also addressed as Baba Farid.
• He was a treasurer of the Mughal Emperor Jehangir.
• The city was also famous for a Fort, a Tank, and a Mosque which over a period of time has got into ruins.
• Baba Farid built the first travelers lodge commonly referred to as Sarai which used to be the last stop for people traveling to New Delhi.
• After the rebellion of 1857, their estate was confiscated by the British Raj & The territory of Ballabhgarh was added to the Delhi district.
• It was constituted as a municipality in 1867.
• Faridabad became the 12th district of Haryana state on 15th August 1979.

Additional Information

• ​Faridabad is also a major industrial hub of Haryana.
• Faridabad is famous for henna production from the agricultural sector.
• Tractors, motorcycles, switch gears, refrigerators, shoes, tyres and garments constitute its primary industrial products.
• Famous Places
  • Raja Nahar Singh Palace 
  • Badkhal Lake 
  • Suraj Kund

The correct answer is Kandud.

Key Points

• The old name of the Mahendragarh district of Haryana was Kanaud.
• The previous name was derived from the Kanaudia group of Brahmins.
• During the middle of the nineteenth century, it came to be known as Mahendragarh.

Additional Information

• In 1861, ruler Maharaja Narendra Singh of Patiala principality named this fort in Mahendergarh in honor of his son Mohinder Singh.
• This District has 3 Subdivisions: Narnaul, Mahendragarh, and Kanina.
• Narnaul city is the administrative headquarters of the district and also the largest city in the district.
• Mahendragarh district is divided into 5 tehsils, Narnaul, Nangal Chowdhary, Kanina Mahendragarh, and Ateli.