Every question from this NCERT chapter, with a detailed explanation.
Who among the following excavated the village of Hastinapura in Meerut in 1951-52?
Consider the following statements regarding the rules of marriage in early societies: 1. All eight forms of marriage were considered equally good and desirable. 2. The Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras recognised as many as eight forms of marriage. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the gotra system in ancient India, consider the following statements: 1. Women were expected to retain their father's gotra even after marriage. 2. Members of the same gotra were prohibited from marrying each other. 3. Some Satavahana queens retained their father's gotra names even after marriage. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Which of the following ancient texts was compiled between c. 200 BCE and 200 CE and is considered the most important work on social norms?
Which of the following pairs is correctly matched? 1. Endogamy : Marriage outside the kin group 2. Exogamy : Marriage within the kin group 3. Polygyny : Practice of a man having several wives 4. Polyandry : Practice of a woman having one husband Select the correct answer using the code given below:
With reference to the rulers of early Indian dynasties, consider the following statements: 1. The Shungas and Kanvas were of the Kshatriya origin. 2. The Satavahana ruler Gotami-puta Siri-Satakani claimed to be a destroyer of the pride of Kshatriyas. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the observations of Chinese pilgrims about "untouchables" in India: 1. Fa Xian wrote that "untouchables" had to sound a clapper in the streets to warn people of their presence. 2. Xuan Zang observed that executioners lived within the city walls. 3. Both pilgrims visited India during the Mauryan period. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding gendered access to property according to the Manusmriti: 1. Women could claim a share of the paternal resources if they remained unmarried. 2. The paternal estate was to be divided equally amongst sons after the death of the parents. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
According to the Buddhist text Sutta Pitaka, the origin of the institution of kingship is explained as arising from which of the following principles?
With reference to the language and composition of the Mahabharata, consider the following statements: 1. The Sanskrit used in the Mahabharata is far simpler than that of the Vedas. 2. The original story was probably composed by Brahmanas and later taken over by charioteer-bards. 3. Large didactic sections resembling the Manusmriti were added between c. 200 and 400 CE. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
In ancient Sanskrit texts, the term ‘mlechchha’ was commonly used to refer to which of the following groups?
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad contains a list of successive generations of teachers and students designated by:
Consider the following statements regarding the dialogue between King Avantiputta and Kachchana: 1. It concludes that the four varnas are fundamentally different and unequal. 2. It is found in a text known as the Majjhima Nikaya. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the evolution of the Mahabharata: 1. The text was originally composed with 100,000 verses. 2. It grew to comprise about 100,000 verses over centuries. 3. The didactic sections were generally added later than the narrative sections. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the "eight forms of marriage" mentioned in the Manusmriti: 1. The first form involves the gift of a daughter to a learned man invited by the father. 2. The fourth form involves the father addressing the couple to perform duties together. 3. The fifth form involves the bridegroom receiving the maiden after giving wealth to her kinsmen. 4. The sixth form is a voluntary union springing from desire. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Which of the following pairs of ancient texts and their primary subject/language is correctly matched? 1. Ashtadhyayi : Sanskrit Grammar 2. Charaka Samhita : Dramaturgy 3. Natyashastra : Medicine 4. Tripitaka : Sanskrit Epic Select the correct answer using the code given below:
In the Sanskrit play Mrichchhakatika composed by Shudraka, the protagonist Charudatta is portrayed as which of the following?
In early historic India, Satavahana rulers are often identified in inscriptions by names derived from which of the following?
Consider the following statements regarding the Satavahana ruler Gotami-puta Siri-Satakani: 1. He claimed to have ensured that there was no intermarriage amongst members of the four varnas. 2. He refused to enter into any marriage alliance with the Shaka rulers. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Purusha Sukta, often cited by Brahmanas to justify the caste hierarchy, is a hymn found in the:
With reference to the silk weavers mentioned in the Mandasor inscription, consider the following statements: 1. They migrated because they were forced by the local administration. 2. They migrated from Lata to Dashapura. 3. All members of the guild strictly followed the occupation of weaving. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the duties of chandalas as laid down in the Manusmriti: 1. They had to live outside the village. 2. They had to use discarded utensils. 3. They were required to wear clothes of the dead. 4. They were allowed to walk in villages at night to perform essential services. Which of the statements given above are correct?
With reference to the inheritance rules in the Manusmriti, consider the following statements: 1. The paternal estate was to be inherited solely by the eldest son. 2. The eldest son was entitled to a special share. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
In the early Sanskrit literary tradition, the term itihasa is used in which of the following literal senses?
The term vanik in Sanskrit texts and inscriptions is used to designate:
The Matanga Jataka is a Pali text that describes the story of a Bodhisattva born as a:
With reference to the Shungas and Kanvas, consider the following statements: 1. They belonged to the Kshatriya varna. 2. They were the immediate successors of the Mauryas. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the Satavahana rulers: 1. Succession to the throne was always matrilineal. 2. Some rulers were polygynous. 3. They often violated the Brahmanical rule of exogamy. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the ideal occupations of the four varnas as per Dharmashastras: 1. Brahmanas were to study and teach the Vedas. 2. Kshatriyas were to engage in agriculture and trade. 3. Vaishyas were prohibited from making gifts or getting sacrifices performed. 4. Shudras were assigned the occupation of serving the three higher varnas. Which of the statements given above are correct?
With reference to the story of Hidimba in the Mahabharata, consider the following statements: 1. Hidimba was a princess of the Kuru clan who married Bhima. 2. Their son Ghatotkacha promised to return to the Pandavas whenever they needed him. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the explanations for polyandry in the Mahabharata, consider the following statements: 1. Vyasa told Drupada that the Pandavas were incarnations of Indra. 2. Historians unanimously reject the idea that polyandry was due to a shortage of women. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding social mobility in early India: 1. The Shakas were regarded as high-born Kshatriyas by the Brahmanas. 2. Political power was effectively open to anyone who could muster support and resources. 3. Guilds like that of the silk weavers never changed their profession or location. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
In early Sanskrit texts, the term jnati is used to denote which of the following social groupings?
Consider the following statements regarding the names of Satavahana queens: 1. Many had names derived from gotras such as Gotama and Vasistha. 2. These names indicate they adopted their husband's gotra upon marriage. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Satavahana ruler Gotami-puta Siri-Satakani claimed to be eka bamhana. This term implies:
With reference to marriage practices in South India, consider the following statements: 1. Cross-cousin marriages were strictly prohibited in the Satavahana period. 2. Marriage within the kin group was prevalent amongst several communities. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
According to the Manusmriti, consider the following statements regarding the acquisition of wealth: 1. There are seven means of acquiring wealth for men. 2. There are no specific means of acquiring wealth defined for women. 3. "Finding" and "Conquest" are legitimate means for men to acquire wealth. Which of the statements given above are correct?
The short story Kunti O Nishadi by Mahashweta Devi is widely regarded as a reinterpretation and subversion of an episode drawn from which of the following classical texts?
Consider the following statements regarding the Critical Edition of the Mahabharata: 1. It took 47 years to complete. 2. It involved comparing verses from manuscripts found from Kashmir to Kerala. 3. The critical edition contains no footnotes or appendices. 4. The editors selected only those verses that were unique to the southern manuscripts. Which of the statements given above are correct?
With reference to the story of Ekalavya and Drona, consider the following statements: 1. Drona refused to teach Ekalavya because he did not belong to the Kuru lineage. 2. Ekalavya offered his right thumb as a fee to Drona. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
In the epic Mahabharata, Ekalavya is described as belonging to which of the following social categories?
With reference to the critical edition of the Mahabharata, consider the following statements: 1. The project was initiated in 1919 under the leadership of V.S. Sukthankar. 2. The team collected only those manuscripts which were written in the Devanagari script. 3. The project revealed that there were enormous regional variations in the ways the text had been transmitted. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
According to the prescriptions of the Manusmriti, women were warned against hoarding family property or personal valuables without the permission of whom?