Question 1: In the 1830s, James Prinsep, an officer in the mint of the East India Company, successfully deciphered which two scripts used in the earliest inscriptions and coins?
a) Devanagari and Tamil
b) Brahmi and Kharosthi
c) Greek and Latin
d) Pali and Sanskrit
Answer: b) Brahmi and Kharosthi
Question 2: What was James Prinsep’s role in the East India Company when he deciphered Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts?
a) Military General
b) Archaeologist
c) Mint Officer
d) Diplomat
Answer: c) Mint Officer
Question 3: According to Prinsep’s decipherment, what was the meaning of the title “Piyadassi,” often mentioned in the inscriptions?
a) Fearless Warrior
b) Wise Philosopher
c) Pleasant to Behold
d) Conqueror of Nations
Answer: c) Pleasant to Behold
Question 4: Besides the title Piyadassi, which other name was associated with the king in some inscriptions, as mentioned by James Prinsep?
a) Harsha
b) Chandragupta
c) Kanishka
d) Asoka
Answer: d) Asoka
Question 5: What is the significance of the king referred to as Asoka in the context of historical texts?
a) A legendary figure in Hindu mythology
b) A prominent ruler known from Buddhist texts
c) A Greek conqueror in Indian history
d) An early Vedic philosopher
Answer: b) A prominent ruler known from Buddhist texts
Question 6: During the sixth century BCE, what significant developments are associated with the era of early states and cities?
a) Invention of the wheel
b) Growing use of iron
c) Introduction of paper currency
d) Discovery of electricity
Answer: b) Growing use of iron
Question 7: Which term refers to the sixteen states mentioned in early Buddhist and Jaina texts during the sixth century BCE?
a) Samhitas
b) Mahajanapadas
c) Varnas
d) Upanishads
Answer: b) Mahajanapadas
Question 8: Which of the following states became the most powerful mahajanapada between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE?
a) Kuru
b) Panchala
c) Magadha
d) Gandhara
Answer: c) Magadha
Question 9: What was the Prakrit name for the initial capital of Magadha, which was later shifted to Pataliputra in the fourth century BCE?
a) Varanasi
b) Rajagaha
c) Panchala
d) Ujjain
Answer: b) Rajagaha
Question 10: Magadha attributed its power to the policies of individuals, including ruthlessly ambitious kings. Who among the following is NOT mentioned as one of the rulers associated with Magadha’s power?
a) Bimbisara
b) Ajatasattu
c) Chandragupta Maurya
d) Mahapadma Nanda
Answer: c) Chandragupta Maurya
Question 11: Who founded the Mauryan Empire around 321 BCE and expanded its control to Afghanistan and Baluchistan?
a) Ashoka
b) Chandragupta Maurya
c) Kautilya
d) Megasthenes
Answer: b) Chandragupta Maurya
Question 12: What valuable sources provide information about the Mauryas, including the account by Megasthenes, a Greek ambassador?
a) Sanskrit epics
b) Buddhist scriptures
c) Archaeological finds and contemporary works
d) Persian inscriptions
Answer: c) Archaeological finds and contemporary works
Question 13: What is the key message of Asoka’s inscriptions on rocks and pillars regarding Dhamma?
a) Promotion of war and conquest
b) Respect for elders and different religions
c) Economic policies for trade expansion
d) Establishment of a centralized monarchy
Answer: b) Respect for elders and different religions
Question 14: Which of the following was NOT one of the major political centers during the Mauryan Empire?
a) Pataliputra
b) Taxila
c) Ujjayini
d) Constantinople
Answer: d) Constantinople
Question 15: Why was communication crucial along land and riverine routes in the Mauryan Empire?
a) To facilitate military conquests
b) For trade and resource management
c) To spread Greek culture
d) For religious pilgrimage
Answer: b) For trade and resource management
Question 16: In which region did new chiefdoms and kingdoms emerge by the second century BCE, including the Cholas, Cheras, and Pandyas?
a) Northern Plains
b) Deccan and South India
c) Himalayan region
d) Gangetic Plain
Answer: b) Deccan and South India
Question 17: Which people of Central Asian origin established kingdoms in the north-western and western parts of the subcontinent, deriving revenues from long-distance trade?
a) Cholas
b) Cheras
c) Kushanas
d) Pandyas
Answer: c) Kushanas
Question 18: How did the Kushanas claim high status and identify with deities?
a) Through military conquests
b) By constructing large temples
c) By adopting the title “son of god” (devaputra)
d) Through diplomatic alliances
Answer: c) By adopting the title “son of god” (devaputra)
Question 19: Which inscription, composed in Sanskrit by Harishena, provides evidence of larger states, including the Gupta Empire, and mentions samantas as men who maintained themselves through local resources?
a) Kalinga Edict
b) Rock Edict XIII
c) Prayaga Prashasti (Allahabad Pillar Inscription)
d) Ashoka Pillar Inscription
Answer: c) Prayaga Prashasti (Allahabad Pillar Inscription)
Question 20: Who is considered the most powerful of the Gupta rulers, and whose court poet composed the Prayaga Prashasti in the fourth century CE?
a) Chandragupta Maurya
b) Ashoka
c) Samudragupta
d) Harsha
Answer: c) Samudragupta
Question 21: What do anthologies like Jatakas and Panchatantra provide a glimpse of in relation to kings and their subjects?
a) Military strategies
b) Subject-king relations
c) Religious rituals
d) Political alliances
Answer: b) Subject-king relations
Question 22: Which story, such as the Gandatindu Jataka, illustrates the challenges faced by the subjects of a wicked king, particularly due to high taxes?
a) Ramayana
b) Gandatindu Jataka
c) Mahabharata
d) Arthashastra
Answer: b) Gandatindu Jataka
Question 23: What agricultural strategy, spreading in fertile river valleys, aimed at increasing production and meeting the growing demand for taxes from the sixth century BCE?
a) Transplantation
b) Nomadic agriculture
c) Horticulture
d) Plough agriculture
Answer: d) Plough agriculture
Question 24: According to Buddhist tradition, what term was often used to designate the second and third categories of people engaged in agriculture?
a) Kshatriya
b) Brahmin
c) Gahapati
d) Shudra
Answer: c) Gahapati
Question 25: What provides insight into the relationship between cultivators and the state during the early centuries of the Common Era?
a) Religious scriptures
b) Legal texts
c) Folklore
d) Artifacts
Answer: b) Legal texts
Question 26: Why were major towns like Pataliputra strategically located, and what routes were often associated with them?
a) Desert routes
b) Mountain routes
c) Riverine routes
d) Underground routes
Answer: c) Riverine routes
Question 27: What were organisations of craft producers and merchants known as, and when did we start finding short votive inscriptions in a number of cities?
a) Samantas; third century BCE
b) Shrenis; second century BCE
c) Kshatriyas; sixth century BCE
d) Brahmins; first century CE
Answer: b) Shrenis; second century BCE
Question 28: What were some of the materials used for making artefacts recovered from urban excavations in major towns?
a) Iron and steel
b) Plastic and rubber
c) Gold, silver, copper, bronze, ivory, glass, shell, and terracotta
d) Wood and stone
Answer: c) Gold, silver, copper, bronze, ivory, glass, shell, and terracotta
Question 29: In the Roman Empire, what goods from the Indian subcontinent were in high demand and transported across the Arabian Sea to the Mediterranean?
a) Diamonds and gemstones
b) Spices, textiles, and medicinal plants
c) Marble and granite
d) Timber and leather
Answer: b) Spices, textiles, and medicinal plants
Question 30: Who issued the first gold coins in the Indian subcontinent, and during which century did this happen?
a) Gupta rulers; sixth century CE
b) Mauryan rulers; second century BCE
c) Kushanas; first century CE
d) Indo-Greeks; sixth century BCE
Answer: c) Kushanas; first century CE
Question 31: What script was used in most Asokan inscriptions, and who successfully deciphered it in 1838?
a) Devanagari; James Prinsep
b) Kharosthi; Megasthenes
c) Brahmi; Ashoka
d) Brahmi; James Prinsep
Answer: d) Brahmi; James Prinsep
Question 32: What script was used in the inscriptions in the northwest, particularly on the coins of Indo-Greek kings during the second-first centuries BCE?
a) Devanagari
b) Kharosthi
c) Greek
d) Brahmi
Answer: b) Kharosthi
Question 32: What was crucial in deciphering Kharosthi, especially when Prinsep identified the language of the inscriptions as Prakrit?
a) Comparing letters with Latin script
b) Comparing letters with Greek script
c) Comparing letters with Devanagari script
d) Comparing letters with Brahmi script
Answer: b) Comparing letters with Greek script
Question 33: How do epigraphists and historians assess inscriptions to draw conclusions about their historical significance?
a) By assessing the size of the inscriptions
b) By examining the color of the inscriptions
c) By comparing content, style, language, and palaeography
d) By counting the number of words in the inscriptions
Answer: c) By comparing content, style, language, and palaeography
Question 34: What is emphasized as an essential task for historians when dealing with inscriptions?
a) Translating inscriptions into multiple languages
b) Constantly assessing statements made in inscriptions
c) Ignoring inscriptions in favor of oral traditions
d) Prioritizing written literature over inscriptions
Answer: b) Constantly assessing statements made in inscriptions
Question 35: What are some of the limitations mentioned regarding inscriptional evidence?
a) Technical limitations, missing letters, and language barriers
b) Lack of interest from historians, absence of inscriptions, and political bias
c) Limited availability of materials, financial constraints, and outdated technology
d) Excessive details, overabundance of inscriptions, and language variations
Answer: a) Technical limitations, missing letters, and language barriers
Question 36: Why is it not always easy to be sure about the exact meaning of the words used in inscriptions?
a) Lack of skilled epigraphists
b) Language evolution over time
c) Poor preservation of inscriptions
d) Limited vocabulary in ancient languages
Answer: b) Language evolution over time
Question 37: Despite the discovery of several thousand inscriptions, what challenge persists in the study of epigraphy?
a) Limited interest from historians
b) Difficulty in deciphering and translating all inscriptions
c) Lack of technological advancements
d) Overemphasis on political history
Answer: b) Difficulty in deciphering and translating all inscriptions
Question 38: What does the passage suggest about the role of epigraphy in providing a full understanding of political and economic history?
a) Epigraphy is sufficient on its own.
b) Epigraphy is irrelevant to political and economic history.
c) Epigraphy alone does not provide a full understanding.
d) Epigraphy is the sole source for political and economic history.
Answer: c) Epigraphy alone does not provide a full understanding.
Question 39: How do historians approach evidence, as mentioned in the passage?
a) Accepting all evidence without questioning
b) Questioning both old and new evidence
c) Ignoring inscriptions in favor of oral traditions
d) Relying solely on epigraphy for historical analysis
Answer: b) Questioning both old and new evidence
📚 Why NCERT Solutions for Class 11th history ✨
History is not just about learning story or writing essays—it’s about developing an appreciation for stories, poems, and ideas. 🌈 Our solutions help students understand moral lessons, improve reading comprehension, and build their vocabulary. 📖 Each chapter’s summary and answers are explained in a way that’s easy to follow, making exam preparation a breeze! 🌟
Clear Your Doubts with CBSEJanta.com 🔍
Visit CBSEJanta.com to access detailed solutions for every chapter in your Class 6 English textbook! 📚 These solutions not only help you answer questions but also enhance your overall understanding of stories and grammar concepts. 💡
Download Our App for Easy Access 📱
Want to study on the go? 🚀 Download our app for instant access to Class 6 English NCERT solutions, practice questions, and much more! Whether at home or traveling, you can easily prepare for your exams and boost your English skills with CBSEJanta.com. 🌍
Always Thinks for Students ❤️
“Excel in Class 11th history with CBSEJanta.com! 🌟 Get FREE NCERT solutions for Honeysuckle and A Pact with the Sun. Visit CBSEJanta.com now or download o