Ancient Indian History General Knowledge Questions
1. Which of the following are two works of Kalidasa?
[A] Raghuvamsha and Kiratarjuniya
[B] Kumara Sambhav and Raghuvamsha
[C]Malti Madhava and Kumara Sambhava
[D]Malti Madhav and Kumara Sambhava
Ans. Kumar Sambhava and Raghuvamsha Kalidasa was one of the gems of the court of Gupta king Chandragupta II (375–415 CE). The poems he wrote were usually of epic proportions and were written in classical Sanskrit. He wrote two epic poems called Kumara sambhava, which means birth of Kumara and the Raghuvamsha, which means dynasty of Raghu. There are also two lyric poems written by Kalidasa known as Meghadutta that stands for cloud messenger and the Ritusamhara that means description of the seasons. Meghadutta is one of the finest works of Kalidasa in terms of world literature. The beauty of the continuity in flawless Sanskrit is unmatched till date. The most famous and beautiful work of Kalidasa is the Shakuntalam. It is the second play of Kalidasa after he wrote Malavikagnimitra. The Shakuntalam tells the story of king Dushyant who falls in love with a beautiful girl Shakuntala, who happens to be the daughter of a saint.
2. Who was the first Indo-Greek king, who became Buddhist?
[A]Antiochus II
[B]Apollodotus I
[C]Apollodotus II
[D]Menander II
Ans. Menander II Menander II was the Indo-Greek king who established a large empire in the South Asia and became a patron of Buddhism.
3. Which of the following inscriptions mentions the name of Kalidasa?
[A] Allahabad pillar inscription
[B] Aihole inscription
[C] Alapadu grant
[D] Hanumakonda inscription
Ans. Aihole inscription Aihole inscription written by the Badami Chalukyas King, Pulakesin II who reigned from 610 to 642 CE and was a follower of Jainism. This valuable inscription discovered in the Meguti temple near Aihole (Bijapur district in Karnataka). The inscription is in the Sanskrit language, which uses the old Kannada script. The accounts of Pulkeshi’s campaigns are provided in the Aioli inscription dated 634 AD. It was composed by his court poet Ravikirti. Bharavi, who is associated with the Pallavas of Kanchi along with Kalidasa is mentioned in the famous Aihole Inscription of Pulakesin II.
4. The famous Konark Sun temple was built by whom?
[A]Narshimhadeva I
[B]Angabhima deva I
[C]Konkanivarman
[D]Narsimhavarman II
Ans. Narshimhadeva I The 13th-century famous Konark Sun temple was built by King Narshimhadeva I (of the Eastern Ganga dynasty) at Konark, Odisha around AD1250.
5. Which among the following Mudra is the gesture of Buddha as depicted in his first ser
[A] Abhaya Mudra
[B] Dhyana Mudra
[C] Dharmachakra Mudra
[D] Bhumisparsa Mudra
Ans. Dharmachakra Mudra The sermon Buddha gave to the five monks was his first sermon, called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. The Seated Buddha from Gandhara is an early statue of the Buddha made in Gandhara, in modern Pakistan, in the 2nd or 3rd century The pose, which was to become one of a number of standard ones, shows Buddha as a teacher setting the wheel of Dharma in motion (Dharmachakra Mudra). Buddha did this following his enlightenment and after delivering his first sermon at the deer park at Sarnath near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
