Vedic Age MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Vedic Age - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is Upanishads.

Key Points

• The Upanishads are the philosophical-religious texts of Hinduism (also known as Sanatan Dharma meaning “Eternal Order” or “Eternal Path”) which develop and explain the fundamental tenets of the religion.
  • At the same time, Upanishad has also been interpreted to mean “secret teaching” or “revealing underlying truth”.
  • The truths addressed are the concepts expressed in the religious texts known as the Vedas which orthodox Hindus consider the revealed knowledge of creation and the operation of the universe.

Additional Information

• Yoga philosophy is one of the six major orthodox schools of Hinduism.
  • The metaphysics of Yoga is Samkhya's dualism in which the universe is conceptualized as composed of two realities: Puruṣa (witness-consciousness) and Prakriti (nature).
  • Jiva (a living being) is considered a state in which puruṣa is bonded to Prakriti in some form, in various permutations and combinations of various elements, senses, feelings, activity, and mind.
• Vedanta also Uttara Mimaṃsa, is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy.
  • Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from or were aligned with, the speculations and philosophies contained in the Upanishads, specifically, knowledge and liberation.
• Sankhya philosophy is an orthodox Hindu philosophy teaching salvation through knowledge of the dualism of matter and souls.
  • Samkhya or Sankya, Sankhya is a dualistic school of Indian philosophy.
    • It views reality and human experience as composed of two independent principles, puruṣa; and prakṛti. Puruṣa is the witness consciousness.

The correct answer is Assaka.

Key Points

Mahajanapada Assaka was situated on the bank of the river Godavari.

• Assaka, also known as Ashmaka was a kingdom that was located in the south of India.
• During the time of Buddha, this tribe was located on the banks of the river Godavari.
• The capital city of Assaka was known as Potana or Potali which is now present in Maharashtra.

Additional Information

• About Mahajanpada:
  • These massive Indian cities were home to the 16 great kingdoms described in the ancient texts.
  • In the modern era, the term ‘Mahajanapadas’ is often used to refer to the 16 great kingdoms.
  • In the sixth century BC, present-day Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh became centers of political activities as the region was not only fertile but also closer to the iron production centers.
  • Iron production played a crucial role in expanding the territorial states of the region.
  • These expansions helped some of these ‘Janapadas’ turn into large states or ‘Mahajanapadas'.
  • Most of these ‘Mahajanapadas’ were monarchical in nature, while some of them were democratic states.
  • Many prominent ancient Buddhist texts make frequent references to the ‘16 great kingdoms’ (Mahajanapadas) that flourished between the sixth and the fourth centuries BCE.
  • These 16 kingdoms included kingdoms like Anga, Gandhara, Kuru, and Panchala, which are mentioned in the great Indian epic ‘Mahabharata'.​

The correct answer is 16.

Important Points

• Ancient Buddhist Literature, Anguttara Nikaya text gives the list of 16 Mahajanapadas.
• They are -
  • Kashi
  • Kosala
  • Anga
  • Magadha
  • Vajji
  • Malla
  • Chedi
  • Vatsa
  • Kuru
  • Panchala
  • Machcha
  • Surasena
  • Assaka
  • Avanti
  • Gandhara
  • Kamboja.

Additional Information

• These Mahajanpadas are either Monarchy or Republics (Ganasanghas).
• The important Republics of this period were the Shakyas of Kapilavastu and the Licchavis of Vaishali.
• The important monarchical Mahajanpadas of this period were Kaushambi (Vatsa), Magadha, Kosala, and Avanti.

The correct answer is Bimbisara.Key Points

• Haryanaka Dynasty (544 BC-412 BC):
• Bimbisara(544 BC-492 BC):
  • Bimbisara was the founder of the Haryanka Dynasty.
  • He was a contemporary of Buddha.
  • He started the policy of annexation and expansion.
  • He was succeeded by his son Ajatashatru.
• Ajatashatru(492 BC-460 BC):
  • He followed a more serious and aggressive policy of expansion.
  • He won the long war with the Kosala in the form of a marriage alliance with the daughter of the Kosala king.
  • Ajatashatru was succeeded by Udayin. Udayin built the city Patilputra (Patna). 
  • The Last King Nagadashak was killed by his own minister Sisunaga, who started the Sisunaga Dynasty.

Additional Information 

• The founder of the Nanda Dynasty was Mahapadma Nanda.
  • He is referred to as the “first historical emperor of India.”
  • According to the Puranas, he was the son of the last Sisunaga king from a Sudra woman but on the basis of a few Jain texts and Greek writer Curtius, he was the son of a barber and a courtesan. 
  • The reign of Mahapadma Nanda lasted for about twenty-eight years in between the years of 367 BC and 338 BC. 
• Chandragupta Maurya founded the Maurya Empire in 322 BCE when he conquered the kingdom of Magadha and the northwestern Macedonian satrapies.
  • Maurya Empire was founded in 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya, who had overthrown the Nanda Dynasty and rapidly expanded his power westward across central and western India in order to take advantage of the disruptions of local powers in the wake of the withdrawal by Alexander the Great‘s armies.

The correct answer is music and art.

• 'Samaveda’ is considered to be one of the primary sources of Indian music and art.

Key Points

Sama Veda

• Sama Veda derives its roots from 'saman' which means melodies. It is a collection of melodies.
• The Sama Veda (book of chants) had 1549 hymns.
• All hymns (excluding 75) were taken from the Rig Veda.
• The hymns of the Sama Veda were recited by Udgatri at the Soma sacrifice.
• This Veda is important for Indian music.
• It contains Dhrupad Raga.

Additional Information

•  Vedic literature comprises four literary productions.
• They are The Samhitas or Vedas, The Brahamans, The Aranyakas, and The Upanishads.
• The most important of Vedic Literature is Vedas.
• The word Veda comes from the word Vid, which means to know or knowledge.
• Vedic texts are divided between Sruti (based on hearing) and Smriti (based on memory).
• There are four vedas - Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda.
• The first three are jointly called Vedatrayi (a trio of Vedas)

Rig Veda

• The oldest Veda is the Rigveda (collection of hymns) and one of the oldest religious texts in the world.
  • This is also known as 'the first testament of mankind'.
• It has 1028 hymns called ‘Suktas’ and is a collection of 10 books called ‘Mandalas.’
• The six mandalas (from 2^nd to 7^th Mandalas) are the oldest and shortest Mandalas are called Gotra/ Vamsha Mandalas (Kula Granth) and also called family books
• Each of which is ascribed to a particular family of Rishi Gritsamad, Visvamitra Vamadeva, Atri, Bharadwaj, Vashisth.
• 8^th Mandala is ascribed to Kanvas and Angiras.
• 9^th Mandala is the compilation of Soma hymns.
• The 3^rd Mandala contains the Gayatri Mantra, which was compiled in the praise of Sun God Savitri
• Saraswathi is the deity river in the Rig Veda.
• The first and tenth Mandalas are said to have been added later.

Yajur Veda

• The Yajur Veda (book of sacrificial prayers) is a ritual Veda.
• The two texts of Yajur Veda are Shukla (white or bright) and Krishna (black or dark).
• Shukla Yajurveda has arranged and clear verses.
• Krishna Yajurveda has an un-arranged, unclear, motley collection of verses.

​Atharva Veda

• Atharva Veda is a book of magical formulae.
• It contains charms and spells to ward off evils and diseases.

The correct answer is Rig Veda

Key Points

• The Rig-Veda is the oldest of the four collections of hymns and other sacred texts known as the Vedas.
• It contains most of the information about the religious and social life of the early Vedic period.
• These works are considered the "sacred knowledge" of the Aryans.
• The Rig-Veda also contains ideas that served as the basis for India's system of castes(Varna).
• According to Brahminic ideology, Varṇa means hierarchizing society into classes.

Additional Information

• Associated information with different Veda.

The correct answer is Vajji.

Important Points

• Vaishali was the capital of Vajji Mahajanapada.
• The kingdom was situated in Bihar to the north of the river Ganga.
• It covered the districts of Vaishali and Muzaffarpur in Bihar.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Option 1. 

Key Points

• The Rig Veda consists of a total of 1,028 hymns, divided into ten books known as Mandalas.
• Each Mandala is further divided into hymns, which are composed in various poetic meters.
• The hymns are attributed to different seers or rishis, who were the ancient sages or poets believed to have received divine revelations.

Additional Information

•  The Vedas are a collection of ancient Hindu scriptures and are considered the oldest and most authoritative texts in Hinduism.
• There are four main Vedas: the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, the Yajur Veda, and the Atharva Veda. Each Veda has its own unique characteristics and content.
• Rig Veda: It contains a collection of 1,028 hymns, or sukta, composed in Vedic Sanskrit. 
• Sama Veda: The Sama Veda consists of a collection of melodies or chants derived from the hymns of the Rig Veda.
  • The Sama Veda focuses on the musical aspects of the hymns and is often considered a guidebook for priests involved in chanting and singing during rituals.
• Yajur Veda: The Yajur Veda is primarily a guidebook for priests involved in performing sacrificial rituals.
  • The former contains the prose formulas along with some hymns, while the latter contains the prose formulas embedded within the hymns.
• Atharva Veda: The Atharva Veda is distinct from the other three Vedas as it focuses more on practical aspects of life and includes hymns related to healing, magic, charms, and rituals for protection against evil spirits and diseases. 

The correct answer is option 2, i.e. Gandharva Vivah.

The types of marriages During the Vedic Age are:

The correct answer is 10.
Key Points

• The Rigveda is divided into 10 mandalas (books).
• The first and tenth Mandalas are the youngest and the longest.
• The Gayatri mantra is in Rig Veda is taken ffrom Mandala 3.
• Mandala 9 is completely devoted to Soma.
• The 10th mandala contains the Purusha Sukta which explains the 4 Varnas that were born from the Mouth, arms, thighs, and feet of the Brahma or Purusha.
• Nasadiya Sukta which talks about the origin of the Universe is in the 10th Mandala. 

Additional Information

• Vedas are supposed to be the first religious text of the Hindu religion. 
• Veda means knowledge.
• There are four Vedas namely:
  • Rig Veda - Rig Veda contains hymns about mythology
  • Yajur Veda - Only Veda, which is divided into two parts (i.e. Krishna Yajur Veda and Shukla Yajur Veda), contains the knowledge of all sacrificial formulas and weapons. 
  • Sam Veda - It is the Origin of Indian classical music.
  • Atharva Veda - It contains the knowledge of Ayurveda, also charms and spells hence it is known as black Veda.

The correct answer is Anga.

• The ancient city of Champa is believed to be the capital of Anga Mahajanapada.

Key Points

• Anga was an ancient Indian kingdom that flourished on the eastern Indian subcontinent and was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas.
• Present-day Bhagalpur and Munger districts jointly constituted the Anga Mahajanpada.
• The State of Anga is earliest mentioned in Atharvaveda.
• The capital of Anga was Champa/Champawati was earlier called Malini. 
• The first king of Anga was Bali and the last king was Brahmadatta.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Beas and Sutlej.

Key Points

• In the Rigveda, there is a hymn in the form of a dialogue between Sage Vishvamitra and two rivers Beas and Sutlej were worshipped as goddesses.
• Some of the hymns in the Rigveda are in the form of dialogues.
• This is part of one such hymn, a dialogue between a sage named Vishvamitra, and two rivers, Beas and Sutlej that were worshipped as goddesses.

Additional Information

• The Rigveda is in old or Vedic Sanskrit.
• The Rigveda was recited and heard rather than read. It was written down several centuries after it was first composed and printed less than 200 years ago. 

• The oldest Veda is the Rigveda, composed about 3500 years ago.
• The Rigveda includes more than a thousand hymns, called sukta or “well-said”.
• These hymns are in praise of various gods and goddesses. 

The correct answer is Vaishali.

• Vajji was a republican mahajanapada in modern Bihar. Its capital was Vaishali and it was run by ganas or sanghas (assemblies).
• Vajji or Vrijji was a confederacy of neighboring clans including the Licchavis and one of the principal mahajanapadas of ancient India.
• Kingdoms that rose to fame from the 6th Century BC onward were called Mahajanapdas.
• The Mahajanapadas signify the tribes that came together to form different groups and later gave rise to a permanent area of settlements called ‘states’ or ‘Janapadas.’

Important Points

The correct answer is Silver.

Punch marked coins

• It is a type of early coinage in India, dating to between about the 6th and 2nd centuries BC.
• The first coins in India may have been minted around the 6th century BC by the Mahajanpadas of the Indo-Gangetic plain.
• The coins of this period were punch-marked coins called Puranas, Karshapanas, or Pana.
• Several of these coins had a similar symbol. For example, Saurashtra had a humped bull Dakshin Panchala had a Swastika, others like Magadha had several symbols.
• Punched Marked coins were made of silver, had a standard weight but were irregular in shape.
• The irregular shape was made by cutting up silver bars and then making the correct weight by cutting the edges of the coin.
• These coins lack any inscriptions written in contemporary languages and were always struck in silver.
• These unique characters make early Indian coins very different from their contemporaries in Greece.
• Many historians believe that the concept of coinage was introduced by the Greeks in India. But unlike Indian punch-marked coins, Greek coins had inscriptions that were round in shape, were stamped on both sides, and were minted using silver, electrum, and gold too.
• Now historians are certain that the concept of coinage was invented in India independent of foreign influence which imparted unique characteristics to these coins.
• These coins are mentioned in Manu, Panini, and Buddhist Jataka stories and lasted three centuries longer in the south than in the north.
• After the fall of the Maurya Empire and the increased influence of the Indo-Greeks,punch-marked coins were replaced by cast die struck coins as visible in the Post-Mauryan period.
• 

The correct answer is 20.

Key Points

• The Atharvaveda is a collection of 20 khandas.

• The Atharva Veda is the "knowledge storehouse of atharvaṇas, the procedures for everyday life".
• The text is the fourth Veda but has been a late addition to the Vedic scriptures of Hinduism.
• It is a collection of 730 hymns with about 6,000 mantras, divided into 20 books.
• About a sixth of the Atharvaveda texts adapts verses from the Rigveda, and except for Books 15 and 16, the text is in poem form deploying a diversity of Vedic matters.
• Two different recensions of the text – the Paippalada and the Śaunakiya – have survived into modern times.

Additional Information