Overview
Ancient History Solved UPSC Previous Year Questions :The Ancient History section is a fundamental area that offers deep insights into the early civilizations, cultural developments, and significant dynasties that shaped India. This section is crucial for both Prelims and Mains, typically featuring 5 to 10 questions.
Most of the questions comes from Buddhism, Jainism, the Mauryan and Gupta empires, and the Indus Valley Civilization topics regularly. To excel in this section, a strategic study plan is essential. You can refer to old NCERT textbooks and additional sources like Nitin Singhania’s Art and Culture book, R.S. Sharma’s India’s Ancient Past, and The Wonder That Was India. Moreover, practicing with Ancient History Solved UPSC Previous Year Questions is a key strategy to familiarize oneself with the question patterns and formats, such as multiple-choice, matching pairs, and chronological sequences.
UPSC Ancient History Solved Questions 2024
1. Which one of the following is a work attributed to playwright Bhasa?
(a) Kavyalankara
(b) Natyashastra
(c) Madhyama-vyayoga
(d) Mahabhashya
The correct answer is:
(c) Madhyama-vyayoga
Madhyama-vyayoga is one of the plays attributed to the ancient Indian playwright Bhasa. The other options are related to different works and scholars:
- Kavyalankara is a work on poetics attributed to Bhamaha.
- Natyashastra is an ancient Indian treatise on performing arts attributed to Bharata Muni.
- Mahabhashya is a commentary on Panini’s grammar by Patanjali.
Click Here to know more about the works of Bhasa
2. Sanghabhuti, an Indian Buddhist monk, who travelled to China at the end of the fourth century AD, was the author of a commentary on :
(a) Prajnaparamita Sutra
(b) Visuddhimagga
(c) Sarvastivada Vinaya
(d) Lalitavistara
The correct Answer is: (c) Sarvastivada Vinaya
Sanghabhuti authored a commentary on the Sarvastivada Vinaya, a significant text within the Sarvastivada school of Buddhism. This school was one of the early Buddhist traditions and had a substantial influence on Buddhist monastic rules and practices.
3. With reference to ancient India, Gautama Buddha was generally known by which of the following epithets?
- Nayaputta
- Shakyamuni
- Tathagata
Select the correct answer using the code given:
- 1 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
- None of the above are epithets of Gautama Buddha
The correct answer is 2 and 3 only.
In ancient India, Gautama Buddha was known by several epithets, including:
- Shakyamuni: Meaning “Sage of the Shakyas,” referring to his belonging to the Shakya clan.
- Tathagata: Meaning “Thus Gone” or “Thus Come,” a term the Buddha used to refer to himself, indicating his transcendence of worldly existence.
Nayaputta is not a commonly recognized epithet for Gautama Buddha.
4. Consider the following information:
In which of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 1 and 4
The correct answer is (b) 2 and 3
Here’s the correct matching for each site:
- Chandraketugarh – Located in West Bengal (not Odisha), it is indeed a trading port town.
- Inamgaon – Located in Maharashtra, it is a Chalcolithic site.
- Mangadu – Located in Kerala, it is known for its Megalithic site.
- Salihundam – Located in Andhra Pradesh, it is known for number of Buddhist stupas and a huge monastic complexits and not rock-cut cave shrines.
5. Consider the following statements:
- There are no parables in Upanishads.
- Upanishads were composed earlier than the Puranas.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
The correct answer is (b) 2 only.
Here’s the explanation:
Statement 1: There are no parables in Upanishads.
- This statement is incorrect. The Upanishads do contain parables, which are allegorical stories used to convey spiritual and philosophical teachings. For example, the Chandogya Upanishad contains the parable of Svetaketu, which teaches the nature of the self.
Statement 2: Upanishads were composed earlier than the Puranas.
- This statement is correct. The Upanishads, which are part of the Vedic literature, were composed earlier than the Puranas. The Upanishads were composed between roughly 800 BCE and 500 BCE, while the Puranas were composed much later, during the early centuries CE.
So, only the second statement is correct. Click Here to read more about Upanishads.
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