120+ Ancient India GK Questions and Answers | Indus Valley, Vedic Age, Maurya & Gupta Dynasty for Competitive Exams

 

Ancient India GK | Indus Valley, Vedic Age, Maurya & Gupta Dynasty for Competitive Exams

🏛️ Introduction

Ancient Indian History is one of the most important parts of Static GK for exams like SSC, Railway, Banking, UPSC, OSSC, and OSSSC. Questions are frequently asked about the Indus Valley Civilization, the Vedic Age, the Maurya Empire, and the Gupta Dynasty.

Here, we provide a comprehensive list of over 120 Ancient India GK Questions with Answers in a simple format for quick revision.

🏺 Indus Valley Civilization GK

1. The Indus Valley Civilization is also called? → Harappan Civilization

2. Time period of the Indus Valley Civilization? → 2500–1750 BCE

3. First discovered site of the Indus Valley? → Harappa (1921, by Dayaram Sahni)

4. Mohenjo-Daro was discovered by? → R.D. Banerjee (1922)

5. Largest site in India? → Rakhigarhi (Haryana)

6. Indus site famous for a dockyard? → Lothal

7. Indus site with a stadium? → Dholavira

8. Indus site with fire altars? → Kalibangan

9. Indus site known as the Manchester of Harappan culture? → Chanhudaro

10. The dancing girl statue was found at? → Mohenjo-Daro (Bronze)

11. Bearded Priest-King statue found at? → Mohenjo-Daro (Steatite)

12. Main crops of the Indus people? → Wheat, Barley, Rice

13. Main occupation of the Indus people? → Agriculture & Trade

14. Indus Valley houses were made of? → Baked bricks

15. Indus script? → Undeciphered pictographic

16. Indus people did not know which metal? → Iron

17. Indus people were first to produce which cloth? → Cotton

18. The Great Bath is located at? → Mohenjo-Daro

19. The Granary is found at? → Harappa

20. Dockyard found at? → Lothal

21. Which animal is most depicted on seals? → Unicorn bull

22. Famous bull seal belongs to? → Harappa

23. Evidence of a horse found at? → Surkotada

24. Indus trade linked with which foreign region? → Mesopotamia

25. Script contained approx. how many signs? → 400–600

26. Indus system of weights based on? → Decimal system

27. Indus seals were mainly made of? → Steatite

28. Evidence of rice found at? → Lothal & Rangpur

29. Evidence of a ploughed field found at? → Kalibangan

30. Famous toy carts found at? → Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro

31. The town planning of Indus was? → Grid system

32. The drainage system of the Indus was? → Covered drains with soak pits

33. Which metal was unknown to the Indus? → Iron

34. Indus people worshipped? → Mother Goddess & Proto-Shiva (Pashupati)

35. Indus people worshipped which trees? → Peepal & Neem

36. Indus Valley civilization belongs to which age? → Bronze Age

37. Which site gave evidence of a burial with a pot? → Harappa

38. Which site gave evidence of dice & games? → Lothal

39. Was the Indus Valley mainly urban or rural? → Urban civilization

40. Indus civilization ended due to? → Decline of trade, climate change, Aryan invasion (theory)

📖 Vedic Age GK

41. The Vedic Age is divided into? → Early Vedic (1500–1000 BCE) & Later Vedic (1000–600 BCE)

42. Aryans came to India from? → Central Asia

43. Aryans entered through? → Khyber Pass

44. Rigveda was composed around? → 1500 BCE

45. The Rigveda has how many hymns? → 1,028 hymns

46. The Rigveda has how many mandalas? → 10 mandalas

47. Is Gayatri Mantra in? → Rigveda (Mandala 3)

48. Which Veda is the Book of Songs? → Samaveda

49. Which Veda deals with rituals? → Yajurveda

50. Which Veda is the Book of Spells? → Atharvaveda

51. The most important god of the Rigveda? → Indra (God of Rain & War)

52. Agni was the god of? → Fire

53. Soma was the god of? → Plants/Drink

54. Varuna was the god of? → Water & Morality

55. Yama was the god of? → Death

56. The Battle of Ten Kings (Dasarajna) is mentioned in? → Rigveda

57. Sudas was the king of? → Bharata tribe

58. Early Vedic economy was? → Pastoral & cattle-based

59. Later Vedic economy was? → Agriculture-based

60. Cow was considered as? → Wealth

61. Varna system started in? → Later Vedic period

62. Four varnas were? → Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra

63. The Assembly of Elders was called? → Sabha

64. The assembly of people was called? → Samiti

65. The language of the Vedas? → Sanskrit

66. Upanishads mainly deal with? → Philosophy & Soul (Atman & Brahman)

67. Vedangas are? → Auxiliary texts of the Vedas

68. Early Vedic houses were made of? → Wood & bamboo

69. Rigvedic rivers are called? → Sapta Sindhu (Seven Rivers)

70. Women in the early Vedic age had? → Better status compared to later Vedic

🦚 Maurya Empire GK

71. Who founded the Maurya Empire? → Chandragupta Maurya (321 BCE)

72. Mentor of Chandragupta? → Chanakya (Kautilya)

73. Book written by Kautilya? → Arthashastra

74. Chandragupta defeated which ruler of Magadha? → Dhanananda

75. Chandragupta defeated which Greek general? → Seleucus Nicator

76. Seleucus gave which territories? → Afghanistan & Baluchistan

77. Megasthenes visited Chandragupta’s court as an ambassador of? → Seleucus

78. Megasthenes wrote → Indica

79. Bindusara’s Greek name was? → Amitrochates

80. Bindusara was known as? → Amitraghata

81. Greek ambassador in Bindusara’s court? → Deimachus

82. Ashoka was the governor of? → Ujjain & Taxila

83. Ashoka fought which famous war? → Kalinga War (261 BCE)

84. Ashoka embraced which religion? → Buddhism

85. Ashoka’s son Mahinda and daughter Sanghamitra went to? → Sri Lanka

86. Ashoka’s edicts were mainly written in? → Prakrit language, Brahmi script

87. Which edict mentions the Kalinga War? → 13th Rock Edict

88. Ashoka’s edict mentioning the welfare of animals? → 5th Pillar Edict

89. The Kandahar inscription was in which language? → Greek & Aramaic

90. Ashoka appointed which officers? → Dhamma Mahamatras

91. Ashoka’s wheel symbol is today’s? → Ashoka Chakra (on the Indian flag)

92. Last Maurya ruler? → Brihadratha

93. Brihadratha was killed by? → Pushyamitra Shunga

94. Capital of the Maurya Empire? → Pataliputra

95. The Maurya Empire was divided into how many provinces? → 4 (Ujjain, Taxila, Tosali, Suvarnagiri)

🌟 Gupta Dynasty GK

96. Founder of the Gupta dynasty? → Sri Gupta

97. Who expanded Gupta power? → Chandragupta I

98. Which title did Chandragupta I adopt? → Maharajadhiraja

99. Samudragupta is known as? → Napoleon of India

100. Samudragupta’s achievements mentioned in? → Prayaga Prashasti (Allahabad Pillar Inscription)

101. Author of Prayaga Prashasti? → Harisena

102. Samudragupta famous for? → Conquests & playing Veena

103. Chandragupta II is also known as? → Vikramaditya

104. Chandragupta II defeated which foreigners? → Shakas

105. Chinese traveler during Gupta period? → Fa-Hien

106. Fa-Hien visited India mainly to study? → Buddhism

107. Famous poet in Gupta period? → Kalidasa

108. Works of Kalidasa? → Meghaduta, Raghuvamsha, Shakuntalam

109. Famous mathematician of Gupta period? → Aryabhatta

110. Aryabhatta wrote? → Aryabhatiya

111. Aryabhatta discovered? → Zero, Rotation of Earth, π (Pi value)

112. Varahamihira wrote? → Brihatsamhita

113. Gupta period famous university? → Nalanda University

114. Nalanda University established by? → Kumaragupta I

115. Gupta coins made of? → Gold (Dinars)

116. Chandragupta II issued which coins? → Silver coins after defeating Shakas

117. Famous cave paintings of Gupta period? → Ajanta Caves

118. Last great Gupta ruler? → Skandagupta

119. Skandagupta defeated? → Hunas

120. Decline of Gupta empire due to? → Huna invasions, weak rulers, internal revolts

📌 Quick Revision Points

• Indus Valley: First urban civilization, grid city planning, Great Bath, Cotton, Bronze Age

• Vedic Age: Rigveda, Varna system, Assemblies, Sanskrit literature

• Maurya Empire: Chandragupta, Ashoka, Kalinga War, Buddhism, Arthashastra

• Gupta Dynasty: Golden Age, Samudragupta, Kalidasa, Aryabhatta, Nalanda

📝 Conclusion

This complete list of 120+ Ancient India GK Questions and Answers covers the most important facts from the Indus Valley Civilization, Vedic Age, Maurya Empire, and Gupta Dynasty. These are highly useful for SSC, Railway, Banking, UPSC, OSSC, OSSSC, and other government exams.

👉 For more exam-focused content, check our Static GK Section and Current Affairs Section regularly.

❓ FAQs

Q1. Who is known as the Napoleon of India?
A1. Samudragupta (Gupta Dynasty).

Q2. The Great Bath is found at which Indus Valley site?
A2. Mohenjo-Daro.

Q3. Who wrote Arthashastra?
A3. Kautilya (Chanakya).

Q4. Who was the last Maurya ruler?
A4. Brihadratha.

Q5. Why is Gupta period called Golden Age of India?
A5. Due to progress in art, science, mathematics, and literature.