This is Vedic Era and Mahajanapadas MCQs quiz (Based on previous-year questions) useful for UPSC, SSC, Railway and other Government Exams.
The Vedic Era and Mahajanapadas Free MCQ’s Quiz With Explanation
The Vedic Age is from 1500 BC to 600 BC. After the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization around 1400 BC, this was the next major civilization in ancient India. The Vedas were written during this period, hence the name. The Vedas are also the primary source of information for this period. The arrival of the Aryans, or Indo-Aryans, marked the beginning of the Vedic Age.
Mahajanapdas were kingdoms that rose to prominence beginning in the sixth century BC. The Mahajanapadas represent the tribes that came together to form various groups, giving rise to a permanent area of settlements known as’states’ or ‘Janapadas.’
The Vedic Era and Mahajanapadas Quiz
1. The earliest evidence of the use of iron in India has been discovered from [UPPSC (Pre) 1998] & [UPSC CAPF 2016]
(a) Taxila
(b) Atranjikhera
(c) Kaushambi
(d) Hastinapur
Correct Answer: B
Iron was first discovered in India at a number of places over various historical and cultural phases. In north India, important sites include Ahichchhatra in district Bareilly, Jakhera and Atranjikhera in district Etah, Hastinapura in district Meerut, and Kausambi in district Kausambi. The words Krishna-ayas, Shyama, and Shyama-ayas (the black or dark metal) in the Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda all allude to this metal.
2. Nivi, Paridhan and Adhivasa were the [CDS 2005]
(a) different types of garments of the Aryans.
(b) government officials of the Aryan kings.
(c) tribal people of ancient Indians.
(d) musical instrument of ancient Indians.
Correct Answer: A
Different types of garments of the Aryans Nivi, Paridhan and Adhivasa were the different types of garments of the Aryans
3. Who was the first European to designate Aryan as a race? [SSC 2006]
(a) William Jones
(b) HH Wilson
(c) Max Muller
(d) General Cunningham
Correct Answer: C
Max Muller is a German-born philologist. He was the first to embrace the Aryans. He studied religion and its notions extensively. He named and described other Aryan traditions.
4. Give the name of the tribe which is not related to the ‘Panchajana’ of the Rigveda Aryans. [UPPSC (Mains) 2009]
(a) Yadu
(b) Puru
(c) Turvasa
(d) Kikat
Correct Answer: D
5. Which of the following inscriptions tells about the Aryan’s movement from Iran to India? [UPPSC (Mains) 2009]
(a) Mansehra
(b) Shahbajgarhi
(c) Boghaz-Koi
(d) Junagarh
Correct Answer: C
One of the Boghazkoi inscriptions demonstrates that the Aryans originate from Central Asia and migrated from Iran to India.
6. Which of the following Vedas is not a part of Vedatrayi?[SSC 2017] & [MP HSTET 2018]
(a) Rigveda
(b) Yajurveda
(c) Samaveda
(d) Atharvaveda
Correct Answer: D
There are four Vedas in total: Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda.
Atharva Veda is the youngest of the four Vedas and did not exist when Vedatrayi was introduced. As a result, Vedatrayi excludes Atharva Veda. It is also known as ‘the book of magic and charms’. It dates back to 1000-600 BCE.
7. In the Vedic period, the people called Panis, were [HPSC 2012]
(a) those who controlled trades
(b) cattle breeders
(c) cowheads
(d) ploughmen
Correct Answer: A
There was a class of merchants known as ‘Pani’ who controlled the trade. The terms “ganas” or corporations and “sreshthins” obviously refer to the founding of guilds or corporations to facilitate trade and commerce.
8. Which of the following rivers was known as Purushni in the Vedic Period? [SSC CGL 2019] & [SSC CGL 2020]
(a) Ravi
(b) Sutlej
(c) Beas
(d) Chenab
Correct Answer: A
The Ravi is a transboundary river that connects northwest India to East Pakistan. This is one of the six rivers in the Punjab Indus basin (Punjab meaning “five rivers”). The Ravi waters are given to India under the Indus Waters Treaty. Its origins can be traced back to the Multan Tehsil district of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India.
9. Which one of the following rivers was earlier known as ‘Vitasta’? [NDA 2019] & [ DSSSB AE Civil 27 Sept 2021 ]
(a) Tista
(b) Jhelum
(c) Tungabhadra
(d) Bharatpuzha
Correct Answer: B
10. Which hymns of the Rigveda are considered to contain the rudiments of the Indian drama? [IAS (Pre) 2006] & [SSC CHSL 2020]
(a) Vivaha-sukta
(b) Apri-sukta
(c) Samaveda-sukta
(d) Purusha-sukta
Correct Answer: D
Purusha Sukta is a Rigvedic hymn. Purusha Sukta reflects on marital customs in the Rigveda’s tenth Mandala.
11. Which one of the following Brahmana texts belongs to the Rigveda? [MPPSC 2017] & [UPJASE 2021]
(a) Aitareya Brahmana
(b) Gopatha Brahmana
(c) Shatapatha Brahmana
(d) Taittiriya Brahmana
Correct Answer: A
Aitareya Brahmana is a branch or portion of the Rigveda attributed to Mahidasa Aitareya. It is broken into eight panchikas, with the final two explaining the coronation ritual. According to the Aitareya Brahmana, the coronation oath must be repeated with faith. The king promises: “I will never be arbitrary.”
12. ‘Rigveda’ was originally composed in which one of the following languages? [UPPSC 2018]
(a) Pali
(b) Sanskrit
(c) Prakrit
(d) Brahmi
Correct Answer: B
The Rigveda is Hinduism’s oldest sacred scripture, composed initially in Sanskrit.Its early levels contain some of the oldest existing literature in any Indo-European language. The Rigveda’s sounds and texts have been handed orally since the second millennium BCE. According to philological and linguistic evidence, the majority of the Rigveda Samhita was written in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, most likely between 1500 and 1000 BCE.
13. ‘Gopatha Brahmana’ is associated with [UPRO/ARO (Pre) 2014]
(a) Yajurveda
(b) Samaveda
(c) Atharvaveda
(d) Rigveda
Correct Answer: C
The Gopatha Brahmana is related with the Atharva Veda. The Yajur Veda is an ancient collection of Sanskrit mantras and hymns that are employed in Hindu devotion and ritual.
14. Who composed the Gayatri Mantra? [UKPSC (Pre) 2006]
(a) Vasishtha
(b) Vishwamitra
(c) Indra
(d) Parikshit
Correct Answer: B
Vishvamitra is the composer of the Gayatri mantra. Gayatri Mantra initially appears in the Rig Veda. It is also known as the Savitri mantra. Vashishtha composed hymns dedicated to Agni, Indra, and other gods. Gayatri Mantra is frequently referenced in Vedic and post-Vedic sources.
15. The ‘Mantra’ famous with the name of ‘Gayatri Mantra’ found in which of the following scriptures? [UPPSC (Pre) 2013] & [CG TET 2017]
(a) Bhagavad Gita
(b) Atharvaveda
(c) Rigveda
(d) Manusmriti
Correct Answer: C
Rigveda contains the popular Gayatrimantra. Gayatrimantra is a highly regarded Rig Vedic mantra devoted to Savitri, the deity of the five elements. The Gayatrimantra is frequently quoted in Vedic and post-Vedic texts, including the mantra lists of the Srauta ritual and major Hindu books like the Bhagavad Gita. The Rigveda is an ancient Indian compilation of Vedic Sanskrit hymns. It is one of Hinduism’s four sacred canonical scriptures, the Vedas.
16. The word Gotra occurs for the first time in [UPPSC (Mains) 2005] & [UPRVUNL JE EE 2015]
(a) Atharvaveda
(b) Rigveda
(c) Samaveda
(d) Yajurveda
Correct Answer: B
The word gotra (kinship unit or clan) appeared for the first time in the Rigveda.
17. The largest number of the Mantras in Rigveda belongs to [UPPSC (Mains) 2010]
(a) Indra
(b) Varuna
(c) Vishnu
(d) Yama
Correct Answer: A
In the Rig Veda, the most prominent god was Indra, also known as Purandara or the fortress-breaker. There are 255 hymns devoted to Indra. The second and third most significant gods were Agni and Varuna.
18. In the early Rigvedic period, what was considered to be the most valuable property? [UPPSC 2015] & [ DSSSB TGT 2018]
(a) Land
(b) Cow
(c) Women
(d) Water
Correct Answer: B
Cows were considered the most valuable possession during the early Rig Vedic period. Cattle rearing was their primary occupation. During the Rigvedic period, the cow was known as ‘Godhana’ or ‘cow riches’. Cow milk was the primary food source for the Aryans, and it was used to prepare Ghee for sacrifice.
19. The name ‘Aghanya’ mentioned in many passages of the Rigveda refers to [UPPSC 2017]
(a) priests
(b) women
(c) cows
(d) brahmins
Correct Answer: C
The cow is also referred to as Aghanya in the Rig Veda, meaning ‘the one who does not deserve to be killed’. The cow is also referred to as Rudras’ Mother, Vasus’ Daughter, Adityas’ Sister, and the Center of Nectar in the Rig Veda.
20. Satyamev Jayate’ which is engraved on the Indian Emblem has been taken from [UPPSC 2014] & [Punjab Patwari 2016]
(a) Rigveda
(b) Bhagavad Gita
(c) Mundaka Upanishad
(d) Matsya Purana
Correct Answer: C
The words “Satyameva Jayate”, which appear on India’s state emblem, are borrowed from the Mundaka Upanishad.
21. The legend of Satyakam Jabal, which challenges the stigma of being an unmarried mother, is mentioned in [RAS/RTS (Pre) 2016] & [HTET TGT Social Studies 2017]
(a) Jabal Upanishad
(b) Prashnophishad
(c) Chhandogya Upanishad
(d) Kathopanishad
Correct Answer: C
Satyakama Jabala is sometimes called Sathyakama Jabali. He was a Vedic sage. The narrative of Satyakama Jabala is told in Chandogya Upanisad Chapter IV.
22. Ashtadhyayi was written by [RAS/RTS 2008]
(a) Ved Vyas
(b) Panini
(c) Shukadeva
(d) Valmiki
Correct Answer: B
Panini, an Indian grammarian, wrote Ashtadhyayi between the sixth and fifth centuries BCE.
23. The priest associated with King Videgha Madhava referred in Shatapatha Brahmin was [UP Lower Sub (Pre) 2015]
(a) Rishi Bharadwaj
(b) Rishi Vashistha
(c) Rishi-Vishwamitra
(d) Rishi Gautama Rahugana
Correct Answer: D
24. The famous battle of Ten Kings’ described in the Rigveda was fought on as the bank of (UPPSC (Mains) 2008] & UPPSC AE 2013
(a) Parushni
(b) Sarasvati
(c) Vipasa
(d) Asikni
Correct Answer: A
The fight between the Bharatas on one side and a group of ten chiefs on the other was known as the fight of Ten Kings (Dasraja).
This war was fought on the Parushni River, and Sudas, king of the Bharatas, won and established his reign in the upper Gangetic basin, where he played a significant role in later Vedic periods.
25. In the 10th Mandala of the Rigveda, which one of the following hymns reflects upon the marriage ceremonies? (CDS 2018]
(a) Surya Sukta
(b) Purusha Sukta
(c) Dana Sutra
(d) Uma Sutra
Correct Answer: B
Purusha Sukta muses on marital customs in the Rigveda’s tenth Mandala.
26. What were the two assemblies during the Early Vedic period? [WBCS 2020]
(a) Samiti
(b) Sabha
(c) Samiti and Sangam
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Correct Answer: C
27. The staple food of the Vedic Aryan was (SSC 2008)
(a) barley and rice
(b) milk and its products
(c) rice and pulses
(d) vegetables and fruits
Correct Answer: B
In short, milk and its products were the Vedic Aryans’ basic foods, supplemented with cereals, fruits, and vegetables. Milk and its products were a staple of their diet and culture.
28. Who founded Pataliputra? [BPSC 2008]
(a) Udayin
(b) Ashoka
(c) Bimbisara
(d) Mahapadmananda
Correct Answer: A
According to Jain and Brahmanical texts, Udayabhadra/Udayin, son of Ajatashatru, was the first king to construct Pataliputra as Magadha’s capital.
29. First ruler of Magadha from the Haryanka Dynasty was [SSC CGL 2019] & [SSC CGL 2020]
(a) Ashoka
(b) Prasenajit
(c) Bimbisara
(d) Ajatashatru
Correct Answer: C
It was founded by Bimbisara. He began the policy of annexation and growth. He invaded Anga and formed a marriage relationship with the daughter of the king of Kosala, Prasenjit’s sister.
30. Which Magadha ruler was known as ‘Seniya’? [WBCS 2017]
(a) Bimbisara
(b) Ajatashatru
(c) Mahapadma Nanda
(d) Chandragupta Maurya
Correct Answer: A
King Bimbisara, also known as Shrenika or Seniya, was the son of the Haryanka dynasty’s founder, King Bhattiya. Bimbisara first annexed Anga in the east.
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FAQs About Vedic Era and Mahajanapadas
Q. What are the Mahajanapadas of Vedic period? Ans. Some popular Mahajanapadas included Anga, Magadha, Kashi, Kosala, Vajji, Malla, Chedi, Vatsa, Kuru, Panchala, Matsya, Surasena, Asmaka, Avanti, Gandhara, and Kambhoja.
Q. What are the two types of Mahajanapadas? Ans. There were two types of mahajanapadas: republics and monarchies. Vajji, Malla, Kuru, and Kamboja were republican nations, whilst Anga, Vatsa, Gandhara, Matsya, Kashi, Anti, Shursena, and Chedi had monarchical regimes.
Q. Which Magadha ruler known as seniya? Ans. King Bimbisara, also known as Shrenika or Seniya, was the son of the Haryanka dynasty’s founder, King Bhattiya. Bimbisara first annexed Anga in the east. Ajatashatru, King Bimbsara’s successor, continued the expansionist ideas.
The Vedic Era and Mahajanapadas Free MCQ’s Quiz With Explanation
