Indus Valley MCQs

Q21. Which Mauryan ruler is credited with establishing a highly centralized administrative system in ancient India?

(A) Bindusara
(B) Ashoka
(C) Chandragupta Maurya
(D) Brihadratha
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Correct Answer: (C) Chandragupta Maurya
Notes: Chandragupta Maurya established a highly centralized administration with the assistance of Chanakya. The empire was divided into provinces, districts, and villages, ensuring efficient governance, taxation, and law enforcement across vast territories.

Q22. Which of the following inscriptions provides the earliest evidence of Ashoka’s personal commitment to Buddhism?

(A) Major Rock Edict XIII
(B) Bhabru Edict
(C) Pillar Edict VII
(D) Queen’s Edict
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Correct Answer: (B) Bhabru Edict
Notes: The Bhabru Edict clearly expresses Ashoka’s devotion to Buddhism and recommends specific Buddhist teachings for study. It is considered important evidence of his personal faith in Buddhist principles.

Q23. According to the Arthashastra, what was the primary source of state revenue during the Mauryan period?

(A) Customs duties
(B) Trade taxes
(C) Land revenue
(D) Mining taxes
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Correct Answer: (C) Land revenue
Notes: Agriculture formed the backbone of the Mauryan economy. Land revenue, generally collected as a share of agricultural produce, constituted the most important source of income for the state.

Q24. Which Mauryan province had Taxila as its administrative headquarters?

(A) Eastern Province
(B) Southern Province
(C) Northwestern Province
(D) Western Province
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Correct Answer: (C) Northwestern Province
Notes: Taxila served as the capital of the northwestern province of the Mauryan Empire. It was strategically important for trade, military defense, and diplomatic relations with Central and West Asia.

Q25. Which Ashokan inscription forbids certain forms of animal slaughter and promotes compassion toward living beings?

(A) Major Rock Edict I
(B) Major Rock Edict XIII
(C) Pillar Edict IV
(D) Minor Rock Edict I
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Correct Answer: (A) Major Rock Edict I
Notes: Major Rock Edict I emphasizes non-violence toward animals and restricts animal sacrifices. It reflects Ashoka’s efforts to promote ethical conduct and compassion after embracing Buddhism.

Q26. Which official was responsible for maintaining law and order at the village level in the Mauryan administration?

(A) Samaharta
(B) Sthanika
(C) Gramika
(D) Mahamatra
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Correct Answer: (C) Gramika
Notes: The Gramika was the village headman responsible for local administration, law and order, tax collection assistance, and communication between villagers and higher authorities.

Q27. Which Mauryan ruler convened the Third Buddhist Council to purify the Buddhist Sangha?

(A) Chandragupta Maurya
(B) Bindusara
(C) Ashoka
(D) Dasharatha
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Correct Answer: (C) Ashoka
Notes: Ashoka sponsored the Third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra around 250 BCE. The council aimed to remove corrupt practices and strengthen the doctrinal purity of Buddhism.

Q28. The famous Lion Capital of Sarnath, adopted as the National Emblem of India, was erected during the reign of which ruler?

(A) Chandragupta Maurya
(B) Bindusara
(C) Ashoka
(D) Pushyamitra Shunga
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Correct Answer: (C) Ashoka
Notes: The Lion Capital of Sarnath was commissioned by Ashoka to commemorate Buddha’s first sermon. It features four lions and the Dharma Chakra and was adopted as India’s National Emblem in 1950.

Q29. Which foreign language was used along with Greek in some of Ashoka’s northwestern inscriptions?

(A) Persian
(B) Aramaic
(C) Latin
(D) Hebrew
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Correct Answer: (B) Aramaic
Notes: Some Ashokan inscriptions found in Afghanistan were written in Greek and Aramaic, reflecting the multicultural character of the northwestern frontier and the influence of Hellenistic populations.

Q30. Which event is generally regarded as the beginning of the decline of the Mauryan Empire?

(A) Chandragupta’s accession
(B) Kalinga War
(C) Death of Ashoka
(D) Seleucid Treaty
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Correct Answer: (C) Death of Ashoka
Notes: After Ashoka’s death in 232 BCE, weak successors, administrative difficulties, and regional revolts gradually weakened the empire. This led to the eventual fall of the Mauryan Dynasty under Brihadratha in 185 BCE.

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