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MCQ on Mauryan Empire for UPSC Students
Quick Quiz
Who among the following was linked with revenue collection in the Mauryan Mantriparishad?
(a) Samaharta
(b) Vyabharika
(c) Antapala
(d) Pradeshtha
Option a – Samaharta
Which Mauryan officer was responsible for regulating weights and measures?
(a) Pautavadhyaksha
(b) Panyadhyaksha
(c) Sitadhyaksha
(d) Sunadhyaksha
Option a – Pautavadhyaksha
In the Mauryan administration, ‘Pankodakasannirodhe’ referred to a penalty for
(a) supplying dirty drinking water
(b) washing roads
(c) dumping waste
(d) polluting temples
Option b – washing roads
The most prominent educational hub during the Mauryan era was
(a) Vaishali
(b) Nalanda
(c) Taxila
(d) Ujjain
Option c – Taxila
The system of village self-governance through elected Panchayats was introduced by
(a) Kushans
(b) Dravidians
(c) Aryans
(d) Mauryans
Option d – Mauryans
Which part of current municipal administration dates back to the Mauryan period?
(a) Checking weights and measures
(b) Fixing product prices
(c) Recording births and deaths
(d) Safeguarding artisans
Option c – Recording births and deaths
The Mauryan official known as ‘Agronomai’ was involved in
(a) Standardizing weights and measures
(b) Administrative coordination
(c) Road construction
(d) Revenue collection
Option c – Road construction
During Mauryan rule, ‘Pin tax’ referred to
(a) a labor-related tax
(b) an irrigation tax
(c) a levy on non-agricultural items
(d) a tax collected from villages
Option d – a tax collected from villages
In the Mauryan period, tax evaders faced
(a) Execution
(b) Seizure of goods
(c) Jail time
(d) No penalty
Option a – Execution
The term ‘Sita’ in Mauryan administration indicated
(a) a deity
(b) a religious community
(c) revenue from royal lands
(d) unused lands
Option c – revenue from royal lands
During the Mauryan Empire, coins were primarily minted using
(a) Gold and silver
(b) Silver and copper
(c) Copper and bronze
(d) Gold and copper
Option b – Silver and copper
The head of a Mauryan district (Ahara), who also managed revenue, civil, and military affairs, was called
(a) Krori
(b) Rajuka
(c) Faujdar
(d) Chirastadar
Option b – Rajuka
The first hospitals and herbal gardens in India were established by
(a) Ashoka
(b) Chandragupta Maurya
(c) Lord Mahavir
(d) Dhanvantari
Option a – Ashoka
Which of the following mentions that slavery did not exist in ancient India?
(a) Arthashastra
(b) Mudrarakshasa
(c) Megasthenes’ Indica
(d) Vayupuran
Option c – Megasthenes’ Indica
According to Megasthenes, Indian society was divided into how many groups?
(a) Four
(b) Five
(c) Six
(d) Seven
Option d – Seven
Which ancient Indian text allowed a woman to divorce if abandoned by her husband?
(a) Kamasutra
(b) Manusmriti
(c) Sukra Nitisara
(d) Arthashastra
Option d – Arthashastra
Which of these texts forbade remarriage?
(a) Jataka
(b) Manusmriti
(c) Yagyavalkya
(d) Arthashastra
Option b – Manusmriti
Which of the following supported Buddhism?
I. Chandragupta
II. Ashoka
III. Bindusara
IV. Dasharatha
(a) I and II
(b) II and III
(c) II and IV
(d) III and IV
Option d – III and IV
Kautilya’s Arthashastra primarily focuses on
(a) Economic systems
(b) Political strategies
(c) Religious customs
(d) Social structures
Option a – Economic systems
The term ‘Sarthwah’ refers to
(a) Brokers
(b) Merchant caravans
(c) Money lenders
(d) Pilgrims
Option b – Merchant caravans
Which among the following was not a Mauryan official?
(a) Agraharika
(b) Yukta
(c) Pradeshika
(d) Rajuka
Option a – Agraharika
The archaeological site at Kumrahar is linked to which ancient city?
(a) Vaishali
(b) Pataliputra
(c) Kapilavastu
(d) Shravasti
Option b – Pataliputra
In the 4th century BCE, Magadha’s capital was moved to
(a) Mathura
(b) Varanasi
(c) Panipat
(d) Pataliputra
Option d – Pataliputra
Which ancient Indian record is the earliest known royal order to store grains for emergencies?
(a) Sohagaura copper plate
(b) Rummindei Pillar Edict of Ashoka
(c) Prayaga-Prasasti
(d) Mehrauli Pillar inscription of Chandra
Option a – Sohagaura copper plate
Kautilya’s Arthashastra is mainly a treatise on
(a) Economic relations
(b) Governance and political administration
(c) International diplomacy
(d) Wealth management
Option b – Governance and political administration
Who issued the following advice in an inscription: “One who glorifies his own sect and criticizes another out of blind devotion does harm to his own sect”?
(a) Ashoka
(b) Samudragupta
(c) Harshavardhana
(d) Krishnadeva Raya
Option a – Ashoka
Where is an Ashokan edict located in Uttarakhand?
(a) Dev Prayag
(b) Kalsi
(c) Kedarnath
(d) Rishikesh
Option b – Kalsi
Which Ashokan edict highlights his association with Buddhism?
(a) Major Rock Edict 13
(b) Rock Edict 6
(c) Minor Rock Edict 1
(d) Pillar Edict 4
Option a – Major Rock Edict 13
In which location of Uttarakhand was a copy of Ashoka’s rock edict discovered?
(a) Nainital
(b) Pauri
(c) Tehri
(d) Kalsi (Dehradun District)
Option d – Kalsi (Dehradun District)
The details of the Kalinga War are found in
(a) Rock Edict XIII
(b) Rummindei Pillar Inscription
(c) Accounts of Hiuen Tsang
(d) Minor Rock Edict I
Option a – Rock Edict XIII
Kalsi is notable for
(a) Buddhist prayer halls
(b) Ancient Persian coins
(c) Ashokan rock edicts
(d) Temples from the Gupta era
Option c – Ashokan rock edicts
Which edict contains Ashoka’s personal name?
(a) Kalsi
(b) Rummindei
(c) Special Kalinga Edict
(d) Maski
Option d – Maski
In which Ashokan inscription is there a reference to South Indian kingdoms?
(a) Third Major Rock Edict
(b) Second Major Rock Edict
(c) Ninth Major Rock Edict
(d) First Pillar Inscription
Option b – Second Major Rock Edict
Who was the first to decipher Emperor Ashoka’s inscriptions?
(a) Georg Buhler
(b) James Prinsep
(c) Max Muller
(d) William Jones
Option b – James Prinsep
Which scholar first successfully read Ashoka’s inscriptions?
(a) Buhler
(b) Robert Sebel
(c) James Prinsep
(d) Cordriguttan
Option c – James Prinsep
The Gujarra minor rock edict, which mentions Ashoka’s name, is located in ( MCQ on Mauryan Empire for UPSC )
(a) Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh
(b) Datia district, Madhya Pradesh
(c) Jaipur district, Rajasthan
(d) Champaran district, Bihar
Option b – Datia district, Madhya Pradesh
Ashokan rock edicts that mention the Sangam Kingdom include
(a) I and X
(b) I and XI
(c) II and XIII
(d) II and XIV
Option c – II and XIII
Which Ashokan rock edict talks about the Kalinga war and its consequences?
(a) Rock Edict I
(b) Rock Edict II
(c) Rock Edict XII
(d) Rock Edict XIII
Option d – Rock Edict XIII
Which of the following is accurate regarding Ashoka’s inscriptions?
(a) Pillar edicts were distributed across the empire.
(b) The edicts reveal Ashoka’s personal life but not the empire’s political events.
(c) Rock and pillar edicts cover entirely separate topics.
(d) Greek and Aramaic edicts are translations of other edicts.
Option b – The edicts reveal Ashoka’s personal life but not the empire’s political events.
Which Ashokan inscription is mainly about religious tolerance? ( MCQ on Mauryan Empire for UPSC )
(a) Rock Edict XIII
(b) Rock Edict XII
(c) Pillar Edict VII
(d) Bhabru minor rock edict
Option b – Rock Edict XII
Which inscription refers to both Chandragupta and Ashoka?
(a) Nasik inscription of Gautami Putra Satkarni
(b) Junagarh inscription of Mahasatrap Rudradaman
(c) Girnar inscription of Ashoka
(d) Junagarh inscription of Skandagupta
Option b – Junagarh inscription of Mahasatrap Rudradaman
Which statement about Ashoka’s stone pillars is incorrect?
(a) They have a fine polish.
(b) They are carved from a single stone.
(c) The pillars taper towards the top.
(d) They were part of building structures.
Option d – They were part of building structures.
The Rummindei pillar inscription was set up to commemorate ( MCQ on Mauryan Empire for UPSC )
(a) Buddha’s birth
(b) Buddha’s enlightenment
(c) Buddha’s first sermon
(d) Buddha’s passing
Option a – Buddha’s birth
In which relief sculpture is ‘Ranyo Ashoka’ (King Ashoka) mentioned along with his stone portrait?
(a) Kanganahalli
(b) Sanchi
(c) Shahbazgarhi
(d) Sohgaura
Option a – Kanganahalli
Which event deeply influenced Ashoka’s administrative policies?
(a) The Third Buddhist Council
(b) The Kalinga War
(c) His conversion to Buddhism
(d) His missionary efforts in Sri Lanka
Option a – The Third Buddhist Council
The ‘Saptanga’ theory in the Arthashastra refers to ( MCQ on Mauryan Empire for UPSC )
(a) King, territory, administration, and treasury
(b) Music, dance, ragas, and wrestling
(c) Ministers, officers, spies, and subordinates
(d) Nobles, teachers, merchants, and monks
Option a – King, territory, administration, and treasury
Which work provides information about the administration of Patliputra?
(a) Divyavandana
(b) Arthashastra
(c) Indica
(d) Ashoka’s inscriptions
Option b – Arthashastra
Kautilya served as the Prime Minister of ( MCQ on Mauryan Empire for UPSC )
(a) Chandragupta Vikramaditya
(b) Ashoka
(c) Chandragupta Maurya
(d) King Janaka
Option c – Chandragupta Maurya
Another name for Chanakya was
(a) Bhattswami
(b) Vishnugupta
(c) Rajshekhar
(d) Vishakhadatta
Option b – Vishnugupta
The Rajjukas were
(a) Merchants in the Chola Kingdom
(b) Officials in the Mauryan administration
(c) Feudal lords under the Gupta Empire
(d) Soldiers in the Saka army
Option b – Officials in the Mauryan administration
Ashoka’s ‘Dhamma’ primarily refers to
(a) The principles of Buddhism
(b) A combination of Ajivika and Charvaka beliefs
(c) A universal moral code accepted by many sects
(d) The state’s religious policy
Option a – The principles of Buddhism
Turamaya, Ashoka’s contemporary, ruled over
(a) Egypt
(b) Corinth
(c) Macedonia
(d) Syria
Option a – Egypt
Ptolemy Philadelphus, who maintained diplomatic ties with Ashoka, was the ruler of ( MCQ on Mauryan Empire for UPSC )
(a) Cyrene
(b) Egypt
(c) Macedonia
(d) Syria
Option b – Egypt
Which sources mention the Third Buddhist Council during Ashoka’s reign?
I. Ashokan Inscriptions
II. Dipavamsa
III. Mahavamsa
IV. Divyavadana
(a) I and II
(b) II and III
(c) III and IV
(d) I and IV
Option b – II and III
During his pilgrimage, Ashoka visited which sites in this sequence?
I. Gaya
II. Kapilavastu
III. Kushinagar
IV. Lumbini
V. Sarnath
VI. Shravasti
(a) I, II, III, IV, V, VI
(b) I, III, IV, II, V, VI
(c) IV, V, VI, III, II, I
(d) IV, II, IV, VI, III
Option b – I, III, IV, II, V, VI
Consider the following:
Assertion (A): Ashoka annexed Kalinga.
Reason (R): Kalinga controlled key routes to South India.
(a) Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A
(b) Both A and R are true, but R does not explain A
(c) A is true, but R is false
(d) A is false, but R is true
Option a – Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A
Which is considered the finest Stupa?
(a) Amravati
(b) Bharhut
(c) Sanchi
(d) Sarnath
Option c – Sanchi
Which southern kingdom is not mentioned in Ashokan inscriptions?
(a) Chola
(b) Pandya
(c) Satiyaputta
(d) Satavahana
Option d – Satavahana
Who first decoded Ashokan inscriptions?
(a) James Prinsep
(b) George Buhler
(c) Vincent Smith
(d) Ahmad Hasan Dani
Option a – James Prinsep
What information can be found in Ashokan inscriptions? ( MCQ on Mauryan Empire for UPSC )
(a) Biography
(b) Domestic policy
(c) Foreign policy
(d) All of the above
Option d – All of the above
Which Buddhist text includes accounts of Emperor Ashoka?
(a) Vinaya Pitaka
(b) Sutta Pitaka
(c) Abhidhamma Pitaka
(d) Mahavamsa
Option c – Abhidhamma Pitaka
The title ‘Dharmashoka’ appears in which inscription?
(a) Maski Edict
(b) Junagarh Inscription
(c) Sarnath Inscription
(d) Allahabad Pillar Inscription
Option d – Allahabad Pillar Inscription
Ashoka’s name is specifically mentioned in which inscription? ( MCQ on Mauryan Empire for UPSC )
(a) Bhabru Edict
(b) Rock Edict XIII
(c) Rummindei Pillar Inscription
(d) Minor Rock Edict of Maski
Option d – Minor Rock Edict of Maski
Where was the pre-Ashokan Brahmi script discovered?
(a) Nagarjunakonda
(b) Anuradhapura
(c) Brahmagiri
(d) Maski
Option b – Anuradhapura
Who built the Sarnath Pillar? ( MCQ on Mauryan Empire for UPSC )
(a) Harshavardhana
(b) Ashoka
(c) Gautama Buddha
(d) Kanishka
Option b – Ashoka
Who constructed the Sanchi Stupa?
(a) Chandragupta
(b) Kautilya
(c) Gautama Buddha
(d) Ashoka
Option d – Ashoka
Which evidence shows Ashoka did not fully abandon Hindu beliefs despite being Buddhist?
(a) His pilgrimages
(b) His belief in Moksha
(c) His use of the title “Devanampriya”
(d) His founding of veterinary hospitals
Option c – His use of the title “Devanampriya”
Who established the ‘Rajdharma’ based on patience, freedom, and compassion?
(a) Ashoka
(b) Akbar
(c) Ranjit Singh
(d) Shivaji
Option a – Ashoka
During whose reign was the Buddhist Council at Pataliputra held?
(a) Magadha
(b) Pataliputra
(c) Samastipur
(d) Rajgriha
Option b – Pataliputra
Which inscription clearly mentions the name Ashoka?
(a) Gujarra
(b) Ahraura
(c) Brahmagiri
(d) Sarnath
Option a – Gujarra
Which region was not part of Ashoka’s empire? ( MCQ on Mauryan Empire for UPSC )
(a) Afghanistan
(b) Bihar
(c) Sri Lanka
(d) Kalinga
Option c – Sri Lanka
What was the language mainly used in Ashokan inscriptions?
(a) Sanskrit
(b) Prakrit
(c) Apabhramsa
(d) Hindi
Option b – Prakrit
Which Ashokan inscription is written in the Kharosthi script? ( MCQ on Mauryan Empire for UPSC )
(a) Khalsi
(b) Girnar
(c) Shahbazgarhi
(d) Meerut
Option c – Shahbazgarhi
Which inscription prohibits animal sacrifices and likely restricted animal killing during certain festivals?
(a) Rock Edict I
(b) Pillar Edict V
(c) Rock Edict IX
(d) Rock Edict XI
Option a – Rock Edict I
Ashokan edicts are also found in which of the following inscriptions?
(a) Junagadh Inscription of Mahakshatrapa Rudradaman
(b) Nasik Inscription about Gautamiputra Satakarni
(c) Hathigumpha Inscription of Kharavela
(d) None of the above
Option a – Junagadh Inscription of Mahakshatrapa Rudradaman
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