This free Vedic age MCQ test is the second set in our 72nd BPSC practice series. Its 25 NCERT-based questions move from Harappan crafts, raw materials and the Lothal dockyard to the Rigveda, megalithic burials, the varna order and the rise of the mahajanapadas. Each question shows the correct answer and an explanation as soon as you choose an option, and you can work out your score with BPSC-style negative marking at the end. For more practice, see our free BPSC mock test series.
What this test covers: Fire altars at Kalibangan and Lothal, carnelian and faience, Dholavira, Mehrgarh cotton, the Rigvedic gods and language families, the Beas-Sutlej hymn, Black and Red Ware, Inamgaon, Charaka, the ashvamedha, Hathnora, fortified capitals, the one-sixth bhaga, iron ploughshares, and the Vajji sangha.
Harappan Crafts, Vedic Age & Mahajanapadas
25 questions · NCERT Class 6 & 12 · BPSC prelims pattern
How this test works
Click the option you think is right. It locks, turns green if correct or red if not, and the explanation opens underneath. Your score updates in the bar at the top as you go, and Calculate final score at the bottom gives the full breakdown. Choose (E) Not attempted when you would only be guessing, exactly as you would bubble E on the BPSC OMR sheet.
+1 mark — Correct answer
−1/3 mark — Wrong answer
0 — no penalty — (E) Not attempted, the fifth bubble on every question
−1/3 mark — Row left completely blank in the real exam
Harappan civilisation7 questions
1. At which two Harappan sites have archaeologists discovered fire altars, suggesting that sacrifices may have been performed there?
Show answer
Answer: (B) Kalibangan and Lothal
Fire altars have been found at Kalibangan (Rajasthan) and Lothal (Gujarat), suggesting that sacrifices may have been performed there.
2. The beautiful red stone widely used by Harappan craftspersons to make beads was:
Show answer
Answer: (A) Carnelian
Carnelian, a beautiful red stone, was the favourite material of Harappan bead-makers; the long carnelian beads found at Mesopotamian sites show how far they travelled.
3. In the context of Harappan technology, an artificially produced material made by using gum to shape sand or powdered quartz and then glazing it into a shiny surface is known as:
Show answer
Answer: (B) Faience
Faience is an artificially produced material: sand or powdered quartz was shaped with gum and then glazed, giving a shiny surface, usually blue or sea green.
4. Match List-I (Raw Material used by Harappans) with List-II (Probable Source/Region) and choose the correct code.
List-I
a. Copper
b. Gold
c. Tin
d. Precious Stones
a. Copper
b. Gold
c. Tin
d. Precious Stones
List-II
- Karnataka
- Rajasthan
- Gujarat
- Afghanistan
Codes:
Show answer
Answer: (C) a-2, b-1, c-4, d-3
The Harappans got copper from Rajasthan (Khetri), gold from Karnataka, tin from Afghanistan and Iran, and precious stones from Gujarat, Iran and Afghanistan. The code a-2, b-1, c-4, d-3 fits.
5. Consider the following statements regarding the city of Dholavira:
- Unlike most other Harappan cities, Dholavira was divided into three distinct parts.
- Large letters of the Harappan script carved out of white stone and inlaid in wood were discovered here.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (C) Both 1 and 2
Dholavira was divided into three parts rather than the usual two, and a signboard with large Harappan script letters inlaid in white stone was found at its gateway. Both statements are correct.
6. A massive brick basin identified by archaeologists as a ‘dockyard’, where ships and boats brought in goods through river channels, was excavated at:
Show answer
Answer: (A) Lothal
Lothal in Gujarat had a large brick basin that archaeologists identify as a dockyard where boats came in through river channels.
7. Archaeological evidence indicates that cotton was cultivated as early as 7000 years ago at which of the following prehistoric sites?
Show answer
Answer: (B) Mehrgarh
Cotton was grown at Mehrgarh about 7,000 years ago, among the earliest evidence of cotton cultivation anywhere in the world.
Vedic age5 questions
8. Which is recognised as the oldest of the four Vedas, having been composed approximately 3500 years ago?
Show answer
Answer: (C) Rigveda
The Rigveda is the oldest Veda, composed about 3,500 years ago; the Sama, Yajur and Atharva Vedas came later.
9. Consider the following statements regarding important deities praised in the Rigvedic hymns (suktas):
- Agni was worshipped as the god of fire.
- Indra was revered as a warrior god.
- Soma was a sacred plant from which a special drink was prepared.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (D) 1, 2, and 3
Rigvedic hymns praise Agni (fire), Indra (warrior god) and Soma (a plant from which a special drink was prepared). All three statements are correct.
10. Match List-I with List-II:
List-I (Language)
a. Assamese / Sanskrit
b. Tamil / Telugu
c. Spoken in Jharkhand
d. Languages of the North-East
a. Assamese / Sanskrit
b. Tamil / Telugu
c. Spoken in Jharkhand
d. Languages of the North-East
List-II (Language Family)
- Dravidian
- Indo-European
- Tibeto-Burman
- Austro-Asiatic
Codes:
Show answer
Answer: (A) a-2, b-1, c-4, d-3
Assamese and Sanskrit are Indo-European; Tamil and Telugu are Dravidian; languages of Jharkhand (Santhali, Mundari) are Austro-Asiatic; many north-eastern languages are Tibeto-Burman. Code A.
11. In a famous dialogue hymn in the Rigveda, the sage Vishvamitra addresses two rivers worshipped as goddesses. Which are these two rivers?
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Answer: (B) Beas and Sutlej
In the dialogue hymn, Vishvamitra addresses the Beas and Sutlej as goddesses and asks them to let the Bharatas cross.
12. The term ‘Dasa’ or ‘Dasyu’ mentioned in the Rigveda originally referred to opponents who did not perform sacrifices. In later times, the term came to mean:
Show answer
Answer: (C) Slave
Dasa or dasyu first meant opponents of the Aryas who did not perform sacrifices; later the word came to mean slave.
Megaliths & early cultures8 questions
13. Large stone boulders carefully arranged by ancient communities to mark burial sites across the Deccan, South India, North-East, and Kashmir are known as:
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Answer: (D) Megaliths
Megaliths are large stones arranged by people to mark burial sites, found in the Deccan, south India, the north-east and Kashmir from about 3,000 years ago.
14. Which distinctive pottery type is most commonly found buried along with dead bodies in megalithic graves?
Show answer
Answer: (C) Black and Red Ware
Black and Red Ware pottery is the type most commonly found buried with the dead in megalithic graves.
15. Read both statements carefully and select the correct option from the given codes.
Assertion (A): In megalithic burials at sites like Brahmagiri, archaeologists found significant variation in the grave goods buried with skeletons.
Reason (R): There were differences in social status and economic wealth among the people buried in these megalithic sites.
Show answer
Answer: (A) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
At Brahmagiri one skeleton was buried with many objects while others had only a few, which shows differences in status. Both statements are true and R explains A.
16. At which Chalcolithic/early site on the river Ghod (a tributary of Bhima) was a man found buried in a large four-legged clay jar in the courtyard of a five-roomed house?
Show answer
Answer: (A) Inamgaon
At Inamgaon on the Ghod river, a man was buried in a large four-legged clay jar in the courtyard of a five-roomed house, about 3,600 to 2,700 years ago.
17. Who was the ancient Indian physician who authored the Charaka Samhita around 2000 years ago, stating that the human body contained 360 bones?
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Answer: (C) Charaka
Charaka, author of the Charaka Samhita about 2,000 years ago, stated that the human body has 360 bones, counting teeth, joints and cartilage.
18. In ancient Vedic times, which major ritual involved letting a horse wander freely under guard to establish the overarching supreme authority of a King?
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Answer: (B) Ashvamedha
In the ashvamedha a horse was let loose to wander under guard; rulers who allowed it to pass accepted the king’s supremacy. Rajasuya and vajapeya were other royal sacrifices.
19. Match List-I with List-II and choose the correct code.
List-I (Varna)
a. Brahmin
b. Kshatriya
c. Vaishya
d. Shudra
a. Brahmin
b. Kshatriya
c. Vaishya
d. Shudra
List-II (Primary Function)
- Serve the upper three varnas
- Agriculture, herding, and trade
- Study/teach Vedas and perform sacrifices
- Fight battles and protect people
Codes:
Show answer
Answer: (D) a-3, b-4, c-2, d-1
Later Vedic texts assign Brahmins the study and teaching of the Vedas and sacrifices, Kshatriyas fighting and protection, Vaishyas farming, herding and trade, and Shudras service to the other three. Code D.
20. Which of the following statements regarding the discovery of prehistoric human fossils and animal remains in India is/are correct?
- The famous hominin fossil discovered at Hathnora in the Narmada Valley has traditionally been described in Indian archaeological literature as representing an archaic form of Homo sapiens, although its precise taxonomic classification has been debated.
- Animal fossils such as Bos namadicus (wild cattle) and Equus namadicus (an extinct horse-like animal) have been recovered from the Narmada Valley.
- Robert Bruce Foote discovered a Palaeolithic stone tool at Pallavaram near Chennai in 1863.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Show answer
Answer: (C) 1, 2, and 3
The Hathnora skull from the Narmada valley has usually been described as an archaic Homo sapiens (its classification is debated), fossils of Bos namadicus and Equus namadicus come from the same valley, and Robert Bruce Foote found a Palaeolithic tool at Pallavaram in 1863. All three are correct.
Mahajanapadas5 questions
21. Why did rulers of Mahajanapadas construct massive, thick fortification walls made of brick, stone, or wood around their capital cities?
- To safeguard city inhabitants from foreign military invasions.
- To project their power and wealth.
- To exercise effective administrative control over the population within the walled areas.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Show answer
Answer: (D) 1, 2, and 3
Fortifications protected the people, displayed the ruler’s wealth and power, and made it easier to control everyone inside the walls. All three reasons apply.
22. In the Mahajanapada era, what was the standard tax rate fixed on agricultural produce, known as the Bhaga (share)?
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Answer: (B) 1/6 of the total produce
Bhaga, the king’s share of agricultural produce, was usually fixed at one-sixth.
23. Consider the following statements regarding major agricultural developments during the Mahajanapada period:
- The growing use of iron ploughshares made it possible to turn heavy, clayey soil over better than with wooden ploughshares.
- Farmers shifted towards transplanting paddy saplings instead of broadcasting seeds directly.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (C) Both 1 and 2
Iron ploughshares turned heavy clayey soil better than wooden ones, and transplanting paddy saplings raised yields. Both statements are correct.
24. The state of Vajji, with its capital at Vaishali, was governed under a distinct form of republican government known as:
Show answer
Answer: (B) Sangha
Vajji, with its capital at Vaishali, was a gana or sangha where many men called rajas ruled together through assemblies.
25. Siddhartha (Gautama), the founder of Buddhism, belonged to a small clan (gana) known as the:
Show answer
Answer: (B) Sakya Gana
Siddhartha Gautama belonged to the Sakya gana, a small republican clan; Mahavira belonged to the Jnatrika clan of the Vajji sangha.
Your result
Automatic scoring needs JavaScript. Until it runs, tally by hand: score = correct − (wrong ÷ 3).
Finished, or stopping here? This counts every question you have answered so far.
Show the full answer key
1 B · 2 A · 3 B · 4 C · 5 C · 6 A · 7 B · 8 C · 9 D · 10 A · 11 B · 12 C · 13 D · 14 C · 15 A · 16 A · 17 C · 18 B · 19 D · 20 C · 21 D · 22 B · 23 C · 24 B · 25 B
Scoring: +1 correct, −1/3 wrong, 0 for (E) Not attempted, −1/3 for a row left blank in the real exam.
More free BPSC practice
- Previous in the series: Test 1 – Prehistory & Harappan Civilisation (25 MCQs)
- Next in the series: Test 3 – Buddhism, Mauryan Empire & Post-Mauryan India (25 MCQs)
- 16 Mahajanapadas: Magadha, Vajji & Anga (BPSC Notes)
- NCERT History Quiz: Ancient & Medieval India (80 MCQs)
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