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72nd BPSC Practice Test 3: Buddhism, Mauryan Empire & Post-Mauryan India (25 MCQs)

By Harsha #
Buddhism, Mauryan Empire & Post-Mauryan India - BPSC Guru

This free Mauryan empire MCQ test is the third set in our 72nd BPSC practice series. The 25 questions start with the Buddha, the Upanishads and Mahavira, move through Chandragupta, Megasthenes, Ashoka’s dhamma and Mauryan administration, and end with the Shungas, Indo-Greeks, Satavahanas and the Chalcolithic cultures. 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: The places of the Buddha’s life, Panini, the Lichchhavis, Chanakya and the Arthashastra, dhamma mahamattas, Pataliputra as seen by Megasthenes, the Kalinga war, Sarnath lion capital, tribute from the regions, Hathigumpha and other inscriptions, Eucratides, Rudradaman, Yajna Sri Satakarni and the post-Mauryan capitals.

Buddhism, Mauryan Empire & Post-Mauryan India
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
Buddhism, Jainism & Upanishads4 questions
1. Match List-I (Life Event of Lord Buddha) with List-II (Associated Place) and select the correct code.
List-I:
a. Attainment of Enlightenment
b. First Sermon Delivered
c. Passing Away (Mahaparinirvana)
List-II:
  1. Sarnath
  2. Kusinara
  3. Bodh Gaya
Codes:
Show answer
Answer: (B) a-3, b-1, c-2
The Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, gave his first sermon at Sarnath and passed away at Kusinara, so the code is a-3, b-1, c-2.
2. The ancient philosophical texts known as the ‘Upanishads’ literally translate to:
Show answer
Answer: (B) Approaching and sitting near
Upanishad literally means approaching and sitting near, since these ideas were passed on by teachers to pupils sitting close to them.
3. Which famous ancient Indian grammarian systematically prepared rules for the Sanskrit language, arranging vowels and consonants to create complex algebraic-like formulas?
Show answer
Answer: (A) Panini
Panini prepared a grammar of Sanskrit, arranging vowels and consonants in a special order and framing rules in formula-like sutras.
4. Vardhamana Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of the Jains, was a Kshatriya prince belonging to which famous clan?
Show answer
Answer: (B) Licchavis
The NCERT describes Vardhamana Mahavira as a Kshatriya prince of the Lichchhavis, a group within the Vajji sangha. (His own clan was the Jnatrika; his mother Trishala was a Lichchhavi princess.)
Mauryan empire12 questions
5. Consider the following statements regarding the Mauryan dynastic lineage:
  1. Chandragupta Maurya founded the Mauryan Empire over 2300 years ago.
  2. Chandragupta was supported by a wise statesman named Chanakya (Kautilya), who authored the Arthashastra.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (C) Both 1 and 2
Chandragupta Maurya founded the empire more than 2,300 years ago with the support of Chanakya (Kautilya), whose ideas are in the Arthashastra. Both statements are correct.
6. Consider the following statements regarding Emperor Ashoka’s policies and administration:
  1. Ashoka appointed special officials known as Dhamma Mahamatta who went from place to place teaching people about Dhamma.
  2. Most of Ashoka’s inscriptions were written in Prakrit using the Brahmi script.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (C) Both 1 and 2
Ashoka appointed dhamma mahamattas to teach people about dhamma, and most of his inscriptions are in Prakrit written in the Brahmi script. Both statements are correct.
7. Consider the following statements regarding the key differences between Empires and Kingdoms in ancient history:
  1. Empires required larger resources than kingdoms because emperors ruled vast territories and needed larger armies for protection.
  2. Unlike kings who relied on voluntary gifts, emperors maintained a structured mechanism to collect taxes regularly.
  3. A large staff of officials was required to collect taxes across different parts of an empire.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (D) 1, 2, and 3
Empires needed larger armies, regular taxes and a large staff of officials to collect them, unlike smaller kingdoms that could rely on occasional gifts. All three statements are correct.
8. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R):
Assertion (A): The area directly around the imperial capital, Pataliputra, was governed differently from the outer provinces like Taxila or Ujjain.
Reason (R): The Mauryan central administration exercised strict, direct control over all regions of the subcontinent to ensure uniform tax collection throughout the empire.
Select the correct option:
Show answer
Answer: (C) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
The area around Pataliputra was under direct control while provincial centres such as Taxila and Ujjain were governed through princes and local practices. A is true, but R is false because Mauryan control was not uniform across the whole empire.
9. With reference to foreign travellers in ancient India, Megasthenes was an ambassador sent to the court of Chandragupta Maurya by which Greek ruler?
Show answer
Answer: (B) Seleucus Nicator
Megasthenes was the ambassador of Seleucus Nicator, the Greek ruler of West Asia, at the court of Chandragupta Maurya.
10. In the context of Mauryan administration, how did ‘Tribute’ differ from ‘Taxes’?
Show answer
Answer: (B) Taxes were collected regularly from people, whereas tribute was collected as and when possible, often in a variety of goods given voluntarily or semi-voluntarily.
Taxes were collected regularly from farmers, herders, craftspersons and traders; tribute was collected from forest peoples and others as and when possible, often in goods, and was not fixed.
11. Consider the following details recorded by Megasthenes about the Mauryan capital, Pataliputra, and royal life:
  1. Pataliputra was surrounded by a grand wall with 570 towers and 64 gates.
  2. The king’s palace was built entirely of stone, with no timber used in its construction.
  3. Trained women warriors guarded the emperor during public appearances.
  4. The emperor never slept in the same bedroom two nights in a row due to fear of assassination.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (B) 1, 3, and 4 only
Megasthenes recorded 570 towers and 64 gates, women warriors guarding the king, and the king changing bedrooms for fear of assassination. He said the palace was of carved wood, so statement 2 is wrong.
12. Which of the following statements regarding Ashoka’s conquest of Kalinga is/are correct?
  1. Kalinga was the ancient name of coastal Odisha.
  2. Ashoka is the only king in world history who gave up conquest after winning a war.
  3. In his rock inscriptions, Ashoka stated that more than a lakh of people were killed and over a lakh and a half were taken prisoner in the Kalinga war.
Select the correct option:
Show answer
Answer: (D) 1, 2, and 3
Kalinga is coastal Odisha; Ashoka is described as the only king who gave up conquest after winning a war; and his inscription records over a lakh killed and a lakh and a half taken prisoner. All three are correct.
13. Which of the following principles was NOT a part of Ashoka’s concept of ‘Dhamma’?
Show answer
Answer: (A) Performing costly sacrifices and rituals to appease deities.
Ashoka’s dhamma asked people to respect elders, be gentle with slaves and servants, give gifts to Brahmins and monks and be kind to all creatures. It did not involve costly sacrifices or rituals.
14. With reference to Ashoka’s methods of propagating Dhamma beyond his empire, consider the following statements:
  1. Ashoka sent official messengers to spread ideas about Dhamma to Syria, Egypt, Greece, and Sri Lanka.
  2. He built roads, dug wells, constructed rest houses, and arranged medical treatment for humans and animals.
  3. Ashoka made reading and writing his inscriptions in Sanskrit compulsory across all conquered territories.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (A) 1 and 2 only
Ashoka sent messengers to Syria, Egypt, Greece and Sri Lanka and built roads, wells, rest houses and arranged medical care. Statement 3 is wrong: his inscriptions were mostly in Prakrit, not Sanskrit.
15. The polished stone capital showing the figure of a lion, which is today part of India’s National Emblem, was originally placed atop a pillar at which site?
Show answer
Answer: (B) Sarnath
The lion capital that forms the national emblem originally crowned the Ashokan pillar at Sarnath, where the Buddha preached his first sermon.
16. According to the Arthashastra, different regions of the Mauryan Empire were famous for specific commodities collected as resource/tribute.
Match the regions with their famous products:
  1. North-West India → A. Gold and precious stones
  2. South India → B. Blankets
  3. Forested Regions → C. Timber, elephants, and honey
Select the correct matching order:
Show answer
Answer: (A) 1-B, 2-A, 3-C
The NCERT notes that the north-west was important for blankets, south India for gold and precious stones, and forests for timber, elephants and honey. Code 1-B, 2-A, 3-C.
Post-Mauryan dynasties & early cultures9 questions
17. Match List-I (Inscription) with List-II (Associated King) and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
List-I (Inscription)
A. Nasik Prasasti
B. Takht-i-Bahi Inscription
C. Besnagar Pillar Inscription
D. Hathigumpha Inscription
List-II (Associated Ruler)
  1. Heliodorus
  2. Kharavela
  3. Gautamiputra Satakarni
  4. Gondophares
Codes:
Show answer
Answer: (C) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
Nasik prasasti was issued for Gautamiputra Satakarni, the Takht-i-Bahi inscription for Gondophares, the Besnagar pillar by Heliodorus and Hathigumpha by Kharavela. Code A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2.
18. Which Indo-Greek ruler is particularly known for issuing a large 20-stater gold medallion?
Show answer
Answer: (C) Eucratides I
Eucratides I of Bactria issued a 20-stater gold medallion, the largest gold coin of the ancient world.
19. With reference to the Chalcolithic cultures of India, which of the following statements is/are correct?
  1. The Jorwe Culture of Maharashtra was predominantly rural, but sites like Daimabad and Inamgaon reached semi-urban dimensions with fortification walls and mud-brick structures.
  2. The Ahar-Banas Culture of Rajasthan was characterised by a total absence of copper tools, relying exclusively on polished stone axes and microliths.
  3. Copper Hoard cultures, characterised by anthropomorphic figures, flat axes, and harpoons, were primarily concentrated in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab region.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Show answer
Answer: (B) 1 and 3 only
Daimabad and Inamgaon of the Jorwe culture did reach semi-urban size, and copper hoards with anthropomorphs and harpoons are concentrated in the Ganga-Yamuna doab. Statement 2 is wrong: the Ahar-Banas culture did use copper tools.
20. During the Mature Harappan phase, external maritime and overland trade was actively maintained with Western Asia. In this context, consider the following assertions:
  1. Cuneiform inscriptions from ancient Mesopotamia explicitly record commercial transactions with a distant eastern region named ‘Meluhha’, which historians identify as the Indus region.
  2. Direct physical evidence of Harappan commercial interaction with Western Asia includes Harappan-style stamp seals, cubical chert weights, and etched carnelian beads found at Mesopotamian and Persian Gulf sites.
  3. The Harappans imported large quantities of raw timber, cotton textiles, and ivory items from Mesopotamia in exchange for local copper and tin.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (A) 1 and 2 only
Mesopotamian texts mention Meluhha, identified with the Indus region, and Harappan seals, weights and carnelian beads have been found in Mesopotamia and the Gulf. Statement 3 reverses the trade: Harappans exported such goods, they did not import them.
21. In the context of Early Vedic society and economy as reflected in the Rigveda, which of the following terms is correctly matched with its historical meaning?
  1. Gavishti – A formal tax levied by the King on agricultural produce.
  2. Sabhā – An assembly of elders and elites that performed judicial and administrative functions.
  3. Samiti – A general assembly of the entire tribe that discussed folk matters and elected the Rajan.
  4. Vidatha – The oldest tribal folk assembly where both men and women actively participated in secular and religious deliberations.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Show answer
Answer: (B) 2, 3, and 4 only
Gavishti in the Rigveda means a search for cows, that is a cattle raid or war, not a tax. The sabha, samiti and vidatha are correctly described, so 2, 3 and 4 are right.
22. Consider the following statements regarding the economic and administrative transitions from the Early Vedic to the Later Vedic period:
  1. In the Later Vedic period, the voluntary tribal gift called Bali became a mandatory tax regularly collected by specialised officials.
  2. The officer responsible for collecting the royal share of agricultural produce and taxes was known as the Bhagadugha, while the imperial treasurer was called the Sangrahitri.
  3. Iron technology (Krishna Ayas) was completely unknown during the Later Vedic age, delaying the clearing of dense forests in the Gangetic plains until the Mauryan era.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Show answer
Answer: (A) 1 and 2 only
Bali became a regular tax, and the bhagadugha and sangrahitri are the officers named in later Vedic texts. Statement 3 is wrong: iron (krishna ayas) was known in the later Vedic period.
23. Which Satavahana ruler issued coins depicting ships with double masts, signifying active maritime trade and ocean navigation during his reign?
Show answer
Answer: (C) Yajña Śrī Sātakarṇi
Yajna Sri Satakarni issued coins showing a ship with two masts, a sign of the Satavahanas’ maritime trade.
24. Which of the following statements regarding the Post-Mauryan dynasties and foreign rule in northern and western India is/are correct?
  1. The Shunga dynasty was established by Pushyamitra Shunga after assassinating the last Mauryan ruler, Brihadratha.
  2. The famous Indo-Greek ruler Menander I (Milinda) adopted Buddhism after engaging in philosophical debates with the Buddhist sage Nagasena, as recorded in the text Milindapanha.
  3. The Saka ruler Rudradaman I issued the famous Junagadh rock inscription, composed in pure, classical Sanskrit, recording the repair of the historic Sudarshana Lake.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Show answer
Answer: (C) 1, 2, and 3
Pushyamitra killed the last Maurya, Brihadratha; Menander’s debate with Nagasena is the Milindapanha; and Rudradaman’s Junagadh inscription of 150 CE is the first long inscription in classical Sanskrit. All three are correct.
25. Match List-I (Post-Mauryan Dynasty) with List-II (Primary Capital) and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
List-I (Dynasty)
A. Shunga Dynasty
B. Kanva Dynasty
C. Satavahana Dynasty
D. Kushan Dynasty
List-II (Capital)
  1. Pratishthana (Paithan)
  2. Vidisha
  3. Purushapura (Peshawar)
  4. Pataliputra
Codes:
Show answer
Answer: (B) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3
The Shungas ruled from Vidisha (and Pataliputra), the Kanvas from Pataliputra, the Satavahanas from Pratishthana and the Kushanas from Purushapura. Code A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3.
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.
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1 B  ·  2 B  ·  3 A  ·  4 B  ·  5 C  ·  6 C  ·  7 D  ·  8 C  ·  9 B  ·  10 B  ·  11 B  ·  12 D  ·  13 A  ·  14 A  ·  15 B  ·  16 A  ·  17 C  ·  18 C  ·  19 B  ·  20 A  ·  21 B  ·  22 A  ·  23 C  ·  24 C  ·  25 B
Scoring: +1 correct, −1/3 wrong, 0 for (E) Not attempted, −1/3 for a row left blank in the real exam.

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By Harsha

Harsha writes the notes and practice tests on BPSC Guru and proofreads the rest: she sees a mistake in an instant, which is what landed her here. Away from the site she is completing a Master’s in Linguistics, mulling over the mysteries of life, or making jokes at her own expense.

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