Ancient Indian History Mixed Practice — MCQs with Answers (Set 8)

Jivaka had trained at Taxila, then a major centre of learning in Gandhara, before becoming a renowned physician-surgeon.

Magadha’s King Bimbisara sent his royal physician Jivaka to Ujjaini to treat Pradyota’s jaundice, a gesture of goodwill between rival powers.

Avanti was split by the Vindhyas into two capitals: Ujjaini in the north and Mahishmati in the south.

The two cities sit roughly 644 km apart, yet share an almost identical grid layout, brick ratio, and weight system — key evidence for some shared authority.

The bust was found at Mohenjo-daro — but nothing actually proves it depicts a real ruler. Dholavira is known instead for its water reservoirs, and Lothal for its dockyard.

No royal palace or royal tomb has ever been found at an Indus Valley site, unlike Egypt or Mesopotamia.

Both statements are correct. Nichakshu was the fifth ruler after Parikshit, and his relocation to Kaushambi effectively founded the line that became Vatsa.

A Ganga flood destroyed Hastinapur during Nichakshu’s reign. He relocated the capital to Kaushambi, the move that seeded the Vatsa Mahajanapada.

The Kauravas ruled from Hastinapur and the Pandavas from Indraprastha — a split whose rivalry culminated in the Kurukshetra War.

Buddhist texts name Indraprastha (Indapatta in Pali) as Kuru’s Mahajanapada-era capital, distinct from Hastinapur, its earlier epic-era capital.

Shishupala was allied with Jarasandha of Magadha and the Kuru prince Duryodhana, placing Chedi on the side opposing the Pandavas.

Only Statement 2 is correct. Chedi was a hereditary monarchy, not a republic like Vajji and Malla, and its history comes mainly through the Mahabharata.

Krishna promised to forgive Shishupala up to 100 offences. His 101st insult, hurled at Yudhishthira’s Rajasuya Yajna, exhausted the boon and led to his death.

Shishupala ruled Chedi. His mother Shrutakirti was Vasudeva’s sister, making him a cousin of Krishna. Damaghosha was his father, not the ruler in question.

Chedi’s capital was Suktimati (Sotthivati-nagara in Pali), located in the Bundelkhand region along the Ken river.

The Ikshvaku dynasty, Rama’s own lineage, ruled Kosala from Ayodhya in the older Puranic and epic tradition — a separate layer from the later historical Shravasti-based kingdom.

The correct answer is Both statements. Vidudabha’s mother, Vasabhakhattiya, was sent by the Sakyas as a slave woman’s daughter. Later Dighakarayana crowned Vidudabha while Pasenadi was away. Pasenadi hurried to Rajagaha for help, found the gates closed and died in a hall outside the city. So the other three options each wrongly reject one or both statements. Memory hook: false bride, coup, death at the gates.

A village of Kashi was given as dowry. After Ajatashatru killed Bimbisara, Prasenajit reclaimed Kashi’s revenue, sparking a war. The Pali sources say Prasenajit captured Ajatashatru, freed him, and gave him his daughter Vajira, along with the Kashi village. The war ended in a peace sealed by this marriage.

The correct answer is Prasenajit. Pasenadi, or Prasenajit, was Kosala’s king in the Buddha’s time. He became the Buddha’s follower and close friend early on. Bimbisara and Ajatashatru are wrong because they ruled Magadha. Vidudabha is wrong because he was Pasenadi’s son, who took the throne. Memory hook: Prasenajit means Kosala and the Buddha’s friendship.

Kosala’s Mahajanapada-era capital was Shravasti. Ayodhya belongs to an older, separate tradition — the Ikshvaku dynasty’s capital in the Puranas and the Ramayana.

Kashi was known for its cotton and silk textiles, and as a hub for the horse trade — strengths that helped it grow from a janapada into a full Mahajanapada.

Only Statement 1 is correct. Varanasi’s reputation for learning and trade was already established in the Mahajanapada era, well before its later, better-known identity as a Hindu pilgrimage centre.

The correct answer is Kosala annexed Kashi; Magadha later absorbed Kosala. By the Buddha’s time Kashi was under Kosala. Later Magadha gained the upper hand, though the sources differ on exactly when. The option with Kashi annexing Kosala is wrong because Kosala held Kashi. The option saying Kosala was never involved is wrong because Kosala held Kashi and clashed with Magadha. The option saying they merged and beat Magadha is wrong because no source says so. Memory hook: Kosala swallowed Kashi, then Magadha swallowed Kosala.

Kashi was ruled by the Brahmadatta dynasty. The Haryanka, Shishunaga, and Nanda dynasties were all later Magadhan ruling houses, not Kashi’s own.