(i) Harappan civilisation comprised of a network of urban constellations, drawing on the agricultural surplus generated by the surrounding countryside.
(ii) The Harappans seem to have flourishing trade relation with Sumeria and Egypt.
(iii) The seals are suspected to be connected with trading activities of the Harappans.
(iv) Overland trade rested primarily on bullock and horse-drawn carriages.
(v) Some deities akin to the mothergoddess and Pashupati seem to have been popular.
(B) There were several instances of child marriages.
(C) Polygamy was gradually growing among the ruling classed.
32. Which of the following was the basic unit of Vedic society?
43. Who among the following scholars declared that the ‘Saptsindhava’ region was the homeland of the Aryans?
(B) Prof. Max Muller
(C) Prof. Karl Penta
(D) Dr. K. K. Sharma
(A) S.D. Rathore
(B) K.K. Menon
(D) R.D. Sharma
WBCS Main Question Paper – 2019
(plough – Kalibangan)
(A) Discovery of a dockyard
(B) Rectangular and circular fire alters for animal sacrifice
(C) Depiction of a ship on a seal
(D) Evidence of the use of the plough
(5th century BCE)
(A) Purana Kassapa
(B) Pakuddha Kaccayana
(C) Makkali Gosala
(D) Alita Keshakambalm
(A) Spasas
(B) Dutas
(C) Orrars
(D) Sanjayans
(A) Being cultivated and uncultivated
(B) Being irrigated and unirrigated
(C) Crops being grown on the lands
(D) All of the above
(A) Pallava
(B) Chola
(C) Nagara
(D) Dravida
WBCS Main Question Paper – 2018
54.
Alvar was _____ hymnodist of the Tamil devotional cult.
(A) Shaivite
(B) Vaishnavite
(C) Buddhist
(D) Jam
(Afghanistan)
(A) Shortugai
(B) Musa Khel
(C) Mundigak
(D) Damb Sadat
a) Aramaic
b) Greek
c) Brahmi
d) Both Aramaic and Greek
a) The Cheras of Vanji
b) The Cholas of Uraiyur
c) The Pandyas of Madurai
d) All of the above
a) all the lands donated were not secular land grants.
b) the status of the peasants was not that of serfs.
c) the brahmin donees did not always belong to the ruling class.
d) All of the three above
WBCS Main Question Paper – 2017
(published in 1961)
(A) D. N. Jha
(B) Romila Thapar
(C) R. S. Sharma
(D) A. L. Basham
(634)
(A) Ravikirti
(B) Harisen
(C) Bilhan
(D) None of the above
(A) Chandragupta Maurya
(B) Chandragupa I (Gupta)
(C) Chandrasen
(D) Chandragupta II (Gupta)
(1826)
(A) M. S. Vats
(B) M. Wheeler
(C) B. B. Lal
(D) Charles Mason
(483 BCE & 467 BCE)
(A) Bimbisara
(B) Ajatasatru
(C) Udayin
(D) Dasratha
(5th century BCE)
(A) Purana Kassap
(B) Pakudha Kaccayana
(C) Makkaii Gosala
(D) Ajit Kesakambalin
(Gopuram – Dravidian architecture)
(A) Stupa
(B) Gopuram
(C) Vihara
(D) Chaitya
(around 10,000 BCE)
(A) Palaeolithic
(B) Mesolithic
(C) Neolithic
(D) Harappan
(A) Egyptian
(B) Mesopotamian
(C) Harappan
(D) Mehargarh
(A) 2200 BC
(B) 2100-2000 BC
(C) 2000-1900 BC
(D) 1800-1750 BC
(A) Agni
(B) Indra
(C) Vishnu
(D) Shiva
(A) Anga
(B) Magadha
(C) Vanga
(D) All of the above
(A) Ganga
(B) Saraswati
(C) Sindhu (Indus)
(D) Yamuna
(A) North India
(B) Godavari valley
(Q Malwa plateau
(D) North-West frontier of the subcontinent
(A) Birth
(B) Death
(C) Enlightenment
(D) Renunciation
(A) Goat
(B) Pig
(C) Horse
(D) Dog
(35,000 to 3,000 years ago)
(A) Paleolithic Age
(B) Mesolithic Age
(C) Neolithic Age
(D) Chalcolithic Age
(7000 BCE)
(A) Mehargarh
(B) Amri
(C) Kalibangan
(D) Dholavira
(Etah district, bank of Kali river)
(A) Bihar
(B) Madhya Pradesh
(C) U.P.
(D) Gujarat
(A) Sungas
(B) Kushanas
(C) Indo-Greeks
(D) Vakatakas
(A) Fa-Hien
(B) Hiuen Tsang
(C) Yijing
(D) Arrian
(A) Krishna Yajurveda
(B) Atharva Veda
(C) Sama Veda
(D) Purusha Shukta
(A) Potwar plateau in Pakistan
(B) Hungsi Valley (Karnataka)
(C) Didwana (Rajasthan)
(D) Bhimbetka (M.P.)
(A) Brahmi
(B) Harappan
(C) Prakrit
(D) Devanagari
26. In
the Buddhist context, which one refers to texts that are supposed to contain what the Buddha himself said ?
(A) Sutta
(B) Vinaya
(C) Abhidhamma
(D) Milindapanha
(A) two
(B) three
(C) four
(D) six
(Lumbini, Nepal )
(A) Birth
(B) Enlightenment
(C) First Sermon
(D) Death
(A) Kalidasa
(B) Bhasa
(C) Ashvaghosha
(D) Kalhan
(A) Vesara
(B) Dravida
(C) Nagara
(D) Gopuram
(1097-1230)
(A) Senas
(B) Palas
(C) Rashtrakutas
(D) Pratiharas
(606-647)
(A) Varmans
(B) Maukharis
(C) Pushyamitras
(D) Pushyabhutis
(A) Gopal
(B) Dharmapal
(C) Vijayasena
(D) Ballalasena
(A) Kumargupta I in 324 CE
(B) Srigupta in 309-10 CE .
(C) Chandragupta l in 319-320 CE
(D) Samudragupta in 324 CE
(A) Manu
(B) Fa Hien
(C) Hiuen Tsang
(D) Narad
(A) Skandagupta
(B) Buddhagupta
(C) Purugupta
(D) Kumaragupta l
(A) Vikramaditya I
(B) Pulakesin I
(C) Pulakesin ll
(D) Vikramaditya II
(A) Kosala Kingdom
(B) Asmaka Kingdom
(C) Vatsya Kingdom
(D) Magadha Kingdom
WBCS Main Question Paper – 2016
(A) Porus (Puru)
(B) Ambhi
(C) Abhisara
(D) None of these
(A) Herodotus
(B) Megasthenese
(C) Fa Hien
(D) Yijing
(A) 800 BCE
(B) 500-400 BCE
(C) 300 BCE-200 CE
(D) 200 CE
(303 BCE)
(A) Mahapadma Nanda
(B) Chandragupta Maurya
(C) Bindusara
(D) Asoka
5. Name the historians who have rejected the idea of a marriage alliance between Chandragupta Maurya and Seleucus –
(A) Vincent Smith
(B) H.C. Roychoudhury
(C) H P. Shastri
(D) B. N. Mukherjee and Romila Thapar
(302-298 BCE)
(A) Diodorus Siculus – Bibliotheca Historica
(B) Strabo – Geography
(C) Anrian – lndica
(D) Claudius Aelianus – Naturalis Historica
7. Which of the following
major rock edicts of Asoka are in Prakrit language and Kharosthi scrips ?
(A) Manshera
(B) Shabbazgarbi
(C) Both (A) and (B)
(D) Dhauli
(A) Gopala
(B) Mahipala
(C) Devapala
(D) Dharmapala
(543 CE)
(A) Vikramaditya I
(B) Pulkesin I
(C) Kirtivarman I
(D) Vijayaditya
(9th century)
(A) Rashtrakuta
(B) Chola
(C) Pala
(D) Pratihara
(A) Saptadvipa
(B) Bharatvarsha
(C) Jambudvipa
(D) Both (A) and (B)
(A) Naqsh-e-Rustam
(B) Persepolis
(C) Behistun
(D) Hamadan
(A) BCE 200 – 300 CE
(B) CE 300 – CE 600
(C) CE 300 – CE 800
(D) CE 600 – CE 1300
(1,250,000 km2)
(A) The Harappan civilization
(B) Egyptian civilization
(C) Mesopotamian civilization
(D) Roman civilization
(A) R.E.M. Wheeler
(B) Bridget Allchin
(C) Raymond Allchin
(D) J.M. Kenoyer
(A) Ujjaiyini
(B) Taxila
(C) Tosali
(D) Tambaparini
(A) Ajivika monks
(B) Jain monks
(C) Brahmnas
(D) Shri Lankan Buddhist monks
(A) Harappan
(B) Later Vedic
(C) Maurya
(D) Kushana
(A) Tamralipti
(B) Muziris or Mushri
(C) Arikamedu
(D) Kaveripattanam
(A) Augustus
(B) Claudius
(C) Trajan
(D) Nero
(A) Gordon Childe
(B) Shereen Ratnagar
(C) R.S. Bisht
(D) Asco Parpola
A) Chakrapanidatta
(B) Sayana
(C) Kannada
(D) Sagarnandin
(A) Sudas
(B) Divodasa
(C) Atri
(D) Gritsamada
(A) Vitasta
(B) Asikni
(C) Parushni
(D) Sutudri
(A) The Purusha-sukta of the Rig Veda Samhita
(B) Yajur Veda Samhita
(C) Katbopanishada
(D) Manu smriti
(A) Vajjis or Vrijis
(B) Kosal and Vatsa
(C) Avanti and Magadha
(D) All listed in (B) and (C)
(A) North India
(B) The Deccan
(C) Both North India and Deccan
(D) Chola dynasty
47. Which
school of Art flourished in the region between the lower valleys of Krishna and Godavari during 2nd Century BCE – 3rd Century CE ?
(A) Gandhara School
(B) Mathura School
(C) Nagarjuna School
(D) Amaravati School
(A) Medicine
(B) Metallurgy
(C) Mathematics
(D) Astronomy
(A) Vakatakas
(B) Guptas
(C) Pallavas
(D) Chalukyas
(A) Anantavarman
(B) Mihirkula
(C) Yasodharman
(D) Toramana
(1500-1000 BCE)
(A) The Rigveda consists of 1028 hymns (Suktas)
(B) The Rigveda is divided into ten books (mandalas) of unequal sizes.
(C) The Rigveda is a monolithic text.
(D) The Rigveda is, not a monolithic text and consists of several literary layers.
(A) Anga (Eastern Bihar)
(B) Magadha (Southern Bihar)
(C) Vanga (in the Ganga delta)
(D) All of the above
(A) Bimbisara
(B) Ajatasatru
(C) Prasenjit
(D) Sisunaga
WBCS Main Question Paper – 2015
(A) Indra
(B) Agni
(C) Varuna
(D) Soma
(A) Samiti
(B) Sabha
(C) Gora
(D) Vidata
163. ‘House burials’ are reported from :
(A) Gufral in Kashmir
(B) Ghaligal – in the northeast
(C) Uleri in Almora
(D) Balathal in Rajasthan
(i) Gold and Silver
(ii) Cotton goods
(iii) Terracottas
(iv) Seals
(v) Pottery
Select the answer from the codes below
(A) ii, iii and v
(B) i, iii and iv
(C) i, ii, iv and v
(D) All of them
(A) MEM Wheeler
(B) Gordon Childe
(C) K. M. Srivastava
(D) S. R. Rao
(A) Northern most
(B) Southernmost
(C) Eastern most
(D) Western most
167. Which one of the following types of Harappan pottery is said to be the earliest example of its kind in the world ?
(A) Polychrome
(B) Glazed
(C) Perforated
(D) Knobbed
(A) Sawn with the help of a saw-like instrument
(B) Made in an open mouId
(C) Hand-made
(D) Cut with the help of a chisel
(A) Bolan Valley
(B) Krishna Valley
(C) Godavari Valley
(D) Kashmir Valley
170. Which of the following is not a principal tool of the Early Stone Age ?
(A) Scraper
(B) Handaxe
(C) Cleaver
(D) Chopper
(A) 451 AD
(B) 551 AD
(C) 615 AD
(D) 351 AD
(i) Abhigyana Sakuntalam
(ii) Meghadootam
(iii) Raghuvamsa
(iv) Malavikagnimitram
(v) Ritusamhara
(vi) Kumara Sambhava
Select the answer from the codes below –
(A) All of them
(B) i, ii, iii and iv
(C) i, ii, iv, v and vi
(D) i, iii, iv and v
177. Which one of the following was the meeting ground for the Brahmanical and devotional religious levels ?
(A) Maths
(B) Temples
(C) Ghatikas
(D) Samas
(A) Development of Science and technology
(B) Development of Arts and crafts
(C) Growth of Trade and commerce
(D) Increase in Agrarian surplus
180. Which one of the following has not been mentioned as ‘asineva’ in Ashokan inscriptions
(A) Greed and passion
(B) Cruelty and anger
(C) Pride and fury
(D) Envy and revenge
(A) Demetrius
(B) Antigonus
(C) Philadelphus
(D) Gondophernes
(A) Chandra Gupta Maurya
(B) Bimbisara
(C) Bindusara
(D) Asoka
183. ‘Just as for my children, I desire that they should enjoy all happiness and prosperity both in this world and the next. So for all men I desire the like happiness and prosperity’. This is stated in –
(Major Rock Edict 13)
(A) Barabar Cave Inscriptions
(B) Minor Rock Edicts
(C) Tarai Pillars
(D) Kallinga Inscriptions
(A) Siva
(B) Vishnu
(C) Vasudeva
(D) Buddha
(Sandrakottos)
(A) Kautilya was Chandragupta’s guide and mentor
(B) Chandragupta was succeeded by his son Bindusara
(C) Chandragupta was known to the Greeks as ‘Amitrochates’, the destroyer of foes
(D) Chandragupta is said to have died of slow starvation in south India
(A) Puranas
(B) Jatakas
(C) Purvas
(D) European Classical Writers
(A) Kalahana’s Rajtarangini
(B) Divyavandana
(C) Taranatha’s History of Tibet
(D) Mahavamsa
(A) Megasthenes
(B) Diodorus
(C) Deimachus
(D) Dionisius
(A) Royal treasuries
(B) Civil courts
(C) Criminal courts
(D) Police stations
(A) Bhritakas
(B) Maula
(C) Vardhaki
(D) Aravivala
WBCS Main Question Paper – 2014
(A) Bhaja
(B) Bhimbetka
(C) Bagor
(D) Ajanta
(A) Manu
(B) Narada
(C) Brihaspati
(D) Parasara
(A) Pictographs
(B) Aramaic
(C) Sanskrit
(D) Brahmi
(A) Artisans
(B) Traders
(C) Cultivators
(D) Philosophers
(A) Sataman
(B) Dinara
(C) Muhara
(D) Varaha
(A) Sanskrit
(B) Pali
(C) Prakrit
(D) Bengali
(A) Divyavadana
(B) Rajatarangini
(C) Taranath’s History of Tibet
(D) Mahavamsa
(Lumbini, Nepal)
(A) Birth
(B) Enlightenment
(C) First Sermon
(D) Death
(A) Vishnu Purana
(B) Vayu Purana
(C) Markendaya Purana
(D) Matsya Purana
(A) Inscriptions
(B) Coins
(C) Manuscripts
(D) Relics
(A) The Mauryas
(B) The Kushanas
(C) The Greeks
(D) The Cholas
(A) A Parthian king
(B) A Bactrian Greek King
(C) A Saka King
(D) None of the above
(A) Asvaghosha
(B) Nagarjuna
(C) Basumitra
(D) Nagasena