CHAPTER 6: THE AGE OF REORGANISATION
1. Why is the period after the Maurya Empire sometimes called the Age of Reorganisation?
A. India came under the rule of one foreign empire.
B. Many regions reorganised into new kingdoms competing for power.
C. All kingdoms stopped fighting.
D. Trade and culture disappeared completely.
Answer: B. Many regions reorganised into new kingdoms competing for power.
2. Around which year was the last Maurya emperor assassinated, according to the chapter?
A. 321 BCE
B. 261 BCE
C. 185 BCE
D. 78 CE
Answer: C. 185 BCE
3. Who is generally accepted as the person who assassinated the last Maurya emperor?
A. Kaniṣhka
B. Puṣhyamitra Śhunga
C. Khāravela
D. Karikāla
Answer: B. Puṣhyamitra Śhunga
4. What happened after the disintegration of the Maurya Empire?
A. Many new kingdoms emerged across the Subcontinent.
B. All regional kingdoms disappeared.
C. India became a single republic.
D. Trade routes were permanently closed.
Answer: A. Many new kingdoms emerged across the Subcontinent.
5. Why did the northwest region become vulnerable to invasions after the Maurya Empire declined?
A. It became politically weak.
B. It had no rivers.
C. It was completely uninhabited.
D. It stopped producing agricultural goods.
Answer: A. It became politically weak.
6. How did neighbouring kingdoms try to gain territorial control?
A. Through matrimonial alliances and warfare
B. Only through religious festivals
C. By abandoning their territories
D. By ending all political relations
Answer: A. Through matrimonial alliances and warfare
7. What is a matrimonial alliance?
A. An agreement made through marriage between members of royal families
B. An agreement to exchange agricultural tools
C. A military training programme
D. A treaty to stop all trade
Answer: A. An agreement made through marriage between members of royal families
8. Which dynasty was founded by Puṣhyamitra Śhunga?
A. Chedi
B. Śhunga
C. Sātavāhana
D. Kuṣhāṇa
Answer: B. Śhunga
9. Which Vedic ritual did Puṣhyamitra Śhunga perform to establish his position as a powerful ruler?
A. Aśhvamedha yajña
B. Sangam
C. Dāna
D. Pradakṣiṇā
Answer: A. Aśhvamedha yajña
10. What happened during the aśhvamedha yajña?
A. A horse accompanied by soldiers was allowed to wander freely.
B. A ruler gave up his kingdom.
C. A new city was built around a temple.
D. Traders exchanged coins at a market.
Answer: A. A horse accompanied by soldiers was allowed to wander freely.
11. What happened if a ruler stopped the horse during the aśhvamedha ritual?
A. A battle could take place to determine supremacy.
B. The ritual ended without any consequences.
C. The horse was immediately returned to its stable.
D. The two kingdoms automatically merged peacefully.
Answer: A. A battle could take place to determine supremacy.
12. Which text is associated with Patañjali during the Śhunga period?
A. Yoga Sūtras
B. Indika
C. Silappadikāram
D. Arthaśhāstra
Answer: A. Yoga Sūtras
13. Which monument contains important examples of Śhunga art?
A. Bharhut Stūpa
B. Qutub Minar
C. Taj Mahal
D. India Gate
Answer: A. Bharhut Stūpa
14. What did the Śhungas add to the Bharhut Stūpa?
A. Carved railings and reliefs depicting stories from the Buddha’s life
B. Modern steel towers
C. Railway platforms
D. Marble domes in the Mughal style
Answer: A. Carved railings and reliefs depicting stories from the Buddha’s life
15. Which dynasty ruled large parts of the Deccan from the second century BCE onward?
A. Śhungas
B. Sātavāhanas
C. Indo-Greeks
D. Kuṣhāṇas
Answer: B. Sātavāhanas
16. By what other name were the Sātavāhanas sometimes known?
A. Andhras
B. Pauravas
C. Śhakas
D. Chedis
Answer: A. Andhras
17. Which regions were largely included in the Sātavāhana Empire?
A. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra
B. Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh only
C. Kerala and Karnataka only
D. Bengal and Assam only
Answer: A. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra
18. Which two cities are mentioned as famous Sātavāhana capitals?
A. Amrāvatī and Pratiṣhṭhāna (Paithan)
B. Madurai and Vanji
C. Taxila and Pāṭaliputra
D. Delhi and Agra
Answer: A. Amrāvatī and Pratiṣhṭhāna (Paithan)
19. What do Sātavāhana coins depicting ships suggest?
A. Maritime trade was important.
B. The kingdom had no contact with other regions.
C. Agriculture had completely disappeared.
D. Ships were used only for warfare.
Answer: A. Maritime trade was important.
20. Which river system supported agricultural prosperity in the Sātavāhana kingdom?
A. Krishna-Godavari
B. Ganga-Yamuna
C. Indus-Jhelum
D. Narmada-Tapi
Answer: A. Krishna-Godavari
21. Which goods were exported through Sātavāhana trade networks?
A. Spices, textiles, sandalwood and ivory
B. Cars, computers and electronic equipment
C. Only wheat and rice
D. Only iron weapons
Answer: A. Spices, textiles, sandalwood and ivory
22. Which goods are mentioned as imports into the Sātavāhana kingdom?
A. Glass and perfumed ointments
B. Coal and petroleum
C. Paper currency and machinery
D. Cotton and rice only
Answer: A. Glass and perfumed ointments
23. What was the purpose of the Naneghat Caves near Pune in the Sātavāhana period?
A. Collecting tolls and taxes and providing resting places for traders
B. Serving as a modern railway station
C. Storing weapons for foreign armies only
D. Housing the royal navy
Answer: A. Collecting tolls and taxes and providing resting places for traders
24. After whom was Gautamīputra Sātakarṇi named?
A. His mother, Gautamī Balaśhrī
B. His father, Puṣhyamitra Śhunga
C. His teacher, Patañjali
D. His general, Khāravela
Answer: A. His mother, Gautamī Balaśhrī
25. Which script was used in the Sātavāhana inscriptions described in the chapter?
A. Brahmi
B. Roman
C. Arabic
D. Devanagari
Answer: A. Brahmi
26. Which schools of thought received support from the Sātavāhanas?
A. Vedic, Jain and Buddhist traditions
B. Only one religious tradition
C. Only Greek religious traditions
D. No religious or philosophical traditions
Answer: A. Vedic, Jain and Buddhist traditions
27. What was the most significant factor in the disintegration of the Sātavāhana Empire, according to the chapter?
A. Weak central control
B. Too much rainfall
C. The disappearance of all trade routes
D. The end of agriculture throughout India
Answer: A. Weak central control
28. Which dynasty rose to prominence in Kalinga after the decline of the Maurya Empire?
A. Chedi
B. Kuṣhāṇa
C. Śhunga
D. Chola
Answer: A. Chedi
29. Who was a prominent ruler of the Chedi dynasty?
A. Khāravela
B. Karikāla
C. Kaniṣhka
D. Gautamīputra Sātakarṇi
Answer: A. Khāravela
30. Which religious tradition did Khāravela follow?
A. Jainism
B. Only Greek religious traditions
C. Only Buddhism
D. None of the traditions of his time
Answer: A. Jainism
31. Which caves near Bhubaneswar are associated with Jain monks and Chedi-period architecture?
A. Udayagiri-Khandagiri Caves
B. Ajanta Caves only
C. Elephanta Caves
D. Karla Caves
Answer: A. Udayagiri-Khandagiri Caves
32. What information is recorded in the Hāthīgumphā inscription?
A. Khāravela’s accomplishments, military campaigns and welfare activities
B. The complete history of the Roman Empire
C. The construction of the Taj Mahal
D. The founding of the Maurya Empire
Answer: A. Khāravela’s accomplishments, military campaigns and welfare activities
33. Which three kingdoms rose to prominence in southern India during this period?
A. Cheras, Cholas and Pāṇḍyas
B. Śhungas, Chedis and Kuṣhāṇas
C. Indo-Greeks, Śhakas and Kuṣhāṇas
D. Nandas, Mauryas and Śhungas
Answer: A. Cheras, Cholas and Pāṇḍyas
34. What is Sangam literature?
A. Collections of poems reflecting personal emotions and social values
B. A collection of Greek military orders
C. A book about modern industrial development
D. A record of only royal taxes
Answer: A. Collections of poems reflecting personal emotions and social values
35. What does the word “Sangam” mean in the context of the chapter?
A. An assembly or coming together
B. A type of coin
C. A military weapon
D. A fortified city
Answer: A. An assembly or coming together
36. Which Chola ruler is said to have defeated a combined force of the Cheras and Pāṇḍyas?
A. Karikāla
B. Khāravela
C. Kaniṣhka
D. Puṣhyamitra Śhunga
Answer: A. Karikāla
37. What was the main theme of the epic Silappadikāram?
A. The story of Kaṇṇagi and the importance of justice
B. The establishment of the Kuṣhāṇa Empire
C. The military campaigns of Alexander
D. The construction of the Bharhut Stūpa
Answer: A. The story of Kaṇṇagi and the importance of justice
38. Which irrigation structure is associated with Karikāla?
A. Kallaṇai or Grand Anicut
B. Hāthīgumphā
C. Bharhut Stūpa
D. Heliodorus Pillar
Answer: A. Kallaṇai or Grand Anicut
39. What was the purpose of the Kallaṇai or Grand Anicut?
A. To divert Kaveri River water for irrigation
B. To collect tolls from overseas ships
C. To protect a mountain pass
D. To store royal weapons
Answer: A. To divert Kaveri River water for irrigation
40. What was the capital of the Cheras mentioned in the chapter?
A. Vanji, identified with present-day Karur
B. Madurai
C. Pāṭaliputra
D. Taxila
Answer: A. Vanji, identified with present-day Karur
41. Which goods were the Cheras known for exporting?
A. Spices, timber, ivory and pearls
B. Cars and electronic devices
C. Only iron tools
D. Paper and machinery
Answer: A. Spices, timber, ivory and pearls
42. Which city was the capital of the Pāṇḍya kingdom?
A. Madurai
B. Amrāvatī
C. Pratiṣhṭhāna
D. Vidisha
Answer: A. Madurai
43. Who were the Indo-Greeks?
A. Regional rulers who established independent domains after Alexander’s campaign
B. A southern Indian dynasty that ruled only Kerala
C. A group of Sātavāhana traders
D. The successors of Karikāla in the Chola kingdom
Answer: A. Regional rulers who established independent domains after Alexander’s campaign
44. What does the Heliodorus pillar near Vidisha illustrate?
A. Connections between Greek and Indian cultures
B. The beginning of British rule
C. The decline of Sangam literature
D. The invention of the printing press
Answer: A. Connections between Greek and Indian cultures
45. Which groups invaded the northwest after the Indo-Greeks?
A. Indo-Scythians or Śhakas
B. Cheras
C. Pāṇḍyas
D. Cholas
Answer: A. Indo-Scythians or Śhakas
46. In which year was the Śhaka Samvat calendar adopted as the Indian National Calendar?
A. 185 BCE
B. 78 CE
C. 321 BCE
D. 1957 CE
Answer: D. 1957 CE
47. Where did the Kuṣhāṇas originally come from?
A. Central Asia
B. Southern India
C. Sri Lanka
D. The Arabian Peninsula
Answer: A. Central Asia
48. Which ruler encouraged art and culture during the Kuṣhāṇa period?
A. Kaniṣhka
B. Dhana Nanda
C. Karikāla
D. Ajātaśhatru
Answer: A. Kaniṣhka
49. What is a major characteristic of the Gāndhāra School of Art?
A. A blend of Greco-Roman elements and Indian features
B. Exclusive use of red sandstone with no outside influence
C. The complete absence of religious sculptures
D. The use of modern concrete and steel
Answer: A. A blend of Greco-Roman elements and Indian features
50. Which statement best summarises the cultural developments of the Age of Reorganisation?
A. Cultural exchange influenced art, architecture, coinage and literature, while Indian themes remained prominent.
B. Foreign influences completely erased Indian traditions.
C. Political conflicts stopped trade and artistic activity.
D. Every kingdom followed identical artistic styles.
Answer: A. Cultural exchange influenced art, architecture, coinage and literature, while Indian themes remained prominent.
