Do You Know The History of Ancient India?
Written by Regina Munch History Expert
Last updated · 8 min play time
India is one of the oldest settlements in world history, and the birthplace of two of the largest world religions. How much do you remember?
India is one of the cradles of human civilization, with one of the oldest settlements in world history, and the birthplace of two of the largest world religions. With a population of almost 1.5 billion people, modern India is a global powerhouse, and its ancient history and traditions are very much alive – its literature, sciences, and religious history are still vital today. Show us how much you know about the history of ancient India!
This quiz was expert written by Regina Munch. Regina has a master's degree in European history and the history of American foreign policy from Boston College. She loves learning and writing about history because it's never dead – things from the past always have relevance to today, and we're discovering things about the past all the time.
Quiz written by
Regina MunchAncient India Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 4.4K Plays · No comments
Question 1
Welcome to ancient India! India is one of the cradles of civilization. The earliest civilization in South Asia sprung up around which river?
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ANile
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BIndus
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CYangtze
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DChambal
Indus
Located in what is now Pakistan and northwest India, the Indus Valley Civilization was one of the first civilizations in history.
Question 2
Much about the Indus Valley Civilization, which existed from about 3300-1300 BC, is still unknown. We do know that it was the first urban settlement in Asia, and quite advanced compared to its Mediterranean counterparts. Which of these was NOT a feature of the Indus Valley Civilization?
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AGranaries
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BSanitation system
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CRoad network
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DUrban planning
Road network
The Indus Valley Civilization was highly organized by means of urban planning, sanitation works, and government granaries to preserve against famine.
Question 3
The people of the Indus Valley Civilization merged with the Aryans, and eventually became the Vedic civilization (1500 BC-500 BC). Their society started off relatively egalitarian, but over time they established the varna system, which divided society into four classes. The warrior-priest class was on top. What were they called?
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ABrahmins
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BSamurai
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CPresidents
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DKnights
Brahmins
The Brahmins, the top social class of warrior-priests, were teachers and preservers of holy traditions and teachings.
Question 4
Vedic religion, which observed and worshiped many gods and goddesses, was a precursor to what Indian religion?
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AIslam
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BHinduism
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CChristianity
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DBuddhism
Hinduism
Hinduism holds that there are multiple gods emanating from one Supreme Deity.
Question 5
In addition to the Vedas, texts considered holy to Hindus today, Vedic society had numerous literary achievements. Which of these is a Vedic poem, and the longest known poem in history?
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APsalms
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BMahabharata
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COdyssey
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DBible
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is the longest poem ever written, with 200,000 verses. It includes accounts of war as well as devotionals.
Question 6
Out of the Vedic civilization came the Mahanjapada, sixteen city-states that existed from about 600-300 BC. What language did they speak?
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AEnglish
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BSanskrit
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CMongolian
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DCzech
Sanskrit
The Vedic people spoke Sanskrit, and it became the official language of Hinduism.
Question 7
Which of these is NOT an English word that derives from Sanskrit, the langauge of ancient India?
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AArithmetic
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BRice
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CLilac
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DShampoo
Arithmetic
Many of our most common words came to us from Sanskrit, through Greek or European sources.
Question 8
Sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BC, Siddhartha Gautama's teaching established what religion?
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ACeltic Paganism
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BBuddhism
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CZoroastrianism
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DIslam
Buddhism
Buddhism is one of the world's oldest religions, inspired by the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama.
Question 9
In general, what is one of these things that Buddhists do NOT believe in?
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ARebirth of the soul
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BCultivation of kindness
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CDetachment from desire
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DPraying towards Mecca
Praying towards Mecca
Buddhists generally believe in rebirth of the soul, detachment from deesire, and the cultivation of kindness.
Question 10
The Maurya empire, which lasted from 322 to 177 BC, was the largest empire on the Indian subcontinent in history, spanning throughout India into modern Afghanistan. Who was its founder?
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ABuddha
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BChandragupta
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CNoah
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DCyrus
Chandragupta
Chandragupta defeated enemies, secured borders, and raised an army to protect his new empire.
Question 11
Jainism, a religion that espouses nonviolence and nonattachment, arose the Maurya empire. In Sanskrit, what does the word Jain mean?
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AFriend
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BApprentice
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CVictor
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DCelibacy
Victor
Derived from the Sanskrit term for victor, Jainism celebrates the success of achieving spiritual life.
Question 12
The Maurya Empire was established after the withdrawal of what Greek general, who had conquered much of Central Asia in the 4th century BC?
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AJesus Christ
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BJulius Casear
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CHenry VIII
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DAlexander the Great
Alexander the Great
After the death of the Greek king Alexander the Great in 323 BC, and the withdrawal of Mediterranean forces that followed, the Maurya empire sprung up in India.
Question 13
Which of the following is NOT a body of water that borders India?
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ABay of Bengal
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BIndian Ocean
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CMediterranean Sea
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DArabian Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The subcontinent of India is surrounded by the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean.
Question 14
This Mauryan emperor spread Buddhism as far as Greece through a series of missionary ventures.
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ABuddha
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BZeus
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CAthena
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DAshoka
Ashoka
Emperor Ashoka increased the influence of the Maurya empire in ancient Eurasia and gained some converts by sending missionaries to the Greek empire.
Question 15
This Hindu god is the god of compassion and joy.
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AZeus
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BThor
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CKrishna
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DChandra
Krishna
Krishna is the god of compassion and joy, and is one of the most popularly worshiped deities in Hinduism.
Question 16
Historians consider the Classical Age of India (200 BC-1200 AD) to be the time after the decline of the Maurya empire when various rulers and dynasties rose and fell. India at this time was considered to have the largest economy in the world, controlling almost a third of the world's wealth. Which of these was NOT something that Indian society traded?
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ACloth
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BWheat
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CCeramics
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DSpices
Wheat
Throughout its history, India has been known for its trading of ceramics, spices, and cloth.
Question 17
The rise of this empire, which ruled most of the Indian subcontinent from 320-550 AD, led to the flourishing of Hinduism in what is called the Golden Age of India. Which empire was it?
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ARoman
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BHun
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CGupta
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DFrench
Gupta
The Gupta empire controlled much of the Indian subcontinent, and its stability provided the setting for a Golden Age of Hinduism.
Question 18
Which of these was NOT one of the Guptas' achievements?
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ADiscovery of penicillin
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BHeliocentrism
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CInvention of chess
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DEstablishing the concept of zero and a base 10 number system
Discovery of penicillin
The Guptas had achievements in arithmetic, medicine, and science, including the establishment of the mathematical system we still use, the theorization of heliocentrism, and the invention of chess.
Question 19
This famous text from the Gupta era describes human sexual behavior. Contrary to western belief, it is not just a sex manual, but is also a guide to virtuous living.
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AKama Sutra
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BPensees
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CI Ching
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DBhagavad Gita
Kama Sutra
The Kama Sutra is still a popular book.
Question 20
This third god of the Hindu triumvirate has the responsibility to destroy in order to create anew.
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AAries
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BAthena
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CShiva
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DHades
Shiva
Shiva, one of the three aspects of the Hindu Supreme Being, is tasked with making and unmaking the world.
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