Daily Static Quiz (Ancient and Medieval India) December 24, 2025

Daily Static Quiz (Ancient and Medieval India) December 24, 2025

Q1. With reference to the economic history of ancient India, consider the following pairs regarding land measures and revenue terms:

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
(a) Only one pair
(b) Only two pairs
(c) All three pairs
(d) None of the pairs

Q2. Consider the following statements regarding the evolution of Buddhism in ancient India:

1. The Mahasanghikas were the first to secede from the main body of Buddhism and held the Second Buddhist Council to be invalid.

2. The Lokottaravada sect, an offshoot of the Mahasanghikas, emphasized the supra-mundane nature of the Buddha.

3. The Sautrantika school of Buddhism relies exclusively on the Sutras (discourses) and rejects the Abhidharma texts as authoritative.

How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Q3. With reference to the administration of the Chola Empire, consider the following statements:

1. The Ur was a general assembly of the village consisting of tax-paying residents, while the Sabha was restricted to Brahmins in Brahmadeya villages.

2. The Variyam system was an executive committee system used by the Sabha to manage functions like tank maintenance and garden management.

3. The Nagaram was an assembly of merchants that was exclusively found in coastal port cities and not in inland commercial centers.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Q4. Consider the following pairs of ancient literary works and their authors:

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
(a) Only one pair
(b) Only two pairs
(c) Only three pairs
(d) All four pairs

Q5. In the context of the Delhi Sultanate, the term ‘Fawazil’ referred to:
(a) The excess revenue remitted to the central treasury by the Iqta-holders after meeting their military and administrative expenses.
(b) A special tax levied on irrigation works constructed by the state.
(c) The royal workshop where goods for the Sultan’s household were manufactured.
(d) A system of branding horses to prevent corruption in the cavalry.

Q6. With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following statements regarding the ‘Vesara’ style of temple architecture:

1. It is a hybrid style that combines features of both the Nagara and Dravida schools.

2. The Chalukyas of Badami and the Rashtrakutas were significant patrons of this style.

3. The Papanatha temple at Pattadakal is a classic example demonstrating the transition towards this style.

How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Q7. Consider the following statements regarding the ‘Ayangar’ system in the Vijayanagara Empire:

1. It was a system of village administration where a body of twelve functionaries conducted village affairs.

2. These functionaries were granted tax-free lands (Manyams) which they enjoyed in perpetuity.

3. The Ayangars had the right to sell or mortgage their office and land grants.

Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Q8. Which one of the following ancient Indian ports is not correctly matched with its geographical location?
(a) Barygaza – Gujarat Coast (West India)
(b) Tamralipti – Bengal Coast (East India)
(c) Muziris – Malabar Coast (Kerala)
(d) Ghantashala – Konkan Coast (Maharashtra)

Q9. With reference to the religious history of medieval India, the ‘Nathpanthis’, ‘Siddhas’, and ‘Yogis’:

1. Advocated the renunciation of the world and the path of salvation through meditation on the formless Ultimate Reality.

2. Were primarily popular among the upper castes and elites of North India.

3. Criticized the ritualism of conventional religion and the social order based on caste.

How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Q10. Consider the following pairs of medieval travelers and the ruler whose reign they visited:

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
(a) Only one pair
(b) Only two pairs
(c) All three pairs
(d) None of the pairs

Answers and Explanations

Q1. Answer: (b)

• Pair 1 is correctly matched: Nivartana was a famous land measure during the Satavahana and Gupta periods, widely used in the Deccan and Western India.

• Pair 2 is correctly matched: Dronavapa refers to the area of land required to sow one drona (a weight measure) of seed grain. This was a common method of land measurement in the Gupta period (e.g., mentioned in Damodarpur copper plates).

• Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Hiranya literally means “gold”. In the context of ancient Indian taxation (Mauryan/Gupta), it referred to a tax paid in cash (coins), as opposed to Bhaga or Bali which were often paid in kind (grain/produce).

Q2. Answer: (c)

• Statement 1 is correct: The Mahasanghikas (“Members of the Great Order”) were the first major schism in Buddhism. They separated from the Sthaviravadins at the Second Buddhist Council (Vaishali) because they disagreed with the rigid discipline of the orthodox monks.

• Statement 2 is correct: The Lokottaravada was a sub-sect of the Mahasanghikas. They believed the Buddha was Lokottara (supramundane/transcendental) and his earthly life was a mere appearance or manifestation. This laid the groundwork for Mahayana Buddhism.

• Statement 3 is correct: The Sautrantika school (a sub-school of Hinayana) accepts only the Sutras (words of Buddha) as valid authority and rejects the Abhidharma texts, which they believe are later compositions by monks, not the Buddha himself.

Q3. Answer: (a)

• Statement 1 is correct: In the Chola administration, the Ur was the assembly of the common village (non-Brahmadeya), while the Sabha (or Mahasabha) was the assembly of Brahmin landholders in Brahmadeya (gifted to Brahmins) villages.

• Statement 2 is correct: The Variyam system was the committee system utilized by the Sabha. Specific committees (Variyams) looked after tanks (Eri-variyam), gardens (Totta-variyam), etc.

• Statement 3 is incorrect: The Nagaram was indeed an assembly of merchants/traders, but it was found in both coastal and inland commercial towns (e.g., Kanchipuram, Mamallapuram). It was not restricted only to coastal cities.

Q4. Answer: (d)

• Pair 1 is correct: Hammira Mahakavya is a 15th-century Sanskrit epic by Nayachandra Suri, celebrating the Chauhan king Hammira of Ranthambore.

• Pair 2 is correct: Prithviraj Vijaya is a eulogistic poem written by Jayanaka, a Kashmiri poet in the court of Prithviraj Chauhan. (Note: Prithviraj Raso is by Chand Bardai; this is a different text).

• Pair 3 is correct: Kiratarjuniya is a classic Sanskrit epic by Bharavi (6th century CE), describing the combat between Arjuna and Shiva (in the guise of a Kirata).

• Pair 4 is correct: Dasakumaracharita (“The Tale of the Ten Princes”) is a prose romance written by Dandin, a renowned scholar at the Pallava court in Kanchipuram.

Q5. Answer: (a)

• Explanation: During the Delhi Sultanate, the Iqta system involved granting land revenue assignments to officials (Iqtadars/Muqtis) in lieu of salary. The Iqtadar had to maintain troops and meet his own expenses from the revenue collected. The surplus revenue that remained after these expenses was to be remitted to the central treasury (Sultan). This excess amount was called Fawazil.

Q6. Answer: (c)

• Statement 1 is correct: The Vesara style is known as the “hybrid” or “mule” style because it mixes the Northern Nagara (curvilinear shikhara) and Southern Dravida (pyramidal vimana) elements.

• Statement 2 is correct: This style flourished under the patronage of the Chalukyas of Badami, the Rashtrakutas, and later the Hoysalas in the Deccan region.

• Statement 3 is correct: The Papanatha temple at Pattadakal (Karnataka) is a notable example. While essentially Nagara in its tower, it incorporates Dravida elements in its wall decorations and plan, illustrating the experimentation that defined the Vesara style.

Q7. Answer: (d)

• Statement 1 is correct: The Ayangar system was a defining feature of Vijayanagara village administration. It consisted of a body of 12 village functionaries (including the headman, accountant, watchman, etc.) who managed village affairs.

• Statement 2 is correct: These functionaries were paid through tax-free land grants called Manyams, which they held perpetually.

• Statement 3 is correct: The office of the Ayangar was hereditary, and they had the right to sell or mortgage their office and the associated land grants, making it a unique feature of the period.

Q8. Answer: (d)

• Pair (d) is incorrect: Ghantashala (ancient Kantakossyla) was an important ancient port and Buddhist center located in Andhra Pradesh (East Coast), near the Krishna river delta, not on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra.

• Other pairs: Barygaza (Bharuch) is in Gujarat; Tamralipti (Tamluk) is in Bengal; Muziris (Kodungallur) is in Kerala.

Q9. Answer: (b)

• Statement 1 is correct: The Nathpanthis, Siddhas, and Yogis advocated the path of renunciation and taught that salvation lies in realizing the formless Ultimate Reality (Nirguna Bhakti) through intense training of the mind and body (Yoga/meditation).

• Statement 2 is incorrect: They were primarily popular among the “low” castes and the common masses, not the elites. Their teachings challenged the superiority of the Brahmins and the rigid caste system.

• Statement 3 is correct: They sharply criticized the ritualism of conventional religion (both Hindu and Muslim) and the social order, using simple logical arguments that appealed to common people.

Q10. Answer: (b)

• Pair 1 is correctly matched: Abdur Razzak, the Persian ambassador from the court of Shah Rukh, visited Vijayanagara during the reign of Deva Raya II (approx. 1443 CE) and left a detailed account of the city’s wealth.

• Pair 2 is correctly matched: Nicolo Conti, an Italian traveler, visited Vijayanagara around 1420 CE during the reign of Deva Raya I.

• Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Francois Bernier was a French physician who visited India during the reign of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb (mid-17th century). He was not associated with Jahangir; travelers like William Hawkins and Thomas Roe visited Jahangir.

also read: Early Medieval India