CLASS 12- HISTORY - KINGSHIP, CASTE AND CLASS

1 In which language was Sangam literature written?

A . Malayalam b. Tamil c. Marathi Sanskrit
2 The term "jatis" in ancient India referred to:
a) Royal dynasties b) Vedic hymns c) Social classes or occupational groups d) Cattle herders
3. Which British officer deciphered Brahmi and Kharosthi?
a. James Wilson b. Lord Macaulay c. James Prinsep d. George Thomas
4. Which Mahajanapada was the most powerful from 6th to 4th century BCE?
a. Magadh b. Panchala c. Gandhara d. Kuru
5. Name the big rocks kept on the burial in central and south India?
a. Northern black polished ware b.Megaliths c. Boulders d. Pillars
6. Dharmasutras are ___ texts.
a. Sanskrit b. Hindi c. None of the above d. Telugu
7. What do you mean by Periplus in Greek?
a. Act of bread making b. Boats and ships c. Sailing Around d. Bead Making
8 Special officers who were appointed for spreading the message of Dhamma were known as?
a. None of these b. Dhamma Mahamatta c. Dhamma Matta d. Dhamma Guru
9 Banbhatt was the court poet of ___ ?
a. Bimbisar b. Ashoka c. Chandragupta Maurya d. Harshvardhan
10 Kushanas were ____?
A .Nomadic people living in China b. Nomadic people living in Mongolia
c. Nomadic people living in North India d. Nomadic people living in south India
11 Xuan Zang visited Patliputra in __ century CE .
a.6th b.7th c.8th d.4th
12 When was Epigraphy Indica firstly published?
a.1888 b.1988 c.1877 d.1977
13. The term 'Dāsa' originally meant:
a) King b) Servant or Slave c) Merchant d) Priest
14 _______are writings engraved on hard surfaces such as stone, metal or pottery.
A . Inscriptions b. Calligraphy c. Sculptures d. Manuscripts
15. The Mahabharata is attributed to:
a) Valmiki b) Veda Vyasa c) Kalidasa d) Patanjali
16-----refers to a form of government where power is exercised by a group of men.
a. Oligarchy b. Monarchy c. Plutocracy d. Autocracy
17 What was the capital of Magadh?
a. Rajagaha b. Sanchi c. Sasaram d. Kalinga
18. Where is Sudarshana Lake?
a. Uttar Pradesh b. Gujarat c. Madhya Pradesh d. Uttrakhand
19 Yaudheyas belong to which state?
a. Bengal b. Haryana c. Punjab d. Both A and C
20. Which of the following statements is incorrect regarding ‘Gahapati’?
a. They are the owner of resources-land, animal and other things b. Both B and C
c. They are the owner, master or head of the household d. They belong to the urban elite
SECTION-2
1. Who composed the Dharmasutras?
a) Brahmanas b) Kshatriyas c) Vaishyas d) Shudras
2. Satavahana rulers practiced:
a) Matriliny b) Patriliny c) Both d) Neither
3. The Mahabharata was written in:
a) Pali b) Sanskrit c) Prakrit d) Tamil
4. The epic form was a medium to convey:
a) Ritual instructions b) Legal rules c) Cultural values and traditions d) Economic policies
5. The earliest Dharmasutras were written in:
a) 6th century CE b) 6th century BCE c) 3rd century BCE d) 1st century CE
6. The central theme of the Mahabharata is:
a) Trade and commerce b) Conflict over succession c) Religious rituals d) Poetry and
music
7. The Mahabharata is also known as:
a) Ramayana b) Jataka c) Jaya d) Artha
8. The Mahabharata contains how many verses approximately?
a) 10,000 b) 50,000 c) 1,00,000 d) 5,000
9. The Grihapati in a family was:
a) The eldest female b) The servant c) The eldest male d) The youngest child
10. Gotra was a system of:
a) Landholding b) Marriage alliance restriction c) Political division d) Language
11. Who were called Kshatriyas in the varna system?
a) Priests b) Warriors and rulers c) Farmers d) Traders
12. The Mahabharata was compiled over a period of about:
a) 50 years b) 100 years c) 500 years d) 800 years
13. The Mahabharata is a part of which category of texts?
a) Vedas b) Itihasa c) Upanishads d) Puranas
14. A unique feature of the Mahabharata is its:
a) Focus on economic life b) Short narrative style c) Inclusion of philosophical
dialogues like the Bhagavad Gita d) Compilation in Pali language
15. Marriage outside one's gotra was:
a) Encouraged b) Forbidden c) Optional d) Mandatory
16. Manusmriti is a: a) Historical inscription b) Religious story c) Legal text d) Poem
17. The varna system classified people based on:
a) Economic status b) Language c) Birth and occupation d) Geographical region
18. Which group was often assigned menial tasks in society?
a) Vaishyas b) Brahmanas c) Kshatriyas d) Shudras
19. Mahabharata includes stories of which famous family?
a) Lichchhavis b) Guptas c) Kauravas and Pandavas d) Satavahanas
20. Sanskrit was the language of the:
a) Common people b) Royal edicts c) Elite and religious texts d) Buddhist texts
21. The central female figure in Mahabharata who faced humiliation in the royal court:
a) Sita b) Draupadi c) Kunti d) Gandhari
22. The Bhagavad Gita is a conversation between:
a) Krishna and Draupadi b) Arjuna and Bhishma c) Krishna and Arjuna d) Duryodhana and
Krishna
23. The Mahabharata was compiled in the form of:
a) Vedas b) Poems c) Narrative epic d) Laws
24. The earliest social division found in Vedic texts is based on:
a) Race b) Language c) Occupation d) Wealth
25. The status of women in the Dharmashastras was:
a) Equal to men b) Independent c) Subordinate and dependent d) Dominant
26. ‘Patriliny’ refers to:
a) Matriarchal lineage b) Female succession c) Tracing descent through the male line
d) Adoption of outsiders
27. According to the Manusmriti, the ideal occupation for a Shudra was:
a) Studying the Vedas b) Performing rituals c) Serving the upper varnas d) Trading goods
28. The literal meaning of Mahabharata is:
a) Great War b) Great Epic c) Great India d) Great Bharat
Assertion (A) and Reason (R)
Options:
a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
c) A is true, but R is false d) A is false, but R is true
1. A: The Mahabharata is considered an important historical source.
R: It provides information on political, social, and cultural life.
2. A: Shudras were allowed to study the Vedas.
R: Dharmasutras permitted all varnas to gain education.
3. A: Gotra system helped in regulating marriages.
R: People belonging to the same gotra were forbidden from marrying each other.
4. A: The epic Mahabharata reflects the values of ancient Indian society.
R: It talks only about kings and wars.
5. A: Draupadi’s humiliation was a turning point in the Mahabharata.
R: It led to the outbreak of the Kurukshetra war.
6. A: The Mahabharata includes stories from various regions of the subcontinent.
R: It was a dynamic text that evolved over centuries.
7. A: The caste system was rigid and static.
R: Occupations were inherited and could not be changed.
8. A: The Dharmasutras allowed women to own property independently.
R: Women were considered equal to men in legal matters.
9. A: Brahmanas were considered the highest in the varna hierarchy.
R: They were responsible for rituals and teaching.
10. A: Kinship structures affected the political organization in ancient India.
R: Power was often transferred through hereditary
11.A: Kauravas and Pandavas were from the same family.
R: They shared the same gotra and lineage.
12. A: Shudras were allowed to participate in Vedic sacrifices.
R: All varnas were equally privileged in religious matters.
13. A: Mahabharata reflects complex family relationships.
R: It includes themes of jealousy, loyalty, and moral dilemmas.
14. A: The epic suggests that royal women had agency and opinions.
R: Figures like Draupadi and Kunti took part in important decisions.
15. A: The Mahabharata was written by a single author.
R: All parts were completed in one era.
16.A: The concept of ‘varna’ was a flexible system.
R: Social mobility was often allowed.
17. A: Gender relations were unequal in early Indian society.
R: Women were largely dependent on male relatives.
18. A: Epic literature can be used as a historical source.
R: It reflects prevailing norms, values, and conflicts of its time.
19. A: Patriliny ensured property and power passed through the male line.
R: Sons were expected to perform rituals and maintain family
20. A: The Satavahana rulers followed Brahmanical patriarchy strictly.
R: Women were completely excluded from succession.
Arrange the following in correct chronological order:
1. i) Composition of Rigveda ii) Composition of Dharmasutras iii) Compilation of Mahabharata
iv) Gupta Empire
2. i) Mauryan Empire ii) Buddha’s lifetime iii) Composition of Manusmriti iv) Harshavardhana’s rule
3. i) Sangam Literature ii) Vedic Age iii) Epic Age (Mahabharata/Ramayana)
iv) Later Vedic Period
4. i) Indus Valley Civilization ii) Later Vedic Period iii) Magadha Empire iv) Gupta Period
5. Arrange in order:
i) Vedic Period ii) Epic Period iii) Mauryan Empire iv) Gupta Period
6. i) Mahabharata composed ii) Manu Smriti compiled iii) Ashokan inscriptions iv) Sangam literature
7. i) Start of Iron Age in India ii) Birth of Mahavira iii) Composition of Dharmasutras iv) Kurukshetra war
8. i) Kalinga War ii) Beginning of Buddhism iii) Compilation of the Bhagavad Gita iv) Reign
of Harshavardhana
9. i) Early Vedic texts ii) Rise of kingdoms (mahajanapadas) iii) Compilation of Manusmriti
iv) Delhi Sultanate
10. i) Invention of writing ii) Use of Sanskrit iii) Compilation of Mahabharata iv) Translation of
Gita into Persian