Indus Valley Civilization MCQs
Around what year did the Scythians first enter the Indian subcontinent?
- A. 65 BC
- B. 85 BC
- C. 75 BC
- D. 95 BC
From which region did the Scythians originate?
- A. East Asia
- B. West Asia
- C. North Asia
- D. Central Asia
The Parthians, coming from the Caspian shores, overcame the Scythians around which year AD?
- A. 30 AD
- B. 20 AD
- C. 40 AD
- D. 60 AD
In which decade AD did the Kushans establish themselves in the subcontinent?
- A. 65 AD
- B. 45 AD
- C. 50 AD
- D. 60 AD
Which city served as the Kushans’ summer administrative center?
- A. Peshawar
- B. Harappa
- C. Qandahar
- D. Kabul
What was the Kushans’ winter capital?
- A. Peshawar
- B. Harappa
- C. Qandahar
- D. Kabul
The Kushan domain stretched from eastern Iran to China and southward to which river?
- A. Ganges River
- B. Bengal
- C. Yamuna River
- D. Aravalli Range
Under King Kanishka, Buddhism thrived and many monasteries sprang up around Peshawar and nearby ______.
- A. Swat
- B. Dir
- C. Kohistan
- D. Chitral
As the Kushan realm waned, its southern territories fell under which power?
- A. Mauryan Empire
- B. Scythians
- C. Gupta Dynasty
- D. None of these
Who is credited with founding the Gupta dynasty?
- A. Sri Gupta
- B. Ramagupta
- C. Chandragupta I
- D. Samudragupta
The famed Ashoka of the Mauryans reigned approximately from:
- A. 273–232 BC
- B. 274–233 BC
- C. 275–235 BC
- D. 276–236 BC
Which ruler is best known for spreading Buddhism across India?
- A. The Guptas
- B. The Pālas
- C. Ashoka
- D. The Sakas
Who commissioned the construction of major Buddhist shrines on the subcontinent?
- A. Ashoka
- B. The Shungas
- C. The Guptas
- D. The Mauryas
Ashoka belonged to which royal house?
- A. Gupta dynasty
- B. Tughluq dynasty
- C. Mauryan dynasty
- D. Brahmin dynasty
Which monarch is credited with founding the ancient university at Taxila?
- A. Ashoka
- B. Mahavira
- C. Akbar
- D. Babur
Who was the final sovereign of the Mauryan realm?
- A. Ashoka
- B. Brihadratha
- C. Kunala
- D. Shalishuka
Late in the 2nd century AD, upheavals in Central Asia triggered successive invasions; the first of these was by:
- A. The Kushans
- B. The Sakas
- C. The Bacirians
- D. The Rathians
The Bactrian Greeks made their entry into Gandhara around:
- A. 175 BC
- B. 182 BC
- C. 185 BC
- D. 190 BC
Which Greco-Bactrian king crossed into the subcontinent circa 185 BC?
- A. Apollodotus I
- B. Antimachus II
- C. Demetrius I
- D. Euthydemus I
The establishment of new Hellenistic cities at Taxila and Pushkalavati was the work of:
- A. Greeks
- B. Bactrian Greeks
- C. Persians
- D. Romans
The famous Battle of the Hydaspes (Jhelum) between Alexander and Porus took place in:
- A. 326 BC
- B. 327 BC
- C. 328 BC
- D. 329 BC
‘Hydaspes’ is the ancient name for which river?
- A. Jhelum
- B. Indus
- C. Beas
- D. Ravi
Porus held territory between which two rivers when Alexander advanced?
- A. Sutlej & Beas
- B. Jhelum & Chenab
- C. Ravi & Chenab
- D. Ganges & Yamuna
Alexander’s Indian campaign lasted approximately how long?
- A. 29 months
- B. 39 months
- C. 19 months
- D. 10 months
His toughest fight on the Multan plains was against the combined forces of the Oxydraki and:
- A. Malloi
- B. Darius
- C. Scylax
- D. Xerxes
The Mauryan dynasty was inaugurated in:
- A. 361 BC
- B. 301 BC
- C. 319 BC
- D. 321 BC
Chandragupta’s realm is known historically as the:
- A. Ashoka Empire
- B. Chandragupta Empire
- C. Mauryan Empire
- D. Nanda Empire
Although centered in today’s Pakistan, the Mauryan capital lay far to the east at:
- A. Assam
- B. Calcutta
- C. Delhi
- D. Patna
The total number of acknowledged Mauryan emperors was:
- A. 6
- B. 7
- C. 8
- D. 9
Which site is famous as the greatest ancient university?
- A. Pushkalavati
- B. Taxila
- C. Kabul
- D. Iran
The first Buddha images in human form owe their style to which school?
- A. Gandhara
- B. Gupta
- C. Ashokan
- D. Pala
The Gandhara region fell to which conqueror between 327–325 BC?
- A. Ashoka
- B. Aryans
- C. Alexander the Great
- D. Egyptians
Alexander was heir to the throne of which land?
- A. Persia
- B. Macedonia
- C. Egypt
- D. Rome
He belonged to which royal lineage?
- A. Persian dynasty
- B. Tudor dynasty
- C. Argead dynasty
- D. Ming dynasty
Which philosopher tutored Alexander the Great?
- A. Plato
- B. Socrates
- C. Aristotle
- D. Darius
Who was Bucephalus to Alexander?
- A. Friend
- B. Brother
- C. Advisor
- D. Horse
After Taxila, Alexander crossed the Salt Range to reach which river?
- A. Beas
- B. Jhelum
- C. Indus
- D. Kabul
Who welcomed Alexander and his army at Taxila?
- A. King Porus
- B. Ambhi
- C. Bessus
- D. Carterus
Which ruler held lands between the Jhelum and Chenab when Alexander invaded?
- A. Ambhi
- B. Darius II
- C. Cyrus the Great
- D. King Porus
Which group enslaved the Dravidians according to later accounts?
- A. Kushans
- B. Aryans
- C. Sakas
- D. Parthians
Cyrus the Great established which early Persian empire?
- A. Achaemenid Empire
- B. Sasanian Empire
- C. Safavid dynasty
- D. Afsharid dynasty
Which sixth‑century BC ruler crossed the Khyber Pass to Peshawar’s vicinity?
- A. Akbar
- B. Cyrus the Great
- C. Alexander the Great
- D. Darius I
Which successor of Cyrus divided the Indus lands into four provinces?
- A. Darius I
- B. Caryandan
- C. Scylax
- D. Xerxes
From the 2nd to 5th centuries AD, Gandhara lay in which part of modern Pakistan?
- A. Eastern
- B. Western
- C. Northern
- D. Southern
The first Persian to hold Indian territory did so during which century?
- A. 3rd century BC
- B. 5th century BC
- C. 8th century BC
- D. 4th century BC
Which Persian ruler was the first to annex part of India?
- A. Cyrus
- B. Darius I
- C. Cambyses
- D. Xerxes
The earlier capital of the Gandhara kingdom was:
- A. Pushkalavati
- B. Taxila
- C. Abbottabad
- D. Multan
The site now called Charsadda was once known as:
- A. Kidar
- B. Pushkalavati
- C. Gandhara
- D. Taxila
Taxila served as capital for which of these?
- A. Mauryan Empire
- B. Persian Empire
- C. Chandragupta’s realm
- D. Gandhara
Surkotada, an Indus site, is located in which modern Indian state?
- A. Uttar Pradesh
- B. Punjab
- C. Gujarat
- D. Rajasthan
Banawali, part of the Indus network, lies in:
- A. Uttar Pradesh
- B. Punjab
- C. Gujarat
- D. Rajasthan
A male ‘dancing figure’ analogous to the famous ‘Dancing Girl’ was unearthed at:
- A. Lothal
- B. Mohenjo-daro
- C. Mesopotamia
- D. Harappa
Which invasions are credited with ending Harappan urban life?
- A. Aryan migrations
- B. Saka incursions
- C. Alexander’s campaign
- D. None of these
The Aryans are believed to have entered the subcontinent around:
- A. 1700 BC
- B. 1500 BC
- C. 1800 BC
- D. 1600 BC
The early Vedic faith of the Aryans eventually evolved into:
- A. Buddhism
- B. Hinduism
- C. Sikhism
- D. None of these
Which societal structure did the Aryans introduce in India?
- A. Unity
- B. Caste system
- C. Democracy
- D. None of these
The sacred scriptures of the Aryans are collectively called:
- A. The Vedas
- B. The Yugas
- C. The Shuklas
- D. The Rekhlas
Aryan jewelry often featured which metal?
- A. Diamond
- B. Iron
- C. Silver
- D. Gold
The Aryans entered the subcontinent primarily as:
- A. Refugees
- B. Immigrants
- C. Traders
- D. Invaders