Indian Culture Questions and Answers

1. Which river is most described in the Rig-Veda?
a) Ganga River
b) Sindhu River
c) Yamuna River
d) Sarswati River

Answer: b

2. When were the High Courts in Calcutta, Madras and Bombay established?
a) In the year 1865
b) In the year 1893
c) In the year 1931
d) In the year 1862

Answer: d

3. In which year were Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev hanged?
a) In the year 1931
b) In the year 1925
c) In the year 1913
d) In the year 1905

Answer: a

4. The famous resolution on Non-Cooperation was adopted at a special session (September 1920) held at:
a) Lahore
b) Bombay
c) pune
d) Calcutta

Answer: d

5. The first official Language commission as required under Article 344 of the constitution was constituted by the president:
a) In 1955
b) In 1950
c) In 1951
d) In 1960

Answer: a

6. Tipu Sultan was the Sultan (ruler) of Mysore from:
a) 1782 to 1805
b) 1782 to 1799
c) 1772 to 1799
d) 1782 to 1790

Answer: b

7. The Sikh Khalsa was formed to instill a strong martial spirit in the Sikhs by:
a) Guru Arjan
b) Guru Hari Krishan
c) Guru Amar Dase
d) Guru Gobind Singh

Answer: d

8. The Chief of Sukrchakiya Misl (a Sikh confederacy) was :
a) Maharaja Ranjit Singh
b) Maharaja Jagjeet Singh
c) Maharaja Surjeet Singh
d) None of Above

Answer: a

9. Early History of India" in 1904 was written by :
a) Joshi
b) Rakhal Das Bannerjee
c) V. A. Smith
d) None of these

Answer: c

10. edangas (Limbs of Vedas) are :
a) Siksha (phonetics) and Kalpa (rituals)
b) Vyakarna (grammar) and Nirukta (etymology)
c) Chhanda (metrics) and Jyotisha (astronomy)
d) All of these

Answer: d

11. Huin-Tsang the Chinese traveler visited India during the reign of :
a) Chandragupta Maurya
b) Ashoka
c) Harshvaardhan’s reign
d) None of Above

Answer: c

12. The famous book of Huin-Tsang which forms an invaluable source to ancient Indian history is :
a) Si-Yu-Ki
b) Hi-Nu-Si
c) Kitab-e-Hind
d) None of Above

Answer: a

13. The three great Chinese pilgrims who visited India in search of knowledge, manuscripts and relics between the fifth and seventh centuries A. D. are:
a) Meghasthanise, Huin-Tsang, and I-Tsing
b) Fa-Hien, Huin-Tsang, and Meghasthanise
c) Fa-Hien, Huin-Tsang, and I-Tsing
d) Fa-Hien, Meghasthanise, and I-Tsing

Answer: c

14. Katyayanaprakarna is book on grammar of:
a) Sanskrit
b) Pali Language
c) Tamil
d) Telgu

Answer: b

15.The first Carnatic War between the French and the English took place between:
a) 1646 and 1648
b) 1546 and 1548
c) 1446 and 1448
d) 1746 and 1748

Answer: d

16. According to Max Muller, Aryans migrated to India from :
a) South Asia
b) Central Asia
c) North Asia
d) None of Above

Answer: b

17.Vedic literature Comprises literary productions namely
a) The Samhitas of Vedas
b) The Brahamans
c) The Aranyakas
d) All of the above

Answer:d

18. The six famous Smiritis are :
a) Manu Smriti, Yajnvalkya Smriti, Ram Smriti, Parashara Smriti, Brihaspati Smiriti Katyayana Smriti
b) Kapil Smriti, Yajnvalkya Smriti, Narad Smriti, Parashara Smriti, Brihaspati Smiriti Katyayana Smriti
c) Manu Smriti, Yajnvalkya Smriti, Narad Smriti, Parashara Smriti, Brihaspati Smiriti Katyayana Smriti
d) Manu Smriti, Yajnvalkya Smriti, Narayan Smriti, Parashara Smriti, Brihaspati Smiriti Katyayana Smrit

Answer: c

19. The founder of the philosophy of Vedanta/Uttara-Mimansa was:
a) Narayana
b) Badarayana
c) Aryabhat
d) None of Above

Answer: b

20. In Rig Vedic period, the basis of both social and political organization was :
a) The Samaj
b) The Smriti
c) The Sabha
d) The Kula (Family)

Answer: d

21. In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh, one of the prominent gurus and tenth guru of Sikhs established:
a) The Gurudwara
b) The Sangam
c) The Khalsa
d) None of these

Answer: c

22. The Founder of Sunga dynasty was:
a) Pushyamitra Sunga
b) Agnimitra
c) Pulindaka
d) Vajramitra

Answer: a

23.Anektavada is a core a theory and Philosophy of which religion?
a) Budhism
b) Jainism
c) Islam
d) Hinduism

Answer: b

24.During the Indian Freedom Struggle why did Rowlatt Act passed in 1919 arouse popular indignation?
a) To Kill Home Rule Movement
b) To Kill the Punjab the protest movement.
c) It authorized the government to imprison people without trial
d) None of these

Answer: c

25. Who founded the Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association?
a) Mahatma Gandhi
b) Annie Besant
c) Ajay Kumar Tyagi
d) None of these

Answer: a

26. Who was the revolutionary leader to kill General O. Dyer responsible for Jallianwala Bagh tragedy?
a) Bhagat Singh
b) Raj Guru
c) Udham Singhn
d) Sukhdev

Answer: c

27. In which province of undivided India was a referendum held to ascertain whether it should join Pakistan or not?
a) Ceded and Conquered Provinces
b) North West Frontier province
c) Sind
d) punjab

Answer: b

28. The unit of measurement of land in Maratha domination was:
a) Bigha
b) Kanwa
c) Ropani
d) Kathi

Answer: d

29.Who were called Barids in medieval period?
a) The spy reporters
b) jamidaars
c) Ghudswar
d) Paidal Sainik

Answer: a

30. The single biggest item of import to the Vijaynagar empire was:
a) Gold
b) Rice
c) Horses
d) Wheat

Answer: c

31. In the context of the Indian freedom struggle October 16, 1905 is well known for which event?
a) Home Rule Launched
b) Mahatma Gandhi back to India
c) Formation of Young India
d) Partition of Bengal

Answer: d

32. Where did the Tebhaga peasant Movement occur in 1946?
a) Odisha
b) Bengal
c) Bihar
d) Uttar Pradesh

Answer: b

33. Who was the first editor of the Yugantars?
a) Upendra Nath Bandopadhyay
b) Raja Subodh Mallik
c) Barendra Ghosh
d) Ambika Chakrobarty

Answer: c

34. Which Sultan of Delhi established a separate agriculture department which planned rotation of crops?
a) Mohammad Bin Tuglaq
b) Qutbuddin Aibak
c) Firoz Shah Tuglaq
d) None of these

Answer: a

35.The Dharm Chakra Pravatan mentioned in the Buddihst test is:
a) Nirvana
b) Birth of Buddha
c) The first sermon delivered by Buddha at Sarnath
d) None of these

Answer: c

36. The founder of the Karkota dynasty in Kashmir was:
a) Lalitaditya Muktapida
b) Durlabahaka
c) Durlabhvardhana
d) None of Above

Answer: c

37. Under Harshvardhan in the seventh century A. D. the centre of political gravity in north India shifted from Magadh to:
a) Kashi
b) Vajji
c) Mal
d) Kannauj

Answer: d

38. The Chalukyas or Solankis ruled over Gujrat for almost three and a half centuries between:
a) The year 900-1300 A. D.
b) The year 990-1300 A. D.
c) The year 1000-1300 A. D.
d) The year 950-1300 A. D.

Answer: d

39. During the Sultanate period the highest category of peasants were:
a) The Khots and Muqaddams.
b) Khud-kasht
c) Pahi-kasht
d) Muzarian

Answer: a

40.Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq is credited with the foundation of the third city of Delhi known as:
a) Farukkhabad
b) Firozabad
c) Tughlaqabad
d) None of Above

Answer: c

41. In Rig Vedic period, the type of marriage under which a widow could marry the younger brother of her deceased husband was known as:
a) Niyoga
b) Prajapatya
c) Daiva
d) Arsha

Answer: a

42. OCP (Ochre Coloured Pottery Culture) prevailed :
a) Between1200 B.C.-1000 B.C.
b) Between1300 B.C.-1000 B.C.
c) Between1500 B.C.-1000 B.C.
d) Between1800 B.C.-1000 B.C.

Answer: c

43.The Loyal Mohammadans of India was the newspaper brought out by :
a) Sayyid Ahmad Khan
b) Azim Jah Bahadur
c) Aram Shah
d) Azaam Khan

Answer: a

44.Who founded the Servants of India Society in 1905?
a) J. Joshi
b) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
c) Mahtma Gandhi
d) Lala Lazpat Rai

Answer: b

45. The biography of Harshvardhan-Harsh-Charita was written by :
a) Harshvardhan
b) Yogeswar Dutta
c) Abul Fazal
d) Banabhatta

Answer: d

46.Ahar culture, Kayatha culture, Malwa culture, Savalda culture, Jorwa culture, Prabas culture, Rangpur culture are all parts of:
a) Lower Paleolithic Cultures
b) Middle Paleolithic Cultures
c) Upper Paleolithic Cultures
d) Chalcolithic Cultures

Answer: d

47. The relics of Indus Valley (Harappa) civilization were first noticed in:
a) Mohenjodaro
b) Lothal
c) Harappa
d) Kalibagan

Answer: c

48. The author of Tarikh-i-Mubaraks Shahi is :
a) Abu Bakr Shah
b) Mir Muhammad Amin alias Saadat Khan
c) Qutbuddin Aibak
d) Yahya Sirhindi

Answer: d

49. The Vijayanagar Empire in the south came into existence in :
a) A. D. 1236
b) A. D. 1336
c) A. D. 1136
d) A. D. 1390

Answer: b

50. The founder of Sikh religion Guru Nanak Dev was born in:
a) The year 1469
b) The year 1470
c) The year 1480
d) The year 1467

Answer: a

51. The two popular assemblies which seem to have formed an essential feature of the government during the Age of Rig Veda are:
a) Arayans and Kalash
b) Sabha and Samiti
c) Kul and Kalash
d) Arayans and Samiti

Answer: b

52. During the Age of Rig Veda, the grains are collectively called:
a) Yava and Anaaj
b) Anaaj and Dhanya
c) Ann and Anaaj
d) Yava and Dhanya

Answer: d

53. The Second Anglo- Maysore War took place between :
a) 1780-84 A.D.
b) 1680-84 A.D.
c) 1580-84 A.D.
d) 1880-84 A.D.

Answer: a

54. Which period is referred as the Classical Age or Golden Age of Ancient India?
a) Gupta Period
b) Maurya Period
c) Satwahan Period
d) Sakya Period

Answer: a

55.The first Gupta ruler to assume the title of Maharajadhiraja was :
a) Chandragupta I
b) Chandragupta II
c) Samundra Gupta
d) Kumargupta

Answer: a

56. The Asiatic Society of Bengal was set up in 1784 in Calcutta by:
a) Charles Wilkins
b) Sir Robert Chambers
c) Alexander Hamilton
d) Sir William Jones

Answer: d

57. Mughal emperor Akbar the great established Manasab system in the year:
a) AD 1550
b) AD 1555
c) AD 1565
d) AD 1575

Answer: c

58.Who was the in charge of Alauddin Khilji's market control system ?
a) Shahan-e-Sahi
b) Shahan-e-Rajukas
c) Shahan-e-Mandi
d) Diwan-e-Amir-Kohi

Answer: c

59. The department named Diwan-e-Amir-Kohi related to agriculture was established by :
a) Firoz Shah Tughluq
b) Muhammd Bin Tughlaq
c) Akber
d) Allaudin Khilj

Answer: b

60. The Sabha and Samiti have been called two daughters of Prajapati in :
a) The Artharvaveda
b) The Rig Veda
c) The Sama Veda
d) The Yajur Veda

Answer: a

61. Which Governor General is remembered for the annulment of the partition of Bengal?
a) Lord Hardinge
b) Willium Bentick
c) Warren Hastings
d) Lord Curzon

Answer: a

62. Which Delhi Sultan levied the irrigation tax on the farmers for the first time ?
a) Abu Bakr Shah
b) Nasir ud din Muhammad Shah III
c) Sultan Firoz Tuglaq
d) Nusrat Shah

Answer: c

63. The writer of Rajatarangini is :
a) Banbhata
b) Kalhana
c) Abul Fazal
d) Tulsi Das

Answer: b

64. Who first applied the name India to the region watered by the Sindhu ?
a) British
b) Portuguese
c) Dutch
d) Achaemenid Persians

Answer: d

65. The Puranas define the term Bharatavarsha as the country marked by seven main chains of mountains viz.:
a) Mahendra, Malaya, Sabhya, Suktimat, Riksha, Vindhya and Pariyatra
b) Mahendra, Malaya, Nashukha, Suktimat, Riksha, Vindhya and Pariyatra
c) Mahendra, Malaya, Sabhya, Suktimat, Amalya, Vindhya and Pariyatra
d) Mahendra, Haruna, Sabhya, Suktimat, Riksha, Vindhya and Pariyatra

Answer: a

66. The eastern most outpost of Indus Valley Civilization (Akangirpur) was excavated by :
a) J. Joshi
b) B.B lai
c) Y. D. Sharma
d) S.R. Rao

Answer: c

67. Who founded Ramkrishna Mission in 1896?
a) Ram Kisna Paramhans
b) Swami Vivekananda
c) Ravibindra Nath Tagore
d) Devendra Nath Tagore

Answer: b

68. The Ryatwari Settlement was primarily introduced by the British Government in ?
a) Calcutta
b) Jhansi
c) Awadh
d) Madras and Bombay

Answer: d

69. Akbarnama and Ain-e-Akbari have been written by :
a) Abul Fazal
b) Akber
c) Rahim
d) Niggar Khan

Answer: a

70. Dadra and Nagar Haveli was liberated from Portuguese rule in :
a) 1935
b) 1947
c) 1950
d) 1954

Answer: d

71. "Milind Panho" explaining the Buddhist doctrines in the form of a dialogue between Milind and his teacher Nagsena (the great Buddhist philosopher ) is in :
a) Sanskrit
b) Pali Language
c) Hindi
d) Santhali

Answer: b

72. Mahabhasya - an outstanding work in the fields of grammar - is a composition by:
a) Ashwins
b) Ghosa
c) Kakshivat
d) Patanjali

Answer: d

73. In 1724 the state of Hyderabad was founded by :
a) Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf-Jah
b) Azim Jah Bahadur
c) Osman Ali Khan
d) Qamaruddin Khan

Answer: a

74.Annie Besant arrived in India in:
a) 1878
b) 1885
c) 1893
d) 1900

Answer: c

75. Mahatma Gandhi laid down four preconditions for a Satyagrahi (Passive Resistor) to fulfill - namely :
a) Observe perfect Chastity, Adopt Poverty, Follow truth and Cultivated Fearlessness.
b) Observe perfect Chastity, Gain Money, Follow truth and Cultivated Fearlessness.
c) Observe perfect Chastity, Adopt Poverty, Follow truth and Cultivated Power.
d) Observe perfect Chastity, Gain Money, Follow truth and Cultivated Power.

Answer: a

76.Khajuraho temples were built by
a) The Panchalas
b) The Chandellas
c) The Haryanks
d) Nandas

Answer: b

77.The first Muslim ruler to impose the Jaziya on the Brahmins was :
a) Ghiyas ud din Balban
b) Aurangzeb
c) Aram Shah
d) Firoz Shah Tughlaq

Answer: d

78. The rise of two independent states in the South namely The Vijyanagar (A. D. 1336) and Bahamani (A. D. 1347) witnessed by:
a) Firoz Shah Tughluq
b) Qutbuddin Aibak
c) Muhammad Bin Tughlaq
d) Raziyat ud din Sultana

Answer: c

79. The major towns namely Fatehabad, Hissar, Firozpur, Jaunpur and Firozabad were founded by :
a) Firoz Shah Tughlaq
b) Raziyat ud din Sultana
c) Qutbuddin Aibak
d) Aram Shah

Answer: a

80.During modern history Martanda Verma emerged as the strong ruler of:
a) Karnataka
b) Kerala
c) Maharashtra
d) Tamil Nadu

Answer: b

81. Dhamma which Ashoka the Great tried to instill as the governing principle and enforced in every sphere of life was :
a) A code for Economic and Judiciary
b) A code for moral and virtuous life
c) A code for religious reforms
d) None of Above

Answer: b

82. Dharmakaya, Nirmanakaya and Sambhogakaya are:
a) Buddhist Concepts
b) Jainism Concept
c) Hinduism Concept
d) Sikhism Concept

Answer: a

83. Ibn-e-Batuta was a traveler from :
a) China
b) japan
c) Morocco
d) Portugal

Answer: c

84. Khan Abdul Ghaffar was the founder of:
a) Samaj Khidmatgar Organisation
b) Khudai Khidmatgar Organisation
c) Dharm Khidmatgar Organisation
d) Islam Khidmatgar Organisation

Answer: b

85. Which Sufi order (Silsila) laid great stress on practicing mystic music ?
a) Maulana Orde
b) sangit Orde
c) Manu Order
d) Chisti Order

Answer: d

86. Akbar the great Mughal Emperor proclaimed a new religion Din-e-Ilahi in:
a) 1565
b) 1575
c) 1581
d) 1583

Answer: c

87.The two Jain Trithankars who find mention in Rig Veda are:
a) Rishabhanath and Mahavira
b) Rishabhanath and Aristhanemia
c) Mahavira and Aristhanemia
d) Ajitnath and Mahavira

Answer: b

88. Who attained Kaivalya (i.e., the supreme knowledge and final deliverance from the bonds of pleasure and pain) at the age of 42 ?
a) Rishabhanath
b) Aristhanemia
c) Parsva Natha
d) Vardhamana Mahavira

Answer: d

89. The fundamental principles of Buddha's teachings are represented by the four Nobel Truths viz. :
a) Dukkha, Dukkha Samuddaya, Dukkha Nirodha and Dukkha Nirodh-Gamini-Pratipada.
b) Sukhkkha, Dukkha Samuddaya, Dukkha Nirodha and Dukkha Nirodh-Gamini-Pratipada.
c) Suukkha, Sukkha Samuddaya, Dukkha Nirodha and Dukkha Nirodh-Gamini-Pratipada.
d) None of Abov

Answer: a

90. The four important dynasties that stand out prominently in the sixth century B.C. are .
a) The Guptas, the Ikshvakus, the Pauravas and the Mauryas.
b) The Haryankas, the Guptas, the Pauravas and Pradyotas
c) The Haryankas, the Ikshvakus, the Pauravas and the Mauryas.
d) The Haryankas, the Ikshvakus, the Pauravas and Pradyotas.

Answer: d

91. Between 1749-1754, an important war fought between the forces of the British and the French is known as :
a) Third battale of panipat
b) The first Carnatic War
c) The second Carnatic War
d) Battle of Baxur

Answer: c

92. The Dutch East India Company was formed by merging several small companies of Holland in :
a) The year 1702
b) The year 1602
c) The year 1802
d) The year 1834

Answer: b

93. The Harappa Civilization was discovered in 1920-21 by the excavations by :
a) R.D. Banerjee and by D.R. Sahni
b) Mortimer Wheeler
c) Sir Alexander Cunningham
d) None of Above

Answer: a

94. The most distinguishing feature of various Chalcolithic Cultures in ancient period is their :
a) Black Polished Ware
b) Seal
c) Painted Grey Ware
d) Painted Pottery

Answer: d

95. Mughal emperor Akbar divided his empire into :
a) Eight Provinces (Subas)
b) Five Provinces (Subas)
c) Twelve Provinces (Subas)
d) Ten Provinces (Subas)

Answer: c

96. Who founded the Haryanka dynasty in Magadha ?
a) Udayabhadra
b) Ajatashatru
c) Bimbisara
d) None of Above

Answer: c

97. The most important republican state during the period of Buddha were :
a) The Panchalas
b) The Vajjis
c) The Kashis
d) The Magadhas

Answer: b

98. Who wrote the play Mudrarakshasa ?
a) Vishakha Dutta
b) Banbhat
c) Tunbhadra
d) None of Above

Answer: a

99. Asoka's inscriptions have been found at Maski, Yerragudi and Chitaldurga, These are in
a) Kerala
b) Karnataka
c) Tamilnadu
d) Maharastra

Answer: b

100. The oldest among the spoken literary languages of South India is:
a) Kannada
b) Malayalam
c) Telugu
d) Tamil Language

Answer: d