Ancient India — UPSC Prelims PYQs (Set 1)

Q1. Consider the following assertion : In the Pleistocene period either the Yamuna once flowed into the Indus, or the Sutlej flowed into the Yamuna and one major tributary of either had shifted from the Ganga to the Indus or vice versa.
Which of the following is/are the basis of the above assertion ?
1. The Nadi-Sukta of the Rigveda
2. The explorations of the Sutlej and the Yamuna by Robert Bruce Foote
3. The presence of the same species of dolphins in both the Indus and the Ganga river systems
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Q2. Which of the following pairs of ancient and modern names of rivers is/are correctly matched ?
1. Vitasta : Chenab
2. Asikni : Jhelum
3. Parushni : Ravi
4. Yavyavati : Beas
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Q3. Which of the following pairs of the king and his dynasty in early historical Tamilakam is/are not correctly matched ?
1. Senguttuvan : Chera
2. Udiyanjeral : Chola
3. Nedunjeliyan : Pandya
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Q4. In which one among the following texts does the term kshetra-patni (‘mistress of the field’) originate ? UPSC Prelims 2026

Q5. Consider the following statements :
I. Pali texts contain the first definite references to coins, e.g., kahapana, nikkha, kamsa, and kakanika.
II. The literary evidence from Pali texts is corroborated by archaeological evidence of punch-marked coins from many sites, most of them made of silver. The above statements have been associated with which of the following ?
1. Emergence of urban life
2. Transition to money economy
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Q6. Consider the following statements relating to the use of the place-value system in India :
1. The earliest epigraphic use of the place-value system in India is found in the Mankani plates from Gujarat (AD 595 – 596).
2. In the ninth century, place-values become general in inscriptions all over India.
3. The place-values have been found in Sanskrit inscriptions in South-east Asia as early as the seventh century.
Which of the statements given above are correct ? UPSC Prelims 2026

Q7. Consider the following statements about the archaeological findings in Harappan towns :
I. There is wide occurrence of spindle-whorls in the houses but absence of spinning wheels.
II. Weights and measurement scales, complete with graduations have been discovered.
III. There are houses built in large part with baked bricks, around relatively spacious courtyards, with their own wells, bathing platforms, and large rooms.
Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the above statements ?
1. Statement I suggests that spinning was a laborious activity done at home.
2. Statement II suggests the extent of the scientific knowledge that the Harappans possessed.
3. Statement III suggests the emergence of a common property system.
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Q8. Consider the following statements about the Rigvedic period :
I. Irrigation from wells allowed agriculture to expand away from flood plains and strips on river margins into the present Punjab and Haryana plains having underground water levels reasonably close to the surface.
II. Draught-animal power was employed to draw up water out of the wells.
Which of the following information support/supports the above statements ?
1. There is evidence in the Rigveda of the use of ashma chakra (stone pulley wheel) and ahava (strapped wooden pails) to draw up water.
2. Mention has been made in the Rigveda of the use of implements like parashu/kulisha (axe) and datra /sreni (sickle).
3. There is a history of the use of ox, even before the Rigveda, for ploughing the land and pulling the carts.
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Q9. 13. The irrigation device called 'Araghatta' was UPSC Prelims 2025

Q10. 14. Who among the following rulers in ancient India had assumed the titles 'Mattavilasa', 'Vichitrachitta' and 'Gunabhara'? UPSC Prelims 2025

Q11. 15. Fa-hien (Faxian), the Chinese pilgrim, travelled to India during the reign of UPSC Prelims 2025

Q12. With reference to ancient India (600-322 BC), consider the following pairs : Territorial region River flowing in the region
I. Asmaka : Godavari
II. Kamboja : Vipas
III. Avanti : Mahanadi
IV. Kosala : Sarayu
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched? UPSC Prelims 2025

Q13. Ashokan inscriptions suggest that the 'Pradeshika', 'Rajuka' and 'Yukta' were important officers at the UPSC Prelims 2025

Q14. The famous female figurine known as 'Dancing Girl', found at Mohenjo-daro, is made of UPSC Prelims 2025

Q15. Consider the following information : Archaeological Site | State | Description
1. Chandraketugarh | Odisha | Trading Port town
2. Inamgaon | Maharashtra | Chalcolithic site
3. Mangadu | Kerala | Megalithic site
4. Salihundam | Andhra Pradesh | Rock-cut cave shrines In which of the above rows is the given information correctly matched ? UPSC Prelims 2024

Q16. With reference to ancient India, consider the following statements :
1. The concept of Stupa is Buddhist in origin.
2. Stupa was generally a repository of relics.
3. Stupa was a votive and commemorative structure in Buddhist tradition.
How many of the statements given above are correct? UPSC Prelims 2023

Q17. With reference to ancient South India, Korkai, Poompuhar and Muchiri were well known as UPSC Prelims 2023