The Mauryan Empire collapsed in 185 BCE when the last Mauryan ruler, Brihadratha, was assassinated by his commander-in-chief, Pushyamitra Shunga, who established the Shunga Empire.
12. Famous scholar Asvaghosh was associated with the court of:
(a) Asoka
(b) Samudragupta
(c) Chandragupta Vikramaditya
(d) Kanishka
Answer:
(d) Kanishka
Explanation:
Ashvaghosha was a prominent Buddhist philosopher, poet, and orator who was associated with the court of the Kushan Emperor Kanishka.
13. Hathigumpha Cave is located in:
(a) Jharkhand
(b) Odisha
(c) Bengal
(d) Assam
Answer:
(b) Odisha
Explanation:
The Hathigumpha inscription, engraved by King Kharavela, is found in the Udayagiri caves located near Bhubaneswar in Odisha.
14. In the first century AD, navigators who discovered the monsoon winds for the first time, were:
(a) Arabs
(b) Indians
(c) Persians
(d) Greeks
Answer:
(d) Greeks
Explanation:
The Greek navigator Hippalus is traditionally credited with “discovering” the seasonal monsoon winds in the 1st century AD, facilitating direct trade across the Indian Ocean.
15. Kailashnath Rock Temple is located in:
(a) Ajanta Caves
(b) Ellora Complex
(c) Mansarovar
(d) Amarnath Caves
Answer:
(b) Ellora Complex
Explanation:
The magnificent Kailasa temple is the largest of the rock-cut Hindu temples at the Ellora Caves complex in Maharashtra, carved out of a single piece of rock.
