Who was the officer of the East India Company who deciphered Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts in the 1830s?

James Prinsep

In early inscriptions, which title, meaning “pleasant to behold,” was frequently used for a king?

Piyadassi

The sixth century BCE is often regarded as a major turning point in early Indian history because of

The emergence of early states and the use of iron

How many states, known as Mahajanapadas, are mentioned in early Buddhist and Jaina texts?

16

Which Mahajanapada was known as an oligarchy where power was shared by a group of rajas?

Vajji

What was the earliest capital of Magadha?

Rajagaha

Magadha became the most powerful Mahajanapada between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE because of

All of the above

The Dharmasutras ideally expected rulers to be from which social category?

Kshatriyas

Who founded the Mauryan Empire in c 321 BCE?

Chandragupta Maurya

Which Greek ambassador visited the court of Chandragupta Maurya?

Megasthenes

The Mauryan provincial center "Suvarnagiri" was literally known as the

Golden Mountain

According to Megasthenes, how many subcommittees were formed to coordinate military activity in the Mauryan army?

6

Which Mauryan administrative center was likely important for tapping the gold mines of Karnataka?

Suvarnagiri

Ashoka appointed special officers to spread the message of dhamma known as

Dhamma Mahamatta

The Prayaga Prashasti (Allahabad Pillar Inscription) was composed in praise of which ruler?

Samudragupta

Who composed the Prayaga Prashasti?

Harishena

Which dynasty's rulers adopted the title devaputra, or “son of god”?

Kushana

Statues of Kushana rulers have been found in a shrine at Mat, located near

Mathura

What does the term "Oligarchy" refer to?

Power exercised by a group of men

The Jataka stories, used to understand popular perceptions of kings, were written in which language?

Pali

Which strategy was dramatically introduced in the Ganga valley to increase paddy production?

Transplantation

The Sudarshana Lake in Gujarat was an artificial reservoir first built during the rule of the

Mauryas

Which Shaka ruler repaired the Sudarshana Lake in the second century CE?

Rudradaman

In early Tamil literature (Sangam texts), large landowners were known as

Vellalar

The term Gahapati in Pali texts refers to

The owner or head of a household

What was an Agrahara?

Land granted to a Brahmana

Prabhavati Gupta was the daughter of which famous Gupta ruler?

Chandragupta II

Prabhavati Gupta's access to land was exceptional because according to Sanskrit legal texts

Women were not supposed to have independent access to land

Organizations of craft producers and merchants in early cities were known as

Shrenis (Guilds)

Which coastal town was a significant center where sea routes began?

Puhar

Which Indian spice was in high demand in the Roman Empire?

Black Pepper

Successful merchants designated as masattuvan belonged to which tradition?

Tamil

The earliest coins used in the subcontinent, from c sixth century BCE onwards, were

Punch-marked coins

Who issued the first coins bearing the names and images of rulers?

Indo-Greeks

The first gold coins in India were issued in c first century CE by the

Kushanas

Kushana gold coins were virtually identical in weight to those issued by

Roman Emperors

Spectacular gold coins, remarkable for their purity, were issued by which dynasty?

Guptas

The Yaudheyas of Punjab and Haryana were a tribal republic who issued thousands of coins made of

Copper

"Numismatics" is the study of

Coins

Brahmi script was primarily deciphered by comparing it with which modern scripts?

Bengali and Devanagari

The decipherment of Kharosthi script was facilitated by coins from

Indo-Greek kings

Ashokan inscriptions in the northwest of the subcontinent were written in which languages?

Aramaic and Greek

In Ashokan inscriptions, the king is often referred to as Devanampiya, which means

Beloved of the gods

What is a "Votive Inscription"?

An inscription recording a gift to a religious institution

Which ancient city was originally a village known as Pataligrama?

Pataliputra

According to the Manusmrti, what should be buried to mark boundaries and resolve disputes?

Stones, bones, and chaff

The "haja-bird" mentioned in Mesopotamian texts is believed by some archaeologists to be the

Peacock

Which region was referred to as Meluhha in Mesopotamian texts?

The Harappan region

What is one major technical limitation of inscriptional evidence?

Letters may be faintly engraved or damaged