Ancient History of Jammu & Kashmir MCQs
1. The first historian of Kashmir was
Kalhana is the author of Rajatarangini (River of Kings), written in Sanskrit in the 12th century, which is the first historical chronicle of Kashmir.
2. The lower Karewas points to which age?
The Karewas are lacustrine deposits found in the Valley of Kashmir, dating back to the Pleistocene epoch.
3. Seeds of which crop has been found at Burzahom?
Excavations at the Neolithic site of Burzahom have revealed seeds of wheat, barley, and lentils.
4. Neolithic skull revealing trepanation was found at?
Evidence of trepanation (surgical drilling of the skull) was found in a skull at the Burzahom archaeological site.
5. Which Mauryan ruler sent Buddhist missionaries to Kashmir?
Emperor Ashoka brought Buddhism to Kashmir and founded the city of Srinagari (old Srinagar).
6. Turushka kings mentioned by Kalhana were?
Kalhana mentions three Kushan kings: Hushka, Jushka, and Kanishka, who ruled Kashmir.
7. Who held the 4th Buddhist Council at Kundalvana?
The 4th Buddhist Council was convened by Kanishka at Kundalvana (near Srinagar) to resolve disputes in Buddhism.
8. Which invader from Central Asia conquered Kashmir in 5th century?
Mihirakula, the Hun ruler (son of Toramana), is known for his cruelty and conquest of Kashmir in the 6th century (often cited broadly in the 5th-6th century context).
9. Who founded Pravarasenpura (Srinagar)?
Pravarasena II founded the new capital Pravarasenpura, which corresponds to modern-day Srinagar.
10. Founder of Karkota Dynasty?
Durlabhavardhana founded the Karkota Dynasty in the 7th century AD.
11. Who is known as 'Samudragupta of Kashmir'?
Lalitaditya Muktapida is called the 'Samudragupta of Kashmir' due to his extensive military conquests.
12. Who built the Martand Sun Temple?
The magnificent Martand Sun Temple was built by Lalitaditya Muktapida of the Karkota dynasty.
13. Spanda-Karika was written by?
Bhatta Kallata, a disciple of Vasugupta, wrote the Spanda-Karika, explaining the Spanda school of Kashmir Shaivism.
14. Pandrethan, old Srinagar, was founded by?
Pandrethan is derived from 'Puranadhisthan' (Old Capital), which was the city of Srinagari founded by Emperor Ashoka.
15. Earliest historical source of Kashmir?
Kalhana's Rajatarangini is considered the earliest authentic historical source of Kashmir.
16. The famous Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang visited Kashmir during the reign of?
Hiuen Tsang visited Kashmir in the 7th century AD when Durlabhavardhana was the king.
17. Who founded the Utpala Dynasty in Kashmir?
Avantivarman founded the Utpala Dynasty in 855 AD, marking a period of peace and development.
18. 'Suyya' was a brilliant engineer in the court of?
Suyya was a great engineer who regulated the course of the Vitasta (Jhelum) river to prevent floods during Avantivarman's reign.
19. Who wrote the famous text 'Vikramankadevacharita'?
Bilhana was a famous 11th-century Kashmiri poet who wrote Vikramankadevacharita in the court of Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI.
20. The capital city 'Parihaspora' was built by?
Lalitaditya Muktapida built a new capital called Parihaspora (City of Smiles) near Srinagar.
21. Who was the founder of the Lohara Dynasty?
Sangramaraja, the nephew of Queen Didda, founded the Lohara Dynasty in 1003 AD.
22. Queen Didda originally belonged to which family?
Queen Didda was a princess of the Lohara dynasty (Poonch) and married Kshemagupta of the Gupta dynasty of Kashmir.
23. Which ancient text gives the legendary origin of Kashmir from a lake called Satisar?
The Nilamata Purana describes the legendary origin of the Valley from a lake named Satisar, drained by sage Kashyapa.
24. Kalhana completed 'Rajatarangini' during the reign of which king?
Kalhana completed the Rajatarangini around 1148-1150 AD during the reign of King Jayasimha of the Lohara dynasty.
25. The city of 'Kanishkapura' (modern Kanispur) was built by?
The Kushan ruler Kanishka founded the city of Kanishkapura in the Baramulla district.
26. Who was the President of the 4th Buddhist Council held in Kashmir?
Vasumitra presided over the 4th Buddhist Council, with Ashvaghosha as his deputy.
27. Which ruler introduced the 'Copper Coinage' in Kashmir?
Toramana, the Hun ruler, is credited with introducing copper coins (Toramana coins) in the region.
28. Who wrote the 'Kuttanimata' (Advice of a Procuress)?
Damodaragupta, who was a minister/poet in the court of Jayapida, wrote Kuttanimata.
29. Who is the author of 'Tantraloka'?
Abhinavagupta was a great philosopher of Kashmir Shaivism and authored the Tantraloka.
30. Who founded the city of Avantipora?
King Avantivarman founded the city of Avantipora and built grand temples there.
31. Which queen ruled Kashmir for nearly 50 years (directly and as regent)?
Queen Didda was a powerful ruler who dominated the political scene of Kashmir for about 50 years in the 10th-11th century.
32. Who was the last Hindu Queen of Kashmir?
Kota Rani was the last Hindu ruler of Kashmir before the establishment of the Shah Mir dynasty in the 14th century.
33. 'Katha-Sarit-Sagara' was written by?
Somadeva wrote the famous collection of stories, Katha-Sarit-Sagara, in the 11th century for Queen Suryamati.
34. The ancient name of River Jhelum was?
The River Jhelum was known as Vitasta in ancient times (Hydaspes in Greek).
35. Who built the Shankaragaurishvara Temple?
Shankaravarman, the son of Avantivarman, built the Shankaragaurishvara temple at his capital Shankarapura (modern Pattan).
36. Kalhana was the son of a minister named?
Kalhana was the son of Chanpaka, who was a minister in the court of King Harsha of Kashmir.
37. Who was the founder of the 'Trika' system of Shaivism?
Vasugupta (9th century) is considered the founder of the Trika system (Kashmir Shaivism) after discovering the Shiva Sutras.
38. Rajatarangini consists of how many 'Tarangas' (Cantos)?
Kalhana's Rajatarangini is divided into 8 Tarangas (waves or books), containing nearly 8000 verses.
39. Who ascended the throne after the death of Yashaskara?
Sangramadeva was the son and successor of Yashaskara, though his reign was very short.
40. The 'Burzahom' site is famous for providing evidence of?
Burzahom is a unique Neolithic site in Kashmir famous for pit dwellings, burial of dogs with masters, and bone tools.