Later Vedic period MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Later Vedic period - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is - Ekraj

Key Points

• Ekraj
  • The term Ekraj signifies a king whose sovereignty extends over vast territories, encompassing regions from one ocean to another.
  • It is derived from the Later Vedic period, emphasizing the concept of a unified and centralized rule.
  • The title reflects the king’s dominance over multiple kingdoms or regions, showcasing both political and military prowess.
  • Such rulers were often considered supreme authorities, embodying the ideal of an expansive and unified monarchy.

Additional Information

• Political Structure of the Later Vedic Period
  • The Later Vedic period witnessed the emergence of larger kingdoms, replacing the smaller tribal units of the early Vedic age.
  • Kingship became hereditary, and the ruler’s authority was strengthened through military conquests and alliances.
  • Titles such as Raja, Maharaja, and Ekraj were used to denote the hierarchical positions of rulers.
• Rituals and Ceremonies
  • Vedic kings often performed grand sacrifices like Rajasuya and Ashvamedha to assert their authority and display their dominance.
  • The Ashvamedha (horse sacrifice) was specifically associated with the concept of supreme sovereignty, aligning closely with the idea of an Ekraj.
• Social and Economic Structure
  • The Later Vedic period was marked by increased stratification, with the king at the apex of the social hierarchy.
  • Trade and agriculture flourished, providing the economic foundation for expansive kingdoms like those ruled by an Ekraj.

The correct answer is Use of iron tools and ploughs for clearing forests and intensive farming.

Key Points

• Iron technology, particularly the use of iron ploughshares, enabled the Aryans to clear the dense forests of the Ganga-Yamuna doab and expand agriculture.
• This economic shift allowed for permanent settlements and surplus production, contributing to social stratification and the rise of territorial states.
• Pottery like PGW (Painted Grey Ware) is associated with this transformation, especially among elite classes.

Additional Information

• This development marked the transition from a primarily pastoral to an agrarian economy.
• New settlements began to emerge in the eastern Gangetic plains, and the foundation for the future Mahajanapadas was laid.

The correct answer is Statement I is correct, but Statement II is incorrect.

Key Points

• Statement I is correct: In the Later Vedic period, Brahmanas gained significant power and status by conducting yajnas (sacrifices) and crowning rituals such as Rajasuya and Vajapeya, granting divine legitimacy to kingship.
• Statement II is incorrect: Far from declining, the importance of yajnas and Brahmanical rituals increased. Kings offered lavish dakshinas (donations) and sought spiritual endorsement from Brahmanas.

Additional Information

• The association of Kshatriyas and Brahmanas during this time led to mutual reinforcement of political and religious authority.
• This period witnessed increased social stratification and religious ritualism, which were later questioned by reformist movements like Buddhism and Jainism.

The correct answer is Only two.

Key Points

• Statement 1 is correct: Indra (god of thunder and rain) and Agni (god of fire) were the most frequently mentioned deities in the Rigveda.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: There was no idol worship or temple architecture during the Early Vedic period; worship was centered around natural elements and fire sacrifices.
• Statement 3 is correct: Elements of nature such as fire (Agni), rain (Parjanya), sun (Surya), and dawn (Ushas) were personified as deities and praised in hymns.

Additional Information

• The Early Vedic religion was polytheistic and based on yajnas (sacrifices) rather than temple or image worship.
• Agni: Regarded as the mediator between gods and men.
• Indra: Associated with war and storms; hailed as the king of gods.

The correct answer is Beas and Sutlej.

Key Points

• In the Rigveda, there is a hymn in the form of a dialogue between Sage Vishvamitra and two rivers Beas and Sutlej were worshipped as goddesses.
• Some of the hymns in the Rigveda are in the form of dialogues.
• This is part of one such hymn, a dialogue between a sage named Vishvamitra, and two rivers, Beas and Sutlej that were worshipped as goddesses.

Additional Information

• The Rigveda is in old or Vedic Sanskrit.
• The Rigveda was recited and heard rather than read. It was written down several centuries after it was first composed and printed less than 200 years ago. 

• The oldest Veda is the Rigveda, composed about 3500 years ago.
• The Rigveda includes more than a thousand hymns, called sukta or “well-said”.
• These hymns are in praise of various gods and goddesses. 

The correct answer is Bhagadudha.

Key Points

• The period between 1500 BCE to 600 BCE belongs to the Vedic Age.
• The Early Vedic period is often referred to as the Rig Vedic period and existed from 1500 BCE to 1000 BCE while the later Vedic period existed between 1000 BCE and 600 BCE.
• In the later Vedic period, different officials were appointed to assist the king in his state-affairs.

• Bhagadudha was an official responsible for collection of royal share in produce and is mentioned in later Vedic texts.

Hence, we conclude that during the later Vedic period Bhagadudha collected taxes.

Important Points

• Officials of Vedic Period were:

The correct answer is Chandogya.

• The famous phrase ‘Tattavamsi’ is found in Chandogya Upanishads.

Key Points

• The Chandogya Upanishad is a Sanskrit text embedded in the Chandogya Brahmana of the Sama Veda of Hinduism.
  • It is one of the oldest Upanishads.
  • It lists as number 9 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads. 
  • Chandogya Upanishad belongs to Tandya school under Kauthuma Samhita of the Samaveda. Out of the ten chapters of the Chandogya Brahmana; chapters third to tenth are considered as the Chandogya Upanishad.
  • It presents the ancient source of Vedantic philosophy and ranks as one of the most prominent among the major group of mystical and philosophical texts. 

Additional Information

• Upanishads are philosophical texts.
  • Upanishads are also called Vedanta.
  • There are a total of 108 Upanishads.
  • Vrihadranyaka is the oldest Upanishad.

Option 3 is correct.

• "Satyameva Jayate" means "Truth alone triumphs". 
• It is a part of a mantra from Mundaka Upanishad which is an ancient Hindu scripture.
• This phrase was adopted as the national motto of India on 26 January 1950 following the independence of India.
• This phrase is written in the Devanagari script at the base of the Lion Capital of Ashoka.
• Please note that this phrase along with Indian national emblem is inscribed on one side of all Indian currencies.
• Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya is accredited to popularise this slogan.

The correct answer is option 4 i.e Yajurveda.

• Yajurveda:
  • It is also kn own as the book of sacrificial prayer.
  • It lays down the performance of sacrificial prayers.
  • There are two main texts of Yajurveda and those are Krishna (Black) and Shukla (White) Yajurveda.
  • The Shukla (white) Yajurveda only contains hymns but the Krishna (black) Yajurveda contains commentary in prose in addition to the text.
  • Satapatha Brahmana and Taitriya Brahmana are the Brahmana texts of Yajurveda.
• Samveda:
  • It is also known as the Book of Chants.
  • It contains musical hymns associated with Rigveda.
• Atharvaveda:
  • It contains magical charms and spells.
  • It also contains a discussion of Ayurveda.
• Rigveda:
  • It contains 1028 hymns dedicated to various gods and goddesses.
  • It gives us insight into the political, social, economical, and religious life of people of Rigvedic India. 

The correct answer is Yajur Veda.

Important Points

• The Vedas are the world's oldest literature.
• They are referred to as shruti (hearing) which is eternal, selfevident and divinely revealed.
• The sages had seen and perceived the Vedic mantras while in a stage of meditation and contemplation.
• The entire Vedic literature is shruti.
• On the other hand, we have several human creations in literature which are known as smriti (recollection).
• It is claimed that the Rigveda is the foundation of all other Vedas.
• Directly or indirectly the remaining Vedas, with the exception of the Atharvaveda, borrowed material from this particular Veda.
• Yajur Veda is the Veda of prose mantras, An ancient Vedic Sanskrit text, it is a compilation of ritual offering formulas that were said by a priest while an individual performed ritual actions. Hence, option 3 is the correct answer.
• It is unlikely that before the Mantras were collected there was anything like structure.

Additional Information

• The Yajurveda is in two forms, Krishna Yajurveda and Shukla Yajurveda.
• While Shukla Yajurveda is in verse style, the former is prosaic and also poetic.
• Perhaps Krishna Yajurveda is so-called because of this admixture.
• This Veda gave utmost prominence to the performance of yaga.
• In this respect, the Brahmanas of the Rigveda are more in common with the Yajur veda.
• It is said that Krishna Yajurveda had eighty-five schools out of which only four are extant.
• They are called (a). Taittiriya (b). Maitrayaneeya (c). Katha and (d) Kapisthala

The correct answer is Rigveda.

Key Points 

• Gayatri Mantra
  • It is found in the oldest Vedic Literature, the Rigveda.
  • The mantra and its associated metric form were known by the Buddha.
  • The mantra is an important part of the upanayana ceremony for young males in Hinduism.
  • It is considered one of the most important and powerful Vedic mantras.
• Rigveda
  • It is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns.
  • It is the oldest known Vedic Sanskrit text.
  • It is one of the four sacred canonical texts of Hinduism.
  • It contains 1028 hymns which are arranged in 10 mandalas.
  • The sum of the hymns in Rigveda is in the form of Dialogue.

Additional Information 

• Samveda
  • It is called the "Book of Chants"
  • It is a collection of hymns.
  • Hymns have been taken mainly from the 8th and 9th mandalas of Rigveda 
  • It is the shortest book of all among the Vedas.
  • It contains Dhrupada Raga.
• Upnishads
  • Upnishads are late Vedic Sanskrit texts of religious teachings which form the foundations of Hinduism.
  • They played an important role in the development of spiritual ideas in ancient India.
  • The Upanishads are commonly referred to as Vedanta.
  • Around 108 Upnishads are known.
• Aitareya Brahmana
  • Aitareya Brahmana is the Brahmana of the Shakala Shakha of the Rigveda
  • An ancient Indian collection of sacred hymns.

The correct answer is Magadha.

Key Points

• The first empire in ancient India to use elephants in its war on a large scale is Magadha.
• The evidence proved that the war elephant was invented in the later Vedic period.
• The interstate warfare under the process of unification of the kingdom Magadha.
• Magadha's success in unifying northern India's warring states is dependent on the success of the elephant war.

The correct answer is Shankaracharya

• Adi Shankaracharya was considered as one of the most important philosophers and religious leaders in Indian history and the Hindu Sanatan religion and is widely revered as a religious reformer in the early 8th century.
• Adi Shankaracharya was born on 11th May 788 AD, at Kaladi near Kochi, Kerala.
• He is associated with Maya Theory, Advaita Vedanta (Non-Dualism), Tarak Brahma.
• He wrote a book called Bhashya - commentaries on Gita.
• Adi Shankaracharya established four major mathas in the four corners  – north (Jyotirmath), south (Sringeri, Kanchi), east (Puri), west (Dwaraka) – to propagate the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta and to promulgate the concept of Sanatana dharma.
• He died (took samadhi) at the age of 33, at Kedar tirth.

Key Points

Four mathas with their states-

The correct answer is Sama Veda, Atharva Veda, Yajur Veda.

Key Points

• The Vedas are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India.
• The later Vedic period is called the Brahmanical Age because it was dominated by the priestly religion of Brahman class.
• The primary literary sources from the later Vedic period are the Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda.

Additional Information 

• Sama Veda - 
  • It is considered as the root of Indian classical music and dance.
• Yajur Veda
  • It compiles ritual-offering mantras/chants. These chants were offered by the priest alongside a person who used to perform a ritual (in most cases yajna fire.)
• Atharva Veda
  • It is a primary source for information about Vedic Culture, the customs and beliefs, the aspirations of everyday life.

 Thus, we can say that the later Vedic period consists of Sama Veda, Atharva Veda and Yajur Veda.