About the Topic: Rig Vedic Period is one of the most important topics in Ancient Indian History covering the Rigveda, tribal organization, administration, religion, economy and early Aryan society. Practice Rig Vedic Period MCQ Questions with answers and explanations for UPSC preparation.
Correct Answer:
(A) Three Vedas
Rig Veda, Yajurveda and Samaveda are called Vedatrayi or simply Trayi.
Ques: 2
Match the following:
Atharvaveda 1. God Grace
Correct Answer:
(A) Rig Veda 2. Sacrifice process
The correctly matched list is as follows:-
Atharvaveda - Medicine
Rig Veda - God Grace
Yajurveda - Sacrifice process
Samaveda - Music
Ques: 3
Which one of the following tribal assemblies is considered as the oldest of all?
Correct Answer:
(D)
Vidhata
The Earliest Tribal Assembly – Vidhata
Vidatha appears for 122 times in the Rig-Veda and seems to be the most important assembly in the Rig Vedic period. Vidatha was an assembly meant for secular, religious and military purpose. The Rig-Veda only once indicated the connection of woman with the Sabha whereas Vidatha is frequently associated with woman actively participated in the deliberations with men. Vidatha was the earliest folk assembly of the Aryans, performing all kinds of functions- economic, military religious and social. The Vidatha also provided common ground to clans and tribes for the worship of their gods.
Ques: 4
The division of india into five parts is to be found in which of the following brahmana?
Correct Answer:
(C) Aitareya
Aitareya Brahmana gives us a clear picture of the five regional divisions based on directions. The names of the five divisions of India as found in this Brahmana are:
Pracya
Daksina
Pratlcya
Udlcya and
Dhruva Madhyama Pratistha.
Ques: 5
Match the following:
Protector of Cattle - (i) Mauruts
Gods of Storm - (ii) Ushas
Goddess of Etemity - (iii) Pushan
Goddess of Dawn - (iv) Aditi
Correct Answer:
(A) A-III, B-I, C-IV, D-II
Correctly match are as follows:
Protector of Cattle - (iii) Pushan
Gods of Storm - (i) Mauruts
Goddess of Etemity - (iv) Aditi
Goddess of Dawn - (ii) Ushas
Pushan was responsible for marriages, journeys, roads, and the feeding of cattle. He was a psychopomp (soul guide), conducting souls to the other world. He protected travelers from bandits and wild beasts, and protected men from being exploited by other men.
In Hinduism, the Maruts or Marutas, also known as the Marutagana and sometimes identified with Rudras, are storm deities and sons of Rudra and Prisni. In the Vedic mythology, the Marutas, a troop of young warriors, are Indra's companions.
Aditi, is a Vedic goddess in Hinduism, the personification of the infinite. She is the goddess of the earth, sky, consciousness, the past, the future and fertility.
Ushas is the prominent goddess of dawn in the Vedas. She is depicted as the one who imbues life to all beings, as the "life of all life" and "breath of all breaths", according to Jones and Ryan.
Ques: 6
Which Mandal of the Rig Veda Samhita is wholly devoted to the intoxicating drink of ‘Soma’?
Correct Answer:
(C) IX
(It is the 9th Mandal of Rigveda which contains 114 hymns) The fermented juice of the plant called Soma appears to have been the only intoxicating drink used in Vedic times. So much were the ancient Aryans addicted to this drink, that Soma was soon worshipped as a deity both in India and in Iran (under the name Haoma in the latter country), and we find one entire Mandala, or Book, of the Rig-Veda, dedicated to this deity.
Ques: 7
Two of the most famous Rig Vedic clans were
Correct Answer:
(B) Purus and Tritsus
The Purus were a clan, or a confederation of clans, mentioned many times in the Rigveda. RV 7.96.2 locates them at the banks of the Sarasvati River. There were several factions of Purus, one being the Bharatas. Purus rallied many other groups against King Sudas of the Bharata, but were defeated in the Battle of the Ten Kings (RV 7.18, etc.). One of the major tribal confederations in the Rigveda.
The Tritsus are a sub-group of the Puru who are distinct from the Bharatas mentioned in Mandala 7 of the Rigveda (in hymns 18, 33 and 83). Under king Sudas they defeated the confederation of ten kings with the help of the Bharatas at the Battle of the Ten Kings.
Ques: 8
The manuals of which of the following deal with the correct pronunciation and accentuation of Vedic hymns?
Correct Answer:
(A) Siksha
Shiksha is a Sanskrit word, which means "instruction, lesson, learning, study of skill". It also refers to one of the six Vedangas, or limbs of Vedic studies, on phonetics and phonology in Sanskrit.Shiksha as a supplemental branch of the Vedas, included teaching proper articulation and pronunciation of Vedic texts. It was one of six fields of supplemental studies, others being grammar (Vyakarana), prosody (Chandas), ritual (Kalpa), etymology (Nirukta) and astrology (Jyotisha, calculating favorable time for rituals).
Ques: 9
Consider the following statements about the Rig Vedic society.
1. The Rig Vedic society was matriarchal
2. Women were allowed to participate in literary activities.
3. The basic unit of society was the family whose head was Gahapati
Select the correct answer using the code below.
Correct Answer:
(D)
1, 2 and 3
The society was patriarchal in nature, though the women had important positions in the society since they were educated and had access to the assembly.
They composed hymns and received Upanayana. Women attended the meetings of the Vidatha.
The basic unit of society was family or Graham and the head of the family was known as Grahapati.
Ques: 10
The earliest Aryan kingdoms were founded by four kings. Which of the following is not one of them?
Correct Answer:
(B) Bharata
Rig Vedic Period
The earliest Aryan kingdoms were founded by four kings, Iksaku, Pramsu, Sudyunma and Saryata, all stated to be the sons of Manu Vaivasvata.
The word rajan or raja in the Rigveda denoted a tribal chief and not a monarchical king.
Kingship was generally hereditary but elected monarchies were not unknown.
The chiefs received from the people voluntary offerings called bali.
The king did not maintain any regular or standing army. But during the period of war different tribal groups called vrata, gana, grama, sardha formed a militia.
Ques: 11
The rivers mentioned in the Rig Veda are:
Correct Answer:
(A) The five rivers of Punjab, Sindhu and Saraswati.
During the Vedic civilization, Aryans developed Rigveda, which describes about the ”Sapta Sindhu ” the seven rivers of NW India , traced from east to west as Sarasvati, Satadru (Sutlej), Vipasa (Beas), Parosni (Ravi) , Asikni (Chenab) Vitasta (Jhelum) and Sindhu (Indus).
Ques: 12
What was the main cause of the tribal wars among the early Aryan settlers, the most famous of which is referred to as the Battle of Ten Kings in the Rig Veda?
Correct Answer:
(A) Cattle and land disputes
There is an interesting reference to the inter-tribal conflicts in Rig-Veda. The most famous being the Battle of the Ten Kings. Sudas, we are told, was the king of the Bharat tribe settled in western Punjab, and Vishwamitra was his chief priest, who had conducted successful campaigns for the king. But Sudas wished to dismiss Vishwamitra and appoint another chief priest in his place, Vasishtha, since the latter was supposed to have greater priestly knowledge. This infuriated Vishwamitra, who formed a confederacy of ten tribes and attacked Sudas, but Sudas was victorious. Cattle-stealing and land disputes were probably a frequent cause of inter-tribal wars.
Ques: 13
The compilation of which among the following is based upon the Rig Veda?
Correct Answer:
(B) Samaveda
The Samaveda is shortest among all the four Vedas. It is closely connected with the Rig Veda. It has taken many verses from the Rig Veda. The Samaveda is compiled inclusively for ritual application and all of its verses are meant to be chanted in ceremonies. Samaveda Samhita consists a total of 1875 verses. Amongst these except 75 or 99 verses, all of them are compiled in Rig Veda.
Ques: 14
The word Gotra occurs for the first time in
Correct Answer:
(B) Rig Veda
As a Rigvedic term, gotra simply means “cow shelter” or “herd of cows”. The specific meaning “family, lineage kin” (as it were “herd within an enclosure”) is relatively more recent, first recorded around post-Vedic period.
Ques: 15
Which of the following rivers mentioned in the Rig Veda indicates the relations of Aryans with Afghanistan?
Correct Answer:
(C) Kubha, Kramu
Rivers mentioned in the Rig Veda namely Kubha (Kabul), Kramu (Kurram), Gomti (Gomal) and Suvastu (Swat) were flowing through Afghanistan which indicates that there were deep relations of Aryans with the country.
Ques: 16
The religion of early Vedic Aryans was primarily of
Correct Answer:
(C) Worship of nature and yajnas
The religion of early Vedic Aryans was mainly related to worship of the nature and performing of Yajnas. The Aryans in the early Vedic period described life as manifestation of nature. Worship of different forces of nature formed a part of their religious belief. They believed that some divine power works behind the objects of nature such as fire, water, wind, etc.
Ques: 17
The word ‘Yava’ mentioned in Rig Veda is used for which agricultural product ?
Correct Answer:
(A) Barley
The word ‘Yava’ mentioned in Rig Veda is used for the food grain barley. Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.
Ques: 18
Which of the following river among the following referred as ‘Matetama’, 'Devitama' and ‘Naditama’ in the Rig Veda.
Correct Answer:
(B) Saraswati
Saraswati River was considered as the most pious and respected river during the Rigvedic period. In the Rig Veda, Saraswati is referred as ‘Matetama,’ 'Devitama' and “Naditama’ means best of all mothers, best of all Goddesses and the best of all rivers respectively.
Ques: 19
Gayatri Mantra is found in which book?
Correct Answer:
(C) Rig Veda
The Gayatri Mantra was first written in Sanskrit in the Rig Veda by the Brahmarshi Vishwamitra. Its meaning is “May the Almighty God illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path.”
Ques: 20
Fundamental or basic script of the ‘Rig Veda’ was –
Correct Answer:
(D)
Brahmi
The basic script of the Rig Veda was Brahmi. The work on a script or ‘Bhasa’ is said to have been started by Brahma. For thousands of years, the script was known after him as the Brahmi script. The Rig Veda is divided into 10 Mandals, which consists of 1028 Sukta and 10552 Mantra. According to Patanjali, there are 21 branches of Rig Veda. The priests of Rig Veda were called ‘Hota'.
Ques: 21
There is a similarity in Avesta and the Rig Veda, from which region the Avesta is related to –
Correct Answer:
(B) Iran
According to a definition given about the Aryans: “The Indo- Iranian group whose members composed the Zoroastrian scriptures, the Avesta and the Hindu scriptures such as the Vedas, called themselves Aryans. So, it is clear that in the Vedic period it was the region of present-day Iran, where Zoroastrianism prevailed, and the ‘Avesta’ was written by Zoroastrian.
Ques: 22
In the early Rigvedic period, what was considered to be the most valuable property?
Correct Answer:
(B) Cow
Cattle breeding was the most important economic activity of the Rigvedic people. Prayers were offered to increase the number of cattle. It was a medium of exchange. A cow is considered as a deity in some Suktas of Rig Veda.