1. The Shunga dynasty was founded in:
A) 321 BCE
B) 185 BCE
C) 120 BCE
D) 73 CE
Answer: B) 185 BCE
Explanation: After the fall of the Mauryan dynasty, Pushyamitra Shunga established the Shunga rule.
2. The founder of the Shunga dynasty was:
A) Brihadratha
B) Pushyamitra Shunga
C) Agnimitra
D) Vasumitra
Answer: B) Pushyamitra Shunga
Explanation: He killed the last Mauryan ruler Brihadratha during a military parade.
3. Pushyamitra Shunga was originally:
A) A Buddhist monk
B) The commander-in-chief of Mauryan army
C) A provincial governor under Mauryas
D) A Brahmana priest
Answer: B) The commander-in-chief of Mauryan army
Explanation: He rose to power after assassinating Brihadratha Maurya.
4. The last Mauryan emperor killed by Pushyamitra Shunga was:
A) Ashoka
B) Bindusara
C) Brihadratha
D) Dasharatha
Answer: C) Brihadratha
Explanation: He was murdered during an army review.
5. The Shunga capital was at:
A) Ujjain
B) Pataliputra
C) Vidisha
D) Ayodhya
Answer: B) Pataliputra
Explanation: They continued the Mauryan capital at Pataliputra.
6. Pushyamitra Shunga ruled for about:
A) 10 years
B) 36 years
C) 50 years
D) 60 years
Answer: B) 36 years
Explanation: His reign lasted from 185 BCE to 149 BCE.
7. The successor of Pushyamitra Shunga was:
A) Agnimitra
B) Vasumitra
C) Brihadratha II
D) Bhagabhadra
Answer: A) Agnimitra
Explanation: He was Pushyamitra’s son and second ruler of the dynasty.
8. The famous Sanskrit play Malavikagnimitram was written by:
A) Kalidasa
B) Banabhatta
C) Bharavi
D) Sudraka
Answer: A) Kalidasa
Explanation: It describes the story of Agnimitra, Pushyamitra’s son.
9. The Indo-Greek ruler who is said to have invaded during Pushyamitra’s reign was:
A) Demetrius
B) Menander
C) Antiochus
D) Diodotus
Answer: A) Demetrius
Explanation: Demetrius, the Indo-Greek king, attempted invasions into north India.
10. Pushyamitra performed the:
A) Vajapeya sacrifice
B) Rajasuya sacrifice
C) Ashvamedha sacrifice
D) Agnihotra sacrifice
Answer: C) Ashvamedha sacrifice
Explanation: He revived Vedic rituals, asserting Brahmanical power.
11. The revival of the Ashvamedha sacrifice under Pushyamitra indicated:
A) Military expansion
B) Revival of Brahmanism
C) Assertion of political supremacy
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: It had both religious and political significance.
12. Which Buddhist text accuses Pushyamitra Shunga of persecuting Buddhists?
A) Divyavadana
B) Mahavamsa
C) Dipavamsa
D) Lalitavistara
Answer: A) Divyavadana
Explanation: It claims he destroyed Buddhist monasteries, though debated among historians.
13. The Shunga rulers are known for promoting:
A) Buddhism
B) Jainism
C) Brahmanism (Hinduism)
D) Christianity
Answer: C) Brahmanism (Hinduism)
Explanation: They revived Vedic sacrifices and Brahmanical traditions.
14. The Shunga period saw the decline of:
A) Hellenistic influence
B) Buddhism in Gangetic plains
C) Mauryan centralized power
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: The Shungas marked a transition to regional states.
15. Agnimitra ruled from:
A) 149 BCE – 141 BCE
B) 185 BCE – 149 BCE
C) 73 BCE – 50 BCE
D) 200 BCE – 185 BCE
Answer: A) 149 BCE – 141 BCE
Explanation: He was the immediate successor of Pushyamitra.
16. The Shungas ruled mainly over:
A) Eastern India
B) Northern and Central India
C) Southern India
D) Western India
Answer: B) Northern and Central India
Explanation: Their rule extended over Magadha, Malwa, and parts of north India.
17. Pushyamitra Shunga is said to have defeated:
A) Kalinga kings
B) Indo-Greeks
C) Satavahanas
D) Kushanas
Answer: B) Indo-Greeks
Explanation: He resisted invasions from Demetrius and others.
18. The dynasty founded by Pushyamitra Shunga lasted for about:
A) 112 years
B) 72 years
C) 200 years
D) 50 years
Answer: A) 112 years
Explanation: From 185 BCE to 73 BCE.
19. Which river formed the core region of Shunga power?
A) Ganga
B) Narmada
C) Yamuna
D) Godavari
Answer: A) Ganga
Explanation: Their power was concentrated around the Ganga valley.
20. The Shunga dynasty was succeeded by:
A) Satavahanas
B) Kanvas
C) Kushanas
D) Guptas
Answer: B) Kanvas
Explanation: The Kanva dynasty replaced the Shungas around 73 BCE.
21. Pushyamitra’s reign is important because:
A) He defended India from Indo-Greeks
B) He revived Brahmanical Hinduism
C) He marked the end of Mauryan centralized rule
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: His reign was transitional in Indian history.
22. The Shungas continued trade contacts with:
A) Romans
B) Indo-Greeks
C) Central Asia
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Despite political changes, trade flourished.
23. Evidence of Shunga art is found at:
A) Sanchi Stupa
B) Bharhut Stupa
C) Mathura sculptures
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: They contributed to Stupa railings and gateways.
24. The Bharhut stupa sculptures belong to:
A) Maurya period
B) Shunga period
C) Gupta period
D) Kushana period
Answer: B) Shunga period
Explanation: They are famous for early narrative reliefs in Buddhism.
25. The Shunga period is significant in Indian history as:
A) It bridged Mauryan and Gupta periods
B) It revived Brahmanism
C) It saw Indo-Greek interactions
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: The Shungas were transitional rulers in ancient India.
26. The immediate successor of Pushyamitra Shunga was:
A) Vasumitra
B) Agnimitra
C) Bhagabhadra
D) Devabhuti
Answer: B) Agnimitra
Explanation: Agnimitra (149–141 BCE), Pushyamitra’s son, succeeded him as the second Shunga ruler.
27. The reign of Agnimitra Shunga is described in Kalidasa’s play:
A) Raghuvamsha
B) Malavikagnimitram
C) Meghaduta
D) Abhijnanashakuntalam
Answer: B) Malavikagnimitram
Explanation: This play narrates the love story of Agnimitra and Malavika.
28. Agnimitra’s capital was at:
A) Pataliputra
B) Vidisha
C) Ayodhya
D) Taxila
Answer: B) Vidisha
Explanation: He ruled from Vidisha in central India.
29. The Indo-Greek ruler who invaded India during later Shunga times was:
A) Demetrius
B) Menander (Milinda)
C) Apollodotus
D) Antialcidas
Answer: B) Menander (Milinda)
Explanation: Menander advanced into India but was resisted.
30. The Indo-Greek ruler Menander is known in Buddhist texts as:
A) Nagarjuna
B) Milinda
C) Ashvaghosha
D) Vasumitra
Answer: B) Milinda
Explanation: His dialogues with Buddhist monk Nagasena are recorded in Milindapanho.
31. The Shunga king who fought successfully against Indo-Greek invasions was:
A) Pushyamitra
B) Agnimitra
C) Vasumitra
D) Devabhuti
Answer: C) Vasumitra
Explanation: According to Kalidasa, Vasumitra defeated Indo-Greeks on the Sindhu river.
32. Vasumitra, grandson of Pushyamitra, is credited with:
A) Protecting an Ashvamedha horse from Yavanas
B) Building Bharhut stupa
C) Writing grammar
D) Establishing Kanva dynasty
Answer: A) Protecting an Ashvamedha horse from Yavanas
Explanation: He defended the Ashvamedha sacrifice successfully.
33. The famous grammarian Patanjali lived during:
A) Maurya period
B) Shunga period
C) Gupta period
D) Kushana period
Answer: B) Shunga period
Explanation: He composed Mahabhashya on Panini’s grammar in 2nd century BCE.
34. Patanjali’s Mahabhashya is a commentary on:
A) Arthashastra
B) Panini’s Ashtadhyayi
C) Rigveda
D) Yajnavalkya Smriti
Answer: B) Panini’s Ashtadhyayi
Explanation: It is an important work on Sanskrit grammar.
35. Patanjali also made contributions in:
A) Yoga Sutras
B) Ayurveda
C) Both A and B
D) Astronomy
Answer: C) Both A and B
Explanation: He is credited with Yoga Sutras and medical texts, though debated among scholars.
36. The Indo-Greek king Antialcidas sent his envoy Heliodorus to the Shunga court of:
A) Pushyamitra
B) Agnimitra
C) Bhagabhadra
D) Vasumitra
Answer: C) Bhagabhadra
Explanation: The Heliodorus pillar inscription (Besnagar, Vidisha) mentions this.
37. The Heliodorus pillar inscription records:
A) Worship of Vishnu by Greek ambassador
B) Conquest of Yavanas by Shungas
C) Ashvamedha sacrifice
D) Foundation of Nalanda
Answer: A) Worship of Vishnu by Greek ambassador
Explanation: Heliodorus, a Greek, became a Bhagavata (devotee of Vishnu).
38. The Heliodorus pillar inscription is significant because:
A) It shows Greek influence in India
B) It shows spread of Bhagavatism (Vaishnavism)
C) It is one of the earliest inscriptions mentioning Vasudeva
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: It marks cultural exchange between Greeks and Indians.
39. The later Shunga ruler who issued coins with Hindu deities was:
A) Vasumitra
B) Agnimitra
C) Bhagabhadra
D) Devabhuti
Answer: C) Bhagabhadra
Explanation: His coins show symbols of Hinduism.
40. The Shungas faced constant pressure from:
A) Indo-Greeks in the northwest
B) Satavahanas in the Deccan
C) Kalinga rulers in the east
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Their central position forced them into conflicts on all sides.
41. The last Shunga ruler was:
A) Bhagabhadra
B) Vasumitra
C) Devabhuti
D) Agnimitra
Answer: C) Devabhuti
Explanation: He was assassinated by his minister Vasudeva Kanva, ending Shunga rule.
42. The Kanva dynasty was founded in:
A) 73 BCE
B) 185 BCE
C) 120 CE
D) 550 CE
Answer: A) 73 BCE
Explanation: After Devabhuti’s assassination, Kanvas took power.
43. The Shungas ruled for about:
A) 112 years
B) 200 years
C) 50 years
D) 73 years
Answer: A) 112 years
Explanation: From 185 BCE to 73 BCE.
44. The Indo-Greek interactions with Shungas show:
A) Cultural exchanges (Heliodorus pillar)
B) Wars and resistance (Menander)
C) Spread of Bhagavatism
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: The Shunga period was marked by both conflict and exchange.
45. The Indo-Greek influence is especially visible in:
A) Coinage
B) Sculpture
C) Gandhara art
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Hellenistic influence entered Indian art and coins.
46. The Shunga dynasty was primarily patrons of:
A) Buddhism
B) Jainism
C) Brahmanism and Vaishnavism
D) Ajivika sect
Answer: C) Brahmanism and Vaishnavism
Explanation: They revived Hinduism, though Buddhism survived in art.
47. The Indo-Greek king Menander is remembered in Buddhist tradition because:
A) He embraced Buddhism
B) He built monasteries
C) He debated Nagasena
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: He was converted to Buddhism after discussions with Nagasena (Milindapanho).
48. Which Shunga ruler resisted Menander’s invasion?
A) Pushyamitra
B) Agnimitra
C) Vasumitra
D) Devabhuti
Answer: C) Vasumitra
Explanation: He defeated the Yavanas (Indo-Greeks) in battle.
49. Which ancient Sanskrit grammarian lived during Shunga times?
A) Panini
B) Patanjali
C) Katyayana
D) Bhartrihari
Answer: B) Patanjali
Explanation: His Mahabhashya belongs to 2nd century BCE.
50. The significance of Shunga period lies in:
A) Revival of Hinduism
B) Resistance to foreign invasions
C) Development of art (Bharhut, Sanchi, Heliodorus pillar)
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: It was a transitional age with both resistance and cultural progress.
51. The Shunga administration was:
A) Highly centralized like Mauryas
B) More feudal and decentralized
C) Based on democratic assemblies
D) Controlled by Greek governors
Answer: B) More feudal and decentralized
Explanation: Unlike the Mauryas, the Shungas relied on local rulers and feudal lords.
52. Pushyamitra Shunga was a:
A) Kshatriya ruler
B) Brahmana ruler
C) Buddhist ruler
D) Jain ruler
Answer: B) Brahmana ruler
Explanation: He was a Brahmana who restored Brahmanical supremacy.
53. Land grants under the Shungas were given mainly to:
A) Buddhists
B) Jainas
C) Brahmanas
D) Traders
Answer: C) Brahmanas
Explanation: They supported Vedic rituals through land endowments.
54. The Shunga kings revived which Vedic rituals?
A) Rajasuya and Vajapeya
B) Ashvamedha
C) Agnihotra
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Pushyamitra and successors revived multiple Vedic sacrifices.
55. The economy of Shunga period was based on:
A) Agriculture
B) Internal and external trade
C) Crafts and artisanship
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Despite political instability, economic life continued to flourish.
56. The Shunga rulers issued coins mainly in:
A) Silver
B) Gold
C) Copper and lead
D) Iron
Answer: C) Copper and lead
Explanation: Unlike Mauryas and later Guptas, Shunga coins were mostly copper-based.
57. Foreign trade under the Shungas was maintained with:
A) Greeks and Romans
B) Central Asia
C) Sri Lanka
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Indo-Greek contacts and Roman trade through ports continued.
58. The Shunga rulers are often accused of:
A) Persecuting Buddhists
B) Destroying monasteries
C) Supporting only Brahmanism
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Sources like Divyavadana accuse them, though evidence is debated.
59. Despite Brahmanical patronage, which religion’s art flourished under the Shungas?
A) Jainism
B) Buddhism
C) Ajivikas
D) Shaivism only
Answer: B) Buddhism
Explanation: Stupa construction at Bharhut, Sanchi, etc. flourished in this period.
60. The Bharhut Stupa railings and gateways were built during:
A) Maurya period
B) Shunga period
C) Gupta period
D) Kushana period
Answer: B) Shunga period
Explanation: Famous for narrative reliefs depicting Jataka stories.
61. The Sanchi Stupa decoration was carried forward by:
A) Ashoka
B) Pushyamitra Shunga
C) Satavahanas
D) Guptas
Answer: B) Pushyamitra Shunga
Explanation: He renovated and added gateways and railings.
62. Shunga art is considered:
A) Mauryan polish style
B) Beginning of narrative relief sculpture
C) Purely Greek in nature
D) Mughal miniature style
Answer: B) Beginning of narrative relief sculpture
Explanation: Relief panels at Bharhut tell Buddhist stories in detail.
63. The Heliodorus pillar inscription shows the spread of:
A) Jainism
B) Bhagavatism (early Vaishnavism)
C) Buddhism
D) Shaivism
Answer: B) Bhagavatism (early Vaishnavism)
Explanation: It records Heliodorus, a Greek, becoming devotee of Vasudeva.
64. The literary work Mahabhashya of Patanjali belongs to which field?
A) Medicine
B) Grammar
C) Astrology
D) Poetry
Answer: B) Grammar
Explanation: It is a commentary on Panini’s Ashtadhyayi.
65. The importance of Mahabhashya is that it:
A) Provides historical references to Indo-Greek wars
B) Mentions Yavana invasions
C) Explains Sanskrit grammar in detail
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: It is both linguistic and historical in nature.
66. Pushyamitra Shunga is sometimes portrayed in Buddhist sources as:
A) Great patron of Buddhism
B) Destroyer of monasteries
C) Jain ruler
D) Satavahana ally
Answer: B) Destroyer of monasteries
Explanation: Divyavadana claims he persecuted Buddhists, though archaeology shows continued Buddhist art.
67. The Shunga dynasty’s role in literature was:
A) Revival of Sanskrit grammar
B) Patronage of plays and dramas
C) Expansion of Buddhist texts
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Sanskrit literature (Patanjali, Kalidasa’s early stories) flourished.
68. The Shunga art at Bharhut is characterized by:
A) Polished Mauryan pillars
B) Flat, linear narrative reliefs
C) Gandhara-style Greco-Buddhist figures
D) Use of bronze images
Answer: B) Flat, linear narrative reliefs
Explanation: Bharhut panels are early examples of narrative sculpture.
69. The Sanchi Stupa gateways built in Shunga times depict:
A) Life of Krishna
B) Life of Buddha and Jataka tales
C) Maurya conquest of Kalinga
D) Hindu sacrifices
Answer: B) Life of Buddha and Jataka tales
Explanation: Rich carvings tell Buddhist stories.
70. Which ruler renovated the Sanchi Stupa after Ashoka?
A) Pushyamitra Shunga
B) Vasumitra
C) Agnimitra
D) Satavahana rulers
Answer: A) Pushyamitra Shunga
Explanation: He repaired and added balustrades and gateways.
71. Which of the following is true of Shunga society?
A) Revival of caste system
B) Importance of Brahmanas
C) Religious tensions with Buddhists
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: The society tilted back toward Brahmanical dominance.
72. The Shunga rulers are remembered in cultural history for:
A) Buddhist stupas at Bharhut and Sanchi
B) Revival of Sanskrit grammar (Patanjali)
C) Bhagavatism spread (Heliodorus pillar)
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Their legacy is mixed but rich in art and culture.
73. The Shunga period marked transition in art from:
A) Mauryan polish to narrative sculpture
B) Rock-cut caves to stone temples
C) Wooden architecture to stone
D) Mughal miniature to Rajput painting
Answer: A) Mauryan polish to narrative sculpture
Explanation: It marks evolution in ancient Indian art styles.
74. Shunga rulers mainly promoted:
A) Brahmanism and Vaishnavism
B) Purely Buddhism
C) Jainism
D) Christianity
Answer: A) Brahmanism and Vaishnavism
Explanation: They performed Vedic rituals and supported Vaishnavism.
75. The Shunga period in literature and culture can be described as:
A) Dark Age of Indian history
B) Period of synthesis of Brahmanism and Buddhism
C) Era of purely Buddhist dominance
D) Period of Greek cultural rule
Answer: B) Period of synthesis of Brahmanism and Buddhism
Explanation: Despite tension, both traditions produced important cultural works.
76. The last Shunga ruler was:
A) Agnimitra
B) Vasumitra
C) Bhagabhadra
D) Devabhuti
Answer: D) Devabhuti
Explanation: Devabhuti (73 BCE) was assassinated by his minister Vasudeva Kanva, ending Shunga rule.
77. The Shunga dynasty ended in:
A) 185 BCE
B) 73 BCE
C) 50 CE
D) 320 CE
Answer: B) 73 BCE
Explanation: The dynasty lasted from 185 BCE (Pushyamitra) to 73 BCE (Devabhuti).
78. The Kanva dynasty was founded by:
A) Vasudeva Kanva
B) Narayana Kanva
C) Vasumitra
D) Pushyamitra
Answer: A) Vasudeva Kanva
Explanation: He was Devabhuti’s minister who usurped the throne.
79. The Kanva dynasty ruled for about:
A) 20 years
B) 45 years
C) 112 years
D) 100 years
Answer: B) 45 years
Explanation: The Kanvas ruled from 73 BCE to 28 BCE.
80. The Kanva dynasty was overthrown by:
A) Satavahanas
B) Indo-Greeks
C) Kushanas
D) Mauryas
Answer: A) Satavahanas
Explanation: The Satavahanas of Deccan ended Kanva rule.
81. The decline of the Shungas was due to:
A) Weak successors after Pushyamitra
B) Constant foreign invasions
C) Rise of local powers like Satavahanas
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: The Shunga state could not maintain Mauryan-level central control.
82. The Shunga empire was largely confined to:
A) Punjab and Rajasthan
B) Magadha and Central India
C) Tamil Nadu
D) Kashmir
Answer: B) Magadha and Central India
Explanation: Their control weakened outside the Ganga valley.
83. The Shunga-Kanva period represents:
A) The beginning of medieval India
B) A transitional phase between Mauryas and Satavahanas
C) A dark age without culture
D) Full control by Greeks
Answer: B) A transitional phase between Mauryas and Satavahanas
Explanation: It linked Mauryan central rule with rise of regional powers.
84. The Shungas are significant in cultural history because:
A) They supported Sanskrit grammar (Patanjali)
B) They built Bharhut and renovated Sanchi stupas
C) They witnessed Indo-Greek cultural contact (Heliodorus pillar)
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: The Shunga era is remembered more for culture than politics.
85. The Heliodorus pillar at Vidisha belongs to which dynasty?
A) Maurya
B) Shunga
C) Gupta
D) Satavahana
Answer: B) Shunga
Explanation: Installed during Bhagabhadra’s reign by a Greek ambassador.
86. The Milindapanho, recording the dialogue between Nagasena and Menander, is connected to which dynasty’s time?
A) Maurya
B) Shunga
C) Gupta
D) Satavahana
Answer: B) Shunga
Explanation: Menander invaded India during Shunga period.
87. The last Kanva ruler was:
A) Vasudeva Kanva
B) Susarman
C) Bhumimitra
D) Narayana
Answer: D) Narayana
Explanation: Narayana was the last Kanva king, overthrown by Satavahanas.
88. The Shungas and Kanvas together ruled for about:
A) 50 years
B) 157 years
C) 200 years
D) 90 years
Answer: B) 157 years
Explanation: Shungas (185–73 BCE) + Kanvas (73–28 BCE).
89. Which inscription provides evidence of Indo-Greek and Shunga interaction?
A) Allahabad pillar inscription
B) Besnagar (Heliodorus) pillar inscription
C) Mehrauli iron pillar
D) Girnar inscription
Answer: B) Besnagar (Heliodorus) pillar inscription
Explanation: It records a Greek ambassador becoming a Bhagavata.
90. The Shunga period saw the flourishing of which type of art?
A) Gandhara art
B) Stupa railings and narrative reliefs
C) Rock-cut Ajanta paintings
D) Chola bronze images
Answer: B) Stupa railings and narrative reliefs
Explanation: Bharhut and Sanchi represent this.
91. The fall of the Shungas marked:
A) The return of Mauryas
B) The rise of Kanvas, then Satavahanas
C) Direct foreign rule
D) The rise of Guptas
Answer: B) The rise of Kanvas, then Satavahanas
Explanation: Satavahanas consolidated power after Kanvas.
92. The Shunga period was important for Hinduism because:
A) Vedic sacrifices were revived
B) Vaishnavism spread widely
C) Bhagavatism received foreign followers
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Hindu traditions regained ground after Mauryan decline.
93. The Shunga decline illustrates which recurring pattern in Indian history?
A) Strong center → weak successors → decentralization
B) Foreign invasions followed by synthesis
C) Rise of regional powers after big empires
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: It mirrors cycles in Indian polity.
94. The Shunga dynasty was contemporary with:
A) Satavahanas in Deccan
B) Indo-Greeks in north-west
C) Ceylonese monarchs (Sri Lanka)
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: They coexisted with multiple regional powers.
95. Which dynasty came after the Kanvas in Magadha?
A) Satavahanas
B) Guptas
C) Kushanas
D) Vakatakas
Answer: A) Satavahanas
Explanation: They ended Kanva rule and expanded northwards.
96. A major limitation of the Shunga rulers was:
A) Lack of strong navy
B) Failure to control entire subcontinent like Mauryas
C) Absence of literature
D) Dependence on Greeks
Answer: B) Failure to control entire subcontinent like Mauryas
Explanation: Their empire was much smaller compared to Mauryas.
97. In art history, the Shunga period is remembered for:
A) Refinement of Buddhist stupa architecture
B) Gandhara Buddha statues
C) Ajanta murals
D) Temple architecture
Answer: A) Refinement of Buddhist stupa architecture
Explanation: Bharhut and Sanchi highlight this.
98. Which is a correct pair?
A) Pushyamitra – Ashvamedha
B) Agnimitra – Malavikagnimitram
C) Bhagabhadra – Heliodorus pillar
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: All pairs are historically accurate.
99. The Shungas are often described in history as:
A) “Restorers of Brahmanism”
B) “Great Buddhist patrons”
C) “First Hindu empire”
D) “Dark rulers”
Answer: A) “Restorers of Brahmanism”
Explanation: They revived Vedic sacrifices and Brahmanical supremacy.
100. The significance of Shunga–Kanva age in Ancient Indian history lies in:
A) Cultural continuity after Mauryas
B) Resistance and interaction with Indo-Greeks
C) Revival of Hinduism and Sanskrit learning
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: The period bridged Mauryan rule and later Satavahana–Gupta glory, leaving a strong cultural legacy.