MCQ
upsc-p1-history-buddhism MCQ - Practice Questions with Answers
Solve 15 upsc-p1-history-buddhism questions for RAS/RPSC preparation.
Practice questions
Q1With reference to early Buddhist art and its social setting, consider the following statements: 1. Donor inscriptions on railings and caves reveal contributions by laypeople, women and guilds. 2. Continuous narration can place different moments of one story within a single visual field. 3. The empty throne and footprints could represent the Buddha without depicting him in human form. 4. Every Buddhist monument served the same function as a temple. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct. Donor records expose the broad social base of Buddhist establishments, continuous narration is an important relief technique, and symbols could represent the Buddha aniconically. Statement 4 ignores the distinct functions of stupas, chaityas, viharas, caves and image shrines.
Q2Arrange the following developments in chronological order, from earliest to latest: (a) Pali canon committed to writing at Aluvihara in the Sri Lankan Theravada tradition (b) Second Buddhist Council at Vaishali (c) Rise of Vajrayana from later Indian tantric Buddhist currents (d) Third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra under Ashoka in Theravada tradition Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Second Council is conventionally placed about a century after the Buddha; the Third Council belongs to Ashoka's time; the Aluvihara writing tradition is placed in the 1st century BCE; and Vajrayana developed much later, especially around the 7th-8th centuries CE. Therefore option C is correct.
Q3Consider the following statements about Buddhist councils: 1. The First Council is traditionally associated with Rajagriha, Ajatashatru and Mahakassapa. 2. The Second Council is associated with Pataliputra and the text Kathavatthu. 3. The Third Council is linked in Theravada tradition with purification of the Sangha and missions to other regions. 4. The northern Fourth Council tradition is associated with Kanishka and Sarvastivada scholastic compilation. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Statements 1, 3 and 4 follow the conventional council traditions. Statement 2 mixes the Second Council at Vaishali, centred on the Ten Points dispute, with the Third Council tradition at Pataliputra, which is linked with Kathavatthu.
Q4Arrange the following events in the life of the Buddha in chronological order, from earliest to latest: (a) First sermon at Sarnath (b) Renunciation (c) Mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar (d) Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The standard sequence is renunciation, enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, the first sermon at Sarnath, and Mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar. Thus option B gives the correct order.
Q5Arrange the following events associated with Buddhist council traditions in chronological order: 1. The Ten Points dispute at Vaishali 2. The oral settlement of teachings and discipline at Rajagriha 3. The writing down of the Pali canon at Aluvihara 4. Sangha purification and the association of Kathavatthu at Pataliputra Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The conventional sequence begins with the First Council at Rajagriha, followed by the Second Council and its Ten Points dispute at Vaishali, and then the Third Council tradition at Pataliputra associated with Sangha purification and Kathavatthu. The Aluvihara tradition of committing the Pali canon to writing comes later. Hence 2-1-4-3 is correct; the other options invert the first three council traditions.
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6Consider the following statements about Buddhist literature: 1. The Dhammapada is primarily a manual of rules for monastic ordination. 2. Buddhacharita is part of the Pali Sutta Pitaka and was composed as an Indo-Greek dialogue. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
7Arrange the following phases in the history of the spread and institutional development of Buddhism in chronological order: 1. Pala-era scholastic centres in eastern India 2. Early expansion in the middle Ganga plains 3. Kushan-era north-western networks 4. Mauryan-age imperial patronage Select the correct answer using the code given below.
8With reference to the core teachings of Buddhism, consider the following statements: 1. The Middle Way rejects both sensual indulgence and extreme self-mortification. 2. Nirvana means the cessation of craving, ignorance and the cycle of suffering, rather than an ordinary heaven. 3. Buddhism shifted the emphasis of karma from intention and conduct to ritual performance. Which of the statements given above are correct?
9With reference to the core teachings of Buddhism, consider the following statements: 1. The Middle Way rejects both sensual indulgence and extreme self-mortification. 2. Buddhism rejected karma. 3. Nirvana denotes the cessation of craving, ignorance and the cycle of suffering rather than a heaven in the ordinary sense. Which of the statements given above are correct?
10With reference to Buddhist schools and traditions, consider the following statements: 1. Theravada is a living tradition that preserves the Pali canon. 2. Mahayana gives prominence to the Bodhisattva ideal and new sutras. 3. Vajrayana developed from later Indian tantric Buddhist currents and uses practices such as mantra, mandala and initiation. 4. Hinayana is the preferred neutral name for the living Theravada tradition. Which of the statements given above are correct?
11Match List I with List II: List I (Council tradition) (a) First Council (b) Second Council (c) Third Council (d) Northern Fourth Council List II (Associated feature) 1. Ten Points dispute at Vaishali 2. Sarvastivada scholastic compilation under Kanishka 3. Oral settlement of teachings and Vinaya at Rajagriha 4. Sangha purification and Kathavatthu tradition at Pataliputra Select the correct answer using the code given below.
12Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below. List I (Buddhist text) A. Milindapanha B. Buddhacharita C. Dhammapada D. Jataka List II (Association) 1. Narratives of the Buddha's previous births 2. Dialogue between Menander and Nagasena 3. Classical Sanskrit work associated with Ashvaghosha 4. Compact ethical text emphasising mind, restraint and conduct
13Match List I with List II: List I (Art or architecture term) (a) Harmika (b) Torana (c) Chaitya (d) Vihara List II (Meaning or function) 1. Monastic residence 2. Gateway 3. Square railing above the stupa dome 4. Prayer hall usually focused on a stupa Select the correct answer using the code given below.
14With reference to Buddhist schools and traditions, consider the following statements: 1. Theravada preserves the Pali canon and gives importance to the arhat ideal and monastic discipline. 2. Mahayana arose as a single event that immediately replaced all older Buddhist schools in India. 3. Vajrayana developed from later Indian Buddhist tantric currents and employs practices such as mantra, mandala and initiation. Which of the statements given above are correct?
15Consider the following statements about Ashoka and Buddhism: 1. Ashoka's Dhamma in the inscriptions was a broad ethical-political programme rather than a mechanical restatement of technical Buddhist doctrine. 2. The inscriptions speak of respect toward different sects, so Ashoka's policy should not be described as a narrow state religion in the modern sense. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?