Ancient Indian History
🔒 Log in to trackFrom the Harappan cities to the Cholas: sites and finds, Vedic texts, Buddhism & Jainism, Mauryas, Guptas, Harsha and the southern dynasties. SSC asks 1–2 direct fact questions per shift — mostly pairings (site–find, council–king, book–author, dynasty–capital), so tables and mnemonics give quick marks.
One page per subtopic: detailed notes, every question type, formulas, tricks and practice sets.
Every formula on one printable page, grouped by subtopic.
4 exam-level questions worked step by step.
116 questions — untimed practice or a timed test with analysis.
Track record in the exam
Questions per shift in recent SSC CGL papers.
Test difficulty mix (116 questions)
Question patterns exams keep repeating
Taken from previous-year papers. If a pattern is marked "very common", expect to see it in your exam.
Harappan site ↔ find matching
very commonA Harappan city or a find (dockyard, Great Bath, ploughed field, dancing girl, signboard) is named; the matching half is asked.
How to solve: Hold the one-find-one-site table: Lothal = dockyard, Kalibangan = ploughed field, Chanhudaro = beads, Dholavira = reservoirs + signboard. Watch the near-pairs (ploughed field vs plough model; Bath vs granary).
Example: The Harappan site where a ploughed field has been excavated is:
Kalibangan (Rajasthan, on the Ghaggar) — a field showing criss-cross plough furrows.
Rigvedic rivers and mandalas
very commonA Rigvedic river name (Parushni, Vitasta, Asikni) or a mandala fact (Gayatri, Soma, Purusha Sukta) with modern rivers/mandalas as options.
How to solve: Rivers: Vitasta-Jhelum, Asikni-Chenab, Parushni-Ravi, Vipas-Beas, Sutudri-Sutlej. Mandalas: 3 Gayatri, 7 Ten Kings, 9 Soma, 10 Purusha Sukta. Hymn counts: Indra most, then Agni.
Example: The Rigvedic river Asikni is the modern:
Chenab — second in the chain Vitasta, Asikni, Parushni, Vipas, Sutudri = Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej.
Buddha's life stations and symbols
very commonA life event (enlightenment, first sermon, death) with places as options, or a symbol (lotus, horse, tree, wheel, stupa) to match.
How to solve: Life chain: Lumbini → Bodh Gaya → Sarnath → Kushinagar; symbols in the same order: lotus-bull, horse, Bodhi tree, wheel, stupa.
Example: The symbol associated with the Buddha's first sermon is the:
Wheel (Dharmachakra) — the sermon is called Dharmachakra-pravartana, delivered at Sarnath.
Councils: place–king–president chains
very common'The Second/Third/Fourth Buddhist (or Jain) council was held under…' or matching council to place.
How to solve: Buddhist: Rajagriha, Vaishali, Pataliputra, Kashmir ↔ Ajatashatru, Kalashoka, Ashoka, Kanishka ↔ Mahakassapa, Sabakami, Moggaliputta Tissa, Vasumitra. Jain: Pataliputra, Vallabhi. Outcomes: 2nd first split, 3rd Abhidhamma, 4th Hinayana-Mahayana.
Example: The Fourth Buddhist Council was presided over by:
Vasumitra (with Ashvaghosha as deputy), held in Kashmir under Kanishka.
Ashoka's edicts: which edict says what
very common'Which edict describes the Kalinga war', where Ashoka's personal name appears, script/language questions, Rummindei pillar.
How to solve: RE XIII = Kalinga remorse, RE XII = tolerance, Bhabru = Buddha-Dhamma-Sangha, Rummindei = Lumbini + tax cut. Personal name only at Maski/Gujarra/Nettur/Udegolam. Prakrit + Brahmi mostly; Prinsep deciphered Brahmi in 1837.
Example: Which of Ashoka's Major Rock Edicts describes the Kalinga war and the king's remorse?
Rock Edict XIII — it also names five Hellenistic kings with whom Ashoka exchanged Dhamma missions.
Dynasty → ruler → event chains (Magadha and after)
very common'Who founded Pataliputra', 'under whom was the Second Council', ordering rulers of Haryanka-Shishunaga-Nanda-Maurya, post-Mauryan foreign dynasties in order.
How to solve: Magadha chain: Bimbisara (both teachers) → Ajatashatru (1st Council) → Udayin (Pataliputra) → Shishunaga (ends Avanti) → Kalashoka (2nd Council) → Mahapadma Nanda (Ekarat) → Dhana Nanda → Chandragupta Maurya. NW entries: Indo-Greeks → Shakas → Parthians → Kushanas.
Example: Who founded Pataliputra at the Ganga–Son confluence?
Udayin, the Haryanka successor of Ajatashatru — Rajagriha was the earlier capital.
Book ↔ author pairing
very commonSanskrit/Pali/Tamil text with authors as options, or a match-the-column across kavyas, dramas, chronicles.
How to solve: Core pairs: Arthashastra-Kautilya, Mudrarakshasa-Vishakhadatta, Mrichchhakatika-Shudraka, Buddhacharita-Ashvaghosha, Harshacharita-Banabhatta, Rajatarangini-Kalhana, Silappadikaram-Ilango Adigal, Tolkappiyam-Tolkappiyar.
Example: The Sanskrit play Mrichchhakatika ('The Little Clay Cart') was written by:
Shudraka — a drama about the love of Charudatta and Vasantasena.
Gupta–Harsha achievements and Chinese travellers
very common'Napoleon of India', Prashasti composer, who defeated the Shakas/Huns, traveller-reign matching (Megasthenes, Fa-Hien, Hiuen Tsang, I-tsing).
How to solve: Chain: Chandragupta I (era 320) → Samudragupta (Prashasti by Harishena) → Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya, Navaratna, Fa-Hien) → Kumaragupta I (Nalanda) → Skandagupta (Huns). Travellers: Megasthenes-Chandragupta Maurya, Deimachus-Bindusara, Fa-Hien-Chandragupta II, Hiuen Tsang-Harsha, I-tsing later.
Example: The Prayag Prashasti praising Samudragupta was composed by:
Harishena, the court poet, on the Allahabad pillar.
Temple style ↔ dynasty ↔ site (south India)
commonA temple (Shore Temple, Kailasa at Ellora, Durga temple Aihole, Pattadakal group) with dynasties or builders as options; style questions (Dravida-Nagara-Vesara).
How to solve: Pallavas: Mamallapuram rathas + Shore Temple (Rajasimha), Kailasanatha Kanchi. Chalukyas: Aihole Durga temple, Pattadakal (Vesara), Pulakesin II's Aihole inscription by Ravikirti. Rashtrakuta Krishna I: Kailasa temple Ellora. Dravida = south, Nagara = north, Vesara = Deccan blend.
Example: The Kailasa temple at Ellora, cut out of a single rock, was built under which dynasty?
The Rashtrakutas — excavated under Krishna I (8th century CE).