GK Questions, The Early Medieval India: Exam-wise, the medieval history of India extends beyond tidbits of information about monarchs and conflicts. It’s among the simplest methods to score. Consider Indian history as a practical toolkit. You can better handle multiple-choice questions by using timelines. Essays gain depth from dynasties and reforms, and interviews frequently touch on cultural issues. Many contemporary issues, such as international relations, heritage sites, and policies, still have historical roots. This is why practicing objective questions or going over a good Indian history PDF can have a significant impact. To put it briefly, being aware of your Indian heritage boosts your confidence and gives you context, in addition to improving your test scores. It functions similarly to a road map of our history and how it influences our present and future.
In this post, we’ve issued 50 Most Important GK MCQs on The Early Medieval India with detailed answers. These questions are ideal for aspirants preparing for UPSC, SSC, Railway, CDS, NDA, State PSC, and other government exams. Understanding these facts not only strengthens your static GK but also gives an edge in History, Art & Culture sections.
Join Our Social Media Page and Channels by clicking below Links and Stay Updated !
Multiple-Choice Questions: Medieval History of India Part -1
1. The “early medieval” period in Indian history is usually considered to be from:
a) 200–600 CE
b) 600–1200 CE
c) 1000–1500 CE
d) 1200–1600 CE
2. In South India during this period, the king often acted more like a ritual head than a ruler. This kind of setup is called:
a) Centralized monarchy
b) Bureaucratic empire
c) Segmentary statehood
d) Military state
3. Around 600–750 CE, the two main dynasties in North India were:
a) Cholas and Cheras
b) Rashtrakutas and Palas
c) Pushyabhutis of Thanesar and Maukharis of Kannauj
d) Chalukyas and Pallavas
4. Which three states dominated South India between 600–750 CE?
a) Cholas, Hoysalas, Rashtrakutas
b) Pallavas of Kanchi, Chalukyas of Badami, and Pandyas of Madurai
c) Satavahanas, Mauryas, Cheras
d) Guptas, Hunas, Maitrakas
5. The period from 750–1000 CE in North India is often called the age of three great powers. Who were they?
a) Cholas, Pandyas, Hoysalas
b) Pratiharas, Palas, Rashtrakutas
c) Mughals, Turks, Afghans
d) Guptas, Mauryas, Satavahanas
6. Which Pushyabhuti ruler truly laid the foundation of the dynasty?
a) Rajyavardhana
b) Prabhakar Vardhana
c) Harshavardhana
d) Shashanka
7. Prabhakar Vardhana rose to power mainly by defeating which group?
a) Palas
b) Hunas
c) Chalukyas
d) Rashtrakutas
8. Who is often described as the last great Hindu king of North India before the Turkish invasions?
a) Ashoka
b) Samudragupta
c) Harshavardhana
d) Pulakeshin II
9. Which Chinese traveler spent many years at Harsha’s court and left behind a worthy account?
a) Fa-Hien
b) Yijing
c) Xuanzang (Hsuan Tsang)
d) Marco Polo
10. After his victory over Harsha, Pulakeshin II gave himself which title?
a) Rajadhiraja
b) Dakshinapatheshvara
c) Sakalauttarapathanatha (Lord of the North)
d) Maharajadhiraja
11. Harsha originally ruled from Thanesar but later shifted his capital to:
a) Pataliputra
b) Kannauj
c) Vallabhi
d) Prayag
12. The Narmada River marked the southern boundary of which ruler’s empire?
a) Ashoka
b) Pulakeshin II
c) Harshavardhana
d) Prabhakar Vardhana
13. Harsha’s sister Rajyashri was married to which Maukhari king?
a) Avanti Varmana
b) Grahavarmana
c) Ishanavarmana
d) Sarvavarmana
14. Which king of Gauda (Bengal) killed Rajyavardhana and later clashed with Harsha?
a) Dhruvasena II
b) Shashanka
c) Bhaskaravarman
d) Kumaragupta
15. Harsha was defeated by which powerful Deccan ruler on the banks of the Narmada?
a) Krishna I
b) Vikramaditya I
c) Pulakeshin II of the Chalukyas
d) Dantidurga
16. Which famous poet wrote Harshacharita, the biography of Harsha?
a) Kalidasa
b) Banabhatta
c) Bhartrihari
d) Mayura
17. Harsha’s assembly at Kannauj in 643 CE was attended by representatives of which religions?
a) Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Buddhism
b) Buddhism, Jainism, Shaivism
c) Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism
d) Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism
18. Every five years Harsha held a great religious assembly at:
a) Kannauj
b) Prayag (Allahabad)
c) Nalanda
d) Ujjain
19. Which Buddhist university received large patronage from Pushyabhutis?
a) Takshashila
b) Vikramshila
c) Odantapuri
d) Nalanda
20. Who among these was not a scholar at Harsha’s court?
a) Banabhatta
b) Bhartrihari
c) Mayura
d) Chanakya
21. Harsha is credited with writing which romantic comedies?
a) Raghuvamsa, Malavikagnimitram
b) Ratnavali and Priyadarshika
c) Abhijnanasakuntalam and Meghaduta
d) Kadambari and Dashakumaracharita
22. Which drama by Harsha is based on the Bodhisattva Jimutavahana?
a) Priyadarshika
b) Ratnavali
c) Nagananda
d) Mudrarakshasa
23. According to Xuanzang, Harsha divided his revenue into how many parts?
a) Two
b) Three
c) Four
d) Five
24. Which dynasty ruled western India from Vallabhi, a city that became a great center of learning?
a) Palas
b) Guptas
c) Maitrakas
d) Cholas
25. The Maitraka ruler Dhruvasena II was married to the daughter of?
a) Pulakeshin II
b) Harsha Vardhana
c) Shashanka
d) Vikramaditya I
26. The Maukhari capital of Kannauj gradually replaced which ancient political center?
a) Taxila
b) Pataliputra
c) Ujjain
d) Mathura
27. Which Maukhari ruler first assumed the title Maharajadhiraja?
a) Sarvavarmana
b) Grahavarmana
c) Ishanavarmana
d) Avantivarmana
28. Ishanavarmana is remembered for defeating which foreign invaders?
a) Turks
b) Hunas
c) Greeks
d) Arabs
29. Which Maukhari king shifted the capital to Kannauj?
a) Ishanavarmana
b) Sarvavarmana
c) Avantivarmana
d) Hari Varmana
30. Who was the last known Maukhari ruler, killed by Deva?
a) Ishanavarmana
b) Avantivarmana
c) Grahavarmana
d) Sarvavarmana
31. The founder of the Chalukyas of Badami was:
a) Vikramaditya I
b) Mangalesha
c) Pulakeshin I
d) Kirtivarman I
32. Which Chalukya king performed the Ashvamedha sacrifice?
a) Pulakeshin II
b) Vikramaditya II
c) Pulakeshin I
d) Vijayaditya
33. The most famous Chalukya ruler who defeated Harsha was:
a) Mangalesha
b) Vikramaditya I
c) Pulakeshin II
d) Dantidurga
34. Who wrote the Aihole inscription praising Pulakeshin II?
a) Banabhatta
b) Ravikirti
c) Kalhana
d) Bhavabhuti
35. Which Pallava king defeated Pulakeshin II and earned the title Vatapikonda?
a) Mahendravarman I
b) Narasimhavarman I
c) Dantivarman
d) Nandivarman II
36. Which Chalukya king regained Badami after Pallava occupation and took the title Rajamalla?
a) Pulakeshin II
b) Vikramaditya I
c) Vijayaditya
d) Mangalesha
37. Which Chalukya ruler’s reign is remembered for prolific temple-building activity?
a) Pulakeshin I
b) Vijayaditya (696–733 CE)
c) Mangalesha
d) Vikramaditya II
38. Which king of the Chalukyas engraved a Kannada inscription on a victory pillar at Kanchipuram?
a) Pulakeshin II
b) Vikramaditya II
c) Vijayaditya II
d) Kirtivarman II
39. The last ruler of the Badami Chalukyas, defeated by Dantidurga, was:
a) Pulakeshin II
b) Vikramaditya II
c) Kirtivarman II
d) Mangalesha
40. The Chalukyas are credited with developing which architectural style?
a) Nagara
b) Dravida
c) Vesara (Deccan style)
d) Gandhara
41. The early phase of Chalukyan temple-building is best seen in which cave temples?
a) Ellora caves
b) Badami caves
c) Ajanta caves
d) Elephanta caves
42. The Durga temple at Aihole is famous for having a:
a) Buddhist stupa
b) Northern Indian style tower
c) Bronze image of Shiva
d) Rock inscription
43. The Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal was built to celebrate victory over the:
a) Rashtrakutas
b) Pallavas
c) Palas
d) Pratiharas
44. Pattadakal, with its mix of Dravida and Nagara temples, is today recognized as a:
a) National Monument
b) UNESCO World Heritage Site
c) State Archaeological Park
d) Museum
45. Who founded the Eastern Chalukya dynasty of Vengi?
a) Pulakeshin II
b) Vishnuvardhana
c) Vikramaditya II
d) Vijayaditya
46. Which Eastern Chalukya ruler defeated the Rashtrakutas and expanded his influence into Gujarat?
a) Vishnuvardhana
b) Vijayaditya II
c) Bhima I
d) Vijayaditya IV
47. The Eastern Chalukya kingdom eventually fell to which powerful Chola king in 999 CE?
a) Rajendra Chola I
b) Kulottunga Chola I
c) Rajaraja Chola I
d) Aditya Chola I
48. The Chalukyas of Lata ruled in which present-day region?
a) Andhra Pradesh
b) Gujarat
c) Karnataka
d) Madhya Pradesh
49. Which Chalukya of Lata ruler is credited with donating a golden umbrella to the Somanatha temple?
a) Barappa
b) Gogi-raja
c) Vatsa-raja
d) Trilochana-pala
50. Ultimately, the Chalukyas of Lata were defeated by which dynasty?
a) Rashtrakutas
b) Solankis (Chalukyas of Gujarat)
c) Palas
d) Cholas
Join Our Social Media Page and Channels by clicking below Links and Stay Updated !
| Sr. No | Answer Key |
| 1 | 600–1200 CE |
| 2 | Segmentary statehood |
| 3 | Pushyabhutis of Thanesar and Maukharis of Kannauj |
| 4 | Pallavas of Kanchi, Chalukyas of Badami, and Pandyas of Madurai |
| 5 | Pratiharas, Palas, Rashtrakutas |
| 6 | Prabhakar Vardhana |
| 7 | Hunas |
| 8 | Harshavardhana |
| 9 | Xuanzang (Hsuan Tsang) |
| 10 | Sakalauttarapathanatha (Lord of the North) |
| 11 | Kannauj |
| 12 | Harshavardhana |
| 13 | Grahavarmana |
| 14 | Shashanka |
| 15 | Pulakeshin II of the Chalukyas |
| 16 | Banabhatta |
| 17 | Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism |
| 18 | Prayag (Allahabad) |
| 19 | Nalanda |
| 20 | Chanakya |
| 21 | Ratnavali and Priyadarshika |
| 22 | Nagananda |
| 23 | Four |
| 24 | Maitrakas |
| 25 | Harsha Vardhana |
| 26 | Pataliputra |
| 27 | Ishanavarmana |
| 28 | Hunas |
| 29 | Avantivarmana |
| 30 | Grahavarmana |
| 31 | Pulakeshin I |
| 32 | Pulakeshin I |
| 33 | Pulakeshin II |
| 34 | Ravikirti |
| 35 | Narasimhavarman I |
| 36 | Vikramaditya I |
| 37 | Vijayaditya (696–733 CE) |
| 38 | Vikramaditya II |
| 39 | Kirtivarman II |
| 40 | Vesara (Deccan style) |
| 41 | Badami caves |
| 42 | Northern Indian style tower |
| 43 | Pallavas |
| 44 | UNESCO World Heritage Site |
| 45 | Vishnuvardhana |
| 46 | Vijayaditya II |
| 47 | Rajaraja Chola I |
| 48 | Gujarat |
| 49 | Vatsa-raja |
| 50 | Solankis (Chalukyas of Gujarat) |
Tips for Aspirants – Why These GK Questions Matter
Your aim for exams like UPSC, SSC, Railways, or other State Public Service Commissions demands mastering History GK. Given questions from “The Early Medieval India” are frequently repeated in exams to establish a logical foundation for understanding the Historical Evolution of India.
- Strengthening your static GK base
- Quick revision of conceptual theories
- Differentiating between similar-sounding options
Pro Tip: Revise these questions multiple times, focus on keywords and try linking each theory to your favourite acronym—it really helps in elimination strategy!
Conclusion
We hope you found this collection of 50 MCQs on The Early Medieval India helpful in your exam preparation. Geography isn’t just about memorizing names and dates—it’s about understanding how our planet came to be and how it continues to change.
Don’t forget to bookmark this page and share the PDF with your study group. Keep practicing.
👉 Stay tuned for Medieval History GK Part-2
✍️ For more GK questions with answers, visit our dedicated 👉 GK Section.
