1. What kind of army did rulers maintain during this period?
a) Only foot soldiers
b) A well-organized army with elephants, chariots, cavalry, and foot soldiers
c) A naval army for sea battles
d) A small army of only noble warriors
Answer: b) A well-organized army with elephants, chariots, cavalry, and foot soldiers
Explanation: Like earlier rulers, the kings of this time maintained armies consisting of elephants, chariots, cavalry, and foot soldiers.
2. Who were the military leaders who supplied troops to the king?
a) Samantas
b) Brahmins
c) Merchants
d) Scribes
Answer: a) Samantas
Explanation: Samantas were military leaders who provided the king with troops whenever needed and were often granted land instead of salaries.
3. How were the samantas compensated for providing troops?
a) They were given gold coins
b) They were paid regular salaries
c) They received grants of land
d) They were given control of temples
Answer: c) They received grants of land
Explanation: Samantas were not paid salaries but were given land grants, from which they collected revenue to maintain soldiers and horses.
4. What would samantas do when the king became weak?
a) They would become independent rulers
b) They would help the king regain power
c) They would abandon their lands
d) They would flee to other kingdoms
Answer: a) They would become independent rulers
Explanation: Whenever the ruler was weak, samantas often tried to assert independence and establish their own rule.
5. How did the movement of large armies impact villages?
a) The villagers benefited from trade with the army
b) The army left behind destruction, trampling huts and scaring animals
c) The villagers were recruited into the army
d) The army improved village infrastructure
Answer: b) The army left behind destruction, trampling huts and scaring animals
Explanation: Villages suffered destruction as elephants trampled huts, and oxen ran away due to the loud noise of the marching army.
6. What did villagers provide to the king’s army when it passed through their area?
a) Money and jewelry
b) Hospitality, gifts like curds, gur, flowers, and fodder for animals
c) Soldiers and weapons
d) Fortified shelter and training camps
Answer: b) Hospitality, gifts like curds, gur, flowers, and fodder for animals
Explanation: Villagers were required to provide food, gifts, and fodder for animals when the king’s army traveled through their region.
7. What does Banabhatta describe about the king’s army?
a) It was small but well-trained
b) It traveled with a large amount of equipment and musicians
c) It did not use elephants or cavalry
d) It relied only on mercenaries
Answer: b) It traveled with a large amount of equipment and musicians
Explanation: Banabhatta’s writings describe the king’s army moving with weapons, daily-use items, and musicians playing drums, horns, and trumpets.
8. What was a common feature of armies in this period?
a) They used advanced firearms
b) They depended on local merchants for food supply
c) They left a trail of dust and destruction wherever they went
d) They were smaller than armies of the Mauryan Empire
Answer: c) They left a trail of dust and destruction wherever they went
Explanation: As the armies moved, the elephants and horses caused chaos, and Banabhatta described the scene as the world being ‘swallowed up in dust’.
9. What animals were commonly used in the armies during this period?
a) Only horses
b) Elephants, camels, and oxen
c) Tigers and wolves for war
d) Cows and buffaloes for carrying loads
Answer: b) Elephants, camels, and oxen
Explanation: Elephants were used in battle, camels and oxen were used for carrying goods, and they were all an essential part of the army.
10. What role did musicians play in the army?
a) They signaled orders during battles
b) They entertained the soldiers
c) They scared away enemies
d) They were used only for religious rituals
Answer: a) They signaled orders during battles
Explanation: Musicians played drums, horns, and trumpets to signal different movements and orders in the army
