MCQs Based On Ancient History – (36)

Correct Option: 1. Vishnu
Explanation: As Buddhism spread widely in India, it initially existed as an independent religious and philosophical system. However, over centuries, Buddhist teachings began to merge with Hindu beliefs, especially as Hinduism underwent revival during the Gupta period and later.
Certain Puranic texts (like the Bhagavata Purana and Vishnu Purana) identified the Buddha as the ninth avatar of Vishnu, claiming that Vishnu took the Buddha’s form to delude demons and non-believers away from Vedic truth.
This theological absorption reduced the distinct identity of Buddhism and helped Hinduism reabsorb its followers — one of the major socio-cultural reasons for the decline of Buddhism in India.

Correct Option: 2. Gupta Empire
Explanation: During Ashoka’s Mauryan reign (3rd century BCE), Buddhism received unprecedented royal support — the emperor built stupas, sponsored missionaries, and held the Third Buddhist Council.
Later, under the Kushanas (e.g., Kanishka), Mahayana Buddhism flourished further.
However, by the Gupta period (4th–6th century CE), rulers such as Chandragupta II and Skandagupta began promoting Brahmanical Hinduism, with temples, Vedic rituals, and Sanskrit learning regaining dominance.
As a result, Buddhist monasteries lost financial endowments and state protection, leading to the gradual weakening of Buddhist institutions.

Correct Option: 2. Nagarjuna
Explanation: Nagarjuna (c. 2nd century CE) was a brilliant philosopher from southern India, often regarded as the second Buddha for his profound contributions to Mahayana thought.
He founded the Madhyamaka (Middle Path) school, which emphasized the doctrine of Śūnyatā (Emptiness) — the idea that all phenomena are void of inherent existence, existing only in dependence upon other things.
Nagarjuna’s teachings balanced between eternalism and nihilism, hence the “Middle Way.” He was a friend of Satavahana King Gautamiputra, and his works, including Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, remain cornerstones of Buddhist philosophy.

Correct Option: 1. An encyclopedia of Buddhist philosophy
Explanation: Vasubandhu, brother of Asanga, lived around the 4th century CE in the Punjab region. Initially associated with the Sarvastivada school, he later adopted Mahayana principles.
His magnum opus, Abhidharmakosha (“Treasury of Higher Doctrine”), is a detailed encyclopedia of Buddhist thought, covering psychology, cosmology, ethics, and epistemology.
It systematized the vast teachings of the Abhidharma Pitaka, explaining the nature of reality and the path to enlightenment. Because of its analytical depth, it is still studied by Buddhist scholars worldwide.

Correct Option: 3. 24
Explanation: In Jain cosmology, time is eternal and cyclical, divided into endless half-cycles called Utsarpini (ascending) and Avasarpini (descending).
Each half-cycle witnesses the appearance of 24 Tirthankaras — “ford-makers” who show the path across the ocean of rebirth (samsara) toward liberation (moksha).
The first Tirthankara of the current Avasarpini cycle was Rishabhadeva, often mentioned in ancient Hindu texts too.
The last (24th) was Vardhamana Mahavira (599–527 BCE), who systematized and revived Jain philosophy.
All Tirthankaras are believed to preach the same eternal doctrine (dharma).