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Bodh Gaya (in modern Bihar) is the location where Siddhartha Gautama attained Enlightenment (Bodhi) and became the Buddha.
He is said to have meditated under a Bodhi tree at this site.
Sarnath is where he delivered his first sermon (Dharmachakra Pravartana); Kushinagar is where he attained Nirvana (Parinirvana); and Lumbini is his birthplace.
The Sangam Age (c. 300 BCE to 300 CE) refers to the period of Tamil literature and culture centered in the southern Deccan and Tamil Nadu.
The Sangam was a legendary academy of Tamil poets and scholars.
The literature of this period includes the Sangam texts like Akananuru, Purananuru, and others, which provide insights into the life and times of ancient Tamil kingdoms like the Chola, Pandya, and Chera.
Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism is attributed to the devastating Kalinga War (c. 261 BCE), where he conquered the eastern coast region of Kalinga (modern Odisha).
The heavy casualties and suffering caused by the war deeply moved Ashoka, leading to his renunciation of military conquest (Digvijaya) and his embrace of Dharmamaharajya (rule by righteousness).
This transformation is documented in his Rock Edicts.
Avanti was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas with its capital at Ujjayini (modern Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh).
It was ruled by various dynasties, including the Avanti dynasty.
The kingdom was known for its prosperity and strategic location.
Vatsa had its capital at Kaushambi, Koshala at Shravasti, and Magadha at Pataliputra.
The Indus Valley Civilization (c. 2600-1900 BCE) was primarily a Bronze Age civilization.
Iron was not extensively used; tools were made of bronze, copper, and stone.
All other features are well-established characteristics of this civilization, including urban planning, sophisticated drainage systems found in cities like Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, and evidence of standardized weights in trade.
The Gupta Empire (c. 320-550 CE) witnessed remarkable developments in mathematics, with scholars like Aryabhata and Brahmagupta formulating concepts of zero, the decimal system, and trigonometry.
This period also saw flourishing in Sanskrit literature, astronomy, medicine, and architecture.
In Rigvedic literature, Dasas and Dasyus refer to the indigenous or non-Aryan populations that the Aryans encountered and often came into conflict with.
The Rigveda frequently mentions battles between Aryans and these groups, particularly in the context of cattle raids and territorial expansion.
Mohenjo-daro is renowned for its advanced urban planning features including a sophisticated drainage system with underground sewers, standardized brick sizes, and uniform weights and measures.
These indicate a high degree of civic organization in the Indus Valley Civilization (c. 2600-1900 BCE).
Chandragupta Maurya (r. 321-298 BCE) founded the Maurya Empire with the help of his advisor Kautilya and conquered most of northern India through military campaigns.
Ashoka expanded the empire further and later embraced Buddhism.
Fa-hien (also Faxian) visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II (c. 375-415 CE) and left detailed accounts of Gupta administration, culture, and Buddhism.
Hiuen-tsang visited during Harsha's reign in the 7th century CE, not the Gupta period.
About UPSC IAS Practice on iGET
The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is one of India's most prestigious competitive exams, conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission to recruit officers for IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, and other allied services. The exam has three stages: Preliminary (objective MCQs), Mains (descriptive papers), and Personality Test (interview).
iGET provides topic-wise UPSC MCQ practice covering all subjects of Prelims General Studies Paper-I — including Modern Indian History, Indian Polity & Governance, Geography of India and the World, Indian Economy, Environment & Ecology, Science & Technology, and dynamic Current Affairs.
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Start with Easy difficulty to build confidence, then move to Medium and Hard. Use the topic strip to focus on weak areas. Attempt at least 50 questions daily and review every wrong answer carefully — UPSC rewards depth, not speed.
