The Pushyabhuti dynasty, also known as the Vardhana dynasty, ruled northern India during the 6th and 7th centuries AD. Its most powerful ruler was king Harsha (also known as Harshavardhana), who reigned from 606 to 647 AD. Harsha united much of northern India after the fall of the Gupta Empire, adopting a period of peace and prosperity. He was a patron of arts, literature, and Buddhism, although he respected all religions. The Pushyabhuti dynasty initial capital was at Thanesar, and later shifted to Kannauj. Harsha’s death marked the decline of the dynasty. Here are the 50 very important MCQs gk question and answer about Pushyabhuti dynasty.
Q.1 Who was the founder of the Pushyabhuti dynasty?
- A) Harshavardhana
- B) Pushyabhuti
- C) Rajyavardhana
- D) Bhaskaravardhana
Answer : B) Pushyabhuti
Q.2 Who succeeded Prabhakaravardhana as the ruler of the Pushyabhuti dynasty?
- A) Harshavardhana
- B) Rajyavardhana
- C) Bhaskaravardhana
- D) Pushyabhuti
Answer : B) Rajyavardhana
Q.3 Which Vardhana ruler is also known as Harsha?
- A) Prabhakaravardhana
- B) Rajyavardhana
- C) Harshavardhana
- D) Bhaskaravardhana
Answer : C) Harshavardhana
Q.4 Which Chinese traveler visited India during the reign of Harsha?
- A) Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang)
- B) Fa-Hien
- C) Marco Polo
- D) I-Tsing
Answer : A) Hiuen Tsang (Also known as Xuanzang)
Q.5 Harshavardhana’s capital was located at?
- A) Pataliputra
- B) Kannauj
- C) Ujjain
- D) Prayag
Answer: B) Kannauj
Q.6 Who was the immediate predecessor of Harshavardhana?
- A) Prabhakaravardhana
- B) Rajyavardhana
- C) Bhaskaravardhana
- D) Devagupta
Answer: B) Rajyavardhana
Q.6 Who killed Rajyavardhana, leading to Harsha’s ascension to the throne?
- A) Shashanka
- B) Pulakeshin II
- C) Bhaskaravardhana
- D) Kirtivarman
Answer: A) Shashanka
Q.7 Harshavardhana was a patron of which religion initially?
- A) Hinduism
- B) Buddhism
- C) Jainism
- D) Zoroastrianism
Answer: A) Hinduism
Q.8 Later in his life, Harshavardhana became a follower of which religion?
- A) Hinduism
- B) Buddhism
- C) Jainism
- D) Zoroastrianism
Answer: B) Buddhism
Q.9 Harsha wrote which famous Sanskrit plays?
- A) Nagananda, Ratnavali, Priyadarsika
- B) Mrichchhakatika, Shakuntala
- C) Raghuvamsa, Kumarasambhava
- D) Abhijnanasakuntalam, Malavikagnimitram
Answer: A) Nagananda, Ratnavali, Priyadarsika
Q.10 Which river was the site of Harsha’s famous religious assembly?
- A) Ganga
- B) Yamuna
- C) Saraswati
- D) Narmada
Answer: A) Ganga
Q.11 What was the name of Harsha’s sister, whose husband was killed by Shashanka?
- A) Rajyasri
- B) Chandralekha
- C) Vasavadatta
- D) Sundari
Answer: A) Rajyasri
Q.12 Who was the ruler of the Chalukya dynasty that defeated Harsha?
- A) Pulakeshin I
- B) Pulakeshin II
- C) Kirtivarman
- D) Mangalesha
Answer: B) Pulakeshin II
Q.13 Which text provides a detailed account of Harsha’s reign and administration?
- A) Arthashastra
- B) Harshacharita
- C) Rajatarangini
- D) Ashtadhyayi
Answer: B) Harshacharita
Q.14 Who was the court poet of Harsha?
- A) Kalidasa
- B) Bhasa
- C) Banabhatta
- D) Bharavi
Answer: C) Banabhatta
Q.15 What was the primary language of Harsha’s court?
- A) Prakrit
- B) Pali
- C) Sanskrit
- D) Tamil
Answer: C) Sanskrit
Q.16 Harsha’s empire included which of the following regions?
- A) Punjab, Bengal, Odisha
- B) Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala
- C) Assam, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
- D) Sindh, Rajasthan, Gujarat
Answer: A) Punjab, Bengal, Odisha
Q.17 Who was the mother of Harshavardhana?
- A) Yasomati
- B) Mahadevi
- C) Rajyashri
- D) Vadhana
Answer: A) Yasomati
Q.18 Harsha’s court was visited by an envoy from which country?
- A) Persia
- B) China
- C) Arabia
- D) Rome
Answer: B) China
Q.19 Which famous Buddhist council was held during Harsha’s reign?
- A) First Buddhist Council
- B) Second Buddhist Council
- C) Fourth Buddhist Council
- D) None of the above
Answer: D) None of the above
Q.20 Harsha died in which year ?
- A) 641 AD
- B) 650 AD
- C) 645 AD
- D) 647 AD
Answer: D) 647 AD
Q.21 What was Harsha’s role in the Nalanda University?
- A) Founder
- B) Chancellor
- C) Patron
- D) Teacher
Answer: C) Patron
Q.22 Which work of Banabhatt describes the early life of Harsha?
- A) Kadambari
- B) Harsacharita
- C) Ritusamhara
- D) Saptashati
Answer: B) Harsacharita
Q.23 ‘Dhruvasena’ was the ruler of which kingdom ?
- A) Gangas
- B) Chalukyas
- C) Maitraka
- D) Kingdom of Gaud
Answer: C) Maitraka
Q.24 Which of the following was a significant cultural event in Harsha’s court?
- A) Kumbh Mela
- B) Rajasuya Yajna
- C) Maha Moksha Yatra
- D) Prayag Assembly
Answer: D) Prayag Assembly
Q.25 Harsha’s reign is often considered the beginning of which period in Indian history?
- A) Ancient Period
- B) Medieval Period
- C) Classical Period
- D) Modern Period
Answer: B) Medieval Period
Q.26 The “Ratnavali” play by Harsha deals with which theme?
- A) Romance
- B) Warfare
- C) Philosophy
- D) Religion
Answer: A) Romance
Q.27 Harsha’s diplomatic relations extended to which country?
- A) China
- B) Persia
- C) Greece
- D) Rome
Answer: A) China
Q.28 Harsha’s empire was known for promoting which kind of artistic events ?
- A) Rock-cut architecture
- B) Temple construction
- C) Classical music and dance
- D) Literature and drama
Answer: D) Literature and drama
Q.29 Harsha’s governance was influenced by which ancient Indian treatise?
- A) Arthashastra
- B) Manusmriti
- C) Ramayana
- D) Mahabharata
Answer: A) Arthashastra
Q.30 What was the name of the husband of Rajyashri, the sister of king Harshvardhan ?
- A) Deva Gupta
- B) Dhrivasena II
- C) Shashanka
- D) Grahavarman
Answer: D) Grahavarman
Q.31 Harsha’s minister of war and peace was?
- A) Bana
- B) Xuanzang
- C) Bhandi
- D) Skandagupta
Answer: C) Bhandi
Q.32 The Harsha era started in which year?
- A) 606 CE
- B) 610 CE
- C) 612 CE
- D) 620 CE
Answer: A) 606 CE
Q.33 Harsha was defeated by Pulakeshin II on the banks of which river?
- A) Godavari
- B) Krishna
- C) Narmada
- D) Cauvery
Answer: C) Narmada
Q.35 Who was also known as ‘Siladitya’?
- A) Rajyavardhan
- B) Harshvardhan
- C) Prabhakarvardha
- D) Grahavarman
Answer: B) Harshvardhan
Q.36 Harsha’s empire witnessed a flourishing of which type of educational institutions?
- A) Gurukuls
- B) Madrasas
- C) Universities
- D) Pathshalas
Answer: C) Universities
Q.37 Harsha’s rule extended over which of the following regions?
- A) Deccan Plateau
- B) Northern India
- C) Southern India
- D) Eastern India
Answer: B) Northern India
Q.38 Which of the following modern-day city was part of Harsha’s empire?
- A) Delhi
- B) Bangalore
- C) Mumbai
- D) Kolkata
Answer: A) Delhi
Q.39 Harsha’s court was noted for its contributions to which field?
- A) Medicine
- B) Astronomy
- C) Literature
- D) Metallurgy
Answer: C) Literature
Q.40 The “Priyadarsika” play by Harsha is a story of?
- A) Military conquests
- B) Romantic adventures
- C) Religious sermons
- D) Philosophical debates
Answer: B) Romantic adventures
Q.41 Harsha’s religious policy can be described as?
- A) Intolerant
- B) Tolerant
- C) Exclusive
- D) Atheistic
Answer: B) Tolerant
Q.42 Who is considered the first important ruler of the Vardhana Dynasty ?
- A) Harshvardhan
- B) Prabhakarvardha
- C) Rajyavardhan
- D) Grahavarman
Answer: B) Prabhakarvardha
Q.43 Which assembly was held every five years by Harsha?
- A) Buddhist Council
- B) Hindu Conclave
- C) Prayag Assembly
- D) Jain Congregation
Answer: C) Prayag Assembly
Q.44 Harsha’s reign marked the spread of which religion in his empire?
- A) Jainism
- B) Buddhism
- C) Zoroastrianism
- D) Islam
Answer: B) Buddhism
Q.45 Harsha’s literary works were written in which language?
- A) Pali
- B) Prakrit
- C) Sanskrit
- D) Tamil
Answer: C) Sanskrit
Q.46 Harsha’s contemporary and rival, Pulakeshin II, belonged to which dynasty?
- A) Pallava
- B) Chola
- C) Chalukya
- D) Rashtrakuta
Answer: C) Chalukya
Q.47 Which river was significant in Harsha’s campaigns and administration?
- A) Ganges
- B) Yamuna
- C) Narmada
- D) Godavari
Answer: A) Ganga
Q.48 Harsha’s reign is considered a golden age for which aspect of Indian culture?
- A) Architecture
- B) Sculpture
- C) Literature
- D) Music
Answer: C) Literature
Q.49 Who composed the biography of Harsha, “Harshacharita”?
- A) Kalidasa
- B) Banabhatt
- C) Bhavabhuti
- D) Dandin
Answer: B) Banabhatt
Q.50 Harsha organized the Prayag Assembly at the confluence of which rivers?
- A) Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati
- B) Ganges, Yamuna, and Brahmaputra
- C) Ganges, Godavari, and Krishna
- D) Ganges, Yamuna, and Narmada
Answer: A) Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati
The Pushyabhuti dynasty, marked by king Harsha’s reign, brought unity and cultural flourishing to northern India. Despite its brief prominence, the dynasty left a lasting legacy in art, culture, religion and literature. Its decline after Harsha’s death signaled the end of a significant era and starting of early medieval Indian history. If you want to read about Gupta dynasty click https://testyourgk.in/50-gk-mcqs-about-gupta-dynasty/
Connect with us on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/test_your_gk?igsh=MWN6b3Bwd2lhaDN1OA==
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561756379011&mibextid=ZbWKwL
Pinterest: https://pin.it/4ad8gsy44
Hope you people like this Post.