Q150. The achievements of King Kharavela are recorded in which of the following inscriptions?
[OSSC CGL Mains – 2026]
A. Allahabad Pillar Inscription
B. Hathigumpha Inscription
C. Mehrauli Iron Pillar Inscription
D. Junagadh Inscription
Answer: B. Hathigumpha Inscription
Explanation: The Hathigumpha inscription at Udayagiri near Bhubaneswar records the military, administrative and cultural achievements of Kharavela, the Chedi-Mahameghavahana ruler and an important patron of Jainism.
Q149. Which highly revered Śvetāmbara Jain text describes the lives of the 24 Tirthankaras, the lineage of pontiffs and monastic rules observed during Paryushana?
[RRB NTPC UG – 2026]
A. Kalpa-yoga
B. Kalpa-sutradham
C. Kalpa-samant
D. Kalpa-sutra
Answer: D. Kalpa-sutra
Explanation: Kalpa Sutra is an important Śvetāmbara canonical text traditionally attributed to Bhadrabahu. It contains biographies of Tirthankaras and rules governing Jain monastic conduct, particularly during Paryushana.
Q148. Who among the following was a ruler of the Chedi (Mahameghavahana) dynasty of Kalinga?
[RRB NTPC UG – 2026]
A. Gautamiputra Satakarni
B. Kanishka
C. Kharavela
D. Pushyamitra Shunga
Answer: C. Kharavela
Explanation: Kharavela was the best-known Mahameghavahana or Chedi ruler of Kalinga. His Hathigumpha inscription records his campaigns, public works and patronage of Jain religious establishments.
Q147. Identify the incorrect match between the thinker and the country associated with him.
[CUET UG History – 2026]
A. Zarathustra – Iran
B. Kong Zi – China
C. Socrates – Germany
D. Mahavira – India
Answer: C. Socrates – Germany
Explanation: Socrates belonged to ancient Greece, particularly Athens, not Germany. Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Jain Tirthankara, lived and preached in the Gangetic plains of ancient India.
Q146. The emergence of Buddhism and Jainism in the 6th century BCE can primarily be linked to which factor?
[SSC GD Constable – 2026]
A. Rise of monarchies
B. Criticism of Vedic rituals
C. Decline of agriculture
D. Persian influence
Answer: B. Criticism of Vedic rituals
Explanation: Jainism and Buddhism grew within the Śramaṇa movement, partly as responses to elaborate sacrifices, ritualism and Brahmanical orthodoxy, while emphasizing ethical conduct, renunciation and individual spiritual effort.
Q145. The ancient kingdom of Vallabhi, important in Jain history, was located mainly in present-day which state?
[SSC GD Constable – 2026]
A. Rajasthan
B. Gujarat
C. Maharashtra
D. Madhya Pradesh
Answer: B. Gujarat
Explanation: Vallabhi was an important ancient centre in Gujarat. Jain tradition associates it especially with the council at which the Śvetāmbara canonical scriptures were given their final written compilation.
Q144. A defining stylistic feature of Jain painting is the predominance of:
[UP PGT Arts – 2026]
A. Soft tonal shading
B. Blurred outlines
C. Thin, wiry linear outlines
D. Thick impasto brushwork
Answer: C. Thin, wiry linear outlines
Explanation: Western Indian Jain manuscript painting is recognized by strong linear treatment, angular figures, projecting eyes and brilliant colours, especially in illustrated manuscripts such as the Kalpa Sutra.
Q143. Which feature most clearly distinguishes early Jain doctrine as systematized by Mahavira from several other Śramaṇa traditions?
[UP PGT History – 2026]
A. Middle path between austerity and indulgence
B. Acceptance of Vedic sacrificial authority
C. Rejection of karma and rebirth
D. Anekāntavāda and Syādvāda with rigorous ascetic non-violence
Answer: D. Anekāntavāda and Syādvāda with rigorous ascetic non-violence
Explanation: Jain philosophy combines rigorous ahimsa and asceticism with Anekāntavāda, the many-sidedness of reality, and Syādvāda, which expresses judgments conditionally from different standpoints.
Q142. According to Census 2011, which among the following religions had the lowest population in India?
[DSSSB MTS – 2026]
A. Islam
B. Jainism
C. Hinduism
D. Christianity
Answer: B. Jainism
Explanation: Jains constituted roughly 0.4% of India’s population in Census 2011, making Jainism the smallest among the major religious communities separately enumerated in the Census.
Q141. The inscriptions of Ashoka and Kharavela were primarily written in which language?
[RRB NTPC UG – 2026]
A. Pali
B. Bengali
C. Sanskrit
D. Prakrit
Answer: D. Prakrit
Explanation: Most Ashokan edicts and Kharavela’s Hathigumpha inscription employ forms of Prakrit written in Brahmi script, reflecting the widespread use of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages.