Mithila Dynasty MCQ Questions and Answers

1. The ancient kingdom of Mithila was also known by which other name in Vedic texts?
A) Kosala
B) Videha
C) Anga
D) Magadha
Answer: Videha

2. King Janaka belonged to which ancient dynasty of Mithila?
A) Suryavansha
B) Chandravansha
C) Videha Dynasty
D) Maurya Dynasty
Answer: Videha Dynasty

3. The capital city of the Videha Kingdom was known as:
A) Kashi
B) Mithilapuri
C) Vaishali
D) Rajagriha
Answer: Mithilapuri

4. Who was the famous daughter of King Janaka of Mithila?
A) Draupadi
B) Sita
C) Gargi
D) Tara
Answer: Sita

5. In which ancient epic is Mithila prominently mentioned?
A) Mahabharata
B) Ramayana
C) Rigveda
D) Arthashastra
Answer: Ramayana

6. The ruler Janaka of Mithila is best remembered for his patronage of:
A) Warfare
B) Artisans
C) Philosophers and sages
D) Merchants
Answer: Philosophers and sages

7. In Vedic literature, King Janaka is often portrayed as a seeker of:
A) Wealth
B) Pleasure
C) Spiritual knowledge
D) Political power
Answer: Spiritual knowledge

8. The philosopher Yajnavalkya was associated with which king of Mithila?
A) Nimi
B) Janaka
C) Harivardhana
D) Shrenika
Answer: Janaka

9. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad records philosophical debates held in:
A) Kashi
B) Mithila
C) Takshashila
D) Hastinapur
Answer: Mithila

10. Gargi Vachaknavi, the renowned philosopher, lived during the reign of:
A) Harishchandra
B) Janaka
C) Prithu
D) Aja
Answer: Janaka

11. The first known ruler of the Videha Kingdom mentioned in Vedic literature is:
A) Nimi
B) Janaka
C) Sita
D) Mithi
Answer: Nimi

12. King Nimi, the founder of the Videha dynasty, was the son of:
A) Ikshvaku
B) Yayati
C) Manu
D) Prithu
Answer: Ikshvaku

13. The term “Mithila” is believed to have been derived from:
A) The name of a sage
B) The name of its founder, Mithi
C) The river that surrounded it
D) Its geographical location
Answer: The name of its founder, Mithi

14. The Videha Kingdom was located mainly in the present-day regions of:
A) Bihar and Nepal
B) Gujarat and Rajasthan
C) Uttar Pradesh and Haryana
D) Punjab and Himachal
Answer: Bihar and Nepal

15. The society of Mithila during Janaka’s reign was notable for its:
A) Militarism
B) Trade with foreign lands
C) Intellectual and spiritual pursuits
D) Agricultural dominance
Answer: Intellectual and spiritual pursuits

16. The Mithila region was bounded on the north by:
A) Himalayas
B) Vindhyas
C) Ganga River
D) Narmada
Answer: Himalayas

17. Sita, the daughter of Janaka, was found in a:
A) Temple
B) River
C) Furrow while ploughing
D) Forest
Answer: Furrow while ploughing

18. The Videha Kingdom rose to prominence during which period?
A) Later Vedic Age
B) Gupta Period
C) Mauryan Age
D) Medieval Period
Answer: Later Vedic Age

19. The Videha kings were known for their adherence to:
A) Jainism
B) Buddhism
C) Vedic religion
D) Shaivism
Answer: Vedic religion

20. Janaka was often addressed as “Rajarshi,” meaning:
A) A kingly conqueror
B) A royal sage
C) A divine warrior
D) A political ruler
Answer: A royal sage

21. The Mithila region contributed significantly to which Upanishad?
A) Chandogya
B) Brihadaranyaka
C) Katha
D) Mundaka
Answer: Brihadaranyaka

22. Yajnavalkya’s famous dialogues with Maitreyi and Gargi occurred in:
A) Takshashila
B) Mithila
C) Magadha
D) Ayodhya
Answer: Mithila

23. The Videha kings maintained close ties with which other ancient kingdom?
A) Kosala
B) Kuru
C) Magadha
D) Panchala
Answer: Kosala

24. Sita was married to:
A) Krishna
B) Rama
C) Arjuna
D) Bhima
Answer: Rama

25. The Mithila kings followed which form of government?
A) Republic
B) Monarchy
C) Oligarchy
D) Theocracy
Answer: Monarchy

26. King Janaka is often mentioned in which major Upanishad for his philosophical dialogues?
A) Taittiriya Upanishad
B) Katha Upanishad
C) Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
D) Mundaka Upanishad
Answer: Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

27. The word “Videha” literally means:
A) Land of rivers
B) Beyond the body
C) Sacred earth
D) Land of fire
Answer: Beyond the body

28. According to the Puranas, the founder of Mithila city was:
A) Janaka
B) Mithi
C) Nimi
D) Kushadhwaja
Answer: Mithi

29. Which sacred text mentions that King Nimi performed a great sacrifice that lasted 500 years?
A) Rigveda
B) Vishnu Purana
C) Ramayana
D) Mahabharata
Answer: Vishnu Purana

30. The language prevalent in ancient Mithila was an early form of:
A) Sanskrit
B) Prakrit
C) Maithili
D) Pali
Answer: Sanskrit

31. The kings of Videha were famous for their patronage of:
A) Commerce
B) Poetry
C) Philosophy and Vedic learning
D) Architecture
Answer: Philosophy and Vedic learning

32. The dynasty of Janaka was connected by marriage with which kingdom?
A) Kosala
B) Magadha
C) Kuru
D) Panchala
Answer: Kosala

33. King Janaka’s daughter Sita is also known by which epithet?
A) Vaidehi
B) Kaikeyi
C) Urmila
D) Ahalya
Answer: Vaidehi

34. The kingdom of Videha was bordered to the west by:
A) Magadha
B) Kosala
C) Anga
D) Kashi
Answer: Kosala

35. The name “Janaka” in ancient texts refers to:
A) A single king
B) A family title held by successive kings
C) A military general
D) A priestly class
Answer: A family title held by successive kings

36. The philosophical concept of Atman and Brahman unity was discussed in Mithila by:
A) Yajnavalkya
B) Patanjali
C) Panini
D) Valmiki
Answer: Yajnavalkya

37. The debate between Yajnavalkya and Gargi focused on:
A) Astronomy
B) Political ethics
C) Nature of Brahman
D) Warfare
Answer: Nature of Brahman

38. Who among the following women was considered a philosopher in Mithila?
A) Maitreyi
B) Satyavati
C) Kaushalya
D) Savitri
Answer: Maitreyi

39. King Janaka’s court symbolized which ideal of governance?
A) Military power
B) Scholarly wisdom
C) Religious orthodoxy
D) Trade supremacy
Answer: Scholarly wisdom

40. Which sacred text refers to Janaka as a Karmayogi, one who performs duties without attachment?
A) Bhagavad Gita
B) Ramayana
C) Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
D) Vishnu Purana
Answer: Bhagavad Gita

41. The spiritual teacher of King Janaka was:
A) Yajnavalkya
B) Agastya
C) Vashistha
D) Vishwamitra
Answer: Yajnavalkya

42. Which river flowed near ancient Mithila?
A) Ganga
B) Gandak
C) Kamla
D) Kosi
Answer: Kosi

43. The name “Vaideha” was used as an epithet for:
A) The king’s ministers
B) The citizens of Mithila
C) The women of Janaka’s family
D) The army generals
Answer: The citizens of Mithila

44. Janaka was renowned for combining kingship with:
A) Wealth accumulation
B) Spiritual enlightenment
C) Foreign conquest
D) Artistic patronage
Answer: Spiritual enlightenment

45. In Vedic literature, Videha is grouped among which category of Janapadas?
A) Dakshina Janapadas
B) Eastern Janapadas
C) Western Janapadas
D) Central Janapadas
Answer: Eastern Janapadas

46. Janaka’s queen and Sita’s mother was:
A) Kaushalya
B) Sunaina
C) Sumitra
D) Mandodari
Answer: Sunaina

47. The Videha kings practiced which form of sacrifice to maintain spiritual merit?
A) Rajasuya
B) Ashvamedha
C) Agnihotra
D) Vajapeya
Answer: Ashvamedha

48. The court of Mithila was famous for debates between:
A) Poets
B) Philosophers
C) Merchants
D) Warriors
Answer: Philosophers

49. King Nimi was cursed by which deity according to the Puranas?
A) Indra
B) Varuna
C) Vishnu
D) Agni
Answer: Vishnu

50. The Brahmanas of Mithila were noted for their strict adherence to:
A) Vedantic philosophy
B) Tantric rituals
C) Yoga traditions
D) Folk customs
Answer: Vedantic philosophy

51. The Mithila kings were known for combining which two ideals?
A) Power and pleasure
B) Wealth and warfare
C) Kingship and spirituality
D) Trade and expansion
Answer: Kingship and spirituality

52. The kingdom of Videha is often described in Vedic texts as a bridge between:
A) Kuru and Magadha
B) Kosala and Anga
C) Aryavarta and Himalayan tribes
D) Deccan and Bengal
Answer: Kosala and Anga

53. Which ancient sage conducted philosophical dialogues at King Janaka’s court?
A) Yajnavalkya
B) Kapila
C) Patanjali
D) Uddalaka Aruni
Answer: Yajnavalkya

54. King Janaka’s reign is described as the “Golden Age of”:
A) Poetry
B) Political reform
C) Spiritual debate
D) Architecture
Answer: Spiritual debate

55. Which Upanishadic text contains the dialogue between Janaka and Yajnavalkya about the Self?
A) Chandogya Upanishad
B) Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
C) Mundaka Upanishad
D) Prashna Upanishad
Answer: Brihadaranyaka Upanishad

56. The word “Janaka” literally translates to:
A) Protector
B) Creator or father
C) Wise one
D) Ruler
Answer: Creator or father

57. Mithila’s geographical location made it a major center for:
A) Shipbuilding
B) Vedic learning
C) Military recruitment
D) Foreign trade
Answer: Vedic learning

58. The Janaka kings are believed to have descended from which Vedic dynasty?
A) Puru dynasty
B) Ikshvaku dynasty
C) Bharata dynasty
D) Soma dynasty
Answer: Ikshvaku dynasty

59. In the Ramayana, King Janaka is portrayed as:
A) A cruel monarch
B) A saintly philosopher-king
C) A warlord
D) A trader
Answer: A saintly philosopher-king

60. The main deity worshipped in ancient Mithila was:
A) Shiva
B) Vishnu
C) Indra
D) Agni
Answer: Vishnu

61. The philosophical teaching of “Neti Neti” (Not this, not that) was introduced by:
A) Gargi
B) Janaka
C) Yajnavalkya
D) Nimi
Answer: Yajnavalkya

62. The king of Mithila who first performed a Vajapeya Yajna was:
A) Janaka
B) Nimi
C) Mithi
D) Kushadhwaja
Answer: Nimi

63. The relationship between Janaka and Sita symbolizes the ideal of:
A) Political unity
B) Spiritual fatherhood
C) Dharma and purity
D) Love and detachment
Answer: Dharma and purity

64. The Vidhehas, as mentioned in the Vedas, were known for their:
A) Ritual knowledge
B) Agricultural methods
C) Seafaring trade
D) Military arts
Answer: Ritual knowledge

65. The title “Vaideha” used for Sita refers to:
A) Her birthplace
B) Her marital status
C) Her devotion
D) Her mother’s clan
Answer: Her birthplace

66. The king who invited sages to debate in Mithila’s royal court was:
A) Harivardhana
B) Janaka
C) Nimi
D) Prithu
Answer: Janaka

67. The Upanishadic philosopher Maitreyi was the wife of:
A) Janaka
B) Yajnavalkya
C) Kapila
D) Aruni
Answer: Yajnavalkya

68. The Videha kings are credited with transforming Mithila into:
A) A political empire
B) A spiritual center
C) A trade hub
D) A military base
Answer: A spiritual center

69. The concept of Atma-Vidya (knowledge of the self) was most emphasized in:
A) Mithila
B) Magadha
C) Kashi
D) Avanti
Answer: Mithila

70. Which philosophical question did Gargi pose to Yajnavalkya in Janaka’s court?
A) The origin of the universe
B) The means of ruling wisely
C) The rituals of sacrifice
D) The duties of women
Answer: The origin of the universe

71. Janaka is said to have achieved Jivanmukti, which means:
A) Liberation after death
B) Liberation while living
C) Liberation through ritual
D) Liberation through charity
Answer: Liberation while living

72. The dialogues in Janaka’s court were held in which language?
A) Pali
B) Sanskrit
C) Magadhi
D) Prakrit
Answer: Sanskrit

73. The moral code of the Videha rulers was primarily based on:
A) Danda-niti
B) Dharma
C) Arthashastra
D) Rajyashastra
Answer: Dharma

74. The sages and scholars of Mithila followed which philosophical path?
A) Advaita Vedanta
B) Charvaka
C) Sankhya
D) Vaisheshika
Answer: Advaita Vedanta

75. The Mithila kingdom maintained close cultural ties with which Vedic school?
A) Kuru-Panchala
B) Vajasaneyi branch of Yajurveda
C) Chandogya branch of Samaveda
D) Atharvaveda branch of Takshila
Answer: Vajasaneyi branch of Yajurveda

76. The spiritual ideal most emphasized by King Janaka was:
A) Renunciation
B) Detachment in action
C) Meditation in forests
D) Ascetic isolation
Answer: Detachment in action

77. The kingdom of Videha is mentioned in which part of the Vedic literature?
A) Rigveda
B) Yajurveda
C) Satapatha Brahmana
D) Atharvaveda
Answer: Satapatha Brahmana

78. According to legend, King Nimi was turned into a:
A) Star
B) Deity
C) Spirit without a body
D) River
Answer: Spirit without a body

79. The famous “Sita Swayamvara” was held in:
A) Vaishali
B) Mithila
C) Kashi
D) Ayodhya
Answer: Mithila

80. The bow that Rama broke during Sita’s Swayamvara was called:
A) Sharanga
B) Pinaka
C) Kodanda
D) Haradhanusha
Answer: Pinaka

81. The system of education in Mithila during Janaka’s reign was primarily:
A) Oral and Gurukul-based
B) Monastic and written
C) Military-oriented
D) Foreign influenced
Answer: Oral and Gurukul-based

82. The land of Videha was described in ancient texts as:
A) Fertile and learned
B) Deserted and poor
C) Mountainous and cold
D) Militarized and closed
Answer: Fertile and learned

83. The Janaka kings are known to have supported which social class most?
A) Kshatriyas
B) Brahmanas
C) Vaishyas
D) Shudras
Answer: Brahmanas

84. The spiritual atmosphere of Mithila influenced which major Hindu philosophy?
A) Yoga
B) Advaita Vedanta
C) Mimamsa
D) Sankhya
Answer: Advaita Vedanta

85. The prosperity of Mithila was due mainly to:
A) Agriculture and trade
B) Conquests
C) Tribute from neighbors
D) Foreign alliances
Answer: Agriculture and trade

86. The Videha kingdom’s territory lay mainly between which two rivers?
A) Ganga and Yamuna
B) Kosi and Gandak
C) Narmada and Godavari
D) Tapti and Krishna
Answer: Kosi and Gandak

87. The women of Mithila were especially known in ancient India for their:
A) Wealth
B) Learning and debate skills
C) Political power
D) Military training
Answer: Learning and debate skills

88. The kings of Videha emphasized which principle of rule?
A) Rule by fear
B) Rule by Dharma
C) Rule by wealth
D) Rule by conquest
Answer: Rule by Dharma

89. The sage Yajnavalkya is believed to have composed which major Vedic text while in Mithila?
A) Vajasaneyi Samhita
B) Samaveda
C) Atharvaveda
D) Rigveda
Answer: Vajasaneyi Samhita

90. The debates held in Janaka’s court were called:
A) Sabha Samvad
B) Brahma Jijnasa
C) Vidvat Parishad
D) Dharma Sabha
Answer: Vidvat Parishad

91. King Janaka’s approach to life is an early example of which yogic ideal?
A) Karma Yoga
B) Bhakti Yoga
C) Jnana Yoga
D) Raja Yoga
Answer: Karma Yoga

92. The people of Mithila primarily worshipped Vishnu in his form as:
A) Narayana
B) Krishna
C) Rama
D) Vasudeva
Answer: Narayana

93. The famous sage who instructed King Nimi in rituals was:
A) Vashistha
B) Agastya
C) Gautama
D) Vishwamitra
Answer: Vashistha

94. The region of Mithila is also associated with the origin of which festival?
A) Chhath Puja
B) Pongal
C) Baisakhi
D) Navroz
Answer: Chhath Puja

95. The philosophical inquiries in Mithila contributed most to which Indian school of thought?
A) Vedanta
B) Nyaya
C) Charvaka
D) Vaisheshika
Answer: Vedanta

96. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, King Janaka is praised for his:
A) Military victories
B) Ritual performance
C) Spiritual wisdom
D) Economic policies
Answer: Spiritual wisdom

97. The ancient Mithila region was known for producing which type of scholars?
A) Mathematicians
B) Ritualists and philosophers
C) Physicians
D) Astronomers
Answer: Ritualists and philosophers

98. The dialogues of Janaka and Yajnavalkya represent the transition from:
A) Ritualism to knowledge
B) Warfare to trade
C) Agriculture to urbanization
D) Polytheism to monotheism
Answer: Ritualism to knowledge

99. King Janaka is sometimes called Videha Mukta, which means:
A) Ruler without soldiers
B) Detached soul beyond body
C) Hero without fear
D) Teacher of Vedas
Answer: Detached soul beyond body

100. The legacy of the Mithila kings like Janaka primarily influenced later Indian thought through:
A) Political reforms
B) Economic laws
C) Ethical and spiritual ideals
D) Military strategies
Answer: Ethical and spiritual ideals