Surya Dynasty MCQ Questions and Answers

1. Who is regarded as the founder of the Surya or Ikshvaku Dynasty in ancient Indian tradition?
A) Harishchandra
B) Ikshvaku
C) Sagara
D) Raghu
Answer: Ikshvaku

2. The Surya Dynasty traces its mythological origin from which celestial deity?
A) Indra
B) Agni
C) Surya
D) Varuna
Answer: Surya

3. Which king of the Surya Dynasty is said to have brought the sacred Ganga from heaven to earth?
A) Raghu
B) Harishchandra
C) Bhagiratha
D) Aja
Answer: Bhagiratha

4. According to the Puranas, which son of Manu is considered the progenitor of the Ikshvaku lineage?
A) Priyavrata
B) Uttanapada
C) Ikshvaku
D) Dhruva
Answer: Ikshvaku

5. The great King Sagara of the Surya Dynasty was renowned for which of the following deeds?
A) Founding Ayodhya
B) Performing the Ashvamedha sacrifice
C) Establishing the city of Mithila
D) Composing the Rigveda hymns
Answer: Performing the Ashvamedha sacrifice

6. Which Surya Dynasty ruler is celebrated for his unmatched truthfulness and adherence to Dharma?
A) Raghu
B) Harishchandra
C) Bhagiratha
D) Aja
Answer: Harishchandra

7. In the Ramayana, King Dasharatha belongs to which ancient royal house?
A) Chandravamsha
B) Yadava
C) Suryavamsha
D) Puru
Answer: Suryavamsha

8. The title “Raghukul Shiromani” is most appropriately associated with which monarch?
A) Bhagiratha
B) Harishchandra
C) Rama
D) Sagara
Answer: Rama

9. Which famous epic primarily narrates the history and deeds of the Surya Dynasty kings?
A) Mahabharata
B) Ramayana
C) Vishnu Purana
D) Bhagavata Purana
Answer: Ramayana

10. The term “Raghuvamsha,” also the title of a classical Sanskrit poem, refers to—
A) The descendants of King Sagara
B) The clan of King Harishchandra
C) The lineage of King Raghu, including Rama
D) The family of Bhagiratha
Answer: The lineage of King Raghu, including Rama

11. According to ancient texts, King Sagara was the ancestor of which illustrious monarch of the Surya Dynasty?
A) Harishchandra
B) Bhagiratha
C) Aja
D) Dasharatha
Answer: Bhagiratha

12. The curse of Sage Kapila turned the sixty thousand sons of King Sagara into—
A) Ashes
B) Dust
C) Stone
D) Water
Answer: Ashes

13. Which sacred river is said to have descended to earth through the efforts of a Surya Dynasty king?
A) Yamuna
B) Saraswati
C) Godavari
D) Ganga
Answer: Ganga

14. The term “Ikshvaku” literally denotes—
A) Lord of Fire
B) The First King
C) One born of sugarcane
D) Son of Manu
Answer: One born of sugarcane

15. King Ikshvaku ruled from which ancient capital city?
A) Mithila
B) Hastinapur
C) Ayodhya
D) Kashi
Answer: Ayodhya

16. The Surya Dynasty was also known by which other name?
A) Chandravamsha
B) Raghukula
C) Paurava
D) Bharata
Answer: Raghukula

17. Which great sage is said to have served as the family priest of the Ikshvaku kings?
A) Vyasa
B) Vasishtha
C) Vishwamitra
D) Agastya
Answer: Vasishtha

18. According to the Puranas, the Surya Dynasty began with Ikshvaku, the son of—
A) Varuna
B) Vaivasvata Manu
C) Kashyapa
D) Indra
Answer: Vaivasvata Manu

19. The great poet Kalidasa composed “Raghuvamsha,” which glorifies the lineage of—
A) Chandravamsha
B) Kuru
C) Suryavamsha
D) Yadu
Answer: Suryavamsha

20. Which Surya Dynasty king performed a hundred Ashvamedha sacrifices, equaling Indra’s record?
A) Harishchandra
B) Sagara
C) Aja
D) Dilipa
Answer: Sagara

21. In the Ramayana, Rama’s ancestor Raghu was famous for—
A) Artistic talents
B) Military prowess and generosity
C) Celestial wisdom
D) Austerities
Answer: Military prowess and generosity

22. Which Surya Dynasty ruler was known for his self-sacrifice to keep his word to Sage Vishwamitra?
A) Harishchandra
B) Raghu
C) Sagara
D) Bhagiratha
Answer: Harishchandra

23. The city of Ayodhya, ruled by the Ikshvaku kings, was located on the banks of which river?
A) Yamuna
B) Sarayu
C) Ganga
D) Narmada
Answer: Sarayu

24. King Bhagiratha’s act of bringing the Ganga symbolizes—
A) The rise of agriculture
B) The purification of ancestral sins
C) Victory over demons
D) Establishment of monarchy
Answer: The purification of ancestral sins

25. The Surya Dynasty kings primarily ruled in which region of ancient India?
A) Eastern India
B) Kosala (Northern India)
C) Southern India
D) Gandhara
Answer: Kosala (Northern India)

26. Which of the following was the immediate predecessor of King Dasharatha?
A) Aja
B) Raghu
C) Dilipa
D) Harishchandra
Answer: Aja

27. The principle “Raghukul reeti sada chali aayi, praan jaaye par vachan na jaayi” reflects—
A) Warfare
B) Truth and commitment to promises
C) Rituals
D) Learning
Answer: Truth and commitment to promises

28. According to the Vishnu Purana, the Ikshvaku dynasty produced—
A) 100 rulers
B) 50 rulers
C) 100 kings of repute
D) 80 rulers
Answer: 100 kings of repute

29. The Surya Dynasty maintained relations with which lunar dynasty through marital alliances?
A) Chandravamsha
B) Puru
C) Kuru
D) Pandava
Answer: Chandravamsha

30. The famous “Raghuvamsha” of Kalidasa starts with the praise of which deity?
A) Indra
B) Vishnu
C) Surya
D) Agni
Answer: Surya

31. Which Surya Dynasty king was the father of the great Bhagiratha?
A) Sagara
B) Dilipa
C) Raghu
D) Harishchandra
Answer: Dilipa

32. Rama’s mother Kaushalya was the princess of—
A) Mithila
B) Kosala (of Dakshina region)
C) Magadha
D) Panchala
Answer: Kosala (of Dakshina region)

33. The kings of the Ikshvaku line are mentioned in which of the following Puranas?
A) Shiva Purana
B) Brahma Purana
C) Vishnu Purana
D) Skanda Purana
Answer: Vishnu Purana

34. The Ikshvaku kings claimed descent from which Manu?
A) Svarochisha Manu
B) Cakshusha Manu
C) Vaivasvata Manu
D) Raivata Manu
Answer: Vaivasvata Manu

35. In the Raghuvamsha, King Dilipa was known for—
A) Military campaigns
B) Wealth accumulation
C) Devotion to duty and compassion for cows
D) Artistic skill
Answer: Devotion to duty and compassion for cows

36. Which Surya Dynasty king was known for ruling with justice comparable to that of Manu himself?
A) Harishchandra
B) Aja
C) Raghu
D) Dasharatha
Answer: Harishchandra

37. In the lineage of the Surya Dynasty, Rama was the ___th generation after Ikshvaku.
A) 20th
B) 30th
C) 60th
D) 100th
Answer: 60th

38. The Ikshvaku kings considered which god as their Kula Devata (family deity)?
A) Surya
B) Vishnu
C) Indra
D) Shiva
Answer: Surya

39. The festival associated with the descent of the Ganga, initiated by Bhagiratha’s penance, is called—
A) Ganga Dussehra
B) Surya Jayanti
C) Kartik Purnima
D) Makar Sankranti
Answer: Ganga Dussehra

40. The dynasty to which Lord Rama belonged was known as—
A) Pandava lineage
B) Ikshvaku or Suryavamsha
C) Yadava lineage
D) Paurava lineage
Answer: Ikshvaku or Suryavamsha

41. Which king of the Surya Dynasty was the son of King Raghu and father of Dasharatha?
A) Harishchandra
B) Aja
C) Bhagiratha
D) Dilipa
Answer: Aja

42. The great sage who cursed King Trishanku, a descendant of Ikshvaku, was—
A) Vasishtha
B) Vishwamitra
C) Gautama
D) Agastya
Answer: Vishwamitra

43. King Trishanku is famous in mythology for his attempt to—
A) Rule heaven
B) Reach heaven with his mortal body
C) Conquer the gods
D) Stop the sun
Answer: Reach heaven with his mortal body

44. Which Surya Dynasty king is said to have ruled the earth with the same justice as Indra ruled heaven?
A) Raghu
B) Harishchandra
C) Aja
D) Dasharatha
Answer: Raghu

45. The Ikshvaku kings’ primary symbol on their royal standard was—
A) The crescent moon
B) The rising sun
C) The conch shell
D) The lion emblem
Answer: The rising sun

46. The Ikshvaku lineage is mentioned in which major epic’s genealogical account?
A) Ramayana
B) Mahabharata
C) Harivamsa
D) Devi Bhagavata
Answer: Ramayana

47. Who among the following was NOT a member of the Surya Dynasty?
A) Bhagiratha
B) Krishna
C) Harishchandra
D) Dasharatha
Answer: Krishna

48. The Surya Dynasty and the Chandra Dynasty trace their origin respectively to—
A) Vishnu and Shiva
B) Surya and Soma (the Moon)
C) Agni and Indra
D) Varuna and Kubera
Answer: Surya and Soma (the Moon)

49. King Harishchandra’s story of truth and sacrifice is prominently narrated in—
A) Mahabharata
B) Markandeya Purana
C) Bhagavata Purana
D) Garuda Purana
Answer: Markandeya Purana

50. The famous city Ayodhya was founded by—
A) Harishchandra
B) Manu or Ikshvaku (according to different sources)
C) Bhagiratha
D) Raghu
Answer: Manu or Ikshvaku (according to different sources)

51. The Surya Dynasty ruled the region corresponding to which modern Indian state?
A) Bihar
B) Uttar Pradesh
C) Madhya Pradesh
D) Rajasthan
Answer: Uttar Pradesh

52. The Surya Dynasty kings followed which principal Vedic religion?
A) Shaivism
B) Vaishnavism and Vedic Sun worship
C) Buddhism
D) Jainism
Answer: Vaishnavism and Vedic Sun worship

53. The Raghuvamsha poem was composed by Kalidasa during which classical Indian age?
A) Mauryan period
B) Gupta period
C) Vedic period
D) Post-Mughal era
Answer: Gupta period

54. The Surya Dynasty’s genealogical record is found in which Purana?
A) Padma Purana
B) Vishnu Purana
C) Shiva Purana
D) Linga Purana
Answer: Vishnu Purana

55. King Dilipa is often remembered for his devotion to—
A) Indra
B) Kamadhenu (divine cow)
C) Varuna
D) Vishnu
Answer: Kamadhenu (divine cow)

56. The emblem of Surya used by the Ikshvaku kings was often inscribed on—
A) Coins
B) Royal seals and flags
C) Weapons
D) Stone pillars
Answer: Royal seals and flags

57. In the Surya Dynasty, the principle of governance was based on—
A) Personal ambition
B) Dharma and truthfulness
C) Force and conquest
D) Priesthood
Answer: Dharma and truthfulness

58. The last known ruler of the Surya Dynasty mentioned in later Puranic lists was—
A) Dasharatha
B) Brihadbala
C) Raghu
D) Dilipa
Answer: Brihadbala

59. King Brihadbala, a descendant of Rama, fought in which great war?
A) Lanka War
B) Kurukshetra War
C) Dasaratha’s campaign
D) War of Mithila
Answer: Kurukshetra War

60. Who killed King Brihadbala, the last Surya Dynasty ruler, during the Mahabharata war?
A) Bhima
B) Abhimanyu
C) Arjuna
D) Karna
Answer: Abhimanyu

61. Which Surya Dynasty ruler exemplified the ideal of Satya (truth) to the extent of selling himself into slavery?
A) Harishchandra
B) Raghu
C) Aja
D) Sagara
Answer: Harishchandra

62. The Surya Dynasty’s line of descent from Surya is said to pass through—
A) Agni → Manu → Ikshvaku
B) Surya → Vaivasvata Manu → Ikshvaku
C) Surya → Soma → Puru
D) Indra → Manu → Raghu
Answer: Surya → Vaivasvata Manu → Ikshvaku

63. The solar lineage kings are collectively known as—
A) Kauravas
B) Yadavas
C) Raghus or Suryavamshis
D) Mauryas
Answer: Raghus or Suryavamshis

64. Which river’s descent was meant to redeem the souls of King Sagara’s sons?
A) Narmada
B) Ganga
C) Godavari
D) Sindhu
Answer: Ganga

65. The moral of the story of Harishchandra is primarily about—
A) Bravery
B) Truth and sacrifice
C) Wisdom
D) Wealth
Answer: Truth and sacrifice

66. The Surya Dynasty is often contrasted with the Chandravamsha in—
A) Ritual customs
B) Lineage and mythological ancestry
C) Political structure
D) Architecture
Answer: Lineage and mythological ancestry

67. King Raghu’s generosity after war is described in the phrase—
A) “Raghuvadha”
B) “Raghu’s Dana (Gift-giving)”
C) “Raghu Mahotsava”
D) “Raghukula Dharma”
Answer: “Raghu’s Dana (Gift-giving)”

68. The dynasty that ruled contemporaneously with the Suryavamsha according to the Mahabharata genealogies was—
A) Ikshvaku
B) Chandravamsha (Lunar Dynasty)
C) Asura Dynasty
D) Magadha line
Answer: Chandravamsha (Lunar Dynasty)

69. The symbol of the Surya Dynasty kings on their coinage primarily represented—
A) The crescent
B) The Sun disc
C) The lotus
D) The bow
Answer: The Sun disc

70. The Surya Dynasty upheld which core Vedic virtue?
A) Artha (wealth)
B) Kama (desire)
C) Dharma (righteous duty)
D) Moksha (liberation)
Answer: Dharma (righteous duty)

71. In which Upapurana are references to the Ikshvaku kings most elaborately preserved?
A) Linga Purana
B) Vayu Purana
C) Kurma Purana
D) Skanda Purana
Answer: Vayu Purana

72. Which Surya Dynasty ruler was celebrated for his austerity leading to the descent of the Ganga?
A) Bhagiratha
B) Raghu
C) Sagara
D) Dilipa
Answer: Bhagiratha

73. The moral code followed by the Surya Dynasty was encapsulated in the phrase—
A) “Dharma before life”
B) “Vachan se bada kuch nahi” (Nothing above one’s word)
C) “Power brings respect”
D) “Victory at any cost”
Answer: “Vachan se bada kuch nahi” (Nothing above one’s word)

74. The Ikshvaku line is sometimes also called “Aikshvaka,” which means—
A) Descended from Vishnu
B) Descended from Ikshvaku
C) Related to Soma
D) Worshippers of Fire
Answer: Descended from Ikshvaku

75. The famous ancestor of the Surya Dynasty who achieved heaven through devotion was—
A) Bhagiratha
B) Raghu
C) Harishchandra
D) Dilipa
Answer: Bhagiratha

76. Which celestial being is said to have been pleased with King Bhagiratha’s penance?
A) Agni
B) Indra
C) Brahma
D) Varuna
Answer: Brahma

77. Who restrained the Ganga’s forceful descent upon earth, at Bhagiratha’s request?
A) Indra
B) Vishnu
C) Lord Shiva
D) Agni
Answer: Lord Shiva

78. The Surya Dynasty rulers were traditionally associated with which Vedic hymn of worship?
A) Purusha Sukta
B) Aditya Hridaya Stotra
C) Nasadiya Sukta
D) Gayatri Mantra
Answer: Aditya Hridaya Stotra

79. The last historically recognized Suryavamshi ruler before the Mahabharata war was—
A) Raghu
B) Dasharatha
C) Brihadbala
D) Aja
Answer: Brihadbala

80. King Raghu’s generosity after defeating Indra is described by Kalidasa as—
A) “Raghuvijaya”
B) “Raghu’s unparalleled charity”
C) “Raghu Sankalpa”
D) “Raghu Dharma”
Answer: “Raghu’s unparalleled charity”

81. Which Surya Dynasty ruler’s reign was marked by complete absence of falsehood?
A) Sagara
B) Aja
C) Harishchandra
D) Raghu
Answer: Harishchandra

82. The word “Surya” in Vedic context is symbolically associated with—
A) Light and truth
B) Power and war
C) Wealth and gold
D) Fertility and nature
Answer: Light and truth

83. The Ikshvaku dynasty kings are said to have been protectors of—
A) Animals
B) The Vedas and Brahmanas
C) Merchants
D) Warriors
Answer: The Vedas and Brahmanas

84. The Surya Dynasty’s capital Ayodhya is described in the Ramayana as—
A) A city of war
B) A land of forests
C) A city “not built by men but by gods”
D) A place of exile
Answer: A city “not built by men but by gods”

85. Which Surya Dynasty ruler’s life symbolizes filial piety and devotion to ancestors?
A) Harishchandra
B) Bhagiratha
C) Sagara
D) Dasharatha
Answer: Bhagiratha

86. King Dasharatha’s name literally means—
A) One who rides a chariot
B) One who has ten chariots
C) Slayer of demons
D) Protector of sages
Answer: One who has ten chariots

87. The Ikshvaku rulers were traditionally considered the earliest kings of—
A) Magadha
B) Kosala
C) Panchala
D) Anga
Answer: Kosala

88. The Surya Dynasty’s administrative ideals later influenced which historical kingdom?
A) Gupta Empire
B) Kosala and later Kshatriya clans
C) Mauryan Empire
D) Nanda Dynasty
Answer: Kosala and later Kshatriya clans

89. King Raghu was the son of—
A) Sagara
B) Dilipa
C) Bhagiratha
D) Harishchandra
Answer: Dilipa

90. The genealogical accounts of the Surya Dynasty are mainly preserved in—
A) Arthashastra
B) Puranas and Epics
C) Buddhist Jatakas
D) Inscriptions of Ashoka
Answer: Puranas and Epics

91. The Raghuvamsha describes Raghu as the conqueror of—
A) All quarters of the earth
B) Lanka
C) Gandhara
D) Magadha
Answer: All quarters of the earth

92. The Surya Dynasty is said to have ended with the fall of—
A) Harishchandra
B) Raghu
C) Brihadbala in Kurukshetra
D) Dasharatha
Answer: Brihadbala in Kurukshetra

93. In iconography, Surya, the progenitor of the dynasty, is depicted as—
A) Seated on a throne
B) Riding a chariot drawn by seven horses
C) Flying with Garuda
D) Holding a lotus
Answer: Riding a chariot drawn by seven horses

94. The Surya Dynasty upheld the rule that kings must—
A) Amass wealth
B) Rule as servants of Dharma
C) Expand territory
D) Subdue other lineages
Answer: Rule as servants of Dharma

95. The dynasty of Rama was referred to as “Raghukul” because—
A) He worshipped Raghu
B) Rama descended from King Raghu
C) Raghu was his friend
D) Raghu built Ayodhya
Answer: Rama descended from King Raghu

96. The title “Ikshvaku” was used by later rulers to—
A) Denote wealth
B) Claim divine legitimacy and ancient lineage
C) Indicate warrior skill
D) Associate with sages
Answer: Claim divine legitimacy and ancient lineage

97. The moral values of the Surya Dynasty kings were most aligned with—
A) Arthashastra’s pragmatism
B) Ramayana’s dharmic ideals
C) Upanishadic philosophy
D) Epic warfare ethics
Answer: Ramayana’s dharmic ideals

98. The Suryavamshi Rajputs of medieval India claimed descent from—
A) Chandragupta
B) The Ikshvaku lineage of Lord Rama
C) The Yadava line
D) Mauryas
Answer: The Ikshvaku lineage of Lord Rama

99. The Surya Dynasty’s greatest legacy in Indian thought is—
A) Political expansion
B) Economic prosperity
C) The ideal of righteous kingship (Rajadharma)
D) Technological innovation
Answer: The ideal of righteous kingship (Rajadharma)

100. The motto of the Surya Dynasty, emphasizing promise and honor, is best summarized as—
A) “Victory brings power”
B) “A king’s word is his life”
C) “Conquer or perish”
D) “Glory through conquest”
Answer: “A king’s word is his life”