General Awareness Ancient History Mock

• The Ashokan inscriptions are mainly found in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
• They were composed in the Prakrit language and Brahmi script in the greater part of the
  subcontinent.
• Ashokan inscriptions can be classified into Rock Edicts and Pillar Edicts.

• Gautama Buddha, variously termed Sakyamuni or Tathagata, is considered as the founder of
  Buddhism.
• He was born as Siddhartha to Suddhodhana, the ruler of the Sakyan republic, and his wife Maya,
  on Vaisakha Purnima in the Lumbini gardens near Kapilavasthu (in Nepal) in the 6th century BC.

Hence, Siddharta was the founder of Buddhism.

• Arthashastra was written by Chanakya who was a minister in the court of Chandragupta.
• Chanakya was the Advisor and Prime Minister of Chandragupta Maurya.
• Chandragupta was the founder of the Mauryan Empire.
• Chanakya is also known as Kautilya.

The Gayatri mantra is found in the oldest Vedic literature, the Rig Veda.
Key Points

• Gayatri Mantra is a sacred Vedic mantra dedicated to Savitri, a sun deity.
• It is also known as Savitri Mantra.
• It is widely cited in the ancient Hindu scriptures.
• Gayatri Mantra is a holy mantra cited many times in the Vedic and post-Vedic scriptures.
• It is a highly revered mantra and is an integral part of the upanayana sanskar of young Hindu males.
• The Gayatri Mantra was first recited in the Rig Veda.
• The ancient Hindu texts primarily consist of the four Vedas.
• Thus, the Gayatri Mantra is one of the most commonly used and highly revered mantras from the Rig Veda.