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The Vedic sacrifice in which a horse was let loose to wander freely, guarded by the king's men, to establish the king's authority over the lands it passed through, was the:
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Answer: Option C — Ashvamedha
Detailed Solution
The "Ashvamedha" (horse sacrifice) was a grand Vedic ritual in which a horse was let loose to wander freely for a year, guarded by the king's soldiers.
How the Ashvamedha was performed:
- A specially chosen horse was consecrated and set free to roam for a year.
- It was followed by the king's warriors.
- If the horse wandered into the lands of other kings and they did not stop it, they were considered to have accepted the authority of the king who performed the sacrifice.
- If any king stopped the horse, he had to fight the king's warriors.
- At the end of the year, if the horse returned safely, a grand sacrifice was performed, in which the horse was sacrificed.
- NCERT describes this ritual as a way for kings to show their power, and notes that other rajas were invited to the sacrifice and brought gifts.
Importance:
- It showed the king's supremacy over other rulers.
- It was performed by powerful kings who claimed to be emperors ("chakravartin").
Famous performers of the Ashvamedha:
- In the Ramayana, Rama performs an Ashvamedha; his sons Lava and Kusha capture the horse.
- In the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira performs one after the war.
- Pushyamitra Shunga performed two Ashvamedhas, as recorded in the Ayodhya inscription.
- The Satavahana queen Naganika's inscription mentions Ashvamedhas.
- Samudragupta performed an Ashvamedha and issued special gold coins to mark it, showing the horse before a sacrificial post.
- Kumaragupta I also issued Ashvamedha-type coins.
- The Chalukya ruler Pulakeshin I performed an Ashvamedha.
Other royal sacrifices:
- "Rajasuya": a sacrifice for royal consecration, which gave the king supreme power.
- "Vajapeya": a sacrifice with a chariot race, in which the king won.
- "Agnishtoma": a soma sacrifice.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Rajasuya was the consecration sacrifice.
- ✗Vajapeya included a chariot race.
- ✗Agnishtoma was a type of soma sacrifice.
Quick tip
Remember: Ashvamedha = horse sacrifice to establish supremacy (Pushyamitra Shunga, Samudragupta, Pulakeshin I); Rajasuya = consecration; Vajapeya = chariot race.
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Vedic Period — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Vedic Period, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
The Vedic period followed the arrival of the Indo-Aryans and is divided into the Early (Rig Vedic) and Later Vedic ages. This topic covers the four Vedas, the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads, Vedic society, polity, economy and religion, and the rivers and gods mentioned in Vedic texts. Exams often ask which Veda deals with what (the Sama Veda with music, the Atharva Veda with charms and medicine), the most important Rig Vedic god (Indra), and Vedic assemblies such as the Sabha and Samiti. Note how society changed from the Early to the Later Vedic age, especially the rise of the varna system and the growth of kingship. Practise the Vedic period questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.