Important Questions: New Kings & Kingdoms - UPSC MCQ

• In ancient times, new kings often did not rule independently. They frequently shared power with other groups like samantas (subordinates), peasants, traders, and Brahmanas.
• This helped in maintaining stability and support within their kingdoms.

The Chola rulers in the past mainly collected taxes in the form of forced labor and land revenue. This means that people had to work for the rulers or give a part of what they earned from their land as taxes. This helped the rulers in building temples, forts, and fighting wars.

Chola temples were not just places of worship; they played significant roles in the economic, social, and cultural aspects of life. Temples became nuclei for settlements where various specialists, such as priests, musicians, and dancers, lived and worked. The land endowed to temples by rulers and others supported these specialists, demonstrating the temples' integral role in the community beyond mere religious functions.

Rulers like Nagabhata described their achievements in 'prashastis', which are like special stories or reports about all the great things they did.

Yes, the statement is True. Nagabhata, a Pratihara king, defeated the kings of Andhra, Sind, Maharashtra, and Orissa. He achieved victories over various rulers according to the inscription found in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

• Mahmud of Ghazni, a ruler from Afghanistan, attacked the subcontinent several times with the goal of acquiring wealth from rich temples.
• He raided the region around the years 1000 to 1025.
• His primary targets were the wealthy temples, including the one in Somnath, Gujarat.
• Much of the wealth he took was used to build a magnificent capital city in Ghazni.
• Therefore, the statement that Mahmud of Ghazni raided the subcontinent 17 times with a religious motive is True.

The essential method used to provide water for farming in ancient times was:

3. Constructing huge tanks to store water

In many ancient civilizations, such as those in the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia, and Egypt, people constructed large tanks, reservoirs, and canals to store and manage water for agricultural purposes. These methods allowed them to collect and store water during the rainy season and distribute it during drier periods, which was crucial for farming in arid and semi-arid regions.

Complete answer:
> In the 12th century, the Chauhan Dynasty or the Chahamanas ruled over the two major cities – Delhi and Ajmer.
> As these cities were centrally located, the Chahamanas aimed to extend their control to the west and the east, where they were defeated by the Chalukyas of Gujarat and the Gahadavalas of western Uttar Pradesh.
> Prithviraj III (1168-1192) was the best-known Chahamana ruler. In 1191, he defeated the Afghan ruler, named Sultan Muhammad Ghori, but in the very next year, in 1192, he also lost to him.

- Performed rituals: New dynasties often sought legitimacy by performing elaborate rituals, which were traditional ceremonies that symbolized power and divine approval.
- These rituals were a way to connect with the past and with the divine, showing that the new rulers were rightful and deserving of their position.
- By adhering to established cultural and religious practices, they gained the acceptance of both the populace and the elite, reinforcing their authority and continuity with past rulers.