Kerala SET Paper 2 Mock Test - 3 (History) - KTET MCQ

The correct answer is Abhinav Gupt.

Key Points

• Vedanta
  • The Vedanta or Uttara Mimamsa is the school that concentrates on the philosophical teachings of the Upanishads (mystic or spiritual contemplations within the Vedas), rather than the Brahmanas (instructions for ritual and sacrifice).
  • The school separated into six sub-schools, each interpreting the texts in its own way and producing its own series of sub-commentaries:
  • Advaita (Adi Shankara)
    • It states that both the individual self (Atman) and Brahman are the same, and knowing this difference causes liberation.
  • Visishtadvaita (Ramanuja)
    • It believes that all diversity is subsumed to a unified whole.
  • Dvaita (Madhvacharya)
    • It considers Brahman and Atman as two different entities and Bhakti as the route to eternal salvation.
  • Dvaitadvaita (Nimbarka)
    • It states that the Brahman is the highest reality, the controller of all.
  • Shuddhadvaita (Vallabhacharya)
    • It states that both God and the individual self are the same, and not different.
  • Achintya Bheda Abheda (Chaitanya Mahaprabhu)
    • It emphasizes that the individual self (Jīvatman) is both different and not different from Brahman.

Additional Information

• Orthodox Schools of Indian Philosophy
  • Orthodox (astika) schools, originally called Sanatana dharma, are collectively referred to as Hinduism in modern times.
  • The ancient Vedas are their source and scriptural authority.
  • Hinduism consists of six systems of philosophy & theology.
    • Samkhya (Kapila): Samkhya is the oldest of the orthodox philosophical systems, and it postulates that everything, in reality, stems from Purusha (self, soul, or mind) and Prakriti (matter, creative agency, energy).
    • Yoga (Patanjali): Yoga literally means the union of two principal entities.
      • Yogic techniques control body, mind & sense organs, thus considered as a means of achieving freedom or mukti.
    • Nyaya (Gautama Muni): Nyaya Philosophy states that nothing is acceptable unless it is in accordance with reason and experience (scientific approach).
      • Nyaya is considered a technique of logical thinking.
    • Vaisheshika (Kanada): The basis of the school's philosophy is that all objects in the physical universe are reducible to a finite number of atoms and Brahman is regarded as the fundamental force that causes consciousness in these atoms.
    • Purva Mimamsa (Jaimini): This philosophy encompasses the Nyaya-Vaisheshika systems and emphasizes the concept of valid knowledge.
      • According to Purva Mimamsa, Vedas are eternal and possess all knowledge.
• Abhinav Gupt:
  • Abhinavagupta was a philosopher, mystic, and aesthetician from Kashmir.
  • He was also considered an influential musician, poet, dramatist, exegete, theologian, and logician a polymathic personality who exercised strong influences on Indian culture.
  • One of his very important contributions was in the field of philosophy of aesthetics with his famous Abhinavabharati commentary of Naṭyasastra of Bharata Muni.

Bharhut is a village located in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh, central India. It is known for its famous relics from a Buddhist stupa.

The Bharhut stupa may have been first built by the Maurya king Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE but many works of art were apparently added during the Sunga period. An epigraph on the gateway of the stupa mentions its erection "during the supremacy of the Sungas by Vatsiputra Dhanabhuti".

Its railing contains numerous birth stories of Buddha’s previous lives or Jataka stories.

In conformity with the early aniconic phase of Buddhist art, Buddha is only represented through symbols, such as the Dharma wheel, the Bodhi tree, an empty seat, footprints or the triratna symbol.

The correct answer is Nalanda Learning Centre.

Key Points

Nalanda Learning Centre:

• Nalanda was a renowned mahavihara (Buddhist monastic university) in ancient Magadha (modern-day Bihar), India.
• Nalanda was established during the Gupta Empire era.
• It was sacked and destroyed by the troops of Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji, partly restored thereafter, and continued to exist till about 1400 CE.
• Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• It has been listed as an "Institute of National Importance" by the Government of India.
• A great library at Nalanda named Dharmaganja (Piety Mart) comprised three large multi-storeyed buildings,
  • The Ratnasagara (Ocean of Jewels),
  • The Ratnodadhi (Sea of Jewels), and
  • The Ratnaranjaka (Jewel-adorned).

The correct answer is the Peasants Movement of Shekhavati.

Key Points

• Peasants Movement of Shekhavati was the movement of the Gurjars against the reign of Bundi.
  • Peasant struggles in Shekhawati in the first half of the twentieth century brought an end to the shackles of the Jagirdari system.
  • Jagirdari Abolition brought about a fundamental change in the structure of control over land in Shekhawati with tenants-at-will getting ownership rights over land.
  • In the late 1920s, leaders of All India Jat Mahasabha formed Ahir Jat Gujjar and Rajput Sabha in order to bring all peasant castes together.
  • However, Jats of Shekhawati left this organization in 1929 to organize their movement separately.

Additional Information

• Peasants Movement of Bijolia
  • Bijolia was ‘‘A” class Jagir of the Udaipur State with a population of about 1200 in 1891.
  • The majority of peasants in Bijolia belonged to Dakan Gotra of the Jats.
  • In 1897, All the farmers gathered in Bhijolia’s Girirdhpura village on the occasion of the feast of the father of Ganga Ram Dhakar. Then collectively it was decided to send Nanaji Patel and Thakri Patel to Mewar Maharana to complain of Krishna Singh. Later Krishan Singh expelled both of them from Bijolia.
  • In 1906, Thakur Prithvi Singh became a new zamindar, which in 1906 introduced the new tax called “Talwar Bandhai” (a kind successor tax, and was also called insulting tax) on the people of Bijolia in 1906.
• Bengu Kisan movement – (started in 1921)
  • The main center of the peasant movement of Bengu was Raita.
  • Earlier, this place was in Bhilwara, but it is currently in Chittorgarh district.
  • This movement ran at the time of Bangngu’s Zamidar Anoop Singh.
  • Maharana of Mewar was Fateh Singh.
  • Reason – Excessive levy and unfair means.
  • This movement was run by the farmers of Dhakar caste.
  • The initial leadership of this movement was done by Vijay Singh Pathik from Ajmer because there was a ban upon him on arrival in Mewar state. Later, on the insistence of Vijay Singh Pathik, Ram Narayan Chaudhary led the movement.
• Peasants Movement of Dabra
  • Dabda or Dabrais a village in Didwana tehsil of Nagaur district in Rajasthan.
    • The village is known for The Dabra farmers movement-1947 for the abolition of Jagirs in Rajasthan.
  • The peasant movement which was being organized by the Marwar Kisan Sabha and the Marwar Lok Parishad jointly was a parallel movement to that of the national movement going on in British India whose aims were common i.e. to free the country from foreign rule.
  • To mobilize the peasants, meetings under the joint auspices of Marwar Lok Parishad and Marwar Kisan Sabha were held at various places in the Jat belt and such meeting was fixed at village Dabra in Nagaur district for 13th March 1947.
  • The Jagirdars got together in a bid to crush the political awakening among the Kisan and the black deed at Dabra was planned.
  • In this, the Jagirdars had the blessings and active support of the Maharaja.

Mahajanapadas

• Mahajanapadas were kingdoms that arose around 6th century BCE.
• The 16 Mahajanapadas were Kasi, Kosala, Anga, Magadha, Vajji, Malla, Chedi, Vatsa, Kuru, Panchala, Matsya, Surasena, Assmaka, Avanti, Gandhara, and Kamboja.
• This period is referred to as the second urbanisation, the first being the Harappan civilization. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• During this period, the centre of political activity shifted from the western to the lower part of the Gangetic plain. Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh make up the eastern half of the Gangetic plain. The fertile soils, better climate, and terrain conditions gifted with rainfall and rivers were the key reasons for this shift. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The Mahajanapadas find reference in Buddhist scriptures (Angutara Nikaya), Jaina scriptures, and Later Vedic texts. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
• Among the mahajanapadas, rajyas were monarchies such as Avanti, Magadha,etc. and ganas were republics, such as Vajji, Mallas and Assaka. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Accordingly, A is correct.

Mahajanpadas

Source: IGNOU

The Pali texts speak of three types of villages.

The first category included the typical village inhabited by various castes and communities. Its number seems to have been the largest, and it was haeded by a village headman called bhojaka.

The second category included the suburban villages which were in the nature of craft villages; for instance a carpenters’ village or chariotmaker’s village lay in the vicinity of Varanasi. Obviously these villages served as markets for the other villages and linked the towns with the countryside.

The third category included the border villages situated on the limits of the countryside which merged into forests. People living in these villages were mainly fowlers and hunters, who mostly lived on food gathering.

[The Gold Content of Gupta Era coins was maximum in comparison to previous major dynasties]

Although the Gupta rulers issued the largest number of gold coins, their gold content, particularly after Skandagupta was very low. This justifies the deteriorating economy in later gupta era. 

In 1950, the four-fold classification of the state put the erstwhile princely states with the legislature in Part B. The name of the nine states are Hyderabad, Madhya Bharat, Mysore, Jammu and Kashmir, Patiala and East Punjab, Vindhya Pradesh, Travancore-Cochin, Saurashtra, Rajasthan.

The fifth Sikh Guru Arjun Dev composed Adi Granth. He supported Khusroo against Jahangir for the Mughal throne and was therefore executed by Jahangir. Guru Hargobind, the Sixth Guru was the founder of the idea Akali Takht (Sikh Brotherhood) and constructed Harminder Sahib Gate in Amritsar. The eight Guru, Harikishen was the youngest to become a guru at the age of 5 and died of small pox. Guru Ramdas, the fourth Sikh guru constructed Amritsar and Santokhsar lakes in the land granted by the Mughal Emperor Akbar to his daughter.

• Critical Methodology: Herodotus stands out for his developing a more critical approach to historical inquiry.
• He compared different accounts, acknowledged the limitations of oral traditions, and even visited places he wrote about to verify information. Logographers, on the other hand, generally lacked this level of critical analysis.

Additional Information

• Extensive use of oral traditions and myths: Both logographers and Herodotus relied heavily on oral traditions and myths. While Herodotus might have been more critical in his use of them, the reliance on such sources was a common feature.
• Focus on a single, unifying theme or chronological narrative: While some logographers might have focused on specific regions or topics, others did attempt chronological narratives. Herodotus, however, is known for weaving diverse elements into a grand narrative of the Greco-Persian Wars.
• Emphasis on political and military history: Both logographers and Herodotus were interested in political and military history.

The peasants had to pay one sixth of their produce.

Taxes were collected directly by royal agents, and generally there were no intermediate landlord between the peasant and the State. But some villages were granted to brahmanas and big merchants for their enjoyment. We also hear of large plots of land worked with the help of slaves and agricultural laborers. Rich peasants were called gahapatis (Pali term), who were almost the same as the section of the vaishyas.

• Pair 1 is correct.
  • MIR SAMAN -
    • He was in charge of the Royal household including the supply of all the provisions and articles for the use of the inmates of the harem or the female apartments.
    • Only nobles who enjoyed the complete confidence of the emperor were appointed to this office.
• Pair 2 is correct.
  • WAZIR -
    • He continued to be the head of the revenue department.
    • He was not generally a person who held a high position in the nobility.
    • Many nobles held Mansabs which were higher than the Wazir.
    • Thus, he was no longer the principal advisor to the ruler but an expert in revenue matters.
    • Akbar generally used the title of Diwan or Diwan-i-ala in preference to the word Wazir.
• Pair 3 is correct.
  • MIR BAKSHI -
    • The head of the military department was called the Mir Bakshi.
    • It was Mir Bakshi and not the Diwan who was considered the head of the nobility.
    • Therefore only the leading grandees were appointed to this post.
    • Recommendations for appointment to mansabs or promotions etc were made to the emperor through the Mir Bakshi.
    • Once the emperor had accepted the recommendation it was sent to the diwan for confirmation and for assigning a jagir to the appointee.
    • Mir Bakshi was also the head of the intelligence and information agencies of the empire. Intelligence Officers (barids) and news reporters (waqia-navis) were posted to all the parts of the empire
    • Their reports were presented to the emperor at the court through the Mir Bakshi.

The incorrect statement is "Only Buddhist texts list 16 powerful states (solasa-mahajanapada) that flourished in the early 6th century BCE."Key Points

• Buddhist and Jaina both texts list 16 powerful states (solasa-mahajanapada) that flourished in the early 6th century BCE.
• The Anguttara Nikaya(Buddhist text) and Bhagavati Sutra(Jain text) gives a list of Mahajanapada, though different from each other, but these two texts inform us about Mahajanapada.
• Anguttara Nikaya’s list of the mahajanapadas is as follows: Kasi (Kashi), Kosala (Koshala), Anga, Magadha, Vajji (Vrijji), Malla, Chetiya (Chedi), Vamsa (Vatsa), Kuru, Panchala, Machchha (Matsya), Shurasena, Assaka (Ashmaka), Avanti, Gandhara, and Kamboja.

• The Bhagavati Sutra gives a somewhat different list: Anga, Banga (Vanga), Magaha (Magadha), Malaya, Malava, Achchha, Vachchha (Vatsa), Kochchha, Ladha (Lata or Radha), Padha (Pandya or Paundra), Bajji (Vajji), Moli (Malla), Kasi (Kashi), Kosala, Avaha, and Sambhuttara.

Hence the incorrect statement is "Only Buddhist texts list 16 powerful states (solasa-mahajanapada) that flourished in the early 6th century BCE."

Major-General Robert Clive was the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency. His brilliant leadership at Arcot gave him an immense reputation in Europe. When he went home in 1753, William Pitt the Elder called him a “heaven-born general.”

Charter Act of 1833, section 87 stated that no person of India or the Crown would be debarred from any place, post or service subject to the Company on the ground of religion, place of birth, decent or color or any of them.

The correct answer is 2 and 3 only

Key Points

• Satish Chandra Ray's work delves into an analysis of the economic factors contributing to famine occurrences in India.

• Typically, such an essay would explore various dimensions including colonial economic policies, agricultural practices, price fluctuations, market accessibility, and broader socioeconomic conditions that either precipitate or exacerbate famine conditions.

• Understanding the economic causes of famines is crucial for several reasons.

• It helps to identify systemic flaws and vulnerabilities in food security, sheds light on the impact of economic policies on agricultural productivity and market stability, and informs the development of more effective strategies for famine prevention and relief.

Additional Information

• Nand Brahma authored the book "Famines in Colonial India"
• M Raghavan is the author of the work 'State Failure and Human Miseries: A Study with Special Focus on Famines In British Malabar'
• Hungry Bengal: War, Famine and the End of Empire is a work by Janam Mukherjee

The correct answer is option 2.

Key Points

• Shamsher Khan’s tomb - Aurangabad
  • The tomb is located in Bihar's Shamsher Nagar Aurangabad.
  • He is Daud Khan's nephew.
  • Daud Khan constructed this tomb for him and his wife while he was still alive.
• Tomb of Bakhtiyar Khan - Kaimur
  • The Tomb of Bakhtiyar Khan is a tomb located in the Chainpur of Kaimur district.
  • It is an example of Indo-Islamic architecture.
  • There is no construction date listed in the tomb inscription.
  • It may be deduced from the construction style that it was created around the same time as the Tomb of Sher Shah Suri.
• Shershahi Mosque - Patna
  • Shershahi Mosque is located in Patna.
  • Sher Shah Suri Mosque, also known as Shershahi Mosque.
  • It is an example of the Afghan style of architecture.
  • Sher Shah Suri built this mosque in 1545.
  • The tomb of Sher Shah Suri is located in Sasaram.

• Tomb of Hasan Khan Sur - Sasaram
  • Shershah Suri, the ruler of Delhi and the son of Hasan Khan Sur, constructed this tomb.
  • Because it is situated in a garden, this place is known as sukha rauza.
  • It is a typical octagonal-shaped tomb from Afghanistan with exquisite craftsmanship.

The correct answer is Tomara Rajputs.

Key Points

• The Tomara Rajputs ruled over `Hariyana’ from Delhi when the Ghaznavids invaded India from the northwest.
• The kingdom of Lahore was annexed by the Ghaznavids in 1020.
• Sultan Masud, the successor of Sultan Mahmud, in the effort to extend his power, advanced towards Hansi and invested in the fort.
• After the fall of Hansi, he marched to Sonipat and defeated its governor, Dipal Hari.
• While the Tomaras of Delhi succeeded in recovering these territories, they made no attempt to oust Muslims from the kingdom of Lahore.
• The position, however, changed with the fall of Ghaznavids, when the kingdom of Lahore fell into the hands of Ghuris and the Tomaras of Delhi were overpowered by the Chahamanas.

Inscriptions are carved on seals, stone pillars, rocks, copper plates, temple walls and bricks or images.

1) Epigraphy:- study of inscriptions.

2) Palaeography:- study of the old writings used in the inscriptions and other old records.

3) Numismatics:- study of coins, tokens, paper money and related objects.

'India's Struggle for Independence' was authored by Aditya Mukherjee, Bipan Chandra, K. N. Panikkar, Mridula Mukherjee and Sucheta Mahajan.

Saptanga theory of state was given by Kautilya in Arthashastra.  According to it, the seven limbs of a state are King, Amatya (Bureaucrats) , Janapada (territory), Durga (Fort), Kosa (Treasure), Danda (coercive authority) and Mitra (ally).

With the help of the strong leadership of Albuquerque, the Portuguese started trading as well as piracy. Gradually Malabar coastal region became the main trading point of the Portuguese.

• The Assertive Nationalists, also known as Extremists in the context of the Indian National Movement, were a group of leaders within the Indian National Congress who emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were labeled as such in contrast to the earlier Moderate faction, which advocated for constitutional reforms and discussions with the British to achieve self-governance gradually.
• Assertive Nationalists such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai, and Aurobindo Ghosh believed that mere petitions or constitutional methods would not be sufficient to secure national interests. They argued for a more aggressive stance against British rule, advocating for the adoption of Swadeshi (use of domestic goods and boycott of British goods), national education, and Swaraj. While they did promote passive resistance and were part of protests and picketing, they also did not completely rule out the use of force if it was deemed necessary in the struggle for independence. This stance distinguished them from the later Gandhian phase, which emphasized non-violence and civil disobedience as core principles.
• Their methods included the boycott of British goods, institutions, and schools, promotion of Swadeshi products, and the establishment of national schools and colleges to foster a sense of national identity and education not influenced by British ideals. The partition of Bengal in 1905 became a significant rallying point for their activities, leading to widespread protests and marked the rise of the Assertive Nationalist movement within the broader Indian freedom struggle.

The correct answer is option 4 i.e.​​ Maravarman Rajasimha II

• Rajasimha-II was the son of Parantaka Viranarayana.
• In the battle of Velur - Rajasimha II received help from the Sri Lankan king Kassapa V, against Cholas king Parantaka I.
• After defeated by the Cholas, Rajasimha fled the Pandya country and stayed in Sri Lanka.

The correct answer is "Statement (I) is false but statement (II) is true".

Key Points Statement (I): Each social class and group felt the effects of colonialism equally.

• This statement is false.
• Colonialism had a significant impact on India's society, economy, politics, and culture.
• However, the effects were not felt equally by all social classes and groups.
• The British colonial rule created a hierarchical society with privileged access to education, wealth, and power.
• The upper classes and privileged groups, such as the landlords and the educated elites, had more opportunities to benefit from the colonial system, while the peasants, workers, and lower castes were marginalized and exploited.
• Therefore, the impact of colonialism was different for each social class and group.

Statement (II): The notion of freedom was not always the same for each class and group.

• This statement is true.
• The idea of freedom was not uniform across all social classes and groups in India.
• The educated elites and upper classes, who had access to Western education and exposure to Enlightenment ideas, saw freedom in terms of individual liberty and political rights.
• They demanded representative institutions, the rule of law, and constitutional rights.
• On the other hand, for the lower classes and marginalized groups, freedom meant liberation from exploitation, poverty, and social oppression.
• They demanded economic and social justice, land reform, and an end to the caste system.
• Therefore, the notion of freedom was not the same for all classes and groups.

• Option (c) is correct. The administration in the rural areas during the reign of Satavahans was placed in the hands of Gaulmikas, who was the head of a military regiment consisting of nine chariots, nine elephants, 25 horses and 45-foot soldiers. The head of the army platoon was therefore posted in the countryside to maintain peace and order. Hence, option (3) is correct.

The Pallava kings constructed a number of stone temples in the seventh and eighth centuries for housing Gods. The most famous of them are:

1) Seven Ratha Temple: It was founded at Mahabalipuram by Narasimhavarman in seventh century. He also founded the port city of Mahabalipuram or Mamallapuram.

2) Kailashnath Temple: It was founded at Kanchipuram by Rajasimha in eight century. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

In the first half of the 18th century, Sawai Jai Singh built the pink city of Jaipur and five astronomical conservatives at Delhi, Jaipur, Benares, Mathura and Ujjain. He also prepared a set of time-tables called Jij Muhammad-shahi, to help the people in the study of astronomy.

After the death of Nizam-Ul-Mulk, a conflict was started between Nasir Jang (Second son of Nizam) and Muzaffar Jang (Grandson of Nizam) for taking the possession of the throne of Hyderabad. Meanwhile, another conflict was started between Anwar-Ud-Din and Chanda Sahib for taking possession of the throne of Carnatic. It was the immediate reason for the Second Carnatic War.