UGC NET Paper 2 History Mock Test - 4 - UGC NET MCQ

In Mauryan period, an irrigation tax was known as Udak Bhag.

Key Points

• Land tax (bhaga) was the main item of revenue during the Mauryan period.
• According to the texts, it was levied at the rate of one-sixth of the produce.
• Sharecropping was another way by which the State collected agricultural resources.
• The sharecroppers were in the first place provided with seeds, oxen, etc., and received arable land for cultivation.
• In this kind of situation the peasants probably gave half of the produce to the State.
• Bali, the traditionally known levy from the Vedic times, continued under the Mauryas.
• During the Mauryan period when the importance of irrigation was fully realised, the peasants had to pay more tax on irrigated land which was known as udaka-bhaga.
• It refers to water rate, and was generally levied at one-fifth to one-third of the produce.

• The above taxes were further supplemented by a large number of customary dues that the peasants had to pay.

Therefore, we can conclude that in Mauryan period, an irrigation tax was known as Udak Bhag.

• Muhammad Bin Tughlaq is known for his active interest in experimenting with the coinage.
• According to Barani, the Sultan introduced token currency because the treasury was empty while he needed money to fulfill his schemes of conquest
• According to Barani, the Sultan issued copper coins while Ferishta says that these were of brass or bronze.
• Probably, the Sultan issued coins of both metals.
• Also, the token coin also had inscriptions of its legends in Persian also.
• Muhammad Tughluq introduced beautiful and various types of coins during his reign and fixed up their relative values.
• However, the notable feature of his coinage system was the introduction of token currency and issue of copper and brass coins.
• The Sultan made these token coins legal tenders and kept their value at par with gold and silver coins
• Previously, the copper coin was Jital (Paisa). Now, the Sultan issued Tanka (rupee), a silver coin, also that of copper.

Therefore, we see options (A), (B), and (C) are correct.

Additional Information

• The Sultan for the failure of the scheme. They say that it was a blunder on the part of the Sultan that he did not take proper precaution to check imitation of coins issued by royal mints.
• Those coins, therefore, could be imitated by moderately skilled artisans. Therefore, the citizens began to mint token coins in their houses. In fact, both the Sultan and his subjects were responsible for the failure of this scheme.
• According to Barani, “The house of every Hindu became a mint.”

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.

Planning Commission

• It was established on 15 March 1950, with Jawaharlal Nehru as its chairman. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• It was an advisory body(not executive), charged with the responsibility to make an assessment of all resources of the country and devise long-term strategies for the development of India. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• It was adopted from the Soviet-style of economic planning.
• The First Five Year Plan (1951-56) had to meet the immediate crisis after the Indo-Pak War (1947-48), focussing mainly on agricultural development, and on making India self-sufficient.
• In next year’s plans, there was a shift in favor of heavy industries combined with promoting labor-intensive small-scale industries.
• There was a focus on reducing unemployment and focus on growth with equity.
• Accordingly, option A is correct.

The correct answer is option 2.

Key Points

• The Indian Independence Act of 1947 gave princely states an option to accede to the newly born dominions India or Pakistan or continue as an independent sovereign state.
• At that time Around 565 princely states have covered 48 percent of the area of pre Independent India and constituted 28% of its population.
  These kingdoms were not legally part of British India, but in reality, they were completely subordinate to the British Crown.
• For the British these states were the necessary allies, to keep in check the rise of other colonial powers and nationalist tendencies in India.
  Accordingly, the princes were given autonomy over their territories, but the British acquired for themselves the right to appoint ministers and get military support as and when required.
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (India’s first deputy prime minister and the home minister) with the assistance of V.P menon (the secretary of the Ministry of the States) was given the formidable task of integrating the princely states.
• By invoking the patriotism of the princes to remind them of the possibility of anarchy on event of their refusal to join, Patel kept trying to convince them to join India.
• He also introduced the concept of “privy purses”- a payment to be made to royal families for their agreement to merge with India.
  Bikaner, Baroda and few other states from Rajasthan were the first ones to join the union.
• There were several other states that were adamant to not join India. Some of them thought this to be the best moment to acquire independent statehood, while there were others who wanted to become a part of Pakistan.

The correct answer is A general deficiency in the demand for goods and services.

Key Points

• Unemployment occurs when there are changes to an economy’s business cycle is termed as Cyclical Unemployment.
• Cyclical unemployment is termed as demand deficiency i.e. unemployment starts to rise when demand falls.
• Causes for Cyclical Unemployment
  • The decline in Demand contributes to less investment in business hence requiring fewer employees.
  • Negative multiplier effects when demand falls this effects stores, farmers manufacturing worker and also those investing in transporting of this good and products which results in further affecting multiple areas.
  • A bad Market Crash can cause a recession by instilling loss of confidence in an economy decline in employers looking to hire and expand can be seen.

Additional Information Types of Unemployment

The correct answer is Aihole.

Key Points

• Aihole is the Chalukyas town in Karnataka that is known as the town of temples.
• Aihole is a town located in Karnataka.
• The place has many temples that were built by the Chalukyan kings.

​Additional Information

• Aihole
  • It is 35 kilometers from Badami and about 9.7 kilometers from Pattadakal, both of which are major centers of historically important Chalukya monuments.
  • Aihole, along with nearby Badami (Vatapi), emerged by the 6th century as the cradle of experimentation with temple architecture, stone artwork, and construction techniques.
  • This resulted in 16 types of free-standing temples and 4 types of rock-cut shrines.
  • The experimentation in architecture and arts that began in Aihole yielded the group of monuments at Pattadakal, a UNESCO world heritage site.
  • Over one hundred Aihole temples are Hindu, a few are Jain and one is Buddhist.
    • The Jain Basadi temples are dedicated to Mahavira, Parshvanatha, Neminatha, and other Jain Tirthankaras.
• Vengi
  • Vengi was the most prominent city in Ancient Andhra for nearly seven centuries.
  • Vengi served as the capital for many Andhra dynasties like Salankayanas, Vishnukundinas, and Eastern Chalukyas.
  • This region was part of Ashoka's Mauryan Empire in the mid-3rd century BCE.
• Manyakhet
  • ​Manyakhet, also known as Malkhed, is a town in Karnataka, India.
  • It is located on the banks of the Kagina River in Sedam Taluk of Gulbarga district, around 40 km from Kalaburagi.
  • Originally known as Manyakheta, it was the capital of the Rashtrakuta dynasty during the 9^th and 10^th centuries.
• Pattadakal
  • Pattadakal, also called Paṭṭadakallu or Raktapura, is a complex of 7th and 8th century CE Hindu and Jain temples in northern Karnataka.

The correct answer is 1, 2 and 3.

Key Points

• Raja Jai Singh was a distinguished statesman, lawmaker, and reformer.
  • He ruled from 1699-1743.
  • But most of all, he appreciated science very much.
• He founded the city of Jaipur in the territory taken from the Jats and made it a great seat of art and science.
  • Jaipur was built upon strictly scientific principles and according to a regular plan.
  • Its broad streets are intersected at right angles.
  • Hence, Statement 2 is correct.
• He was a great astronomer.
  • He erected observatories at Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi, and Mathura.
  • None of the observatories was in Deccan because Rajputs didn't rule the Deccan region.
  • Hence, Statement 1 is correct.
• These observatories were erected with accurate and advanced instruments, some of them his own inventions, These were remarkably accurate.
  • He also drew up a set of tables to enable people to make astronomical observations.
  • He had Euclid's 'Elements of Geometry' translated into Sanskrit, and Napier's work on the construction and use of logarithms.
• He was also a social reformer.
  • He tried to enforce a law to reduce the expenditure which a Rajput had to incur on a daughter's wedding and which often lead to infanticide.
• Initially, Jai Singh served as a Mughal vassal.
  • He was given the title of Sawai by the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb in the year 1699, who had summoned him to Delhi, impressed by his wit.
    • Hence, Statement 3 is correct.​

The correct answer is 3 only.​
Key Points

The Cripps Mission was sent to India because-

• The main proposals of the mission were as follows.
• After the end of the war, a constituent assembly would be convened to frame a new constitution solely by Indians. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• Members of this assembly would be partly elected by the provincial assemblies through proportional representation and partly nominated by the princes. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• The British government would accept the new constitution subject to two conditions: (i) any province not willing to join the Union could have a separate constitution and form a separate Union, and (ii) the new constitution-making body and the British government would negotiate a treaty to effect the transfer of power and to safeguard racial and religious minorities. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

Additional Information

Cripps mission

• The main proposals of the mission were as follows.
  • An Indian Union with a dominion status would be set up; it would be free to decide its relations with the Commonwealth and free to participate in the United Nations and other international bodies.
  • After the end of the war, a constituent assembly would be convened to frame a new constitution. Members of this assembly would be partly elected by the provincial assemblies through proportional representation and partly nominated by the princes.
  • The British government would accept the new constitution subject to two conditions: (i) any province not willing to join the Union could have a separate constitution and form a separate Union, and (ii) the new constitution-making body and the British government would negotiate a treaty to effect the transfer of power and to safeguard racial and religious minorities.
  • In the meantime, the defense of India would remain in British hands and the governor-general’s powers would remain intact.
• It was opposed by: Muslim League, INC, Hindu Mahasabha, Liberals, Depressed class, Sikh.

Incorrect Statement: He accepted the views expressed by William Jones and other orientalists on ancient Indian culture.Key Points

• James Mill believed in a moral theory called Utilitarianism—that actions that lead to people's happiness are right and that those that lead to suffering are wrong.
• Apart from Mill Jeremy Bentham regarded as a classical philosopher and the founder of modern utilitarianism.
• Mill considerably modified Bentham's thesis of pleasure versus pain by admitting and emphasizing the qualitative aspect of pleasure.
• Mill made a difference between higher quality of pleasure and lower-quality of pleasure, he preferred more noble pleasure over less noble pleasure.
• He asserted that pleasures also differ in quality.
• Those pleasures which go with the exercise of intellectual capacities are higher and better than sensuous pleasures.
• Mill reformed the Utilitarian concept with his liberal thoughts, but according to criticism made by Wayper In all these alterations that he makes in Benthamism.
• Mill may think that he is defending it, but in fact, he is destroying it.
• Mill never advocated that Indian culture was static and its transformation lay in the infusion of Western ideas.

• Also, he never accepted the views expressed by William Jones and other orientalists on ancient Indian culture.

​So we conclude that 'He accepted the views expressed by William Jones and other orientalists on ancient Indian culture' is an incorrect statement.

The correct answer is mother.Key Points

• Nagalapuram was founded by Krishnadeva Raya in memory of his mother Nagala Devi.
• Nagalapuram was a suburban township located near Vijayanagara, the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire.
• Krishnadeva Raya was a prominent emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire who ruled from 1509 to 1530.
• The other options are incorrect.
• Krishnadeva Raya's father was Tuluva Narasa Nayaka, his teacher was Vyasatirtha, and he did not have a sister.

Additional Information

• Krishnadeva Raya's mother Nagala Devi was a devout follower of Lord Vishnu and had a great influence on him.
• Nagalapuram was also known as Nagalapura, and it was an important center of trade and commerce during the Vijayanagara period.
• Krishnadeva Raya was a patron of art, literature, and architecture, and his reign is considered the golden age of the Vijayanagara Empire.
• Tuluva Narasa Nayaka was Krishnadeva Raya's father-in-law, not his biological father.
• Vyasatirtha was a prominent saint and philosopher of the Dvaita school of Vedanta, and he was Krishnadeva Raya's spiritual guru.

Key Points
In 1854, the first cotton mill was set up in Bombay and It grew as an important port for the export of raw cotton from India to England and China.

• This cotton crop became a huge demand and farmers started investing in it.
• Cotton turned the market upside down.
• A huge number of labours started working in mills.
• In Bombay, about 84 mills were established by Parsi and Gujarati businessmen by 1900.
• The construction and development of mills in cities started and the first mill in Ahmedabad was started in 1861.
• The growth of cotton mills demanded manpower.
• Poor peasants, artisans, and agricultural labourers started working in the mills.
• The textile industry of India faced problems such as difficulty competing with the cheap textiles imported from Britain.
• In most countries, the government-supported industrialization by applying and imposing heavy duties on imports which eliminated competition and protected infant industries.
• The first major spurt in the development of cotton factory production in India was during the First World War when textile imports from Britain were declined and Indian factories were called upon to produce cloth for military supplies.

Confusion Points

• The first Indian cotton cloth mill was established in 1818 at Fort Gloster near Kolkata, but this mill was a failure. The second mill which was established in 1854 in Mumbai is called the true foundation of modern cotton industry in India. This question was from HTET TGT Social Science 2014 - 2015 Official Paper and according to the official answer key the answer provided is Bombay (1854)

Humayun (1530-1540):

• His main rival was Sher Shah Suri, a ruler of Awadh.
• He fought 2 battles with Sher Shah Suri namely:
  • Battle of Chausa,1539 and
  • Battle of Bilgram,1540: Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayun. Humayun lost the kingdom. The battle was also called the Battle of Kanauj. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• After living in exile for 15 years, Humayun saw an opportunity to rule near Afghanistan by defeating the Sur dynasty in 1555. He set up the Mughal throne again. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Humayun was a learned person and a student of Mathematics, Astronomy, and Astrology. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• He loved painting and wrote poetry in the Persian language.
• Accordingly, option 4 is correct.

• Upanishad talks about the philosophy of the Life cycle. It talks about the process of the soul achieving Moksha.
• There were six schools of thought to propound the Upanishads called Saddarshana namely Samkhya, Yoga, Vaisheshika, Nyaya, Mimansa, and Vedanta.

Samkhya:

• It was founded by Kapil Rishi.
• It means ‘Count’. It says divine agency is not necessary to the creation of the world.
• It believes a person can acquire Moksha by acquiring knowledge through Perception, interference, and hearing.

Yoga:

• It was founded by Patanjali.
• It believed that salvation can be acquired through meditation and physical application.
• A physical exercise called Asana and Breathing exercise called Pranayam.

Vaisheshika:

• It was founded by Kanad Rishi.
• It discussed material elements that are Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Sky which form new objects.
• He was the one to provide the first-ever Atom theory.
• But, it diluted the scientific view by believing in God and spirituality. Kanad believed that God is the one who creates the new objects using these 5 elements.

Nyaya:

• It was founded by Gautam Rishi.
• It believed salvation can be achieved by the acquisition of knowledge by applying logic(analogy).

Mimansa:

• It was founded by Badrayana.
• Salvation can be achieved through the art of reasoning and interpretation.

Vedanta:

• In this, discussions about soul and divine were made by Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, etc.

The correct answer is option 2.Key PointsThe attack of the Mongols:

• The first Mongol invasion of India took place in the reign of Sultan Shams-ud-din lltutmish in 1220-21, under the leadership of Chengez Khan. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Mongols attacks on the Delhi Sultanate increased during the reign of Alauddin Khalji and in the early years of Muhammad Tughluq’s rule-forced the two rulers to mobilise a large standing army in Delhi which posed a huge administrative challenge.

During Khalij Dynasty:

• In 1299, against advice, Delhi sultan Alauddin Khilji attacked the Mongols.
• The advance guard of the Indian army was led by Zafar Khan himself. He defeated the Mongols and pursued them as they withdrew.
• The Mongols took a long time to rally from this setback. Then they attacked at the worst time possible for Alauddin Khilji – when he was busy laying siege to Chittor.
• The Mongols plundered Punjab and burnt everything along the way.
• Alauddin Khilji sent a strong army led by two of his toughest generals: Ghazi Malik and the famous Malik Kafur to engage the invaders. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• They surprised the Mongols on their way back to Central Asia with their plunder.
• Kubak and other Mongol generals were captured and brought back to Siri, along with other prisoners.

During Tughlaq Dynasty:

• The next major Mongol invasion took place after the Khiljis had been replaced by the Tughlaq dynasty in the Sultanate.
• In 1327 the Chagatai Mongols under Tarmashirin, who had sent envoys to Delhi to negotiate peace the previous year, sacked the frontier towns of Lamghan and Multan and besieged Delhi. The Tughlaq ruler paid a large ransom to spare his Sultanate from further ravages.
• Muhammad bin Tughluq asked the Ilkhan Abu Sa'id to form an alliance against Tarmashirin, who had invaded Khorasan, but an attack didn't materialize. Tarmashirin was a Buddhist who later converted to Islam.
• Religious tensions in the Chagatai Khanate were a divisive factor among the Mongols. No more large-scale invasions or even raids took place in India; by this time the Mongol attempt to conquer India had finally ended in failure.
• The raising of taxes and famine in the Ganga-Yamuna belt led to widespread rebellion during Muhammad Tughluq. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

Additional Information Administrative challenges during Alauddin Khalij and Muhammad Tughlaq:

The correct answer is ​1, 2, 4 and 5 only.

Key Points

Pitt's India Act of 1784:

• It was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain intended to address the shortcomings of the Regulating Act of 1773 by bringing the East India Company's rule in India under the control of the British Government.
• The act is sometimes described as the “half-loaf system”, as it sought to mediate between Parliament and the company directors, enhanced Parliament’s control by establishing the Board of Control, whose members were selected from the British cabinet.
• A few of the important features of the act include:
  • It distinguished between the commercial and political functions of the company.
  • It allowed the court of directors to manage the commercial office but created a new body called the Board of Control to manage the political affairs. Thus it established a system of double government. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • It empowered the Board of Control to supervise and direct all operations of the Civil and military government or revenues of the British possessions in India.
  • The act mandated that all civil and military officers disclose their property in India and Britain within two months of their joining. Hence, statement 4 is correct.
• Thus the Act was significant for two main reasons:
  • First, the company's territories in India was for the first time called the British possessions in India. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • Second, the British government was given supreme control over companies affairs and its administration in India. Hence, statement 5 is correct.
• The governor of Bombay and Madras were deprived of their legislative powers through the Charter Act of 1833. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

Additional Information

• The Charter Act 1833, also known as Saint Helena Act 1833 or Government of India Act 1833, was enacted by British parliament for the establishment of the Law Commission (an executive body established by the Government of India to perform the task of legal reforms).
  • The monopoly of East India Company in tea trade and trade in China also ended with the Charter Act 1833.
  • It further extended the charter or tenure of East India Company for 20 more years in India.
  • The powers of East India Company were restricted and it was transformed into an administrative body that would function under the trust of the British crown.
  • This was done by appointing nominated ministers as ex-officio members of the board of controllers for East India Company

Statement 1 is not correct as Dhrupad originates during Vedas period which gains popularity in 16th century which praises Lord Krishna. The earliest source mentioning musical genre is Ain-i-Akbari of Abu Fazl . Statement 2 is correct as Dhrupad is Indian classical music having origin to recite vedic hymns and mantras used for worshipping using sound. Statement 3 is correct as Dhrupad begins with free-time alap that carries two sections: Alap and Bandish where in Alap, the singer uses syllables from Sanskrit Mantras while Bandish is a poem with Pakhawaj. As only two statements 2 and 3 are correct.

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.

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.

All the given statements A, B and C related to saint Kabir are correct.

Key Points

• Kabir, who probably lived in the fifteenth-sixteenth centuries, was one of the most influential saints.
• He was brought up in a family of Muslim julahas or weavers settled in or near the city of Benares (Varanasi).
• We have little reliable information about his life.
• We get to know of his ideas from a vast collection of verses called sakhis and pads said to have been composed by him and sung by wandering bhajan singers.
• Some of these were later collected and preserved in the Guru Granth Sahib, Panch Vani and Bijak.
• Kabir’s teachings were based on a complete, indeed vehement, rejection of the major religious traditions.
• His teachings openly ridiculed all forms of external worship of both Brahmanical Hinduism and Islam, the pre-eminence of the priestly classes and the caste system.
• The language of his poetry was a form of spoken Hindi widely understood by ordinary people.
• He also sometimes used cryptic language, which is difficult to follow.
• Kabir believed in a formless Supreme God and preached that the only path to salvation was through bhakti or devotion.

• Kabir drew his followers from among both Hindus and Muslims.

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that all the given statements A, B and C related to saint Kabir are correct.

The correct answer is (A), (B) and (C) all are true.Key Points

• The Palaeolithic period is a prehistoric era that lasted for around 2 million years until 12,000 years ago.
• It is divided into three stages: lower, middle, and upper palaeolithic, based on the development of stone tools and technology.
• Statement (A) is true as it correctly defines the time span of the Palaeolithic period.
• Statement (B) is also true as it describes the division of the period into three stages.
• Statement (C) is correct as it highlights that the palaeolithic period covers 99% of human history, indicating its significance in shaping the evolution of humans.

• Swami Vivekananda stands out as a monumental figure in the intellectual and spiritual history of India, especially in the context of the rise of Indian nationalism. Unlike other leaders and thinkers of his time, who primarily focused on political or economic critiques of colonial rule, Vivekananda emphasized the philosophical and spiritual regeneration of India as a prerequisite for its national resurgence.
• Vivekananda's teachings and speeches, most notably at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893, projected the richness of Hindu philosophy and the spiritual wisdom of India to a global audience. He advocated for the synthesis of the East’s spiritual heritage with the West’s scientific advancement and democratic ideals.
• Vivekananda believed that this fusion was essential for India to not only reclaim its rightful place as a spiritual leader in the world but also to modernize and shed the social and economic shackles imposed by centuries of foreign domination.

  His emphasis on personal empowerment, social service, and national development resonated deeply with the Indian populace and inspired a generation of freedom fighters and social reformers.

• Vivekananda’s call for universal brotherhood and his critique of the dogmatic practices in Hinduism galvanized the youth of India, fostering a sense of pride in their heritage and a desire for a more just and equitable society.

  Moreover, Vivekananda's stress on education and rationality as tools for liberation and progress laid the groundwork for a collective national consciousness striving towards self-determination and intellectual, social, and spiritual emancipation

• His vision significantly fueled the nationalist movements that followed, making his contributions critical to the evolution of the Indian freedom struggle and the shaping of modern Indian identity.

• In conclusion, Swami Vivekananda’s ideological contributions provided a profound spiritual dimension to the Indian nationalist movement, blending the quest for political independence with a deeper aspiration for cultural and spiritual revival.

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

Ashoka’s Hellenistic contemporaries are :

1. Antiochus II Theos –Syria
2. Ptolemy II philadelpus –Egypt
3. Mages –Cyrne
4. Antigonus Gonatas –Macedonia
5. Alexander -Epirus

Some major deities of the Vedic tradition include Indra, Surya, Agni, Ushas, Vayu, Varuna, Vishnu, Mitra, Aditi, Yama, Soma, Sarasvati, Prithvi, and Rudra. Among all Indra is the most important god.

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).

Vishakhadatta had written two plays, namely Mudrarakshasa and Devichandraguptam. In Mudrakarakshasa, he described how Chandragupta Maurya ascended to the throne.

Kalidas has written the best works in poetry, drama as well as in prose. His kavya, such as Meghaduta, Raghuvamsa, and Kumarasambhava, and dramas, such as Abhijnashakuntalam, are the best literary works of this time and are considered the best even today.

Panchatantra, written by Vishnu Sharma, is one of the most famous works of this period. It was translated into Persian and Arabic in the 8th century A .D., and has been translated into almost all European languages.

A new technique called Pietra dura (inlaid mosaic work) was introduced for the first time under Jahangir. It was used in Itamad-ud-Daul’s tomb for the first time. It was also the basis for Taj Mahal. Jahangir also constructed the tomb of his father at Sikandra near Agra.

The founder of the autonomous kingdom of Awadh was Saadat Khan Burhan-ul Mulk who was appointed Governor of Awadh in 1722. He was an extremely bold, energetic, iron-willed, and intelligent person. The state of Hyderabad was founded by Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jha in 1724. He was one of the leading nobles of the post-Aurangzeb era. Murshid Quli Khan was made governor of Bengal as late as 1717, he had been its effective ruler since 1700, when he was appointed his dewan. He soon freed himself from the central control though he regularly sent large tribute to the Emperor. At the beginning of the 18th century Kerela was divided up among a large number of feudal chiefs and rajas. Martanda Varma used his new army to expand northwards and the boundaries of Travencore soon extended from Kanya Kumari to Cochin.

Lee Commission was appointed in the year 1923 during the time of Lord Reading. It had an equal number of British and Indian Members. As per its report published in 1924, it recommended for setting up of a Public Service Commission. First Public service Commission was appointed in the year 1926. The chairman of the first Public Service Commission was Sir Ross Barker.