GPSC Prelims Paper 1 Mock Test - 6 - GPSC (Gujarat) MCQ

• Statement 1 is correct: The Ajivikas was one of the heterogeneous sects developed in pre-Mauryan times. The followers of the Ajivikas were described as fatalists: those who believe that everything is predetermined.

• Statement 2 is correct: The Lokayatas were usually described as materialists. They rejected the notion of an afterworld, karma, liberation (moksha), the authority of the sacred scriptures, the Vedas, and the immortality of the self.

• Statement 3 is correct: Makkhali Gosala was an Ajivika teacher and Ajita Kesakambalin was a lokayata teacher.

• Statement 1 is correct: Magadha was one of the most important ahajanapada. Magadha was a monarchy as there was rule of one person. Vajji was under a different form of government, known as gana or sangha. This was different from Magadha as here there were not one but many rulers, sometimes thousands of men ruled together and each one was called as raja. Vajji was a united republic of eight smaller kingdoms including Lichhavis, Janatriks and Videhas.

• Statement 2 is correct: Both the Buddha and Mahavira belonged to ganas or sanghas. The Buddha belonged to the Sakya gana and Mahavira belonged to Jantrica clan which belonged to Vajji Sangha.

1. Village Headman was known as Grama Bhojaka.

This statement is incorrect. During the Pre-Mauryan period, the village headman was known as Gramani or Gramabhojaka. The term Grama Bhojaka is more commonly associated with the Mauryan period and later.

2. Use of Iron began in India from the times of the Indus Valley Civilization.

This statement is also incorrect. The Indus Valley Civilization (also known as the Harappan Civilization) was predominantly a Bronze Age civilization. The use of iron in India began around 1500 BCE, during the later Vedic period, which is after the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Therefore, none of the statements given are correct.

Stone tools have been used for:

• Digging the ground to collect edible roots.

• Stitching clothes made out of animal skin.

• Some of these stone tools were used to cut meat and bone, scrape bark (from trees) and hides (animal skins), chop fruit and roots.

• Some may have been attached to handles of bone or wood, to make spears and arrows for hunting.

• Other tools were used to chop wood, which was used as firewood. Wood was also used to make huts and tools.

List of Neolithic Sites;

• Koldihwa

• Mahagara

• Mehrgarh

• Paiyampalli

• Hallui

• Burzahom

• Chirand

• Daojali Hading

Megalithic Sites;

• Adichamallur

• Brahmagiri

Paleolithic Sites;

• Kurnool caves

• Hunsgi

Explanation:

1. The Brahmo Sabha was indeed formed with the purpose of purifying Hinduism and preaching theism. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the founder of the Brahmo Sabha, sought to reform Hinduism by removing practices like idolatry, caste system, and sati. He believed in monotheism and wanted to promote a rational understanding of religion.

2. Tarachand Chakravarti was the first secretary of the Brahmo Sabha. He was a close associate of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and played a crucial role in the early development of the organization.

3. The Brahmo Sabha was opposed to idolatry, as Raja Ram Mohan Roy believed that worshiping idols was a corrupt practice that had no basis in the original Hindu scriptures. He advocated for a more spiritual and rational understanding of religion.

4. The statement that the new society was to be based on the Vedas only is incorrect. Raja Ram Mohan Roy believed in the essential unity of all religions and did not want to restrict the Brahmo Sabha to a single religious scripture. He encouraged the study of various religious texts and promoted religious tolerance and understanding. In fact, the Brahmo Samaj, which evolved from the Brahmo Sabha, considered the Upanishads, Vedas, and other religious texts as important sources of spiritual knowledge, but not as infallible authorities.

• The Swadesh Bandhab Samiti set up by Ashwini Kumar Dutt, a school teacher, in Barisal was the most well-known volunteer organization of them all.

• Through the activities of this Samiti, whose 159 branches reached out to the remotest corners of the district, Dutt was able to generate an unparalleled mass following among the predominantly Muslim Peasantry of the region. The samitis took the Swadeshi message to the villages through magic lantern lectures and Swadeshi songs, gave physical and moral training to the members, did social work during famines and epidemics, organized schools training in Swadeshi craft and arbitration courts.

• By August 1906 the Barisal Samiti reportedly settled 523 disputes through eighty-nine arbitration committees.

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Temple premises in Nagara style generally does not have elaborate walls and gateways. In contrast, Dravida style has elaborate walls and gateways around temple premises.

• Statement 2 is correct: Images of river goddess Ganga and Yamuna were placed outside the garbhagriha.

• Statement 3 is correct: In Nagara style, Temple premises do not have water tank or reservoir inside the temple premises. Whereas in Dravida style, water tanks or reservoirs are present in the temple premises.

About Nagara style of Temple Architecture:

• Nagara is the style of temple architecture which became popular in Northern India.

• It is common here to build an entire temple on a stone platform with steps leading up to it.

• Unlike in south India, it doesn’t usually have elaborate boundary walls or gateways.

• Earliest temples had only one shikhara (tower), but in the later periods multiple shikharas came.

• The garbhagriha is always located directly under the tallest tower.

About Tanjore Paintings:

• Tanjore Painting is one of the most popular forms of classical South Indian painting. It is the native art form of Thanjavur (also known as Tanjore) city of Tamil Nadu.

• Tanjore Painting of India originated during the 16th century, under the reign of the Cholas. Maratha princes, Nayakas, Rajus communities of Tanjore and Trichy and Naidus of Madurai also patronized Indian Thanjavur Paintings from 16th to 18th century

• The dense composition, surface richness and vibrant colors of Indian Thanjavur Paintings distinguish them from the other types of paintings. There are embellishments of semi-precious stones, pearls and glass pieces that further add to their appeal.

• The relief work gives them a three dimensional effect.

• Most of these paintings revolve around the theme of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, along with saints.

• The main figure is always painted at the center of the painting:

  • Mysore Painting: Mysore Painting is a form of classical South Indian painting, which evolved in the Mysore city of Karnataka. During that time, Mysore was under the reign of the Wodeyars and it was under their patronage that this school of painting reached its zenith. Quite similar to the Tanjore Paintings, Mysore Paintings of India make use of thinner gold leaves and require much more hard work. The most popular themes of these paintings include Hindu Gods and Goddesses and scenes from Hindu mythology. The grace, beauty and intricacy of Indian Mysore Paintings leave the onlookers mesmerized.

  • Company Painting: Company painting, also called Patna painting, style of miniature painting that developed in India in the second half of the 18th century in response to the tastes of the British serving with the East India Company. The style first emerged in Murshidabad, West Bengal, and then spread to other centres of British trade: Benares (Varanasi), Delhi, Lucknow, and Patna. Basohli painting, school of Pahari miniature painting that flourished in the Indian hill states during the late 17th and 18th centuries, known for its bold vitality of colour and line. Though the school takes its name from the small independent state of Basohli, the principal centre of the style, examples are found throughout the region.

• Statement 1 is correct: Mauryan Empire maintained large standing army of Cavalry, Army, elephants, chariots, navy and transport.

• Statement 2 is correct: Administration of important cities were carried out by six boards, each consist of 5 members.

• Statement 3 is correct: Administration of army was carried by a board of 30 members divided into 6, each having 5 members- Army, Navy, Elephant, cavalry, chariots and transport.

Eco Sensitive area:

The Madhav Gadgil Report:

• The Madhav Gadgil Report had classified the whole of the Western Ghats, spread across six states and covering 44 districts and 142 talukas, as an EcoSensitive Zone (ESZ).

The Kasturirangan Committee:

• The Kasturirangan Committee had reduced the ESZ to 37 per cent of the total area, covering about 60,000 sq km. It had recommended that 123 revenue villages be demarcated as ESA.

Oommen V Oommen Report:

• To solve the conflict, Oommen Chandy, the former Chief Minister of Kerala in 2014 set up an expert committee to study the loopholes of the previous two committees.

• According to the new committee, recommendations were made to the government to implement changes in clauses of the Environmentally Fragile Land (EFL) in the Western Ghats, stating the lapses occurring in determining the EFL areas.

• Oommen V Oommen Report had recommended that plantations and inhabited areas in the Western Ghats be kept out of the ESA.

• Statement 1 is correct: The castes proliferated into numerous sub-castes as a result of two factors. A large number of foreigners had been assimilated into Indian society, and each group of foreigners was considered a kind of caste.

• Statement 2 is correct: As the foreigners largely came as conquerors, they were given the status of kshatriya in society. The Hunas, who came to India towards the close of the fifth century, eventually came to be recognized as one of the thirty-six clans of the Rajput’s. Even now some Rajput’s bear the title Hun. The other reason for the increase in the number of castes was the absorption of many tribal people into Brahmanical society through the process of land grants. The tribal chiefs were assigned a respectable origin, but most of their ordinary kinsmen were assigned a low origin, and every tribe became a kind of caste in its new incarnation. This process continued in some ways up to the present.

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Debendranath Tagore, father of Rabindranath Tagore, revitalised it. Debendranath was a product of the best in the traditional Indian learning and the new thought of the West. In 1839 he founded the Tattvabodhini Sabha to propagate Rammohun Roy‟s ideas.

• Statement 2 is incorrect: The Tattvabodhini Sabha and its organ the Tatvabodhini Patrika promoted a systematic study of India‟s past in the Bengali language. It also helped spread a rational outlook among the intellectuals of Bengal.

• Dayanand Saraswati (12 February 1824 – 30 October 1883) was an Indian philosopher, social leader and founder of the Arya Samaj, a reform movement of the Vedic dharma.

• Denouncing the idolatry and ritualistic worship prevalent in British India at the time, he worked towards reviving Vedic ideologies.

• He focused on problems of man as they lived in this world. He also favored the study of western sciences.

• An outstanding champion of new learning and social reform in Maharashtra was Gopal Hari Deshmukh, who became famous by the pen‟ name of “Lokahilawadi‟. He advocated the reorganization of Indian society on rational principles and modern humanistic and secular values.

• Karsonda Mulji born to a family belonging to the Bhatias, a trading caste of western India, he was repudiated by his family because of his views on widow remarriage. He became a vernacular schoolmaster and started Satyaprakash, a weekly in Gujarati, in which he attacked what he perceived to be the immoralities of the Maharajas or hereditary high priests of the Pushtimarg Vaishnavism, to which the Bhatias belonged.

• After a visit to England on business in connection with the cotton trade, which was not successful and brought on him excommunication from his caste, he was appointed in 1874 to administer a native state in Kathiawar during the minority of the chief.

• WIDOW REMARRIAGE ASSOCIATION was founded by Vishnu Shastri Pandit and Mahadev Govind Ranade in Bombay in 1861. It promoted widow remarriage and campaigned against child marriages, the heavy cost of marriages and customs like the shaving of widow’s head, etc.

• Dadabhai Naoroji was educated at Elphinstone College, Bombay, he was a professor of mathematics and natural philosophy there before turning to politics and a career in commerce that took him to England, where he spent much of his life.

• He stood unsuccessfully for election to Parliament in 1886. In 1892, however, he was elected Liberal member of Parliament for Central Finsbury, London. He became widely known for his unfavourable opinion of the economic consequences of British rule in India and was appointed a member of the royal commission on Indian expenditure in 1895. In 1886, 1893, and 1906 he also presided over the annual sessions of the Indian National Congress, which led the nationalist movement in India. In the session of 1906 his conciliatory tactics helped to postpone the impending split between moderates and extremists in the Congress Party. In his many writings and speeches and especially in Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (1901), Naoroji argued that India was too highly taxed and that its wealth was being drained away to England.

• Statement 1 is correct: The movement has traditionally been considered as an influential social reformation in Hinduism and provided an individual-focused alternative path to spirituality regardless of one’s caste of birth or gender. The bhakti reformers preached the principles of monotheism (oneness of God).

• Statement 2 is not correct: They believed in freedom from the cycle of life and death. Theyadvocated that salvation could be attained only by deep devotion and faith in God. They advocated the principle of Universal brotherhood and criticized idol worship.

• Statement 3 is not correct: They stressed the singing of hymns with deep devotion. Arguing that all living beings, including humans, were god’s children they strongly denounced the caste system which divided people according to their birth. They emphasized the self-surrender for obtaining the bliss and grace of God. Gurus could act as guides and preceptors.

• The great Emperor Ashoka, the third monarch of the Maurya dynasty converted to Buddhism after witnessing the horrific effects of war in Kalinga.

• He became a champion and patron of Buddhism and strove to spread Dhamma throughout his empire and beyond. He erected pillars and edicts all over the subcontinent and even in modern-day Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan to spread the Buddha’s word.

• James Prinsep, a British antiquary and colonial administrator was the first person to decipher Ashoka’s edicts. These inscriptions are the first tangible evidence of Buddhism. They were kept in public places and along trade routes so that maximum number of people would read them.

• More than religious discourses, they talk about the moral duties of the people, how to conduct life, Ashoka’s desire to be a good and benevolent ruler, and about Ashoka’s work towards this end.

• These inscriptions can be classified into three: Pillar edicts, Major rock edicts and Minor rock edicts.

• Statement 1 is incorrect: Asokan edicts are written mainly in Prakrit language and Brahmi script. In eastern part of the empire, Magadhi language in Brahmi script is used. (Magadhi is the dialect of Prakrit found in Magadha). In western parts of the Mauryan Empire, Prakrit in kharosthi script is used. Major Rock Edict XIII contains an extract in Greek and Aramaic as well.

• Statement 2 is incorrect: 13th Major Rock edict mentions victory over Kalinga. Mentions Ashoka’s Dhamma victory over Greek Kings Antiochus of Syria (Amtiyoko), Ptolemy of Egypt (Turamaye), Magas of Cyrene (Maka), Antigonus of Macedon (Amtikini), Alexander of Epirus (Alikasudaro). Also mentions Pandyas, Cholas, etc.

• Bhasa was an important poet in the early phase of the Gupta period and wrote thirteen plays. He wrote in Sanskrit, but his dramas also contain a substantial amount of Prakrit. He was the author of a drama called Daridra Charudatta, which was later refashioned as Mrichchhakatika or the Little Clay Cart.

• Bhasa is one of the earliest and most celebrated Indian playwrights in Sanskrit, predating Kalidasa. The plays of Bhāsa had been lost for centuries, until the manuscripts were rediscovered in the early 20th century.

• He was known only from the mentions in other works like the text Kavyamimamsa on poetics written during 880–920 AD. In the Kavyamimamsa, Rajashekhara attributes the play Swapnavasavadattam to Bhāsa.

• Statement 1 is correct: Asoka tried to teach compassion by way of live and let live. He tried to preserve social order and weed put unwanted rituals and cruelty.

• Statement 2 is incorrect: Asoka disapproved rituals especially by women. He was against killing of certain birds and animals.

• Statement 3 is incorrect: He appointed officer named ‘‘dharma mahamatras' for propagating his idea of dhamma.

• Statement 1 is correct: Thoda is originated in the State of Himachal Pradesh, Thoda is a mixture of martial arts, sport and culture. It takes place during Baisakhi (13th and 14th April) every year. A number of community prayers are done so as to invoke the blessings of Goddesses Mashoo and Durga, the principal deities. The game is quite popular in various parts of the State including Narkanda block, Theong division (Shimla district), Chopal division, Solan and Sirmaur district. The martial art relies on a player’s skill of archery. Thoda can be dated back to the Mahabharata, the times when bows and arrows were used in the epic battle, in the valleys of Kullu and Manali. Hence, Thoda finds its genesis in Kullu. Its name is derived from the round wooden piece attached to the head of an arrow to minimise its lethal potential. The equipment required for this game, i.e. wooden bows and arrows, are prepared by traditional skilled artisans. The bow’s range is from 1.5 to 2 meters, depending.

• Statement 2 is incorrect: The earliest coins were casted coins and were die-struck only on one side. One to five marks or symbols incused on single side and termed as ‘Punch Marked’ coins. Panini’s Ashtadhyayi cites that in punch marked coins, the metallic pieces were stamped with symbols. Each unit was called ‘Ratti’ weighing 0.11 gram. The first trace of this coin was available in the period between sixth and second century BC. Following two of its classifications are available: Punch marked coins issued by various Mahajanapadas (around 6th century BC): The first Indian punch marked coins called Puranas, Karshapanas or Pana were minted in the 6th century BC by the various Janapadas and Mahajanapadas of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. These coins had irregular shapes, standard weight and were made up of silver with different markings like Saurashtra had a humped bull, Dakshin Panchala had a Swastika and Magadha had generally five symbols. Magadhan punch-marked coins became.

• Statement 3 is correct: Bharuch, formerly known as Broach, is a city at the mouth of the river Narmada in Gujarat in western India. In 3rd century BC it was a major trade route, through which Spice and silk was traded to Arab countries.

Panini (5^th/4^th century BCE) was the precursor of other Sanskrit grammarians, such as Katyayana (4^th century BCE) and Patanjali (2^nd century BCE). Both acknowledge their respect for him by giving him the honorific Bhagavan. Patanjali describes Panini as a great teacher and Ashtadhyayi as a vast ocean of learning (mahat-shastra-ugha). He states that students had become careless and indifferent towards grammar study and that Panini wrote to change this attitude. Panini is known as the father of Sanskrit and is considered the earliest known Indian linguist. So, Option (a) is correct.

The Marathas had an important position in the administrative and military systems of Ahmednagar and Bijapur. Their power and influence in the affairs of government had grown as the Mughals advanced toward the Deccan. After the fall of Malik Amber, a number of influential Maratha families, like the Mores, the Ghatges, the Nimalkars etc., became dominant. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was anxiously watching the rise of a Maratha power near the Mughal frontiers. 3 phases of Aurangzeb's Deccan policy:

• The First phase lasted till 1668, during which the main attempt was to recover from Bijapur the territories belonging to the Ahmadnagar state surrendered to it by the treaty of 1636
• The Second phase lasted till 1684, during which the major danger in the Deccan was considered to be the Marathas, and efforts were made to pressure Bijapur and Golconda into joining hands with the Mughals against Shivaji and then against his son, Shambaji.
• The last phase began when Aurangzeb despaired of getting the cooperation of Bijapur and Golconda against the Marathas and decided to destroy the Marathas. For this, it was necessary first to conquer Bijapur and Golconda. So, Statement 1 is correct.
• Abul Hasan Qutb Shah ruled Golkonda at that time. He was a Shia, had handed over his administration to two Brahmana ministers, Madanna and Akanna and had expressed his displeasure at the occupation of Bijapur by the Mughals. Aurangzeb was dissatisfied with all that. He deputed prince Shah Alam to attack Golkonda. Besides this political motive, he desired to annex these states because their rulers were Shias who owed nominal allegiance to the ruler of Abbasaid-Khalifas. Besides, the states of the Deccan were wealthy. Aurangzeb was tempted to conquer them to possess their wealth. Therefore, Aurangzeb was not satisfied simply by their acceptance of his suzerainty, but he desired to annex them to the Mughal empire. So, Statement 2 is correct.
• In 1680 Aurangzeb sent a formidable army under his son Akbar to subdue the rebellious Rajput kings, but the emperor had not reckoned with his son's traitorous conduct. Akbar had declared himself the emperor but was compelled to flee to the Deccan, where he enlisted the help of Shivaji's son, Sambhaji. Aurangzeb decided to take to the field himself and to curtail the rebellious activities of his son Akbar, who had taken refuge in the Deccan, and he sent his son into exile in Persia. Aurangzeb's Deccan policy was a total failure, and he destroyed the Decan kingdom. It was a political error of the Mughals, and this was a barrier between the Marathas and the Mughals. So, Statement 3 is correct.

• The Gupta Empire was the greatest in the fourth century AD India and has been described as a golden age in India History The Guptas tended to allow kings to remain serving in a slave-like manner; unlike the Mauryas, they did not consolidate every kingdom into a single administrative unit. This would be the model for later Mughal rule and British rule built off of the Mughal paradigm. During the Gupta period, the administration was more decentralized than the Mauryas but more centralized than Sungas. So, Statement 1 is not correct.
• During the Gupta period, the state was divided into provinces called desa or bhukti, which turned into smaller units, the Pradesa or Visaya. The provinces were governed by kumaramatyas, high imperial (royal) officers or members of the royal family. The administrative divisions helped the rulers to control their territories systematically. The Guptas organized a system of provincial and local administration. The Empire was divided into divisions called 'Bhukth,' and each Bhukti was placed under the charge of a 'Uparika.' The Bhuktis were divided into districts or Visayas, and each Vishaya was under a Vishayapati. The Vishayapatis were generally members of the royal family. They were assisted in the work by a council of representatives. The Guptas organized a system of provincial and local administration like divisions (bhuktis), bhuktis were divided into districts (Vishayas), and Vishayas were divided into Vithis, which again were divided into villages. The village was the smallest unit of administration. Therefore, Pradesa was not a larger administration unit than Bhukti. So, Statement 2 is not correct.
• The administrative system during the Gupta dynasty found that the court's decision or judgment was based on legal texts, social customs prevailing during those times, and the discretion of the King. The King was the highest court of appeal. The guilds of artisans, merchants, and others were governed by their laws. The judicial system was developed, and several law books were written during the Guptas. Several law books were compiled in this period. And For the first time, civil and criminal laws were demarcated. Theft and adultery came under criminal law, and disputes regarding various property types came under civil law. So, Statement 3 is correct.
• During the period of the Guptas, the duties of revenue administration were carried out by officials like Viniyuktaka, Rajuka, Uparika, and Dashparadhika. Land revalue was an important source of income for the reign of the Guptas. Land tax was levied on cultivators who had no land rights. It was one-sixth of the total produce. There were also other income sources like income tax, such as Bhaga, custom duty, mint duty, inheritance tax, and gift tax. Hence, the Land tax and excise duties were collected during the administration of the Gupta Empire. So, Statement 4 is correct.

• There is no direct mention of writing in Vedic literature. Still, references to poetic metres, grammatical and phonetic terms, very large numbers, and complex arithmetical calculations in later Vedic texts are taken by some historians to indicate the possibility that writing may have been known at the time. So, Statement 1 is correct.
• References to the sabha and samiti continue in later Vedic texts. For instance, in the Shatapatha Brahmana, the king prays: 'May the samiti and the sabha, the two daughters of Prajapati, concurrently aid me.' But with the increased royal power, the assemblies' power must have declined. So, Statement 2 is not correct.
• Later Vedic texts indicate a close relationship between the king and his Purohita (his Brahmana priest and counsellor). Purohita means 'one who is put in front' (by the king). The relationship between the king and Purohita is likened to that between earth and heaven. The king is considered the feminine, subordinate party in this relationship. The importance of the Purohita is graphically illustrated in the Rajasuya ceremony, where he introduces the king to the assembled people and announces: 'This man is your king. Soma is the king of us Brahmanas. The system of administration seems to have been fairly rudimentary. So, Statement 3 is correct.

The Ulatbansi compositions of Kabir are intrinsically upside-down sayings. They are written in a form in which everyday meanings are inverted. They express difficulty in capturing the nature of the ultimate reality. They express Kabir's mystical experiences. Saint Kabir lived in the fifteenth century. Though not a Sikh himself, his verses constitute the largest non-Sikh contribution to the Adi Granth. Like other Bhakti and Sufi poets –Tulsi Sahib and Soami Ji – Kabir often used symbolism and the 'upside-down language' or ulatbansi. So, Option (d) is correct.

• Iltutmish organized his trusted nobles or officers into a group of "Forty. Iltutmish established the 'Group of Forty' Turkan-i-Chahalgani. These were Turkish amirs (nobles) who advised and helped the Sultan administer the Sultanate. After the death of Iltutmish, this group assumed great power in its hands. For a few years, they decided to select Sultans one after the other. Balban finally eliminated the group. Turkan-i-Chahalgani was is organised by Qutbuddin Aibak. So, Pair 1 is not correct.
• Balban ruled in an autocratic manner and worked hard to elevate the position of the Sultan, and he did not allow any noble to assume great power. He even formulated the theory of kingship. Balban maintained a magnificent court. He refused to laugh and joke in the court and even gave up drinking wine so that no one may see him in a non-serious mood. He also insisted on the court's ceremony of sijada (prostration) and paibos (kissing of the monarch's feet). Hence, Iltutmish has not insisted on the ceremony of sijada. Therefore, Balban insisted on paibos (kissing the monarch's feet) in the court. So, Pair 2 is not correct, and Pair 3 is correct.
• Jalaluddin Khalji laid the foundation of the Khalji dynasty. Alauddin Khalji was Jalaluddin's ambitious nephew and son-in-law. He helped his uncle in his struggle for power and was appointed Amir-i-Tuzuk (Master of Ceremonies). Alauddin Khalji has made an important policy initiative on Market Regulations. Alauddin set up three different markets for different commodities in Delhi. These markets were the grain market (Mandi), cloth market (Sarai Adl) and the market for horses, enslaved people, cattle, etc. And to ensure the implementation, Alauddin appointed a superintendent Shahna-i-Mandi, who an intelligence officer assisted. Apart from Shahna-i-Mandi, Alauddin received daily market reports from two independent sources, braid (intelligence officer) and munhiyans (secret spies). So, Pair 4 is correct.

• Ghiyas-ud-din Balban (1266 to 1287 AD), the ninth Sultan of the Mamluk dynasty of Delhi, was one of the most powerful Sultans. He was a member of Iltutmish's famed group of 40 Turkic slaves. He adopted a policy of consolidation rather than expansion. So, Statement 1 is not correct.
• The silver and copper coins were mainly in circulation for cash transactions during the period of the Delhi Sultanate. Iltutmish and not Balban introduced the two coins, the Tanka (silver coin) and the Jital (copper coin), which became the basis for the subsequent coinage of the Delhi Sultanate. The value of coinage fluctuated with the change in the prices of metals. So, Statement 2 is not correct.
• Qutub-ud-din Aibak and not Balbun was referred to as Lakh Baksh. Lakh Baksh is usually referred to as those who give away property and wealth to the needy and poor. Because of his generosity and gave liberal donations, Qutub-ud-din Aibak was called Lakh Baksh. So, Statement 3 is not correct.
• Balban ruled in an autocratic manner and worked hard to elevate the position of the Sultan. He introduced a new theory of kingship and redefined the relations between the Sultan and nobility. He did not allow any noble to assume great power. So, Statement 4 is correct.

• Sri Vallabhacharya (c. 1479 – 1531 CE) was a devotional philosopher who founded the Pushtimarg sect in India, following the philosophy of Shuddha Advaita (Pure Non-dualism). Shuddadvaita is the purely non-dual philosophy propounded by him. It was a Hindu Vaishnava tradition that focused on the worship of Krishna. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• Dadu Dayal (c. 1544-1603 CE) was a significant representative of the Nirguna Saint tradition in North India (Gujarat & Rajasthan). Nirgun is a form of aniconic worship of the formless as opposed to the saguna tradition, which is the worship of religious icons and deities with form. Hence statement 2 is correct.
  • Dadu means brother, and Dayal means the compassionate one; later, his followers came to be known as the Dadupanthis, who set up ashrams known as Thambas.
• Surdas (c. 1483-1563 CE) was a disciple of the Vallabhacharya. He was a blind poet whose songs were centered around Krishna. His Sursagar recounts the exploits of Krishna during his childhood and youth with gentle affection and delightfulness. Hence statement 3 is correct.

• The Gupta period is remarkable for the production of secular literature, which consisted of a fair degree of ornate court poetry. Bhasa was an important poet in the early phase of the Gupta period and wrote thirteen plays. He wrote in Sanskrit, but his dramas also contain a substantial amount of Prakrit.
• Bhasa was the author of a drama called Dradiracharudatta, which was later refashioned as Mrichchhakatika or the Little Clay Cart by Shudraka. The play deals with the love affair of a poor brahmana trader with a beautiful courtesan and is considered one of the best works of ancient drama. Hence option (d) is the correct answer.
• In his plays Bhasa uses the term yavanika for the curtain, which suggests Greek contact. However, what has made the Gupta period particularly famous is the work of Kalidasa who lived in the second half of the fourth and the first half of the fifth century. He was the greatest poet of classical Sanskrit literature and wrote Abhijnanashakuntalam which is very highly regarded in world literature.
• It relates the love story of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala, whose son Bharata appears as a famous ruler. Shakuntalam was one of the earliest Indian works to be translated into European languages, the other work being the Bhagavadgita. The plays produced in India during the Gupta period have two common features.
• First, they are all comedies; no tragedies are found. Secondly, characters of the higher and lower classes do not speak the same language; women and Shudras featured in these plays use Prakrit whereas the higher classes use Sanskrit. We may recall that Ashoka and the Satavahanas used Prakrit as the state language.

• The Vijayanagara Empire was based in the Deccan Plateau region of South India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty. The Sangama dynasty ruled between 1336 – 1485 CE. The Sangama dynasty was founded by Harihara I and Bukka. Their father had been taken prisoner in 1327 by Muhammad bin Tughluq. They founded Vijayanagara in 1336.The Saluva dynasty ruled between 1485 – 1505 CE. The Saluva dynasty was created by the Saluvas, who by historical tradition were natives of the Kalyani region of northern Karnataka in modern India. The Tuluva dynasty ruled between 1491 – 1570 CE. Krishna Dev Raya was an important ruler of this dynasty. Tuluva is the name of the third ruling dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire. The dynasty traces its patrilineal ancestry to Tulu-speaking Nagavamshi Kshatriyas.The Aravidu dynasty ruled between 1542 – 1646 CE. Its founder was Tirumala Deva Raya, whose brother Rama Raya had been the masterful regent of the last ruler of the previous dynasty.
  • At Talikota in 1565, the ruler Rama Raya was killed. Though the Vijaynagar kingdom continued to exist for almost a hundred more years. Its size decreased and the Rayas no longer remained important in the politics of South India.
• Hence option (a) is the correct answer.