Test: History - 3 - UPSC MCQ

Statement 1 is correct. As Sangam Literature can be divided into two groups, Pathinenkilkanakku (narrative) and Patinenkilkanakku (deductive). Patinenmelkannakku is the older set of works from 200 to 100 BC whereas Patinenkilkanakku refers to a collection of 18 works from 100 to 500 AD. The narrative portion consists of heroic poetry, perpetual war and cattle raids. They show that early Tamil people were primarily pastoral. The narrative Sangam texts give some idea of the state formation in which the army, the taxation system and judiciary arose in rudimentary form.

Statement 2 is not correct. Poems included in the Tamil Sangam anthologies often illuminate social and economic relationships, suggesting that while there were differences between rich and poor, those who controlled resources were also expected to share them.

The term, which Indo-Persian sources of the Mughal period most frequently used to denote a peasant, was raiyat (plural, riaya) or muzarian. In addition, the terms kisan or asami were also used. Sources of the seventeenth century refer to two kinds of peasants – khud-kashta and pahi-kashta.

Khud-kashta were residents of the village in which they held their lands. Pahi- Kashta were non-resident cultivators who belonged to some other village, but cultivated lands elsewhere on a contractual basis. People became pahi-kashta either out of choice, for example, when terms of revenue in a distant village were more favourable or out of compulsion, for example, forced by economic distress after a famine.

Statement 2 is incorrect. It has four beautifully decorated toranas depicting various events from the life of the Buddha and the Jatakas. About Sanchi Stupa: Narratives get more elaborated, however, the depiction of the dream episode remains very simple showing the reclining image of the queen and the elephant at the top. Carving techniques appear more advanced than Bharhut.

Symbols continue to be used representing the Buddha and the Manushi Buddhas or the past Buddhas (according to the textual tradition, there are twenty-four Buddhas but only the first one, Dipankar, and the last six are pictorially represented).

Fortifications were significant in Vijayanagara as it was to protect from outsiders and they were unique as they enclosed agricultural tracts.

Statement 1 is correct. Often, the objective of mediaeval sieges was to starve the defenders into submission. These sieges could last for several months and sometimes even years. Rulers tried to be prepared for such situations by building large granaries within fortified areas and agricultural tracts.The rulers of Vijayanagara adopted a more expensive and elaborate strategy of protecting the agricultural belt itself. A second line of fortification went round the inner core of the urban complex, and a third line surrounded the royal centre, within which each set of major buildings was surrounded by its own high walls.

Statement 2 is correct. Abdur Razzaq noted that between the first, second and third walls there were cultivated fields, gardens and houses. Domingo Paes observed that there was a great distance from the first circuit until the entrance of the city. There were fields for sowing rice, many gardens and a lot of water, in which water came from two lakes. Present-day archaeologists, who have also found evidence of an agricultural tract between the sacred centre and the urban core, have corroborated these statements. An elaborate canal system drawing water from the Tungabhadra serviced this tract.

Statement 1 is not correct: According to Tamil legends, there were three Sangams held in ancient South India popularly called Muchchangam. The first Sangam is believed to be held at Madurai, attended by gods and legendary sages. No literary work of this Sangam is available.

Statement 2 is not correct: The second Sangam was held at Kapadapuram, only Tolkappiyam survived this. Statement 3 is correct: The third Sangam was also held at Madurai. A few of these Tamil literary works have survived and are useful sources to reconstruct the history of the Sangam period

Statement 1 is incorrect. The caves of Bhimbetka were discovered in 1957–58 by eminent archaeologist V. S. Wakankar. The first discovery of rock paintings, not Bhimbetka caves, was made in India in 1867–68 by an archaeologist, Archibold Carlleyle, twelve years before the discovery of Altamira in Spain. Cockburn, Anderson, Mitra and Ghosh were the early archaeologists who discovered a large number of sites in the Indian subcontinent.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The rock art of Bhimbetka has been classified into various groups on the bases of style, technique and superimposition. The drawings and paintings can be categorised into seven historical periods. Period I, Upper Palaeolithic; Period II, Mesolithic; and Period III, Chalcolithic. After Period III there are four successive periods. In India the earliest paintings have been reported from the Upper Palaeolithic times.

Statement 3 is correct. The themes of paintings found here are of great variety, ranging from mundane events of daily life in those times to sacred and royal images. These include hunting, dancing, Music, horse and elephant riders, animal fighting, honey collection, decoration of bodies, and other household scenes. About Bhimbetka Caves: The largest and most spectacular rock-shelter is located in the Vindhya hills at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh. Bhimbetka is located 45 kilometres south of Bhopal, in an area of ten square kilometres, having about eight hundred rock shelters, five hundred of which bear paintings.

Ellora Caves are a series of rock-cut cave monuments that are associated with Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. The caves were constructed between the 6th and 10th centuries CE and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The caves are renowned for their beautiful sculptures and carvings, including depictions of the Buddha, Shiva and Vishnu. Elephanta Caves are a series of rock-cut temples that are located on an island in the Arabian Sea.

The caves were originally a Buddhist site, but were later dominated by the Shaivite faith. The caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are known for their sculptures and carvings depicting Hindu deities, stories from the Puranas and various scenes from Hindu mythology. Bagh Caves are a series of rock-cut cave monuments that are associated with Jainism. The caves were built between the 5th and 8th centuries CE and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The caves are renowned for their sculptures and carvings, including depictions of popular Jain figures and various scenes from Jain mythology. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.

Statement 1 is not correct: Bathukamma which means ‘Mother Goddess come Alive’ is a colourful floral festival of Telangana.

Statement 2 is correct: Bathukamma is a beautiful flower stack of different unique seasonal flowers, most of them with medicinal value, arranged in seven concentric layers in the shape of temple gopuram. Women gather and dance around this flower stack. They also sing Bathukamma songs while dancing. It is the festival for feminine felicitation.

On this special occasion women dress up in the traditional sari combining it with jewels and other accessories The final day of Bathukamma, known as Pedha or Saddula Bathukamma falls two days before Dussehra and is also known as Durgashtami. Bathukamma festival indicates the beginning of Sarad or Sharath Ruthu whereas Boddemma festival followed by Bathukamma marks the ending of Varsha Ruthu.

Cholas were Samantas or Subordinates to Pallavas who ruled in Tamilnadu.

Statement 1 is correct. Cholas and Muttaraiyar both were subordinates to Pallava king. The rise of Cholas started during the middle of the 9th century when Vijayalaya from Uraiyur captured the kaveri delta from Mutharaiyar and built the town of Thanjavur.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Vijayalaya built the town of Thanjavur and Goddess Nishumbhasudini temple While Rajaraja I became king in 985 CE and was considered as the most powerful Chola ruler.

He recognized his administration and expanded his control over most of South India. His son Rajendra Chola led an expedition to the Ganga valley.

Statement 3 is correct. Rajendra I was Rajaraja’s Son who continued his Father’s policy and raided Ganga Valley, Sri Lanka as well as Southeast Asian Countries. Rajendra I also developed the Navy for these raids.

Option d is correct: The national motto of India, Satyameva Jayate' inscribed below the Emblem of India is taken from Mundaka Upanishad. This motto means Truth Alone Triumphs". It is written in Devanagari script.

Thirumalapuram caves and Jaina caves at Sittanavasal are some of the surviving examples. However, mural painting as an art did not decline during the reign of the Cholas. In fact, the Cholas were known for their patronage of the arts. They patronised both Hindu and Jain temples and these temples are renowned for their beautiful paintings and sculptures. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The village panchayat was an assembly of elders, usually important people of the village with hereditary rights over their property. In mixed-caste villages, the panchayat was usually a heterogeneous body. The panchayat being an oligarchy represented various castes and communities in the village, though the village menial-cum-agricultural worker was unlikely to be represented there. The decisions made by these panchayats were binding on the members.

Statement 2 is correct. A headman known as muqaddam or mandal headed the panchayat. According to some sources, the headman was chosen through the consensus of the village elders, and this choice had to be ratified by the zamindar. Headmen held office as long as they enjoyed the confidence of the village elders, failing which they could be dismissed by them. Statement 3 is correct. The chief function of the headman was to supervise the preparation of village accounts, assisted by the accountant or patwari of the panchayat.

Statement 1 is correct. Magadha became the most important mahajanapada in about two hundred years. There were many reasons for it; many rivers such as the Ganga and Son flowed through it which was important for transportation, water supplies and making the land fertile. Also, as the parts of Magadha were forested, wood obtained from it was used to make houses, carts, and chariots. Elephants who lived in the forests could be captured and trained for the army. Also, there were iron ore mines that could be tapped to make strong tools and weapons. In Magadha usually, one person ruled.

Statement 2 is incorrect. 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. These rajas performed rituals together. The system was such that these rajas met in assemblies, and decided through discussion and debate what had to be done and hoe.

However, women, dasas, and kammakaras could not participate in these assemblies. Statement 3 is correct. Both the Buddha and Mahavira belonged to ganas or sanghas.

Archaeologists call the earliest period Palaeolithic. It comes from two Greek words, ‘paleo’ meaning old, and ‘lithos’, meaning stone. This period extends from 2 million years ago to about 12,000 years ago. This time period is divided into the lower, middle and the upper Palaeolithic.

This period covers 99% of human history. Some of the most important Palaeolithic sites are Bhimbetka, Hunsgi, Kurnool caves. The period between 12,000 years ago until about 10,000 years ago, is called a Mesolithic period. Stone tools found during this age are called microliths. The next age, from about 10,000 years ago, is called a Neolithic age. Daojali heading and Chirand are Neolithic sites. Some other Neolithic sites are Burzahom (Kashmir), Mehrgarh, Koldhihwa, Mahagara, Hallur, Paiyampalli.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The manuscripts dealt with all kinds of subjects like religious beliefs and practices, lives of kings, medicine and science, epics, poems, plays, etc.

Statement 2 is correct. They were written in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Tamil. Manuscripts are writings on soft surfaces such as palm leaf, or on the specially prepared bark of a tree known as the birch. The word manuscript comes from the Latin word ‘manu’ meaning hand.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Inscriptions are writings on relatively hard surfaces such as stone or metal. Kings used to get their orders inscribed so that people could see, read and obey them. They often kept records of victories in battle through inscriptions. There are other kinds of inscriptions as well, where men and women, including kings and queens, recorded what they did.

Statement 1 is not correct :Modhera Sun Temple is located in Mehsana, neighbouring Ahmedabad district of Gujarat .Situated on the banks of Pushpavati River. Statement 2 is correct : Built in the 11th century during the Chalukya dynasty in honour of the Sun God, it is one of the major tourist destinations in North Gujarat.

● It is surrounded by a terra-formed garden of flowering trees and songs of birds.

● The remains of the Sun Temples at Modhera are relics of times gone by when reverence of the natural elements fire, air, earth, water and sky were at their peak sharing space with myriad manifestations of Vedic gods.

As the Chola dynasty declined in the thirteenth century, the Vijayanagar dynasty captured and brought under its control the region from Hampi to Trichy.

Statements 1 and 2 are correct. In Hampi, the Virupaksha temple has paintings on the ceiling of its mandapa narrating events from dynastic history and episodes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Among important panels the mural of Vidyaranya, teacher of Bukkaraya Harsha, being carried in a palanquin is very well made.

In Lepakshi, Vijaynagar paintings can be found on the walls of the Shiva temple. In keeping with the tradition the Vijayanagar painters evolved a pictorial language wherein the faces are shown in profile and figures and objects two dimensionally. Lines become still but fluid, compositions appear in rectilinear compartments. These stylistic conventions were adopted by artists in various centres in South India as can be seen in the paintings of the Nayaka period.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Mughal court chronicles were written in Persian though Turkish was their mother tongue. Under the Sultans of Delhi it flourished as a language of the court and of literary writings, alongside other north Indian languages, especially Hindavi(near Delhi) and its regional variants.

Statement 2 is correct. Mughals were Chaghtai Turks by origin, Turkish was their mother tongue. Their first ruler Babur wrote poetry and his memoirs in the Turkish language. KB) Chagatai Turks were descendants of Chagtai Khan the second son of Genghis Khan.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The rules made for the Buddhist sangha were written down in a book called the Vinaya Pitaka. All men, women and children could join the sangha. However, children had to take the permission of their parents and slaves of their masters. Those who worked for the king had to take his permission and debtors that of creditors. Women had to take their husbands’ permission.

Statement 2 is correct. The Puranas contain stories about gods and goddesses, such as Vishnu, Shiva, Durga or Parvati. They also contain details on how they were to be worshipped. Besides, there are accounts about the creation of the world, and about kings. The Puranas were written in simple Sanskrit verse, and were meant to be heard by everybody, including women and shudras, who were not allowed to study the Vedas.

Statement 3 is incorrect. Most Upanishadic thinkers were men, especially brahmins and raja. But there is mention of women thinkers, such as Gargi, who was famous for her learning, and participated in debates held in royal courts.

Statement 1 is incorrect. In the Mughal household a distinction was maintained between wives who came from royal families (begums), and other wives (aghas) who were not of noble birth.

Statement 2 is correct. The beggars, married after receiving huge amounts of cash and valuables as dower (mahr), naturally received a higher status and greater attention from their husbands than did aghas. KB)

● The concubines (aghacha or the lesser agha) occupied the lowest position in the hierarchy of females intimately related to royalty.

● They all received monthly allowances in cash, supplemented with gifts according to their status.

● The lineage-based family structure was not entirely static.

● Agha and the Aghacha could rise to the position of a begam depending on the husband’s will, and provided that he did not already have four wives.

● Love and motherhood played important roles in elevating women to the status of legally wedded wives.

Statement 1 is correct. Khilji and Tughlaq monarchs appointed military commanders as governors of territories of varying sizes. These lands were called ‘iqtas’ and their holders were called ‘iqtadars’ or ‘muqtis’. Their duty was to lead military campaigns and maintain law and order in their respective territories.

Statement 2 is incorrect. In exchange for military service, Muqtis collected revenue as salary. Care was taken that muqtis collected only the taxes prescribed by the state. They could not impose any amount of tax on the peasants.

Statement 3 is also incorrect. Their office was made non-inheritable during the reign of Khaljis and Tughlaqs to make their office more effective and accountable.

Statement 3 is correct. The oldest Veda, i.e. the Rig Veda was composed about 3500 years ago in the North-west of the subcontinent. It includes more than a thousand hymns, called sukta or “well said”. These hymns, composed by sages (rishis) are in praise of various gods and goddesses. Agni (the god of fire), Indra (a warrior god) and Soma (a plant from where a special drink was prepared) are the three gods that were especially important.

Statement 1 is correct. There were various battles fought during this time for cattle, land, water and to capture people.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Some of the wealth obtained was kept by the leaders, some were given to the priests and the rest was distributed amongst the people. Some of the wealth was used for the performance of yajnas or sacrifices in which offerings were made into the fire.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The ‘ur’ was a village assembly found in areas where the land owners were not brahmins.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The sabha, which was an assembly of brahmin land owners. This assembly functioned through subcommittees, which looked after irrigation, agricultural operations, making roads, local temples, etc.

Statement 3 is correct. The nagaram was an organisation of merchants. It is likely that these assemblies were controlled by rich and powerful landowners and merchants.

Statement 1 is correct. The Sun temple at Modhera dates back to the early 11th century and was built by Raja Bhimdev 1 of the Solanki dynasty in 1026 AD. The Solankis were a branch of the later Chalukyas. There is a massive rectangular stepped tank called the ‘surya kund’ in front of it. This hundred square metre rectangular pond is the grandest temple tank in India. 108 miniature shrines are carved in between steps inside the tank. The influence of the woodcarving tradition of Gujarat is also evident here. The temple faces east, and the sun shines directly into the central shrine. The style of the sculptures during the period between the 9th and 11th centuries in Bengal and Bihar is known as ‘Pala style’ named after the ruling dynasty of the time. The style from the 11th to 13th centuries is named after the Sena kings. Palas are mostly famous as patrons for Buddhist monastic sites.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The temples from this region were known to express the local ‘Vanga style’. It was a nagara sub type style of architecture similar to the contemporaneous temples of Odisha.

Statement 1 is incorrect. A famous physician named ‘Charaka’ (Charvaka was the founder of the ‘Lokayata philosophy’) wrote a book known as the Charaka Samhita about 2000 years ago. The book is on medicine. He stated that the human body has 360 bones. He arrived at this figure by counting the teeth, joints and cartilage.

Statement 2 is incorrect. It is a Sanskrit text written on Ayurveda and along with Sushrutha Samhita it is one of the two foundational Hindu texts of this (medicine) field that have survived from ancient India. Sushrutha Samhita is a book written by Sushrutha on surgery.

Statement 1 is correct. The movement was inspired by the already prevalent Bhakti movement in India. In the north it was inspired by the naths, yogis and siddhas from whom it incorporated asceticism and breathing exercises. In the decade, it was inspired by the Lingayat movement and the Marathi speaking saints of Pandharpur.

Statement 2 is correct. The Bhakti strand of Punjab manifested itself in the form of a movement by Guru Nanak Dev. The teachings were secular in nature and spoke of brotherhood between the dominant communities of Hinduism and Islam. Soon the movement took the form of a religion, Sikhism, and its holy book was compiled by Guru Arjan and Guru Gobind Singh. It included the teachings of all the gurus as well as those of Baba Farid Ganj-I-shikar, Kabir, Ravidas etc. Baba Farid was a 12th-century Punjabi Sunni Muslim preacher and mystic who went on to become "one of the most revered and distinguished Muslim mystics" of the medieval period. Fariduddin Ganjshakar's shrine darbār is located in Pakpattan, Punjab, Pakistan.

● Multiple accounts regarding Thiruvalluvar are available but little is known about his family background, religious affiliation or birthplace.He has influenced a wide range of scholars through the years in disciplines like ethics, politics, economics, philosophy and spirituality.

● His most popular work is Thirukkuṛaḷ, a collection of couplets on ethics, politics, economy and love. Tirukkural is considered a very important text in Tamil literature.

● In the early 16th century, a temple dedicated to Thiruvalluvar was built within the Ekambareswarar temple complex in Mylapore, Chennai. Locals believe that this was where he was born, underneath a tree within the temple complex.

Kondapalli Toys are colourful, hand-crafted, wooden toys made by artisans of Kondapalli town, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh. The artisans who work on crafting these wooden toys are called the Arya Kshatriyas. These toys are crafted from a wood known as Tella Poniki which is obtained from local forests and seasoned for years. Themes of toys vary from mythological to modern.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Jagannatha cult is located at Puri, Orissa. Jagannatha literally means Lord of the world, which is a name for Vishnu. So, this cult is associated with Lord Vishnu. Jagannatha is considered to be a part of a triad along with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. Jagannatha temple is considered as one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites in India, the other three being- Badrinath (Uttarakhand), Dwarka and Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu). It is believed by Vaishnavite Hinduism that visiting these sites will help achieve Moksha.

Statement 2 is correct. In the 12th century, one of the most important rulers of the Ganga dynasty, Anantavarman, decided to erect a temple for Purushottama Jagannatha at Puri. Subsequently, in 1230, king Anangabhima III dedicated his kingdom to the deity and proclaimed himself as the ‘deputy’ of the god.