Test: SSC CGL Previous Year Questions: History (2023-20) - 3 - SSC CGL MCQ

Astronomy. Brihat Samhita - It is the noted work of Varahamihira. It is an important encyclopedic text in Sanskrit. This text exists in many Indian scripts and is preserved in Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist temples and monasteries. Other Samhitas - Jaya Samhita (Mahabharat), Charak Samhita (Medicinal Science), Sushruta Samhita (Book on Surgeries and related science).

Chalukya dynasty: Established by King Pulakesin I. Famous architecture: Chalukya - Meguti Jain Temple (Aihole), Pattadakal Temples (Bagalkot), Virupaksha Temple (Vijayanagara). Hoysala - Chennakesava Temple (Belur), Hoysaleswara Temple (Halebidu), Kesava Temple (Somanathapura). Pallava - Ratha temples or seven pagodas (Mahabalipuram), Kailasanathar Temple (Kanchipuram), Shore Temple (Mahabalipuram).

Rudradaman I (130 - 150 AD). Sudarshan Lake was constructed by the order of Chandragupta Maurya by the Governor ‘Pushyagupta Vaishya’ appointed in his Girnar. Rudradaman I issued the rst long inscription in chaste Sanskrit. Five branches of the Sakas in the Indian subcontinent: Afghanistan, Punjab with Taxila as capital, Mathura, Western India, Upper Deccan with Ujjain as their capital.

Devabhuti. He was assassinated by his minister (Vasudeva Kanva). Other Kings of Shunga Dynasty: Pushyamitra Shunga (Founder of Shunga Dynasty), Agnimitra, Vasujyeshtha, Vasumitra, Bhagabhadra. Shashanka: The rst king of ancient Bengal, governed the Gauda Kingdom from 600 to 625 AD. Bhavabhuti: A famous Sanskrit playwright who wrote famous plays like Mahaviracharita, Malatimadhava etc.

Mahendrapala (885-910 AD). Works of Rajshekhara: Viddhashalabhanjika, Balabharata, Karpuramanjari, Balaramayana, Kavyamimamsa. Gurjara Pratihara dynasty (8th to 11th century): Founder - Harichandra. Mihira Bhoja (836-885 AD) - Most powerful Partihara king. Yashpala (1024- 1036) - last ruler of the Gurjara Pratihara dynasty.

Narasimhavarman I. He was also known as Mahamalla or Mamalla, which means "great wrestler”. He took the title Vatapikonda (the conqueror of Vatapi).

Gautamiputra Shri Satakarni. In the 2nd century BCE, Satavahana empire emerged in Deccan (Dakshinapatha). The Nasik inscription of Gautami Balashri mentioned the shri Satakarnis rule. He is described as the destroyer of the Sakas, Pahlavas and Yavanas.

Chandela. Kandariya Mahadeva temple - built at Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), made up of sandstone. Its rst mention is found in ‘al Biruni’ And ‘Ibn Battuta’ work. It follows the Nagara Style of architecture and was recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1986. Other temples built by Chandela dynasty (Founder - Nanuka): Devi Jagdamba Temple, Chitragupta Temple, Laxmana Temple.

Dravida. Samkhya: Founded by - Kapila (Book - Samkhya sutra) : It holds that reality is constituted of two principles of one female (Prakriti) and the other male (Purusha). Yoga - Union of the two principal entities. Nyaya: A technique of logical thinking. Author of the Nyaya Sutras - Gautama.

Kushana. Kanishka (Kushana Dynasty) minted the gold and copper coins in which he named himself as ‘Devaputra’. Scholars in Kanishka’s court - Vasumitra, Asvaghosa (Court poet), Nagarjun, Charaka, Sushruta and Parsva. Other rulers of the Kushana dynasty: Kujula Kadphises (Founder), Vima Kadphises, etc.

Mathura. Kushan Dynasty (First-Third Centuries): Rulers - Kujula Kadphises (Founder). Vima Kadphises - First ruler to introduce pure gold coins in India. Kanishka - He administered the territory from two capitals: Purushapura (now Peshawar in northern Pakistan) and Mathura, in northern India. Vasudeva I - Last Kushana Ruler.

Landless agricultural labourers. Terminologies related in ancient times - Shrenis: In ancient times, crafts persons and merchants formed associations. Samaharta and Sanidata - Tax collecting ocers in ancient times. Sonalika is a Sanskrit word that refers to a goldsmith. Grihapatis- independent farmers. Dasa Karmakara - Men and women such as the dasa karmakara, who did not own land, and had to earn a living working on the elds owned by others. An agrahara was land granted to a Brahmana.

Both I and II. Siddhar Agastyar presided over the rst Tamil Sangam at Madurai. Sangam literature (the poetry of the noble ones, ancient Tamil literature) is the earliest known literature of South India. Tolkappiyam, Ettutogai, Pattuppattu, Pathinenkilkanakku, and the two epics (Silappathikaram and Manimegalai) comprise the Sangam literature. Sangam Literature: 2 categories (Aham and Puram), Tinai (seven minor genres), Ainkurunuru (collection of 500 short poems).

Kadamba Mayurasharman was a Brahmana. The Kadamba Mayurasharman (345–365 C.E.) was the founder of the Kadamba Kingdom of Banavasi (Karnataka). Kadimi Chettu (story of Mayur Sharma) was written by Visawanatha Satyanarayana {Padma Bhushan (1970), Jnanpith Award (1971)}.

Both I and II. The Sakas (rst shaka king, Maues or Moga) ruled over the north-west frontier, and north India (Punjab, Sindh, Kashmir, western Uttar Pradesh, Saurashtra, Kathiawar, Rajputana, Malwa, and the north Konkan belt of Maharashtra). Vakatakas (founder - Vindhyashakti) ruled over Central - Western India (southernmost points of Malwa and Gujarat in the north to the Tungabhadra River in the south, and from the Arabian Sea in the west to the edges of Chhattisgarh in the east).

Sushruta {the father of surgery} spoke about elaborate surgical procedures in his book ‘Sushruta Samhita’. Aryabhata invents: Mathematics {place value system and zero, Approximation of π, Trigonometry, Indeterminate equations, Algebra}, Astronomy {Motions of the solar system, Eclipses, Sidereal periods, Heliocentrism}.

Chandela Dynasty. The Khajuraho Group of Monuments are a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh, Known for its Erotic Sculpture. The Pratiharas, also known as the Gurjara -Pratiharag (Founder - Harichandra). The most well-known king of this dynasty was Bhoja or Mihira Bhoja.

Odisha (Bhubaneswar). Ancient temples - Virupaksha Temple, Hampi (Built by Lakkan Dandesha, a chieftain under the ruler Deva Raya II), Ellora Kailashanatha Temple (Krishna I of Rashtrakuta), Sun Temple Konark (Eastern Ganga King Narsimhadeva-1).

Manipur. It has 125 extended families. It was apparently founded by King Nongda Lairen Pakhangba in 33 CE.

Shiva Temple, Chidambaram. A gopuram or gopura is a monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple, especially in Southern India. They are a prominent feature of koils, Hindu temples built in the Dravidian style. They are topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone nial. Nataraja temple in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu is one of the famous examples of Gopuram.

Nahapana was an important ruler of the Western Kshatrapas, a descendant of the Indo-Scythians, in northwestern India, who ruled during the 1st or 2nd century CE.

Assam was known as Pragjyotisha or the place of eastern astronomy during the epic period and later named Kamrupa.

1398. Timur: They invaded India during the reign of Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah Tughluq . He nominated Khizr Khan (Sayyid Dynasty - 1414 to 1451) to rule Punjab. Tughlaq Dynasty (1320 - 1414): Rulers - Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (founder), Muhammad bin Tughlaq, Firoz shah Tughlaq, and Muhammad Shah.

Somnath Temple (attacked in 1025 AD). India was rst invaded by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1001 AD and he defeated the army of Raja Jayapala. Foreign Invaders in India: Mohammed Bin Qasim (712 AD), Alexander's Invasion (326 BC), Invasion of Nadir Shah (1739), Mahmud Ghazni Attacked India 17 times.

Jaychand and Muhammad Ghori. Battle of Chandawar (1194) : Fought at - Chandawar (modern Firozabad). Jaychand (Gahadavala dynasty) was defeated and killed.

Prithviraj III (1168-1192). He defeated Sultan Muhammad Ghori in 1191 (rst Battle of Tarain), But he was defeated by Ghori in 1192 (second Battle of Tarain). Vigraharaja II {(971-998), Chahamana dynasty}. Prithviraj I {(1090 -1110), Chahamana dynasty}. Vasudeva {(73 BCE to 28 BCE), founder of Kanvas dynasty}.

Dabir-i-Khas. Diwan -i-Bandagan - A slave department. Diwan-i-kohi - Agricultural department. Diwan-i-Mustakhraj - Arrears department. Barid-i-Mumalik - Head of the information and intelligence department. Amir-i-Dad - The law ocer. Wakil-i-Dar - Controller of the royal household.

Zakat. Zakat tax was abolished by Sikander lodi. Firoz Shah Tughlaq introduced four types of taxes based on the Quran. They were Kharaj (Land tax), Khams (Tax on booty captured in war), Jizya (Imposed on non muslim), and Zakat.

"Tabaqat-i-Nasiri'' (1260) was written by Minhaj-i-Siraj in Persian language. Hasan Nizami (Persian language poet) wrote Tajul-Maasir (the rst ocial history of the Delhi Sultanate). Su poet Amir Khusro was the court poet of Alauddin Khilji. His famous works: Tughluq Nama, Wast-ul-Hayat, Nuh Sipihr, Ashiqa, Khamsa, Baqia-Naqia. Ziauddin Barani (Muslim political thinker of Delhi Sultanate) wrote Tarikh-i-Firozshahi and Fatwa-i-Jahandari.

Rulers of Khilji dynasty - Jalaluddin Khalji (founder) - Alauddin Khalji - Qutb ud-Din Mubarak. Rulers of Tughlaq dynasty - Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (founder) - Muhammad bin Tughlaq - Firoz Shah Tughlaq .