GPSC Prelims Paper 1 Mock Test - 9 - GPSC (Gujarat) MCQ

• Only a few fossils relating to human evolution have been discovered in the Indian subcontinent.
• Nonetheless, some of the earliest skull fossils have been found in the Siwalik hills covering India and Pakistan.
• These skulls appear in the Potwar plateau, in Punjab province of Pakistan, which is developed on sandstone. These skulls are called Ramapithecus and Sivapithecus.

Hence, option (c) is correct.

• They seem to possess some hominid features though they represent apes.
• Ramapithecus was the female, but both belonged to the same group.
• Remains of Ramapithecus were subsequently found in other parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe as well, and were dated between 10–14 million years ago.

• During the 15th century, the Persian style of painting started influencing the Western Indian style of painting as is evident from the Persian facial types and hunting scenes appearing on the borders of some of the illustrated manuscripts of the Kalpasutra (a Jain text).
• The introduction of the use of ultramarine blue and gold color in the Western Indian manuscripts is also believed to be due to the influence of the Persian painting. These Persian paintings, which came to India, were in the form of illustrated manuscripts.
• An illustrated manuscript of the Nimat Nama (Cookery Book) which exists in the Indian Office Library, London is marked by a new trend of painting at Malwa.
  • The manuscript was started in the time of Ghiyas-ud-din Khilji of Malwa (1469-1500 A.D.)
  • It shows Ghiyas-ud-din Khilji supervising cooking being done by maids.
  • In the Nimat Nama style, the Persian influence is visible in the scroll-like clouds, flowering trees, grassy tufts and flowering plants in the background, female figures, and costumes. Indian elements are noticeable in some female types and their costumes and ornaments and colors. In this manuscript, one can notice the first attempt towards the evolution of new styles of painting by the fusion of the Persian style of Shiraz with the indigenous Indian style.
• Hence option (b) is the correct answer.
   

In the neolithic site Burzahom (in present-day Kashmir) people built pit-houses, which were dug into the ground, with steps leading into them. These may have provided shelter in cold weather.
Hence, option (d) is correct.
 

• Firoz Shah Tughlaq was born in 1309 and ascended the throne of Delhi (1351-88) after the demise of his cousin Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq.
  • He adopted a policy of trying to appease the nobles, the army and the theologians, and of asserting his authority over only such areas that could be easily administrated from the centre.
• Statement 1 is not correct: It was during the time of Firuz that jizyah became a separate tax. Earlier, it was a part of land revenue. Firuz refused to exempt the Brahmans from the payment of jizyah since this was not provided for in the sharia. Only women, children, the disabled and the indigent who had no means of livelihood were exempt from it.
• Statement 2 is correct: Firuz Tughlaq was the first ruler who took steps to have Hindu religious works translated from Sanskrit into Persian, so that there may be a better understanding of Hindu ideas and practices. Many books on music, medicine and mathematics were also translated from Sanskrit into Persian during his reign.

• The southern end of the Indian peninsula situated south of the Krishna river was divided into three kingdoms: Chola, Pandya, and Chera or Kerala.
• The Pandyas are first mentioned by Megasthenes, who says that their kingdom was celebrated for pearls. He also speaks of it being ruled by a woman, which suggests some matriarchal influence in Pandya society. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• The Pandya territory: Occupied the southernmost and the south-eastern portion of the Indian peninsula, and it roughly included the modern districts of Tirunelveli, Ramnad, and Madurai in Tamil Nadu, with its capital at Madurai. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
• The literature compiled in the Tamil academies in the early centuries of the Christian era and called the Sangam literature refers to the Pandya rulers, but it does not provide any coherent account. One or two Pandya conquerors are mentioned. However, this literature shows clearly that the state was wealthy and prosperous.
• The Pandya kings profited from trade with the Roman empire and sent ambassadors to the Roman emperor Augustus. The Brahmanas enjoyed considerable influence, and the Pandya king performed Vedic sacrifices in the early centuries of the Christian era.

As the rulers of the mahajanapadas were (a) building huge forts (b) maintaining big armies, they needed more resources. And they needed officials to collect these. So, instead of depending on occasional gifts brought by people, as in the case of the raja of the janapadas, they started collecting regular taxes.

• Taxes on crops were the most important. This was because most people were farmers. Usually, the tax was fixed at 1/6th of what was produced. This was known as bhaga or a share.

Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

• There were taxes on crafts persons as well. These could have been in the form of labour.
  For example, a weaver or a smith may have had to work for a day every month for the king.

Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• Herders were also expected to pay taxes in the form of animals and animal produce.
• There were also taxes on goods that were bought and sold, through trade.

Hence, statement 3 is correct.

• And hunters and gatherers also had to provide forest produce to the raja.
   

• Ellora cave site is located in Aurangabad District. It is located a hundred kilometers from Ajanta and has thirty-four Buddhist, Brahmanical, and Jain caves. It has monasteries associated with the three religions dating from the fifth century CE onwards to the eleventh century CE.
• There are twelve Buddhist caves having many images belonging to Vajrayana Buddhism like Tara,Mahamayuri, Akshobhya, Avalokiteshwara, Maitreya, Amitabha, etc.
• Ajanta also has excavated double-storeyed caves but at Ellora, the triple storey is a unique achievement.
• Buddha images are big in size; they are generally guarded by the images of Padmapani and Vajrapani. Cave No. 12, which is a triple-storey excavation, has images of Tara, Avalokiteshwara, Manushi Buddhas, and the images Vairochana, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, Amoghsiddhi, Vajrasatva, and Vajraraja.
• Many caves are dedicated to Shaivism, but the images of both Shiva and Vishnu and their various forms according to Puranic narrative are depicted. Among the Shaivite themes, Ravana shaking Mount Kailash, Andhakasurvadha, and Kalyanasundaram are profusely depicted whereas, among the Vaishnavite themes, the different avatars of Vishnu are depicted.
• Cave No. 16 is known as Kailashleni. A rock-cut temple has been carved out of a single rock.

Hence option (b) is the correct answer.
 

Ashoka mentions various of his contemporaries in the Hellenic world with whom he exchanged missions, diplomatic and otherwise. A passage in one of his inscriptions dated 256–255 B.C. reads:

• “.... where reigns the Greek King named Amtiyoga and beyond the realm of that Amtiyoga in the lands of the four kings Tulamaya, Antckina, Maka, and Alikyashudala...”
• These have been identified as Antiochus II Theos of Syria (260-246 B.C.), the grandson of Selecus Nikator: Ptolemy III Philadelphus of Egypt (285–247 B.C.);
• Antigonus Gonatus of Macedonia (276–239 B.C.); Magas of Cyrene, and Alexander of Epirus.

• When the sufi saint died, his tomb shrine-dargah became the center of his followers' devotion. This encouraged pilgrimage or ziyarat to his grave, especially on his death anniversary, as a symbol of his soul's oneness with God. People thought that when saints died, they were united with God and hence closer to Him than when they were alive. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• The practice was prevalent even during the times of the Delhi sultanate. The earliest textual references to Khwaja Muinuddin’s dargah date to the fourteenth century. The Dargah was evidently popular because of the austerity and piety of its Shaikh, the greatness of its spiritual successors, and the patronage of royal visitors. Muhammad bin Tughlaq was the first sultan to visit the shrine as per the available references. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
• The use of music and dance, especially mystical chanting performed by specially trained musicians or qawwals to elicit divine ecstasy, is a significant aspect of ziyarat. Sufis remember God by repeating the zikr (Divine Names) or by evoking his Presence through sama' (literally, "audition"), or the performance of mystical music, which eventually led to the development of the Qawwali style of music. Hence statement 3 is correct.
   

• Both the Mahavira and the Buddha felt that only those who left their homes could gain true knowledge. They arranged for them to stay together in the sangha, an association of those who left their homes.
• The rules made for the Buddhist sangha were written down in a book called the Vinaya Pitaka.

Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• From this we know that there were separate branches for men and women.
• All men could join the sangha. However, children had to take the permission of their parents and slaves that of their masters.

Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

• Those who worked for the king had to take his permission and debtors that of creditors. Women had to take their husbands’ permission
   

• Pushyabhutis or Vardhana dynasty of Thanesar: An important ruling family to gain prominence after the fall of the Gupta was the Pushyabhutis who had their capital at Thanesar (Thanesvara in Kurukshetra).
• The dynasty became influential with the accession of Prabhakarvardhana, who was able to defeat the Hunas and strengthen his position in the regions of Punjab and Haryana. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• After his death, his elder son Rajyavardhana came to the throne but he was treacherously killed by Shashanka, the king of Bengal and Bihar. Harshavardhana then ascended the throne in AD 606. He was only sixteen years of age at that time. Still, he proved himself to be a great warrior and an able administrator.
• We have two valuable sources that throw important light on the life and times of Harshavardhana (606–647). These are Harshacarita written by his court poet Banabhatta and Si-Yu-Ki, the travel account of the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Hsuan Tsang, who visited India during AD 629–644. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
  • Fa-Hien visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II.
• After his accession, Harshavardhana united his kingdom with that of his widowed sister Rajayashri (see above) and shifted his capital to Kanauj, and is described as the lord of the north (sakalauttarapathanatha).
• He brought Punjab, Uttara Pradesh, Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa under his control. Harsha wanted to extend his power in the Deccan.
• But he was defeated by Pulakesin II, the Chalukya ruler, on the banks of river Narmada. The river thus became the southern boundary of his kingdom. The death of Harsha in AD 647 was followed by a political confusion that continued up to the eighth century when the Gurjara Pratiharas, the Rajput rulers, emerged as a big force in northern India. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
   

Both the statements given above are correct.

• Most Asokan inscriptions were in the Prakrit language while those in the northwest of the subcontinent were in Aramaic and Greek.
• Most Prakrit inscriptions were written in the Brahmi script; however, some, in the northwest, were written in Kharosthi.
• The Aramaic and Greek scripts were used for inscriptions in Afghanistan.

• The Kalpa Sutra and the Kalakacharya-Katha, the two very popular Jain texts were repeatedlywritten and illustrated with paintings.
  • Kalakacharya Katha tells the story of a great Jain muni of the Shwetambar school called Kalak. Hissister and he joined the Jain monastic order at an early age. He was extremely knowledgeable and shewas extremely beautiful. Even though she was a nun, she was abducted by the king of Ujjaini.
  • The story of Kalak Acharya Katha was added as an appendix to the Kalpasutra, which tells the storyof the three types of special beings of the Jain universe: the heroic Vasudeva, the regal Chakravarthy,and the wise Tirthankaras. Kalpasutra describes the cosmogony of the Jain world.
  • Hence option (b) is the correct answer.
     

• Sudraka’s Mricchakatika (The Little Clay Cart) Love affair of young brahmin Charudatta with a wealthy courtesan.
• Bhasa’s Urubhanga (story of Duryodhana during and after his fight with Bhima.
• Kalidasa‘s Vikramorvasiya (Love story of Vikram and Urvasi)
• Vishakhdutta’s Mudra Rakshasa (is a political drama that narrates the ascent of king Chandragupta Maurya to power in India)

• Akbar introduced a new land measurement system (knows as the zabti system) covering from Lahore toAllahabad, including Malwa and Gujarat. It was based on Sher Shah's land revenue system with certain modifications.
  • Under the zabti system, the sown area was measured by means of the bamboos attached with iron rings. The zabti system, originally associated with Raja Todar Mal, therefore sometimes, it is called as Todar Mal's Bandobast. Hence statement 3 is correct.
• The Dahsala system as instituted by Akbar, the average produce of different crops as well as the average prices prevailing over the last ten years was calculated and one-third share of the average produce was apportioned to the state. The system was adopted only in the major provinces of the Empire covering Multan, Delhi, Allahabad, Awadh, Agra, and Lahore. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• Zabti system was further improved by Raja Todar Mal and was named as Dahsala system. Hence Dahsala system was a further development of the Zabti system. Hence statement 2 is correct.

• A set of Ashokan rock edicts were found at Sopara suggests that it was an important port in Maurya times; however, it has not been properly explored.
• Puhar was once a flourishing ancient port city known as Kaveri Poompattinam, which for a while served as the capital of the Early Chola kings in Tamilakam. Puhar is located near the mouth of the Kaveri river, on the sea coast.
• The premier Chola port was Puhar (also known as Kaveripumpattinam), the major
• Pandya port was Korkai, while Tondi and Muchiri were the important ports in the Chera kingdom.
• Betel leaf and areca nut were among the important commodities involved in the trade networks of western India. An 1145 CE inscription from Mangrol, a port on the
• Saurashtra coast, refers to a levy imposed on the camel loads, cartloads, and bundles of betel leaf arriving at this port, probably from South India.

• The corpus of Sangam literature includes Tolkappiyam, Ettutogai, Pattuppattu, Pathinenkilkanakku, and the two epics – Silappathigaram and Manimegalai.
• Tolkappiyam authored by Tolkappiyar is the earliest of the Tamil literature. It is a work on Tamil grammar but it provides information on the political and socioeconomic conditions of the Sangam period.
• The Ettutogai or Eight Anthologies consist of eight works – Aingurunooru, Narrinai, Aganaooru, Purananooru, Kuruntogai, Kalittogai, Paripadal and Padirruppattu.
• The Pattuppattu or Ten Idylls consist of ten works – Thirumurugarruppadai, Porunararruppadai, Sirupanarruppadai, Perumpanarruppadai, Mullaippattu, Nedunalvadai, Maduraikkanji, Kurinjippatttu, Pattinappalai and Malaipadukadam.
• Both Ettutogai and Pattuppattu were divided into two main groups – Aham (love) and Puram (valour).
• Pathinenkilkanakku contains eighteen works mostly dealing with ethics and morals.
• The most important among them is Tirukkural authored by Thiruvalluvar.
• Silappathigaram written by Elango Adigal and Manimegalai by Sittalai Sattanar also provides valuable information on the Sangam polity and society.

• The teachings of Budhha form the core of Buddhism. Buddhism did not recognize the existence of God. Buddhism accepts the idea of transmigration (samsara) but rejects the idea of the eternal atman (soul).
• Buddhism does believe in the theory of rebirth. According to Buddhism rebirth is governed by the cumulative results of the karma of a particular life. Karma means intentions that lead to actions of body, speech, or mind.

Hence option (b) is the correct answer.

Both the statements given above are correct.

• The founder of the Satavahana dynasty was Simuka. He was succeeded by Krishna, who extended the kingdom up to Nasik in the west.
• The third king was Sri Satakarni. He conquered western Malwa and Berar. He also performed asvamedha sacrifices.
• The seventeenth king of the Satavahana dynasty was Hala. He reigned for a period of five years. Hala became famous for his book Gathasaptasati, also called Sattasai. It contains 700 verses in Prakrit language.

Dhokra casting

• Dhokra is an alloy of brass, nickel and zinc which gives an antique look. The oldest specimen using such a technique was during the Harappan Period (famous Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-Daro).
• Among the popular sculptural traditions, Dhokra or metal sculptures are made from lost wax or cire perdue technique. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• It is one of the most prominent metal crafts of Bastar, Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Midnapore in West Bengal. It involves casting bronze through the lost wax method. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The metal craftsmen of Bastar are called ghadwa. In popular etymology, the term ‘ghadwa’ means the act of shaping and creating. It is probably this that gives the casters their name. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• Its motifs are mostly drawn from a folk culture which includes animal figures like elephants, horses, gods and goddesses, containers with lids, lamps and lamp stands, and intricate designs in the shape of trees and branches. o NOTE: Lost-wax process or the cire-perdue is a method of metal casting in which molten metal is poured into a mould that has been created by means of a wax model. Once the mould is made, the wax model is melted and drained away. A hollow core is then filled with molten metal which takes the shape of the mould.

• Among the travellers whose writings on Vijayanagar have survived are Niccolo de Conti, a Venetian merchant (1420); Abdur Razzaq Samarqandi, a Persian scholar-envoy (1443); Duarte Barbosa, a Portuguese officer (c. 1515); and Domingo Paes (c. 1520) and Fernao Nuniz (1535–37), Portuguese merchant- adventurers.
  • The institution of nayaka was studied in detail by two Portuguese-Fernao Nuniz and Domingo Paes, who visited India during the reigns of Krishnadeva Raya and Achyut Raya of the Tuluva dynasty during the sixteenth century.
  • We get information about foreign trade from the Amuktamalyada of Krishnadeva Raya, Domingo Paes and Nuniz. They have given vivid descriptions of the horse trade.
  • Nicolò de’ Conti did not write about his extensive travels. Our knowledge of him has been filtered through the works of two men to whom he recounted his adventures.
• Niccolo Manucci (1639-1717) was a Venetian traveller who toured different parts of India including Bengal and left behind a reliable description of the land and people. He wrote accounts of the Mughal Empire.
• Other travellers who visited the Vijaynagar empire are:
  • Abdur Razzaq: He was a Persian, Timurid chronicler and scholar who visited the Vijaynagar Kingdom at the time of Dev Raya II as an ambassador of Shah Rukh, the Timurid dynasty ruler of Persia.
  • Athanasius Nikitin: He was the first noteworthy traveller from Russia. 
  • Duarte Barbosa: He was a Portuguese Writer, scrivener and explorer who had given a vivid account of Vijaynagara governance under Krishna Deva Raya.

Hence option (a) is the correct answer.

• Delhi first become the capital of a kingdom under Tomar Rajput, who was defeated in the middle of the 12th Century by the Chauhan of Ajmer. It was found under Tomaras and Chauhans that Delhi become an important commercial center. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• The Mongols under Genghis Khan invaded Transoxiana and North-East Iran in 1219 and the Delhi Sultanate faced their onslaught again soon after the reign of Alauddin Khaliji (reign: 1296-1316). Their onslaught became more intense and ferocious during the Khilji rule. But Alauddin succeeded in crushing the Mongols. Shams ud-Din Iltutmish or Iltutmish was the third of the Mamluk kings who ruled the former Ghurid territories in northern India. His rule (1211-1236) preceded that of the Khiljis. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
• Tughluq Dynasty (1320-1414) was also known as the Quaraunah Turks. Ghiyassuddin Tughlaq was the founder/first ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

• The Akbar Nama was written to provide a detailed description of Akbar’s reign in the traditional diachronic sense of recording politically significant events across time, as well as in the more novel sense of giving a synchronic picture of all aspects of Akbar’s empire – geographic, social, administrative and cultural – without reference to chronology. • Abu’l Fazl wrote in a language that was ornate and which attached importance to diction and rhythm, as texts were often read aloud. This Indo- Persian style was patronized at court, and there were a large number of writers who wanted to write like Abu’l Fazl. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• The Akbar Nama is divided into three books of which the first two are chronicles. The third book is Ain-i Akbari. The first volume contains the history of mankind from Adam to one celestial cycle of Akbar’s life (30 years). The second volume closes in the forty-sixth regnal year (1601) of Akbar. The very next year Abu’l Fazl fell victim to a conspiracy hatched by Prince Salim and was murdered by his accomplice, Bir Singh Bundela.
• In the Ain-i Akbari, the Mughal Empire is presented as having a diverse population consisting of Hindus, Jainas, Buddhists, and Muslims and a composite culture.Ain-i-Akbari embodies Ains or rules and regulations framed and put into effect for proper administration by Akbar. It is regarded as an administrative manual and is like a modern gazetteer. The regulations embodied in the Ain-i-Akbari provide information about Akbar's government, several departments, its different ranks, etc.
• Abul Fazl also discusses in this book the social condition, literary activities, and study of law and philosophy not only of Muslims but also of local Hindus, Jains, and other communities. There are, in addition, chapters on distinguished travelers, Muslim saints, and sufis. Hence statement 2 is correct.

• Statement 1 is correct: During the reign of Akbar, painting was organized in one of the imperial establishments. Large number of painters from all the castes were invited to join. Daswant and Basawan were the famous painters. Apart from illustrating Persian fables, painters were soon assigned the task of illustrating Persian text of Mahabharata, etc. Thus, Indian scenes and themes came into vogue. An illustrated manuscript of the Tuti-nama in the Cleveland Museum of Art (USA) appears to be the first work of the Mughal School. The style of painting in this manuscript shows the Mughal style in its formative stage.
• Statement 2 is correct: Indian colors like peacock blue, the Indian red, etc. began to be used. Above all the flat effect of the Persian Style began to be replaced by the roundness of Indian brush, giving pictures a three-dimensional effect.
• Statement 3 is not correct: Under Akbar, European painting was introduced at the court by the Portuguese priests. Under their influence, the principles of foreshortening, whereby near and distant people and things could be placed in perspective was quietly adopted.
• Statement 4 is not correct: Mughal painting reached climax under the reign of Jahangir who had very discriminating eye. It was a fashion in the Mughal school for the faces, bodies and feet of the people in a single picture to be painted by different artists. Jahangir claims that he could distinguish the work of each artist in the picture. Apart from painting hunting, battle, and court scenes, under Jahangir special progress was made in portrait paintings and painting animals. It is of an high aesthetic merit. It is primarily aristocratic and secular. Following the example of the Mughal Emperor the courtiers and the provincial officers also patronised painting. They engaged artists trained in the Mughal technique of painting. But the artists available to them were of inferior merit, those who could not seek employment in the Imperial Atelier which required only first-rate artists.

• Mrichchhakatika is a ten-act Sanskrit drama attributed to Sudraka and is generally thought to have lived sometime between the 2^nd century BC and the 5^th century AD. The play is set in the ancient city of Ujjain during the reign of king Pataka. The main story is that of a noble that a young Brahmin Charudatta falls in love with a wealthy courtesan, vasantasena. So, Pair (1) is not correct.
• Mahakavi Kalidasa is a great Indian poet of the 5^th century AD. He was one of the greatest Sanskrit poets in the world. He belonged to the Gupta period. He had written three plays, i.e., Malavikagnimitra, Abhigyanashakuntalam and Vikramorvasiyam. These three plays became so famous that they made Kalidasa one of the legends. He has also written some epic poems, i.e., Raghuvamsa and Kumarasambhava. Some of the other poems of Kalidasa are Ritusamhara and Meghaduta. So, Pair (2) is correct.
• Vishakhadatta, the author of a rare semi-historical play called Mudrarakshasa, apparently was a courtier at the Gupta court. Mudrarakshasa is a political drama that narrates the ascent of king Chandragupta Maurya to power in India. His play dramatizes the political principles expounded in the book Arthasastra by Kauᒷilya, who appears as the play's hero. So, Pair (3) is not correct.

• Statement 1 is not correct: Balban stood forth as the champion of Turkish nobility. He refused to entertain for important government posts anyone who did not belong to a noble family. He excluded Indian Muslims from all positions of power and authority.
  • To emphasise that the nobles were not his equals, he insisted on the ceremony of sijada and paibos. These ceremonies were Iranian in origin and were considered un-Islamic.
• Statement 2 is correct: To keep himself well informed, Balban appointed spies in every department. He also organized a strong centralized army, both to deal with internal disturbances, and to repel the Mongols who had entrenched themselves in Punjab and posed a serious danger to the Delhi Sultanat.
• Statement 3 is not correct: Muhammad bin Tughlaq launched a scheme to extend and improve cultivation in the doab. He set up a separate department called diwan-i-amir-i-kohi. The area was divided into development blocs headed by an official whose job was to extend cultivation by giving loans to the cultivators and to induce them to cultivate superior crops—wheat in place of barley, sugarcane in place of wheat, grapes and dates in place of sugarcane,etc.
  • Balban organised a strong centralized army, both to deal with internal disturbances and to repel the Mongols. For this purpose, he reorganized the military department (diwan-i-arz) and pensioned off those soldiers who were no longer fit for service.

• Statement 1 is not correct: 'Latina' or the rekha-prasada type buildings have simple shikhara which is square at the base and whose walls curve or slope inward to a point on top. Another major type of architectural form in the nagara order is the phamsana. Phamsana buildings tend to be broader and shorter than latina ones. Their roofs are composed of several slabs that gently rise to a single point over the centre of the building, unlike the latina ones which look like sharply rising tall towers.
• Statement 2 is correct: In many North Indian temples you will notice that the phamsana design is used for the mandapas while the main garbhagriha is housed in a latina building. Later on, the latina buildings grew complex, and instead of appearing like a single tall tower, the temple began to support many smaller towers, which were clustered together like rising mountain-peaks with the tallest one being in the centre, and this was the one which was always above the garbhagriha.
• Statement 3 is correct: These are rectangular buildings with a roof that rises into a vaulted chamber. The edge of this vaulted chamber is rounded, like the bamboo or wooden wagons that would have been drawn by bullocks in ancient times. They are usually called ‘wagon- vaulted buildings’.

• A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. In order to function as a GI, a sign must identify a product as originating in a given place
  • Under Articles 1 (2) and 10 of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, geographical indications are covered as an element of IPRs. They are also covered under Articles 22 to 24 of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.
• In December 1999, the Parliament passed the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act,1999. This Act seeks to provide for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India.
  • The Act is administered by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks- who is the Registrar of Geographical Indications. The Geographical Indications Registry is located at Chennai. The Act has come into force with effect from 15th September 2003.
• Aranmula Kannadi (literally meaning Aranmula mirror) is a handmade metal-alloy mirror, unlike the usual glass mirror. Aranmula Kannadi is an extraordinary traditional handmade metal mirror which is famous for bringing prosperity, luck and wealth into life.
  • What’s unique about this front surface reflection mirror is that it eliminates secondary reflections that you typically see in back surface mirrors. Born out of Kerala’s rich culture and its inclination towards metallurgical articles, the mirror is said to have tremendous spiritual value and brings good luck.
  • In 2004, this rare craft belonging to a small town in Kerala was given worldwide recognition when a 45-centimeter tall Aranmula mirror was placed in London’s British Museum and awarded a geographical indication (GI) tag.
  • Owing to the unmatched splendor and religious significance of Aranmula Kannadi, Aranmula was declared a heritage village by Kerala Tourism in order to draw tourists’ attention to this dying craft.
• The making of Mysore Agarbathi became an organized industry in Bangalore during the 1900s. The incense sticks are locally known as oodabathies (blowing fumes). Herbs, flowers, essential oils, barks, roots and charcoal are ground into a smooth paste, then rolled onto bamboo sticks and dried in the sun.
  • The key ingredients Sandalwood and Ailanthus malabaricum (which yields halmadi) are indigenous to the forests of Karnataka, thus earning the product its GI tag status.
• The Hmaram was and is a popular article of clothing for Mizoram women. It is a handmade shawl and is worn like a short skirt by being wrapped around the waist and tucked in on one side. It is worn with a white blouse for ceremonies, festivals, or special events. It is made of cotton and dyed with natural indigo. It enjoys a GI tag status.
• The Lock manufacturing industry in Dindigul is hundreds of years old. Dindigul locks can guarantee aspects like quality, full safety & key facilities, most importantly they are attractive and unique in design.
  • The popular kinds of locks that are manufactured in Dindigul are Mango lock, Door Lock, Trick Lock, Bell Lock, Drawer Lock, Shutter Lock & Book Shutter Lock.
  • Dindigul Locks are specifically purchased for Temples. Government institutions and business places because of its foolproof Safety.
  • Dindigul lock manufacturers claim that the precision lever mechanism in their locks is manually assembled with a unique key code and shackles are meticulous in design that gives greater resistance to anyone who tries to break in.
  • Dindigul locks enjoy GI tag status.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

• Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri, (or) Jahangir-nama, the memoirs of Jahangir, tells about his great interest in arts and his efforts to achieve scientific correctness in rendering flora and fauna that interested the Emperor the most. It was written in the Persian language. Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri is an Autobiography of Jahangir. So, Option (1) is not correct.
• The Ain-i-Akbari, or the "Administration of Akbar," is a 16th-century detailed document recording the administration of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar, written by his court historian, Abul Fazl, in the Persian language. The main purpose of Ain-i-Akbari was to record information about the people and society during the Mughal regime and to give detailed accounts of the organisation of the court, administration and army. Abul Fazl wrote a three-volume history of Akbar’s reign, titled Akbar Nama.
  • The first volume dealt with Akbar’s ancestors,
  • The second volume recorded the events of Akbar’s reign and
  • The third volume is the Ain-i Akbari. It deals with Akbar’s administration, household, army, revenues and the geography of his empire. It also provides rich details about the traditions and culture of the people living in India. The most interesting aspect of the Ain-i Akbari is its rich statistical details about things as diverse as crops, yields, prices, wages and revenues. In the Ain-i Akbari, the Mughal Empire is presented as having a diverse population consisting of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Muslims and a composite culture. So, Option (2) is correct.
• Qanun –i-Humayuni was composed in 1534 CE by Khvandamir, one of the officials under Humayun's patronage. It is about the Work on the Rules and Ordinances Established by the Emperor Humayun and on Some Buildings Erected by His Order. It is not an Autobiography. So, Option (3) is correct.