UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions 2021: History | History for UPSC CSE PDF Download

Ans: (b)

• Bhavabhuti was a famous Indian dramatist, poet and scholar during the 8th century. Hastimalla was a Jain poet in the court of the Solanki rulers. Kshemeshwara was the court poet of Mahipala of Kannauj.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Ans: (a)

• Ajanta is a series of rock-cut caves in the Sahyadri ranges (Western Ghats) on Waghora river near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. There are a total of 29 caves (all Buddhist) of which 25 were used as Viharas or residential caves while 4 were used as Chaitya or prayer halls.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Ans: (c)

• According to an inscription dated to 1323 AD, the Chausath Yogini temple was built by the Kachchhapaghata king Devapala (reigned 1055 – 1075). Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The Chausath Yogini Temple is also known as Ekattarso Mahadeva Temple. This temple is so named because of the presence of a multitude of shiva lingas inside its cells. Hence, statements 2 and 3 are not correct.
• Many of the curious visitors have compared this temple with the Indian Parliament building (Sansad Bhawan) as both are circular in style. Many have drawn conclusions that this temple was the inspiration behind the Sansad Bhawan. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Ans: (b)

• During 300 to 700 AD, the Gupta kingdom emerged as a great power and achieved the political unification of a large part of the Indian subcontinent. The Puranas mention Magadha, Allahabad and Oudh as the Gupta dominions. Hence, 1 is correct.
• The decline of the Gupta empire resulted in the emergence of numerous ruling dynasties in different parts of northern India. The prominent among them were the Pushyabhutis of Thanesar, Maukharis of Kanauj and the Maitrakas of Valabhi. Hence, 3, 4 and 6 are correct.
• The political scene in Peninsular India was no different. South India too witnessed the rise of two important kingdoms under the Chalukyas and the Pallavas respectively during 550–750 AD.
• The Paramara dynasty ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th centuries. Hence, 2 is not correct.
• The Yadavas initially ruled as feudatories of the Western Chalukyas. Around the middle of the 12th century, as the Chalukya power waned, the Yadava king Bhillama V declared independence. Hence, 5 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Ans: (d)

• Chandraketugarh: Major findings of this site include Buddhist stupas and images, decorative designs belonging to Pala period, coins of Gupta and Kushana period, different kinds of beads, terracotta seals, bricks and plaques depicting scenes from Jataka tales and figurines of Sunga, Maurya, Kushana and Gupta periods. Hence, pair 2 is correctly matched.
• Ganeshwar: Copper artefacts, objects, microliths and pottery were found throughout the deposits. Copper objects included arrowheads, spearheads, fish hooks, bangles and chisels. Hence, pair 3 is correctly matched.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Ans: (b)

• Mitakshara and Dayabhaga terms were used to denote regions. It is not related to the caste system. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• The difference between Dayabhaga and Mitakshara is in the basic idea of them. Dayabhaga does not give anyone the right to property before the death of their forefathers whereas Mitakshara gives anyone the right to property just after their birth. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Dayabhaga system prevails in West Bengal and allows both the male and female members of the family to be coparceners. Mitakshara system, on the other hand, prevails all over India except West Bengal and allows only the male members to be coparceners. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Ans: (d)
Odisha’s tribal language is divided into 3 main language families. They are Austro-Asiatic (Munda), Dravida and Indo-Aryan. Every tribe has its own language and language family. The languages include:

• Austro-Asiatic: Bhumij, Birhor, Rem (Bonda), Gatah (Didyai), Gutab (Gadaba), Sora(Saora), Gorum (Parenga), Khadia, Juang, Santali, Ho, Mundari, etc.
• Dravida: Gondi, Kui-Kondh, Kuvi-Kondh, Kisan, Koya, Olari, (Gadaba) Parja, Peng,
• Kudukh (Oraon) etc.
• Indo Aryan: Bathudi, Bhuyan, Kurmali, Sounti, Sadri, Kandhan, Aghria, Desia, Jharia, Halbi, Bhatri, Matia, Bhunjia, etc.
• Out of these languages only 7 have scripts. They are Santali (Olchiki), Saora (Sorang Sampeng), Ho (Warangchiti), Kui (Kui Script), Oraon (Kukhud Tod), Mundari (Bani Hisir), Bhumij (Bhumij Anl). Santali language has been included in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Ans: (a)
The Mughals in India had an elaborate administrative setup. The emperor was the head of the central administration aided by different officials like Mir Bakshi, Diwan etc. The empire was divided into provinces called subas. Each suba was divided into sarkar. The local administration was looked after at the level of the pargana (sub- district). Thus, the correct sequence in ascending order in terms of size is Pargana - Sarkar - Suba.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Ans: (d)

• In Vijayanagara society, women held a high position. Some of them were well-versed in literature and prominent litterateurs. The widows could remarry. Women from the upper castes and nobility were well-educated. Music and dance were a significant part of their education.
• According to Portuguese writer Nuniz, women were wrestlers, astrologers, accountants, writers and musicians. It was the only empire in Medieval India which employed women in state services. Hence, 1, 2, 3 and 4 are correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Ans: (a)

• In the year 1221, the great Mongol conqueror Chengiz Khan stood victorious at the western bank of the Indus River with 50,000 soldiers, having just defeated Jalal-ad-Din, the Shah of Khwarezm. At that time Northern India was ruled by Shams ud-Din Iltutmish, the third sultan of the Turkic Mamluk dynasty, which was founded by Qutb al- Din Aibak in 1206. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• In 1398, Timur invaded India with an aim of destroying the Hindu kings and rulers. Sultan Nasir-ud-din Mahmud Tughluq of the Tughlaq dynasty could not do anything to resist Timur and was easily defeated. Mohammed Bin Tughlaq ruled during 1325-1351 AD. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• Deva Raya II (1422-1446) was the greatest ruler of the Sangama dynasty. Vasco da Gama landed in Calicut in 1498 during the reign of Tuluva Narsa Nayaka in 1498.

Hence, statement 3 is not correct. Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Ans: (b)

• In 1918, Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State, and Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy, produced their scheme of constitutional reforms, known as the Montagu-Chelmsford (or Mont-Ford) Reforms, which led to the enactment of the Government of India Act of 1919. The Act introduced reforms at the Central as well as Provincial levels, which also included voting rights for some women, among others. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• The Government of India Act, 1935 extended the principle of communal representation by providing separate electorates for depressed classes (scheduled castes), women and workers. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Ans: (a)

• On 8th August, 1942, Mahatma Gandhi gave the clarion call to end the British rule and launched the Quit India Movement at the session of the All-India Congress Committee in Mumbai. Gandhiji gave the call “Do or Die” in his speech delivered at the Gowalia Tank Maidan, now popularly known as August Kranti Maidan.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Ans: (c)
"Songs From Prison: Translations Of Indian Lyrics Made In Jail" was the collection of songs and lyrics by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, written during his imprisonment in Yerwada Jail, Poona.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Ans: (c)
In 1849, the Hindu Female School was founded by J.E.D. Bethune. In 1856, the British Government took charge of the Hindu Female School, and later renamed it as Bethune School. Pandit Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was made the secretary.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Ans: (d)
Prem Kumar Sehgal, Shah Nawaz Khan and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon were the second- tier commanders of the Indian National Army (INA).
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Ans: (a)

• The Nizamat of Carnatic (Arcot) was one of the subas (dependency) of the Mughal Deccan and was under the legal purview of the Nizam of Hyderabad. Later, Arcot emerged from Hyderabad. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• A feudatory of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Yadu dynasty contributed significantly to the development of Mysore. After the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire, Mysore became an independent state under the Hindu Wodeyar Dynasty in 1565 AD. In 1761, Hyder Ali overthrew the regaining dynasty in Mysore and established his own control over that state that was succeeded by Tipu Sultan in 1782. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Most of Rohilkhand’s borders were established by Ali Mohammed Khan and largely came into existence as a check to the power of Oudh State. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Ans: (a)
In January, 1618, the English factories in the dominions of the Mughal Empire numbered five in all: Agra, Ahmadabad, Burhanpur (in Khandesh), Broach, and Surat. Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Ans: (c)
The original song 'Jana Gana Mana' (National Anthem) was written in Bengali, but in a Sanskritized dialect known as Sadhu Bhasha. The idea of translating the song from Bengali to English came to Rabindranath Tagore while he was visiting the Besant Theosophical College on the invitation of Irish poet James H. Cousins. He penned down the English translation during his stay at Madanapalle, a small town in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Ans: (c)

• The patron saint of missionaries and one of the founders of the Jesuit order, Saint Francis Xavier sought religious converts throughout Asia during the 1500s. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Xavier traveled to Sancian (Shangchuan) Island, near Canton, but was not able to access the mainland because borders had been closed to foreigners. Before he could find a way inside the country, illness incapacitated Xavier. He died on the island on December 3, 1552, at the age of 46. His body was then taken to Goa. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• Each year, 3rd December, marks the anniversary of St. Francis Xavier’s death, when thousands gather at the Basilica of Bom Jesus. This annual festival, known as the Feast of St. Francis Xavier or Lord of Goa Festival, is the biggest of all the Christian festivals in Goa celebrated each year. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.