Test: Medieval History - 1 - UPSC MCQ

Under Akbar, painting appears to have been confined only to manuscript illustration. So B is wrong. Portrait reached great heights during Jahangir's reign. The portrait were painted with great care of details and finesse of drawing and modeling.

• Tansen invented the night raga Darbari Kanhra, morning raga Mian Ki Todi, mid-day raga, Mian ki Sarang, seasonal raga Mian ki Malhar. So #D is right, therefore eliminated, because we've to find wrong statement.
• He composed many dhrupads on Ganesha, Shiva, Parvati and Rama. He also composed songs on his patrons. So B and C also eliminated.
• Tansen was the title given to him by Raja Vikramjit of Gwalior. So, A is wrong, and therefore it's the answer.

• In the 13th century, Nimbarka and Vallabhacharya were also other preachers of Vaishnavite Bhakti in the Telangana region.
Akbar was 15th Century, so unlikely to be contemporaries. #1 is wrong.
• "Naqshbandi school degraded Sufism to the status of a handmaid of orthodox Islam. Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi (1563- 1624) became the leading spokesman of this school after Akbar's death.
His teachings were not confined to the reform of Islam; he advocated a crusade against the Hindus." So, it's unlikely that Kabir would be 'greatly influenced' by such hardcore radical element. #2 is wrong. Besides, Kabir Das timeline is (1398 or 1440-1518) so he was long dead before Sirhindi was even born.

• The first stage of Iqta system started in 1206. The system started with the assignment of different regions as iqtas (territorial areas or units whose revenues were assigned to officials in lieu of salaries) to military commanders, out of whose revenues they could maintain themselves and their troops as well. So, it means Iqta started in 1206 itself and it was not an ancient indigenous Indian institution. #2 is wrong. B and D eliminated.
• Mughal Central Administration: Mir Bakshi was Head of the military department. So, #3 is wrong.
We are left with answer A:1 only.

• Two classes shared power of the State with Mughal emperor: zamindars and the nobles. The zamindars were hereditary owners of their lands who enjoyed certain privileges on hereditary basis. They occupied an important place in the empire because they helped in the collection of revenue and in local administration, for which they maintained soldiers.
• The nobility comprised people who were either assigned large jagirs / Mansabs or appointed Subahdars.

Paintings at Kishangarh is associated with the most romantic legends - Sawant Singh and his beloved Bani Thani. and of the intertwining of lives and myths, romance and bhakti. It is sometimes argued that the women in 'bani thani' is said to resemble the character of Radh(a).

• ICSE Class 9 textbook Page 150 : Buland Darwaza constructed in red and yellow standstones with white marble inlay in the span of the arches.
Khankah too contains white marbles. So, statement#1 is right.
• Second statement is wrong. "Rumi Darwaza, Bara Imambara, Chhatar Manzil …. monuments in the Lucknow city are fragile in terms of structural strength (because) The common material used for raising most of the monuments in Lucknow was brick and plaster. The two ingredients used are unique in their own sense but their strength when compared with rock solid stones is much less." says Times of India.

(i) In reign of Krishna Deva, land revenue was the main source of income of the government. To assess the proper revenue entire land was classified into four parts: the wet land, the dry land, the orchards and the woods. The government also levied other taxes like the grazing tax, the customs duty, tax on gardening and industries taxes on manufacture of various articles.
(ii) From the travelogue written by Persianenvoy Abdur Razzaqin the court of Vijaynagar, we find both statements are correct.

(i) Siddhas means the refined monotheistic creed existed. Sittar implies an expert in occultism, alchemy and so on with magic or superstitious powers.
(ii) The lingayats believed that on death the devotee will be reunited with Shiva and not return to this world.
Therefore instead of cremating the body, they ceremonially bury their dead.
(iii) They criticised the caste system and questioned belief in the theory of rebirth.
(iv) Certain practices were encouraged by the lingayats such as post-puberty marriages and widow remarriage.
Knowledge of the Virashaiva tradition has been derived from vachanas (sayings) composed in Kannada by those who had joined

Khajuraho is located in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh. Tirupati is located in Rayalaseema region.

The Maagadha and the suutas were associated with memorizing of chronicles, dynastic histories and Epic tales.

The Persian wheel is a mechanical water lifting device operated usually by draught animals like bullocks, buffaloes or camels. It is used to lift water from water sources typically open wells. In Sanskrit the word Araghatta has been used in the ancient texts to describe the Persian Wheel. The ‘ara-ghatta’ comes from the combination of the words ‘ara’ meaning spoke and ‘ghatta’ meaning pot.

First and second statements are wrong because Ajanta (Buddhist caves) was built from 2^nd Century BCE to 5^th Century CE, while Mahabalipuram (Hindu temple) was built during 7-8^th Centuries by Pallava Kings. Third statement is correct- both are rock cut monuments.

The concept of Bodhisattva is central to the Mahayana doctrines of Buddhism. The term ‘bodhisattva’ literally means ‘one who has enlightenment as his/her essence’. A bodhisattva is a being who is destined for enlightenment rather than one who has gained it already. A bodhisattva is also normally thought of as consciously working towards enlightenment: you can’t call someone a bodhisattva just because they might be enlightened in the future if they haven’t started making an effort yet. For this reason, the earliest use of the term ‘bodhisattva’ refers to Siddhartha Gautama before he gained enlightenment, and also in his previous lives.
Thus, Boddhisattva is central to Mahayan sect of Buddhism. Hence first statement is wrong. While 2^nd and 3^rd are correct.

In 1837, British archeologist and historian James Prinsep decoded the edicts of emperor Ashoka. Prinsep’s inscription proved to be a series of edicts issued by a king calling himself “Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi.”