2011
| India maintained its early cultural contacts and trade links with Southeast Asia across the Bay of Bengal. For this pre-eminence of early maritime history of Bay of Bengal, which of the following could be the most convincing explanation /explanations?
(a)As compared to other countries, India had a better ship-building technology in ancient and medieval times. (b)The rulers of southern India always patronized traders, Brahmin priests and Buddhist monks in this context. (c)Monsoon winds across the Bay of Bengal facilitated sea voyages. (d) Both a and b are convincing explanations in this context |
c |
2012
| With reference to the guilds (Shreni) of ancient India that played a very important role in the country’s economy, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Every guild was registered with the central authority of the State and the king was the chief administrative authority on them. 2. The wages, rules of work, standards and prices were fixed by the guild. 3. The guild had judicial powers over its own members. Select the correct answer using the codes given below: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 |
c |
2014
| With reference to the religious history of medieval India, the Sufi mystics were known to pursue which of the following practices?
1. Meditation and control of breath. 2. Severe ascetic exercises in a lonely place. 3. Recitation of holy songs to arouse a state of ecstasy in their audience. Select the correct answer using the codes given below: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 |
d |
Consider the following Bhakti Saints:
Who among the above was/were preaching when the Lodi dynasty fell and Babur took over? (a) 1 and 3 (b) 2 only (c) 2 and 3 (d) 1 and 2 |
b |
| Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri was?
(a)the mosque for the use of Royal Family. (b) Akbar”s private prayer chamber. (c) the hall in which Akbar held discussions with scholars of various religions. (d) the room in which the nobles belonging in different religions gathered to discuss religious affairs. |
c |
Consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above is/are corect? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 |
d |
2015
Who of the following founded a new city on the south bank of a tributary to river Krishna and undertook to rule his new kingdom as the agent of a deity to whom all the land south of the river Krishna was supposed to belong?
a) Amoghavarsha I
b) Ballala II
c) Harihara I
d) Prataparudra II
Solution: c)
He was the founder of Vijayanagar Empire.
His initial military exploits established his control over the valley of Tungabhadra River (a tributary of Krishna), and gradually he expanded his control to certain regions of Konkan and Malabar Coast. By that time Hoysalas had lost its last ruler Veera Ballala III who died fighting the Sultan of Madurai, and the vacuum so created facilitated Harihara I to emerge as a sovereign power. The entire Hoysala territories came under his rule directly.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harihara_I
Consider the following :
The arrival of Babur into India led to the
1. introduction of gunpowder
2. introduction of the arch and dome in the region’s architecture
3. establishment of Timurid dynasty
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1,2 and 3
Solution: b)
Statement 1: Chinese gunpowder technology is believed to have arrived in India by the mid-14th century, but could have been introduced much earlier by the Mongols, who had conquered both China and some borderlands of India, perhaps as early as the mid-13th century. The unification of a large single Mongol Empire resulted in the free transmission of previously top-secret Chinese technology into Mongol conquered parts of India. Regardless, it is believed that the Mongols used Chinese gunpowder weapons during their invasions of India.
If statement 1 is wrong, the only possible option is B.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_gunpowder#India
2016
With reference to the cultural history of medieval India, consider the following statements :
- Siddhas (Sittars) of Tamil region were monotheistic and condemned idolatry.
- Lingayats of Kannada region questioned the theory of rebirth and rejected the caste hierarchy.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Solution: C
Justification: Statement 1: Siddhas believe in oneness of the transcendental being in the world as well as charity towards men. This clearly shows they believed there is only one God, i.e. monotheism.
The Siddhar tradition has also been contrasted with the Bhakti tradition. Their attitude against idol worship and their stress on yoga, knowledge right conduct distinguished them from Bhakti cults. So, clearly 1 is correct.
Statement 2: Basavanna (founder of Lingayatism) rebelled against the rigid practices of the caste system then prevalent in orthodox Hindu society and eventually began expounding his own philosophy with a casteless society at its core.
Lingayats believed that there is no rebirth and on death the devotee reunites with Shiva never coming back to the World. So, 2 is also correct.
Source: Religion, Philosophy, Yoga: A Selection of Articles By Jean Filliozat http://tinyurl.com/gnbkxhs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingayatism
Regarding the taxation system of Krishna Deva, the ruler of Vijayanagar, consider the following statements:
- The tax rate on land was fixed depending on the quality of the land.
- Private owners of workshops paid an industries tax.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Solution: C
Justification: Statement 1: Land revenue was the chief source of income. Land was divided into four categories for purposes of assessment, wet land, dry land, orchards and woods. Usually the share was one sixth of the produce. Land revenue could be paid in cash or kind. The rates varied according to the type of the crops, soil, method of irrigation, etc. So, 1 is clearly correct.
Statement 2: Besides land tax, many professional taxes were also imposed. There were on shopkeepers, farm servants, workmen, posters, shoemakers, musicians etc. There was also a tax on property. Grazing and house taxes were also imposed. Commercial taxes consisted of levies, duties and customs on manufactured articles of trade were also levied. Private owners of workshops paid an industries tax, which means 2 is correct.
Source: UB Singh – Administrative System in India: Vedic Age to 1947 http://tinyurl.com/js458vk
- With reference to the economic history of medieval India, the term Araghatta’ refers to
(a) bonded labour
(b) land grants made to military officers
(c) waterwheel used in the irrigation of land
(d) wasteland and converted to cultivated land
Solution: C
Justification: http://base.d-p-h.info/en/fiches/dph/fiche-dph-7866.html
- Banjaras during the medieval period of Indian history were generally
(a) agriculturists
(b) warriors
(c) weavers
(d) traders
Solution: D
Justification: There were many different tribal groups in Medieval India. Some were hunter-gatherer nomads.
- One such type of nomadic group was that of the banjaras.
- They were the most important trader-nomads during the medieval period.
- Their caravan was called tanda. Sultan Alauddin Khaljls market regulation system could become successful pnmanly because of the fact that he relied heavily on the banjaras to transport grains to the city markets.
2017
Which one of the following was a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom?
(a)Kakinada
(b)Motupalli
(c)Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam)
(d)Nelluru
ANS:B
2018
With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following statements:
- White marble was used in making Buland Darwaza and Khankah at Fatehpur Sikri.
- Red sandstone and marble were used in making Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza at Lucknow.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor
ANS:A
- Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri is the most iconic architectural accomplishment of Akbar’s reign. It incorporates almost all the essential features of Akbar’s architectural traditions: red sandstone, stone carvings, relief by inserting white marble, etc. This monumental gate, however, was probably less intended to commemorate a military victory than to underscore Akbar’s links with the Chishti order. Its surface is covered by marble slabs inscribed with Quranic verses promising paradise to true believers, appropriate for the entrance into a khanqah, a complex intended for meditation and devotion.
- AsafiImambara, or Bara Imambara, of Lucknow was built to give employment and revenue to the public. Resources were strained, a peak had been reached in architectural style, and a certain decadence had crept in. To overcome these, the Nawabs used a more economical style in architecture, which also gave a touch of lightness to the buildings. Instead of stones and marble, brick and lime were used. Stucco ornamentation (gajkari) was used to decorate the monuments, giving it a deep relief effect even on flat walls. Mother of pearl and shells deposited in lake beds were used in the stucco ornamentation to give a shine finer than marble.
- The local masons cleverly used the brick, with its small size and thickness, to form remarkably fine details on the wall and column surfaces. It’s a testimony to their skill that they could adapt lowly material to such wonderful effect: balusters were imitated in clay supported on iron rods. Similarly, pottery was used for roof finials and ornaments. This skill can be seen in the delicately built Rumi Darwaza that was the main gateway to the Bara Imambara. It was called so because the design of the structure bears resemblance to an ancient gateway at Constantinople. It’s also called the “Turkish Gateway”. The word Rumi means Roman, and the name was probably given due to the gateway’s design having traces of Roman architecture.
2019
With reference to Mughal India, what is/are the difference/differences between Jagirdar and Zamindar?
1. Jagirdars were holders or land assignments in lieu of judicial and police duties, whereas Zamindars were holders of revenue rights without obligation to perform any duty other than revenue collection.
2. Land assignments to Jagirdars were hereditary and revenue rights or Zamindars were not hereditary.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2
ANS:D
With refence to forced labour (Vishti) in India during the Gupta period, which one of the following statements is correct?
(a)It was considered a source of income for the State, a sort of tax paid by the people.
(b)It was totally absent in the Madhya Pradesh and Kathiawar region of the Gupta Empire.
(c)The forced labourer was entitled to weekly wages.
(d)The eldest son of the labourer was sent as the forced labourer.
ANS:A
Consider the following statements:
1. In the revenue administration of Delhi Sultanate, the in-charge of revenue collection was known as ‘Amil’.
2. The Iqta system of Sultans of Delhi was an ancient indigenous institution.
3. The office of ‘Mir Bakshi’ came into existence during the reign of Khalji Sultans of Delhi.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)1 and 2 only
(c)3 only
(d)1, 2 and 3
ANS:A
Consider the following statements:
1. Saint Nimbarka was a contemporary of Akbar.
2. Saint Kabir was greatly influenced by Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2
ANS:D
Who among the following Mughal Emperors shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to album and individual portrait?
(a)Humayun
(b)Akbar
(c)Jahangir
(d)Shah Jahan
ANS:C
With reference to Mian Tansen, which one of the following statements is not correct?
(a)Tansen was the title given to him by Emperor Akbar.
(b)Tansen composed Dhrupada on Hindu gods and goddesses.
(c)Tansen composed songs on his patrons.
(d)Tansen invented many Ragas.
ANS:A
2020
Q41. With reference to the history of India consider the following pairs:
- Aurang in-charge Of treasury of the state
- Banian Indian agent of the East India Company
- Mirasidar designated revenue payer to the state
Which of the pairs above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3 only
Answer: B
Q45. Which of the following phrases defines the nature of the ‘Hundi’ generally referred to in sources of the Post Harsha period?
(a) An advisory issued by the king to his subordinates
(b) A diary to be maintained for daily routine
(c) A bill of exchange
(d) An order from the feudal lord to his subordinates
Answer: C