UGC NET Paper 2: History 29th Nov 2021 Shift 1 (Previous Year Paper)

The transition period between the Neolithic Age and the Bronze Age is known as Chalcolithic Age. The Chalcolithic Age is also known as the Copper-Stone Age. (The word 'chalco' means copper and 'lithic' means stone.)

Key Points

• The Chalcolithic Age marked the emergence of the use of metal along with stone tools.
• During this phase, people used copper and low-grade bronze along with stone tools.
• The chalcolithic age largely applied to the pre-Harappan phase, but in many parts of the country, it appears after the end of the bronze Harappan culture.
• The settlements belonging to this phase have been found in south-eastern Rajasthan, western Madhya Pradesh, western Maharashtra, and south and eastern India.
• Ahar, Gilund, Balathal, and Ganeshwar are important Chalcolithic sites excavated from the south-eastern part of Rajasthan.
• The site of Ganeshwar shows pre-Harappan Chalcolithic culture.
• The items like arrowheads, spearheads, fish hooks, bangles, chisels, etc, have been discovered at this site.

Additional Information 

• Songaon:
• This Chalcolithic site is located in western Maharashtra.
• Large mud houses with ovens and circular pit houses have been discovered here.
• Eran:
• ​This Chalcolthic site was discovered in western Madhya Pradesh.
• It shows non-Harappan culture.
• Chandoli:​
• This Chalcolithic site is located in western Maharashtra.
• The copper chisels have been excavated here.

The map given below shows the important Chalcolithic sites of India:

Hence, we can conclude that the Chalcolithic site located in Rajasthan is - Ganeshwar.

Vedas are the primary source of information about the Vedic Age. The word Vedas literally means to know or knowledge.

Key Points

• There are four Vedas - Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda.
• Atharvaveda provides the knowledge of magical formulae.
• It contains charms and spells to ward off evils and diseases.
• The first reference to the Anga and Magadha occurs in the Atharvaveda, where they are mentioned along with Gandhari and Mujavats.
• The Sabha and the Samiti as the two daughters of a Vedic deity named 'Prajapati' are mentioned in Atharvaveda.
• During the Vedic period, there were mainly two types of tribal assemblies named Sabha and Samiti.
• The Sabha was a smaller assembly of important members of the tribe who advised and guided the rajan.
• The Samiti was a large assembly where any member of the tribe could give his/her opinion on important matters concerning the tribe.

Hence, we can conclude that the Sabha and the Samiti are mentioned as the two daughters' of a Vedic deity in Atharvaveda.

Additional Information

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad:

• Brihadaranyaka literally means "great wilderness or forest".
• Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is one of the oldest of the Upanishads that contain the central philosophical concepts of Hinduism.
• Brihadaranyaka Upanishad talks about the transmigration of Aaman, and passages on metaphysics and ethics.

Sarira-dhatu means a body relic of Gautama Buddha. The word relic means a part of the body of a saint or an ancient religious object, kept for veneration.

Important Points

• Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, passed away at the age of 80 years in 483 BCE at Kushinagara in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
• This event was called Mahaparinirvana.
• After his cremation, the relics of the Buddha were divided into several portions and were distributed among his followers.
• Originally the Buddha’s ashes were to go only to the Shakya clan, to which Buddha belonged.
• However, six clans and a king demanded the body relics.
• To avoid fighting, a Brahmin Drona divided the relics into ten portions, eight from the body relics, one from the ashes of Buddha's cremation pyre, and one from the pot used to divide the relics, which he kept for himself.
• After Buddha's Mahaparinirvana, his relics were enshrined and worshipped in stupas by the royals of eight countries:
• Ajatasatru (king of Magadha)
• Licchavis of Vaishali
• Sakyas of Kapilavastu
• Bulis of Allakappa
• Koliyas of Ramagrama
• Brahmins of Vethadipa
• Mallas of Pava
• Mallas of Kushinagar
• The relics were later dug up by Ashoka, the Maurya Dynasty emperor, who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from 268 BCE to 232 BCE.
• He distributed the relics and had stupas built over them throughout the region he ruled.
• According to Ashokavadana, Ashoka had Buddha's relics placed in 84,000 stupas.

Therefore, we can conclude that Drona played an important role in distribution of Gautama Buddha's sarira-dhatu (relics) after his Mahaparinirvana.

Additional Information

• Buddha died during the reign of Ajatasatru (ruler of Magadha), who patronized the first Buddhist Council.
• Mahakasyapa presided over the first Buddhist Council.
• Upali was one of the main disciples of Buddha who was in charge of the reciting and reviewing of monastic discipline in the first Buddhist Council.

Jainism came to prominence in the 6^th century B.C., when Lord Mahavira propagated the religion. There were 24 Tirthankaras, the last of whom was Lord Mahavira.

Key Points

• First Jaina Council:
• The First Jaina Council was held at Pataliputra around 300 BCE.
• It was presided by Sthulabhadra.
• Jainism was split into two factions at this council ie Svetambara and Digambara.
• The Jains classified Mahavira's teachings into twelve Angas during this council.
• Second Jaina Council:
• The Second Jaina Councils were held simultaneously at the same time at Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) and Vallabhi (Gujarat).
• The council at Mathura was presided by Skandila whereas the council at Vallabhi was presided by Devarddhigani Kshamashramana.
• Third Jaina Council:
• The Vallabhi council II is another name for the Third Jain Council.
• The monks of the Svetambara sect gathered this council in Vallabhi, presently in Gujarat.
• Devarddhigani Kshamashramana presided over this council.

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that the Jaina Council at Valabhi was presided over by Devarddhigani Kshamashramana.

The Nasik Cave No. 10 is known as "Nahapana Vihara". Cave No. 10 is the second largest vihara and contains six inscriptions of the Nahapana family.

Key Points

• Ushavadata, a son-in-law of the Western Satraps ruler Nahapana made Nasik inscription in the Nasik Caves in the year 120 CE.
• It is the earliest known instance of Sanskrit usage in western India, albeit in a rather hybrid form.
• The inscriptions of Cave No. 10 reveals that in 105-106 CE western Satraps defeated Satavahanas.
• It also documents the 2^nd-century CE Indian tradition of dana (charity) to Brahmins and Buddhists, as well as the construction of infrastructure to serve pilgrims and the general public.
• It can be found on the front porch of Cave No.10, also known as the “Nahapana Vihara.”
• This inscription also describes the range of interest on fixed deposits (akshayanivi) during the Saka-Satavahana period.
• The range of interest on fixed deposit (akshayanivi) as described in the inscription of Nasik Cave No. 10 was From 9 to 12%.

Hence, we can conclude that the correct answer is - From 9 to 12%.

Acharya and Upadhyāyā indicate female teachers according to ancient grammarians.

Important Points

• Women during the Vedic period enjoyed high status with men in all aspects of life.
• Works by ancient Indian grammarians such as Patanjali and Katyayana suggest that women were educated in the early Vedic period.
• There were also women teachers called Upadhayi or Upadhyaya and Acharya.
• Even some of the hymns of the Rigveda were composed by women.
• We get references from such learned women as Visvavara, Lopamudra, Apala, Urvasi, Ghosa, Sulabha, Lilabati, Maitreyi, Saswati, Kshana, Gargi, and others.
• Maitreyi, the celebrated wife of the most learned philosopher of ancient India, Yajnavalka, used to hold discussions on abstruse philosophical questions with her husband.
• Gargi also participated in debate with Yajnavalka on philosophical issues.
• Lilabati was a great mathematician of ancient India.

Thus, we can conclude that Acharya and Upadhyāyā indicate female teachers according to ancient grammarians.

The Lajahoma ritual is one of the concluding rites of a Hindu marriage ceremony.

Key Points

• The Grihyasutras are sacred Hindu texts containing information regarding Vedic domestic rites and rituals meant for the householders.
• The Grihyasutras as their name suggests deal with domestic rituals such as conception, birth, initiation (upanayanam), marriage, death, etc.
• According to Grihyasutras, Lajahoma is mentioned as an important part of a marriage ceremony.
• As the Lajahoma is being performed, the bride makes three offerings of lajas (roasted grain) mixed with shami leaves, while the bridegroom recites certain formulae.
• The Lajahoma ritual symbolizes the invocation of Lord Agni, the Hindu Fire God to witness the wedding and bless the couple with happiness and prosperity in return for the rice offering.

Therefore, we can conclude that Lajahoma was a part of the marriage ceremony.

Among all the Varnas, the Brahmanas were given the highest punishment.

Important Points

• The Manusmṛiti also known as the Laws of Manu, is believed to be the first ancient legal text and constitution among the many Dharmashastras of  Hinduism.
• It also mentions the punishment for theft and other crimes that differed from Varna to Varna.
• Manu offers greater respect and status to Brahmanas – the educated ones.
• Brahmanas were considered as Dwijas or twice-born or those who completed their education and were provided heightened status in society.
• But when it comes to crimes, they also have to face more severe punishments.
• If one conducts a theft willingly and in a full sense knowing the implications, he should be penalized 8 times that of an ordinary thief if he is a Shudra.
• The penalty should be 16 times if he is a Vaishya, 32 times if he is a Kshatriya, and 64 times if he is a Brahmin.
• The punishment can be even 100 times or 128 times if he is a Brahmin.

Based on the above points, we can conclude that the Brahmanas were given the highest punishment.

The king mentioned in the Rajatarangini with reference to this incident is Chandrapida.

Important Points

• Rajatarangini is a historical chronicle of the early Kashmir.
• It covers the entire span of history in the Kashmir region from the earliest times to the date of its composition in 12^th century.
• It was written in Sanskrit by a Kashmiri historian and poet Kalhana in the 12^th century CE.
• Rajatarangini mentions how Chandrapida (711-719 CE), a King of Kashmir, upheld the Rule of Law, and protected a ‘charmakara’ (leather worker) against the hostility of his own officials.
• The king had planned to build a temple of Tribhuvanasvami on a piece of land where a leather worker’s hut was situated.
• He refused to remove his hut despite the orders of the officials of the king.
• When the officials complained about him to the king, instead of ordering demolition of the hut, the king scolded the officials for trying to encroach on the leather worker's land.
• Later, the king personally went to request the leather worker.
• This incident shows the kindness of the king as he personally went to a leather worker with a request to get a small piece of land for his cottage needed for the construction of the temple of Tribhuvanasvami.

Hence, the correct answer is - Chandrapida.

Qutbuddin Aibak was also known as lakh bakhsh.

Key Points

• Lakh Baksh is usually referred to those who give away property and wealth to the needy and poor.
• Qutbuddin Aibak because of his generosity, liberal donations or giving large sums in charities earned the title of 'lakh bakhsh' or 'giver of lakhs'.
• He was famous for giving away a lot of his wealth to the poor and needy.
• Qutbuddin Aibak was the first Sultan of Delhi Sultanate and was the founder of the Slave dynasty.
• Qutbuddin Aibak was a slave of Muhammad Ghori.
• When Ghori was assassinated, Aibak assumed the title of Sultan in 1206 CE.
• He built the first mosque in India at Mehraulli (Delhi)  and started the construction of Qutb Minar.
• Aibek died of injuries received during an accidental fall from the horse while playing chaugan (polo) in 1210 CE.
• He was buried at Lahore near Anarkali Bazaar.

Hence, we can conclude that the Sultan who, because of his generosity, was also known as lakh bakhsh is - Qutbuddin Aibak.

Additional Information

• Iltutmish (1210-1236 CE):
• ​Iltutmish was the  son-in-law of Aibak.
• He was a Turkic slave born in Central Asia.
• Iltutmish was the greatest of the slave rulers of Delhi.
• He shifted his capital from Lahore to Delhi.
• Firuz Tughlaq (1351-1388 CE):
• ​Firoz Shah Tughluq was the son of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq’s younger brother who succeeded Mohammed-bin-Tughlaq.
• He established Diwan-i-khairat (office for charity) and Diwan-i-Bandagan (slave department).
• He established four new towns – Jaunpur, Firozabad, Hisar and Fatehabad.
• Futuhat-e-firoz shahi is his autobiography.
• Sikandar Lodi (1489-1517 CE):
• Sikandar Shahi was the son of Bahlul Lodi.
• ​He shifted his capital from Delhi to Agra in 1504 CE.
• He composed many Persian verses under the pen-name Gulrakhi.
• He introduced a new system of land measuring known as gazz-i-Sikandari.

After Gwalior campaign in 1232, Raziya Sultan name was inscribed on the commemorative coin along with that of Iltutmish.

Key Points

• Iltutmish was the son-in-law and slave of Aibek.
• He was the ruler of Delhi Sultanate from 1210 to 1236 CE.
• He was considered as the real consolidator of the Turkish conquests in north India.
• Iltutmish brought Bengal and Bihar back into the Delhi Sultanate.
• He also suppressed the Rajput revolts and recovered Ranthambore in 1226 CE.
• By 1231 CE, Iltutmish established his control over Bayana, Mandor, Jalore.
• After capturing Bayana, Iltutmish turned his attention to Gwalior.
• The Paramar ruler of Gwalior resisted for over a year, but was then compelled to evacuate the fort.
• Gwalior was made the base of plundering raids into Bundelkhand and Malwa.
• After his successful campaign of Gwalior in 1232 CE, Iltutmish struck a commemorative coin to mark his victory.
• On this coin, he ordered to inscribe the name of his daughter, Raziya Sultan, along with his name.
• Illtumish nominated his daughter to succeed him on the throne as he found none of his surviving sons to be worthy.
• Thus, Raziya Sultan became the first woman muslim ruler in medieval India.

Hence, the correct answer is - Raziya Sultan.

Additional Information

• Turkan Khatoon:
• ​Terken Khatun, also known as Turkan Khatun, was the Empress of the Seljuk Empire as the first wife and chief consort of Malik Shah I, Sultan of the Seljuk Empire from 1072, until his death in 1092.
• She was the mother of Mahmud I, the next ruler of the Seljuk Empire, and regent during his minority in 1092-1094.
• Nasiruddin Mahmud:
• ​He was the grandson of Iltutmish who was young and inexperienced. He had ascended the throne with the help of Balban/Ulugh Khan, a member of Chahalgani (the Forty) who himself assumed the position of regent.
• He married his daughter to Nasirruddin and therefore, the real power lay in the hands of Balban.
• Ruknuddin Firuz:
• ​He was the eldest son of Iltutmish who ascended the throne with the help of nobles.
• When the governor of Multan revolted, Ruknuddin Feroz Shah marched to suppress the revolt.
• Using this opportunity, Iltutmish’s daughter Raziya with the help of the Amirs of Delhi seized the throne of the Delhi Sultanate.

The Sultan mentioned in the above-given context is - Muhammad Bin Tughlaq.

Important Points

• Muhammad Bin Tughlaq succeeded Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq in 1325 CE.
• Slaves were an important feature of the urban centres as well as royal household during his rule.
• The slaves of the royal household were largely war captives or captured rebels from the mawas territories (rebellious villages who refuse to pay revenue).
• The slaves of the royal household under Muhammad bin Tughlaq received ten tankas a month, besides the ration and the articles of clothing.
• Slaves were treated and nurtured well, thus the Sultans enjoyed their unconditional loyalty.
• Slaves could buy their freedom through ‘acts of manumission by their masters’.
• Ibn Battuta informs that Muhammad Bin Tughlaq had fixed certain days for freeing slaves.
• Muhammad Bin Tughlaq had fixed Wednesday for freeing male slaves, Friday for freeing female slaves and Saturday for marrying men slaves to female slaves.
• It appears from Ibn Battuta’s account that there was considerable differentiation among slaves.
• Some female slaves in the service of the Sultan were experts in music and dance, and Ibn Battuta enjoyed their performance at the wedding of the Sultan’s sister.
• Female slaves were also employed by the Sultan to keep a watch on his nobles.
• Slaves were generally used for domestic labour, and Ibn Battuta found their services particularly indispensable for carrying women and men on palanquins or dola.

Therefore, we can conclude that the correct answer is - Muhammad Bin Tughlaq.

Isvarakrishna was an Indian philosopher and sage who was the author of  

Samkhyakarika (one of the six systems of philosophy).

Important Points

• Indian Philosophy refers to several traditions of philosophical thought that originated in the Indian subcontinent.
• Over centuries, India’s intellectual exploration of truth has come to be represented by six systems of philosophy. These are:
• Vaishesika
• Nyaya
• Samkhya
• Yoga
• Purva Mimansa
• Vedanta or Uttara Mimansa
• Samkhya is founded by the sage Kapila and is the oldest of the orthodox philosophical systems.
• It postulates that everything, in reality, stems from purusha (self, soul, or mind) and prakriti (matter, creative agency, energy).
• The Samkhyakarika is the earliest surviving text of the Samkhya school of Indian philosophy.
• This text is attributed to Isvarakrishna.
• In the text, the author described himself as a successor of the disciples of the great sage Kapila.

Therefore, we can conclude that Isvarakrishna was a philosopher of one of the six systems of philosophy.

In the Bayana Hoard, coins of Chandragupta - II have been found in the highest number.

Key Points

• Gupta rulers issued a large number of gold coins known as dinaras.
• These coins bore the names and epithets of kings, including metrical legends.
• The obverse generally had a representation of the king and the reverse an image of a deity.
• The famous Bayana Hoard of the Gupta coins is the largest coin hoard ever found in India.
• It was discovered in the year 1946 by A.S. Altekar near Bayana in Rajasthan.
• This hoard contains around 2000 gold coins issued by the Gupta rulers.
• It provides a lot of information about the history of the Gupta dynasty and the specificity of coinage under each of its rulers.
• Among the various Gupta rulers, the coins of Chandragupta II have been found in the highest number.
• Chandragupta II is known to have issued a total of eight types of gold coins (dinaras).
• He was known through his coins as 'Vikramaditya'.
• He also issued silver and copper coins, probably to be circulated in the region that was conquered from the Western Kshatrapas.

Hence, we can conclude that In the Bayana Hoard, coins of Chandragupta II have been found in the highest number.

Additional Information

Chandragupta II issued eight types of coins. They are:

• Archer type
• Couch type
• Chhatra type
• Lion Slayer type
• Horseman type
• Standard type
• Chakravikrama type
• Kalasha type

The correct answer is Silahara dynasty.

Key Points

• The Silahara dynasty was a royal dynasty established in northern and southern Konkan (present-day Mumbai and southern Maharashtra) during the Rashtrakuta period.
• The Silahara dynasty got split into three branches - one branch ruled Northern Konkan, the second branch ruled Southern Konkan, and the third branch ruled the modern district of Kolhapur, Satara, and Belgaum between 940 and 1215; after which they were overwhelmed by the Yadavas.
• Aparaditya I or Apararka was a Silahara ruler of the north Konkan branch from 1170 CE – 1197 CE.
• He was one of the famous commentators of Yajnavalkya Smriti.
• The Aparārkāparā is a comprehensive commentary on the Yajnavalkya Smriti.
• Since the commentator is Aparārka, therefore the name of the commentary ie Aparārkāparā  is also famous by the same name.

The sultan mentioned in the above-given context is - Alauddin Khalji

Important Points

​Alauddin Khalji:

• Ziauddin Barani mentioned about Alauddin Khalji that 'the Sultan ordered the Maliks, Amirs officers of the court and persons of responsibility and status not to go to each other's houses or to collect parties at banquets; there was to be no intermarriage among them unless the Sultan had been informed and his permission obtained'.
• Ala-ud-din successfully resisted the Mongol invasion more than 12 times.

Domestic Policies of Alauddin Khilji:

• Ala-ud-din followed the Divine Right Theory of Kingship.
• He introduced four ordinances to prevent repeated revolts.
• He impounded pious grants and free grants of lands
• He restructured the spy system.
• He banned social parties and wine.
• He introduced a permanent standing army.
• He started the system of branding horses and a descriptive roster of individual soldiers to inhibit corruption.
• He fixed the prices of necessary commodities which were below the normal market rates.
• He strictly prohibited black marketing.
• Revenue was collected in cash and not in kind.
• He followed discriminatory policies towards the Hindus and imposed the Jizya, a grazing tax, and a house tax on the Hindu community.
• Marketing System
• Officers called Diwan-i-riyasat were appointed in the offices called Shahana-i-mandi to standardize the market.
• Merchants should have to register themselves in the office (Shahana-i-mandi) before selling their goods at fixed rates.

Additional Information

• Balban was the next notable ruler of Delhi Sultanate after Raziya Sultan.
• He was the wazir of the grandson of Iltutmish, Nasir-ud-din-Mahmud.
• After Nasir’s death, Balban declared himself the Sultan as the former did not have any male heirs.
• Balban was a strict ruler and his court was the symbol of austerity and strict obedience to the emperor.
• He even demanded that people prostrate before the king.
• He laid out severe punishments to the slightest of offences by his courtiers.
• He had a spy system to keep his nobles in check.
• He carried military and civil reforms in administration.
• Ziauddin Barani, who was a political thinker during the reign of the Delhi Sultanate, described the views of Balban on kingship and related matters in his works.

Hence, the correct answer is - Alauddin Khalji.

Aihole Inscription of Pulakesin - II  suggests a time reckoning starting from the Bharata war.

Key Points

• Pulakeshin II was the most famous ruler of the Chalukya dynasty of  Vatapi (present-day Badami in Karnataka, India).
• During his reign, the Chalukya kingdom expanded to cover most of the Deccan region in peninsular India.
• He patronized several scholars, including Ravikirtti, who composed his Aihole inscription.
• The mention of the Bharat war or the war of Kurukshetra in the Mahabharat era is also done in this inscription.
• It is written by Ravikriti that Satyasraya, better known as Pulakesin II, ruled Vatapi 3735 years after Bharat war happened.
• The verses 33–34 of the inscription state the date to be the year 3735 after the Bharata war.

Hence, we can conclude that Aihole Inscription of Pulakesin - II suggests a time reckoning starting from the Bharata war.

Additional Information

• Madhuban copper-plate of Harsha:
• ​Madhuban copper plate Inscription dated 631 AD traces the genealogy of Harsha up to four generations.
• Poona copper-plate of Prabhavati Gupta:
• ​The Poona copper plate epigraphs inform that the daughter of Chandragupta Vikramaditya, Prabhavatigupta was married to crown prince Rudrasena II, the son of Prithvishena I.
• Haraha Inscription of Isanavarman:
• ​This inscription gives information about the the genealogy of the Maukharis.

The royal orders issued by the Rashtrakuta kings and recorded by their secretaries were known as rajasravitam.

Key Points

• The period between 753 – 975 CE witnessed the rise of the Rashtrakutas in the Deccan.
• The chief of a Rashtra is the literal meaning of Rashtrakuta.
• They were feudatories of the Chalukyas and had their capital at Manyakheta or Malkhed near Sholapur.
• Dantidurga was the founder of the Rashtrakuta dynasty.
• In order to run the administration system effectively, the Rashtrakuta kings issued the royal orders which were recorded by their secretaries.
• Such royal orders were known as rajasravitam.

​Therefore, the correct answer is - rajasravitam.

Under Firuz Shah Tughlaq's reign, the billon currency seems to have nearly entirely replaced silver coinage.

Key Points

• Firuz Shah Tughlaq was a Sultan of Delhi from 1351 to 1388 AD.
• He sat on the throne after the death Muhammad bin Tughluq.
• The long reign of Firoz Shah Tughlaq seems to have established his coinage as a popular medium of exchange.
• Firuz Shah Tughlaq issued coins in gold, silver, copper, and billon.
• Gold, copper, and billon coins issued by him are common, but his silver coins are rare.
• During his reign, there was a shortage of silver coins in circulation and hence the billon currency seems to have nearly entirely replaced silver coins.

Thus, the correct answer is - Firuz Shah Tughlaq.

The Vijayanagar ruler mentioned in the above context is - Deva Raya II.

Important Points

• Deva Raya II (1422–1446 CE) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire.
• The greatest of the Sangama dynasty rulers, he was an able administrator, warrior, and scholar.
• He authored well-known works in the Kannada language (Sobagina Sone and Amaruka) and in the Sanskrit language (Mahanataka Sudhanidhi).
• He was patron to some of the most noted Kannada poets of the medieval period, including Chamarasa and Kumara Vyasa, the Sanskrit poet Gunda Dindima, and the noted Telugu language poet Srinatha.
• Deva Raya II took keen interest in debates.
• When Srinatha defeated his court poet, Dindima, in a disputation, he honoured the former with the title of Kavi Sarvabhauma (Emperor among poets), and bathed him in gold coins.
• He supported development in secular literature too.
• The noted South Indian mathematician Parameshvara, from the Kerala school of astronomy and mathematics lived in his empire.

Hence, the correct answer is - Deva Raya II.

Additional Information

• Harihara II:
• ​He was the first ruler to assume the title of Raja Parmeshwara and Maharajadhiraja.
• He was a devotee of God Shiva (worshipped Virupaksha).
• His great success in expanding the Vijayanagar empire was in capturing Goa and Belgaum in the west from Bahmani kingdom.
• Mallikarjuna Raya:
• ​He assumed the title of Gajabetegara.
• During his reign, Chinese traveller named Mahuaan came to Vijayanagar via sea route.
• He was assassinated by his cousin Virupaksha II.
• Virupaksha Raya II:
• ​He was the last ruler of Sangam dynasty of Vijayanagar empire.
• During his reign, Vijayanagar empire was defeated by Bahmani Sultanate for the first time.

Guru Amar Das established the first pilgrim center for the Sikhs, symbolized by the construction of a well with 84 steps to reach the water for bathing, at Goindwal.

Key Points

• Guru Amar Das was the third of the ten gurus of Sikhism.
• He was the contemporary of Akbar.
• He established his Gaddi at Goindwal also known as Goindwal Sahib which is located on the banks of the river Beas in the Taran Taran district in the Majha region of Punjab state in India.
• It became an important center for the Sikh religion in the 16^th century during the time of the Guru Amar Das Ji.
• With a view of providing a place where the Sikhs could have a holy dip while visiting Goindwal, Guru Amar Das got a baoli (a deep open water reservoir) dug.
• As Hindus believed in reincarnation in 84 hundred thousand species, he had the well dug with exactly 84 steps.
• To symbolise that God could be reached through his remembrance rather than just a cycle of reincarnations, he declared that whoever would descend the 84 steps for a bath while reciting the Japji Sahib of Guru Nanak at each step would be freed from the cycles of births and deaths.
• Later, it was named Baoli Sahib and became an important sacred place for the Sikhs.
• Given below is the picture of the steps of Baoli Sahib:

Hence, the correct answer is Guru Amar Das - Goindwal.

Poems classified as upadesha rupaka (didactic metaphors) in Marathi bhakti poetry were known as Bharud.

Important Points

• The 'Bharud' form has been used by a number of poets, both in Karnataka and Maharashtra.
• This form only requires that some symbol and some metaphor to be used to carry the message of the poem.
• In Marathi bhakti poetry, bharud poems are classified as upadesha rupaka (didactic metaphors).
• In the sixteenth century, Ekanatha opposed caste distinctions and was sympathetic towards the lower castes.
• He is one of the scholarly and prolific saint in Marathi bhakti tradition.
• His one of the most important contribution to the Marathi bhakti literature are 300 bharuds or drama poems.

Therefore, the correct answer is - Bharud.

Bahlol Lodi used to address the amirs as Masnad-i ali in his farmans.

Key Points

• Bahlol Lodi was the founder of the Lodi dynasty in 1451 AD.
• He was the first Afghan ruler of the Delhi Sultanate.
• He worked on Afghan theory of kingship and regarded himself as "first among equals".
• To gain support and recognition, Bahlul Lodi never sat on the throne instead, he opted to sit on the carpet with his nobles.
• He also sat and ate with his important nobles on the same carpet and called his nobility 'Masnad-i ali'.
• Bahlol Lodi used to address the amirs as Masnad-i ali in his farmans.
• Mushtaqi, the author of Vakiyat-i-Mushtaqi wrote- “He never sat on the throne and forbade his nobles to remain standing before him.”
• Bahlol assigned extensive jagirs to his nobles and allowed them to increase their power and influence.

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that the Sultan who used to address his amirs as Masnad-i ali in his farman was Bahlol Lodi.

Pietro Della Valle visited a "Hospital of Birds" at Cambay in 1623-24, where he saw some lame, sick and mateless birds and some tiny orphan mice. 

Important Points

• Pietro Della Valle was a famous Italian traveler who came to India during the reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir.
• He sailed from Venice to India in the early 17^th century.
• Pietro Della Valle traveled along India’s west coast, reaching as far south as Calicut.
• His letters provide an intriguing account of the country in the 1620s.
• He visited a "Hospital of Birds" at Cambay (present-day Khambhat) in 1623-24.
• At this hospital, he saw some lame, sick, and mateless birds and some tiny orphan mice.
• In his records, he wrote about his visit to this hospital and he wrote:
• A venerable old man with a white beard was keeping them in a box amongst cotton, with his spectacles on his nose, giving them milk to eat with a bird's feather, because they were so little that as yet they could eat nothing else, and as he told us, he intended when they are grown up to let them go free whither they please".

Hence, the correct answer is - Pietro Della Valle.

The father-son duo of Mir Musavvir and Sayyid Ali joined Humayun's court.

Key Points

• Mughal painting, which contributed immensely to the annals of Indian art history, had become full-fledged under the patronage of King Akbar (1556–1605 AD) in the third quarter of the 16^th century and continued uninterruptedly during the reign of his successors till the late 18^th century.
• However, the foundation for this tradition was laid by Akbar’s grandfather Babur and his father Humayun.
• Both had a keen interest in painting, and interacted with many Persian masters and observed their works.
• In 1543, Humayun lived in Tabriz, and acquainted himself with many painters and their works.
• The most notable was Abd al-Samad who worked initially as a calligrapher, Mir Musavvir, and Mir Sayyid Ali (son of painter Mir Musavvir).
• The father-son duo of Mir Musavvir and Sayyid Ali joined Humayun's court.
• Historian and chronicler Qazi Ahmed said that the son was more talented than his father, but the impact of Mir Musavvir did influence his work.
• Abd al-Samad had taught drawing and painting to Akbar and most likely to Humayun as well.
• In 1555, Samad and Mir Sayyid Ali came to Delhi along with Humayun, who died seven months later.
• Both the painters shone later on in the court of Akbar.

Therefore, the correct answer is - Mir Musavvir and Sayyid Ali.

Nizamuddin Ahmad claimed that Akbar's empire in 1592 was said to contain as many as 120 cities and 3,200 towns.

Key Points

• The growth of trade and commerce led to urban development during the Mughal period.
• Numerous cities, towns, and urban centers emerged during the reign of Akbar.
• There were 120 cities and 3200 towns in Mughal period under Akbar which included administrative centers, trade and commercial places, coastal towns, ports and religious as well as educational centers.
• Nizamuddin Ahmad in his book Tabaqat-i Akbari records that Akbar’s dominion consisted of 3200 towns (qasbas) and 120 cities (balda/ shahr).
• Tabaqat-i Akbari is a comprehensive book on general history covering the time from Ghaznavids up to the 38^th year of Akbar's reign.

Hence, the correct answer is - Nizamuddin Ahmad.

Additional Information

• Badauni:
• ​Abdul Qadir Badayuni was a historian and translator during the Mughal Empire.
• He translated the Hindu works, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata into persian.
• ​Abul Fazl:
• Abul Fazl was a historian and military commander during the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar.
• He was the author of Akbarnama.
• Faizi:
• He was the brother of Abul Fazl and a persian poet.
• Lilavati and Mahabharata were translated by him into persian.

The earliest extant examples of the Mughal baluster columns are found solely in the fortress palaces of Shahjahan.

Important Points

• In the second quarter of the 17^th century, a new architectural motif appears in the palace architecture of the Mughal emperor Shahjahan.
• This new element in an already extensive vocabulary of Mughal architectural forms is the baluster column.
• It rapidly came to be one of the most widely employed motifs of Indian architecture.
• The earliest extant examples of the Mughal baluster columns are found solely in Shah Jahan's contributions to the three great fortress palaces of Agra, Lahore, and Delhi.
• Among them, the loggia in the Zanana Mina Bazar shows all the characteristics of the Mughal baluster columns.
• A baluster column consists of four parts - base, pot like element, shaft and capital.
• The different elements are separated by protruding rings and an additional concave contraction at the joint between the pot like element and the shaft which forms its bulbs.

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that the earliest extant examples of the Mughal baluster columns are found solely in the fortress palaces of Shahjahan.

All the given officers named Suyya, Pushyagupta, Tushaspa, and Suvisakha were known for the water arrangement of their provinces.

Key Points

• Suyya:
• ​Kalhana composed 'Rajatarangini' that gives us information about the history of Kashmir
• It also describe about a well-conceived and maintained irrigation system.
• One of the most notable names recorded in the 'Rajatarangini' is Suyya.
• He is credited with using the water of the Vitasta River and controlling it by constructing a stone dam.
• Pushyagupta:
• Sudarshan lake is located in the middle of a hill called **Girnar in Gujarat.**​
• This lake was constructed by Pushyagupta who was a governor in that province on the orders of Chandragupta Maurya.
• Tushaspa:
• ​On the orders of emperor Ashoka, his governor Tushaspa rebuit Sudarshan lake and strengthened it.
• He also drew a canal from it to make arrangement of water for the people of his province.
• Suvisakha:
• ​During the rule of Rudradaman, the dam on Sudarshan lake broke due to excessive rainfall.
• Suvisakha, the provincial governor of Rudradaman, rebuilt the lake.

Hence, we can conclude that the following officers were known for the water arrangement of their provinces:

(A) Suyya

(B) Pushyagupta

(C) Tushaspa

(D) Suvisakha

Arthasastra allows divorce in the Hindu religion.

Important Points

• Artha-shastra, (“The Science of Material Gain”) also spelt Artha-śāstra, singularly important Indian manual on the art of politics, attributed to Kautilya (also known as Chanakya), who reportedly was chief minister to the emperor Chandragupta (c. 300 BCE), the founder of the Mauryan dynasty.
• Although it is unlikely that all of the text dates to such an early period, several parts have been traced back to the Mauryas.
• The author of the Artha-shastra is concerned with the ruler’s central control of a realm of fairly limited size.
• Kautilya wrote about the way the state’s economy is organized, how ministers should be chosen, how war should be conducted, and how taxation should be arranged and distributed.
• Emphasis is placed on the importance of a network of runners, informers, and spies, which, in the absence of a ministry of public information and a police force, functioned as a surveillance corps for the ruler, focusing particularly on any external threats and internal dissidence.

According to the Arthashastra, marriage can end if dissolved by mutual consent and should be unapproved marriage.

Dhumera Lena and Ravana Ki Khai are the cave temples of Ellora that are related to Brahmanical religion.

Key Points

• Ellora caves are located nearly 100 kms away from Ajanta caves in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra.
• Ellora Caves are one of the largest rock-cut Hindu temple cave complexes in the world.
• Ellora caves are a group of 100 caves at the site of which 34 caves are open to the public. 17 caves out of these 34 are themed around Hinduism, 12 caves depict the themes of Buddhist, and 5 caves are of Jain faith.
• The Dhumar Lena (cave no. 29) seems to replicate the famous cave at Elephanta suggesting a connection between Ellora and the Kalachuris.
• The figure brackets of cave 21 are additional evidence of a cultural link between the two sites.
• The Ravana-ka-Khai (cave no. 14) was probably dedicated to a Hindu goddess.
• It has a wide walk-around passage and colonnaded hall leading to the inner sanctum.
• The interior walls are decorated with five relief panels, separated by ornate pilasters, and showing show figures of Shiva and Vishnu.

Therefore, we can conclude that the cave temples of Ellora that are related to Brahmanical religion are:

(A) Dhumera Lena

(D) Ravana Ki Khai

Varmanas of Assam traced its origin from Asura Naraka.

Key Points

• Varman dynasty was initially feudatories of the Gupta Empire.
• This dynasty was established by Pushya varman in 350 AD.
• This dynasty ruled Kamarupa in Assam.
• However, as the power of the Guptas diminished, Mahendravarman (470-494) performed two horse sacrifices and became independent.
• This dynasty is also known as Naraka or Bhauma dynasty as it traces its ancestry to the mythological characters Asura Naraka, Bhagadatta, and Vajradatta.
• Bhaskara Varman was the most famous monarch of this dynasty.
• He claimed to be a descendant of Lord Vishnu. He was a staunch Buddhist.

Hence, we can conclude that Varmanas of Assam traced its origin from Asura Naraka.

Kalavilasa and Samayamatrika were authored by the Kashmiri poet Kshemendra.

Key Points

• Kshemendra was an 11^th-century poet from Kashmir in India.
• Kshemendra was born as a Shaiva, but later became a Vaishnava.
• He studied and wrote about both Vaishnavism and Buddhism.
• The study depicts the works of Kshemendra made a respectable contribution to the literature of Kashmir.
• Kshemendra wrote his works in the reign of the Kashmirian King Ananta and his son Kalasa.
• He is also known as the father of social satire.
• He introduces social satire, mixed with humor and sarcasm.
• His “kalavilasa” is a satirical poem of ten cantos in which Muladeva, the legendary master of trickery instructs his young disciple in the arts of roguery.
• In this poem, he depicts various occupations and follies of the people of the time, such as physicians, traders, astrologers, goldsmiths, harlots, and saints.
• In “Samayamatrika”, a poem of eight chapters, he describes the arts and trickeries of the harlot.

Therefore we can conclude that the following texts were authored by the Kashmiri poet Kshemendra:

(B) Kalavilasa

(D) Samayamatrika

Additional Information

• Kuttanimata:
• ​It was authored by Damodaragupta.
• Damodaragupta occupied a high position under the Karkota-Naga.
• Prabodhachandrodaya:
• ​During 11^th century, a spiritual drama, Prabodha Chandrodaya was written by Krishna Misra to teach the Advaita doctrine to those who were interested in Kavya and not philosophy.
• He belong to the period of the Chandela ruler, Kirti Varman.

Balaputradeva, Chudamanivarman, and Sri-Maravijayottungavarman are the Sailendra rulers who are known to have had friendly relations with their contemporary Indian kings.

Key Points

• Shailendra dynasty was an Indianised dynasty that flourished in Java from about 750 AD to 850 AD.
• The dynasty was marked by a great cultural renaissance associated with the introduction of Mahayana Buddhism, and it attained a high level of artistic expression in the many temples and monuments built under its rule.
• The Sailendra rulers were known to have had friendly relations with their contemporary Indian kings during that time.

Some of these rulers were:

• Balaputradeva: The Sailendra dynasty king named Balaputradeva (ruler of Suvarnadvipa) requested Devapala (Pala ruler) to grant five villages to the monastery at Nalanda.​
• Chudamanivarman: He built a monastery at Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu known as Chudamanivarman Vihara. Rajaraja, the great Chola king, made liberal grants to that monastery.
• Sri-Maravijayottungavarman: He was the son of Chudamanivarman and completed the construction of 'Chudamanivarman Vihara' under the reign of Rajaraja.

Thus, Balaputradeva, Chudamanivarman, and Sri-Maravijayottungavarman are the Sailendra rulers who are known to have had friendly relations with their contemporary Indian kings.

All the statements ie (A), (B), and (C) are correct regarding Raziya's accession to the throne of Delhi.

Important Points

• Iltumish nominated his daughter Raziya to the throne of Delhi Sultanate as he found none of his surviving sons worthy.
• The nomination of a woman in preference for sons was a novel step and thus, Raziya became the first woman Muslim ruler in medieval India.
• She contended against her brothers and Turkish nobles to assert her claim.
• Her reign witnessed the struggle between the monarchy and the 40 Turkish chiefs (chahalgani).
• She used to hold the court with her face unveiled and she even hunted and led an army in the war.
• The accession of Raziya to the throne of Delhi was marked by various striking features.
• The people of Delhi had for the first time in the history of the Delhi Sultanate, decided on a succession issue on their own initiative.
• The support of the Delhi population was the main source of the  Raziya's strength.
• Isami wrote about Raziya that she gave her accession through a contract under which she asked people to depose her if she did not fulfil their expectations.
• The army officers lent their weight to action and by the time her brother, Rukuddin Firoz, came back to the city Raziya's enthronement was complete and Shah Turkan was put into prison.
• It indicates the freshness and robustness of the Turkish mind in accepting a woman as ruler.

Hence, the correct answer is - (A), (B), and (C)

Among the given statements regarding Balban's theory of kingship, only (A) and (C) are correct.

Important Points

• Balban ascended the throne of Delhi in 1265 AD.
• The theory of kingship propounded by Balban led to the adoption of the policy of blood and iron.
• The stern, harsh and violent policy adopted by Balban to suppress the internal revolts and meeting with the challenges posed by foreign invaders of Mongols is known as the policy of blood and iron.
• Balban was convinced that the only way to face the internal and external dangers was to increase the power and prestige of the Sultan.
• On account of this policy he was able to remain at the helm of affairs for about 40 years i.e. 20 years as the Naib/Prime Minister of Nasir-ud-din Mahmud and then after as the Sultan of Delhi.

The main principles of the theory of Kingship of Balban were:

• Kingship is the vice-regency of God on earth. The king is the shadow of God. Balban said that the king was the representative of God on the earth and Kingship was a divine institution.
• He said, “Kingship is the embodiment of despotism”. He believed that it is the “King’s super­human awe and status which can ensure people’s obedience".
• According to him, external dignity and prestige were considered as essential for Kingship.
• He constantly emphasized the distinction between the high-born and the low-born. Historian Zia-ud-Din Barni has gone to the extent of remarking that whenever Balban saw a man of low birth, his eyes started burning with rage and anger and his hands reached for his sword to murder him.
• Balban was convinced that the glory of Kingship was possible only by following the Persian traditions and he very carefully followed these traditions in his personal and public life.

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that the following statements regarding Balban's theory of kingship are correct:

(A) Kingship is the vice-regency of God on earth. The king is the shadow of God

(C) A distinction between the high-born and the low-born was constantly emphasized by Balban

The above-given quotation from John Stuart Mill's Political Economy refers to the policy of 'Interventionism' adopted by the Company government.

Important Points

• John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was an influential philosopher, economist, politician, and senior official in the East India Company.
• A controversial figure in 19^th-century Britain, he advocated the use of classical economic theory, philosophical thought, and social awareness in political decision-making and legislation.
• Mill combined economics with philosophy.
• He believed in a moral theory called utilitarianism—that actions that lead to people's happiness are right and that those that lead to suffering are wrong.
• Among economists, he's best known for his 1848 work, Principles of Political Economy, which became a leading economic textbook for decades after its publication.
• Other significant books include On Liberty, A System of Logic, The Subjection of Women, and Utilitarianism.
• John Stuart Mill also talked about the 'Interventionism' policy adopted by the Company government.
• He believed that in certain circumstances government intervention is necessary to secure the conditions of individual independence.
• In the particular circumstances of a given age or nation, there is scarcely anything really important to the general interest, which it may not be desirable, or even necessary, that the government should take upon itself, not because private individuals cannot effectively perform it, but because they will not.
• At some times and places, there will be no roads, docks, harbours, canals, works of irrigation, hospitals, schools, colleges, or printing presses, unless the government establishes them.
• The public is either too poor to command the necessary resources, or too little advanced in intelligence to appreciate the ends or not sufficiently practised in joint action to be capable of the means.

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that the correct answer is - Interventionism.

The autonomous Kingdom of Hyderabad was founded by Asaf Jah in 1724 AD.

Key Points

• Hyderabad was founded as an independent state by Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah or Chin-Qulich Khan (birth name) in 1724 AD.
• He was one of the most powerful members of the court of the Mughal Emperor Farrukh Siyar.
• He was entrusted first with the governorship of Awadh, and later given charge of the Deccan.
• He was appointed as the Subedar of Hyderabad by Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah.
• He also acted as the wazir under Muhammad Shah during 1722-1724.
• Before Asaf Jah, Mubriz Khan, the Mughal Subedar of Deccan, was also acting as an autonomous ruler.
• However, in 1724, Mubriz Khan was defeated by Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah in the Battle of Shakr Kheda.
• After this battle, Asaf Jah established an independent Asaf Jah dynasty in Hyderabad.

Therefore, we can conclude that the autonomous kingdom of Hyderabad was founded by Asaf Jha in 1724.

Additional Information

• Aliwardi Khan was an army commander under Sarfaraz Khan, who became the new ruler of Bengal after killing Sarfaraz Khan in 1740.
• Shaukat Jung was the deputy Governor of Purnia who was defeated and killed in the Battle of Manihari in 1756 by Siraj-ud-Daula.

On 27^th December 1891, the Ahmadiyas movement met for its first general gathering in Qadiyan, Punjab.

Important Points

• The Ahmadiyas forms a sect of Islam which originated from the province of Punjab in India.
• It was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in 1889.
• It was based on liberal principles.
• It described itself as the standard-bearer of Mohammedan Renaissance, and based itself, like the Brahmo Samaj, on the principles of universal religion of all humanity, opposing jihad.
• On 27^th December 1891, the Ahmadiyas movement met for its first general gathering in Qadiyan, Punjab.
• This movement spread western liberal education among the Indian Muslims.
• The followers of this movement believed in reformation based on the ideas of Prophet Muhammed.
• The followers of this movement were inspired by the teachings of Muhammed and came to be known as Ahmadiyas as Ahmad was an alternative name of Muhammed given in Quran.

Hence, the correct answer is - The Ahmadiyas.

The Revolt of 1857 or The Sepoy Mutiny or the First War of Independence was a major uprising against the British regime.

Key Points

Statement 1: Colonial sources cited the Rebellion of 1857 as 'sepoy mutiny'.

• The Revolt of 1857 has been named as a 'Sepoy Mutiny' by the Britishers.
• Most of the British contemporary writers such as James Outram and PE Roberts view it as a mere mutiny of the soldiers, which was caused due to the introduction of greased cartridges.

Therefore, the statement 1 is correct.

Statement 2: Syed Ahmad Khan focussed on the loyalty of Muslims towards British rulers in the 1857 Rebellion.

• Syed Ahmad Khan supported the East India Company during the 1857 uprising.
• In 1859, he published the booklet Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind (The Causes of the Indian Revolt) in Urdu in which he studied the causes of the Indian revolt.
• In this, his most famous work, he rejected the common notion that the conspiracy was planned by Muslim elites.
• He focussed on the loyalty of Muslims towards British rulers in the 1857 Rebellion.

Thus, statement 2 is correct.

Statement 3: The English 'Free Traders' supported the East India Company's monopoly in India and condemned the Indian chieftains for rebelling against the company.

• The English East India Company had the special privilege to trade in India which meant no other British subject was allowed to carry out trade in India.
• The English 'Free Traders' were against the East India Company's monopoly in India.

Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Statement 4: R. C. Majumdar refused to accept the 1857 Rebellion as the 'First War of Independence'.

• In the words of R.C Majumdar,” The Revolt of 1857 is neither First, nor National, nor a War of Independence.”
• He refused to accept the 1857 Rebellion as the 'First War of Independence'.
• He wrote the book named 'The Sepoy Mutiny and the Revolt of 1857'.

 Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Digambar Biswas and Bishnu Biswas led Indigo Revolt in 1859-60.

Key Points

• In Bengal, the indigo planters, nearly all Europeans, exploited the local peasants by forcing them to grow indigo on their lands instead of the more paying crops like rice.
• The planters forced the peasants to take advance sums and enter into fraudulent contracts which were then used against the peasants.
• The planters intimidated the peasants through kidnappings, illegal confinements, flogging, attacks on women and children, seizure of cattle, burning, and demolition of houses, and destruction of crops.
• The anger of the peasants exploded in 1859 when led by Digambar Biswas and Bishnu Biswas of the Nadia district, they decided not to grow indigo under duress and resisted the physical pressure of the planters and their lathiyals (retainers).
• They also organized a counterforce against the planter's attack.
• The ryots refused to pay the enhanced rents and physically resisted the attempts of evicting them.
• This revolt is also known as Neel Bidroh or the Blue Rebellion.

Hence, the correct answer is - Indigo Revolt.

Begam Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain wrote the short stories - Sultana's Dream (1905) and Avarodhbasini (1929), in which she criticized the custom of purdah among Muslims.

Key Points

• From the early twentieth century, Muslim women played a notable role in promoting education among women.
• Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was one such Muslim female social reformer who acquired education with the dream of bringing about a change in the condition of women.
• She learnt Bangla and English and later became a writer.
• She wrote a story 'Sultana's Dream' in 1905.
• In her book she talks of an imaginary world, ladyland, where women are free and are treated equally.
• Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain started schools for Muslim girls in Patna and Calcutta.
• She was a fearless critic of conservative ideas, arguing that religious leaders of every faith accorded an inferior place to women.
• In 1929, she wrote a story book named 'Avarodhbasini' in which she attacked on the extreme forms of purdah that endangered women's lives and thoughts.

Hence, we can conclude that the short stories - Sultana's Dream (1905) and Avarodhbasini (1929) were written by Begam Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain.

Among the given statements, the following statement is not true:

• Dhondo Keshav Karve was against the education of high-caste Hindu widows.

Important Points

• The education of women was a prime agenda for many of the social reformers of the 19^th century.
• Many institutes came up in this period to promote women's education, such as the Indian Women's University, established by Dhondo Keshav Karve in 1916 in Maharashtra.
• Dhondo Keshav Karve was a renowned Indian social reformer who devoted his life in the field of women’s welfare.
• Due to this, he earned the title ‘Maharishi’, meaning great saint, and came to be known as Maharishi Karve.
• He also undertook pioneering work in promoting widows’ education.
• In 1896, he founded the “Hindu Widow's Home Association” (also known as Hindu Widows Home or Widows Home Association), a shelter and school for widows in Maharashtra.
• In 1907, he founded the Mahila Vidyalaya (School for Women).
• He founded the Nishkam Karma Math (Social Service Society) in 1908 to train workers for the widows' homes and Mahila Vidyalaya.
• In 1929, at a meeting of the East India Association in London's Caxton Hall, he spoke on "Women's Education in India".

Thus, we can conclude that the following statement is not true:

• Dhondo Keshav Karve was against the education of high-caste Hindu widows.

Sardar Udham Singh was tried and executed by the British Government in 1940 for the murder of Sir Michael O'Dwyer, who was involved in the infamous Jallinawala Bagh massacre.

Key Points

• On 13 April 1919, British troops fired at a gathering of unarmed Indians at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar leading to the deaths of at least a thousand people.
• Michael O’Dwyer was the lieutenant governor of Punjab at the time of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar.
• Due to the deteriorating law and order situation in the province of Punjab, Michael O’Dwyer authorized British Army General, Reginal Dyer, to take necessary steps to bring about order in the province.
• This held Michael O’Dwyer directly responsible for the massacre at Amritsar.
• The Jallinawala Bagh massacre also had a profound effect on Sardar Udham Singh who at that point became actively involved in revolutionary activities and politics.
• Udham Singh was born as Sher Singh in 1899 in Sangrur district of Punjab.
• He was named Udham Singh following Sikh rites.
• On March 13, 1940, Michael O’Dwyer was scheduled to speak at a meeting in Caxton Hall in London.
• He was shot dead at this meeting by Sardar Udham Singh in retaliation for the massacre in Amritsar.
• Sardar Udham Singh, in his trial, stated that he did it in revenge against the horrific acts of the British Empire at Jallinawala Bagh.
• Udham Singh was charged for the assassination of Michael O’Dwyer by the British Government and executed on July 31^st, 1940.

Hence, the correct answer is - Sardar Udham Singh.

Rao Bahaddur M. C. Rajah was the first elected president of the All India Depressed Classes Association formed in 1926.

Key Points

• The All India Depressed Classes Association was formed in Nagpur in 1926.
• Rao Bahaddur M. C. Rajah was the first elected president of the All India Depressed Classes Association.
• Its main aim was to make sure that fair representation was given to the Scheduled Castes in the decision-making bodies of India.
• It was not attended by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
• Dr. Ambedkar resigned from the All India Depressed Classes Association and formed his own All India Depressed Classes Congress in 1930.

Hence, the correct answer is - Rao Bahaddur M. C. Rajah.

Lala Lajpat Rai was the first president of the All India Trade Union Congress founded on 31 August 1920.

Key Points

• The All India Trade Union Congress was founded on 31 August 1920.
• The Indian National Congress president for that year, Lala Lajpat Rai, was elected as the first president of AITUC.
• Dewan Chaman Lal was elected as the first general secretary of AITUC.
• The prominent Congress and swarajist leader C.R. Das presided over the third and fourth sessions of the AITUC.
• The Gaya session of the Congress in 1922 welcomed the formation of the AITUC and a committee was formed to assist it.
• The Congress decided to support the worker's and peasants' cause and incorporate them in the struggle for swaraj or else they would get isolated from the movement.

Hence, the correct answer is - Lala Lajpat Rai.

Additional Information

• Lala Lajpat Rai was also called ‘Punjab Kesari’.
• He was influenced by Swami Dayananda Saraswati and joined the Arya Samaj in Lahore.
• Along with Bipin Chandra Pal and Bal Gangadhar Tilak, he formed the Lal-Bal-Pal trio of extremist leaders.
• He founded the Servants of People Society in 1921.
• In 1928, he moved a resolution in the assembly refusing cooperation with the Simon Commission since the Commission had no Indian members.

Among the given statements, the following statement is true about the stand of the communist party of India during the India-China war of 1962:

• One wing of the party supported the Indian Government against the Chinese attack.

Important Points

• The main dispute between India and China was about the western and the eastern end of the long border.
• China claimed two areas within the Indian territory: Aksai-chin area in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir and much of the state of Arunachal Pradesh in what was then called NEFA (North Eastern Frontier Agency).
• China launched a swift and massive invasion in October 1962 of both the disputed regions.
• The China war dented India’s image at home and abroad.
• Nehru’s own stature suffered as he was severely criticized for his naïve assessment of the Chinese intentions and the lack of military preparedness.
• For the first time, a no-confidence motion against his government was moved and debated in the Lok Sabha.
• The Sino-Indian conflict affected the opposition ie the Communist Party of India (CPI) as well.
• This and the growing rift between China and the Soviet Union created irreconcilable differences within the Communist Party of India (CPI).
• The pro-USSR faction remained within the CPI and moved towards closer ties with Congress.
• They supported the Indian Government against the Chinese attack.

Hence, we can conclude that the following statement is true:

One wing of the party supported the Indian Government against the Chinese attack

The above words constitute the central idea of the policy of Non-alignment.

Important Points

• The foreign policy of a nation reflects the interplay of domestic and external factors.
• Therefore, the noble ideals that inspired India’s struggle for freedom influenced the making of its foreign policy.
• But India’s attainment of independence coincided with the beginning of the Cold War era.
• The Cold War period was marked by the political, economic, and military confrontation at the global level between the two blocs led by the superpowers, the US and the USSR.
• In this prevailing international scenario, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, who was also a Foreign Minister exercised profound influence in the formulation and implementation of India’s foreign policy from 1946 to 1964.
• The foreign policy of independent India vigorously pursued the dream of a peaceful world by advocating the policy of non-alignment.
• India wanted to keep away from the military alliances led by US and Soviet Union against each other.
• India advocated non-alignment as the ideal foreign policy approach.
• In a letter to K .P. S. Menon (India's first Foreign Secretary), Jawaharlal Nehru wrote:
• "Our generals policy is to avoid entanglement in power politics and not to join any group of powers as against any other group. The two leading groups today are the Russian bloc and the Anglo-American bloc. We must be friendly to both and yet not join either. Both America and Russia are extraordinarily suspicious of each other as well as of other countries. This makes our path difficult and we may well be suspected by each of leaning towards the other. This cannot be helped".

Based on the above discussion we can conclude that the above words constitute the central idea of the policy of Non-alignment.

R. G. Collingwood wrote the dictum: "all history is the history of ideas".

Key Points

• Robin George Collingwood (1889 –1943) was a British philosopher and historian whose work has had considerable influence on modern historians.
• Collingwood is best known for his 'The Idea of History', a work collated soon after his death from various sources by his pupil, T. M. Knox.
• He wrote the dictum: "all history is the history of ideas".
• Collingwood held that history could not be studied in the same way as natural science, because the internal thought processes of historical persons could not be perceived with the physical senses, and because past historical events could not be directly observed.
• He suggested that a historian must “reconstruct” history by using “historical imagination” to “re-enact” the thought processes of historical persons, based on information and evidence from historical sources.

Hence, the correct answer is - R. G. Collingwood.

Svamin, Amatya, and Janapada are included among the seven limbs of ancient Indian States.

Key Points

• The Arthashastra of Kautilya is the first Indian text to define a state.
• Its concept of the saptanga rajya considers the state as consisting of seven interrelated and interlocking constituent limbs or elements (angas or prakritis). They are:
• Svamin (the lord or the king)
• Amatya (ministers)
• Janapada (the territory and the people)
• Durga (the fortified capital)
• Kosha (the teasury)
• Danda (justice or force)
• Mitra (ally)
• The idea of the saptanga rajya was accepted, with minor modifications, in many Dharmashastra texts, the Puranas and the Mahabharata.
• The Arthashastra deals only in passing with theoretical issues such as the origins of the state.
• Its principal concern is with practical matters of governance.

Therefore, we can conclude that the correct answer is - (A), (B), and (C) only.

Brahmajala Sutta, Mahapadana Sutta, Mahaparinibbana Sutta, and Samannaphala Sutta are associated with the Dighanikaya.

Key Points

• Dighanikaya is a Buddhist scripture and one of the five Nikayas of the Sutta Pitaka.
• Sutta Pitaka is one of the three baskets or Tripitakas of Buddhist literature.
• Dighanikaya comprises long discourses and consists of thirty-four suttas, grouped into three vaggas, or divisions.
• Some of the suttas associated with the Dighanikaya are:
• ​Brahmajala Sutta: It describes and compares the point-of-view of Buddha and other ascetics in India about the universe and time (past, present, and future).
• Mahapadana Sutta:  It tells the story of the Buddha and his six predecessors and also the discourse on the Buddha Vipassi.
• Mahaparinibbana Sutta: It describes the final days and death of the Buddha.
• Samannaphala Sutta: In this, Buddha explains to King Ajatasatru the advantages of joining the Buddhist Order and renouncing the life of the world.

Hence, we can conclude that the following suttas are associated with the Dighanikaya:

(A) Brahmajala Sutta

(B) Mahapadana Sutta

(C) Mahaparinibbana Sutta

(D) Samannaphala Sutta

Additional Information

• Sutta Pitaka:
• It contains over 10 thousand suttas or sutras related to Buddha and his close companions.
• It has five sections - Digha Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya, Samyutta Nikaya, Anguttara Nikaya and Khuddaka Nikaya.
• Vinaya Pitaka:
• The subject matter of Vinay Pitaka is the monastic rules for monks and nuns. It can also be called as Book of Discipline.
• It is further divided into three books namely Suttavibhanga, Khandhaka and Parivara.
• Abhidhamma Pitaka:
• It deals with the philosophy and doctrine of Buddhism appearing in the suttas.
• It is divided into 7 books - Dhammasangani, Vibhanga, Dhatukatha, Puggalapannatti, Kathavatthu, Yamakaand Patthana.

Among the given statements, only (A) and (D) are true about colonial cities.

Important Points

• During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the towns built by the Mughals were famous for their concentration of populations, their monumental buildings and their imperial grandeur and wealth.
• Agra, Delhi and Lahore were important centres of imperial administration and control.
• However all this started changing in the eighteenth century during colonial rule.
• With political and commercial realignments, old towns went into decline and new towns developed.
• The gradual erosion of Mughal power led to the demise of towns associated with their rule.
• The Mughal capitals, Delhi and Agra, lost their political authority.
• Commercial centres such as Surat, Murshidabad, Patna, Masulipatnam and Dhaka, which had grown in the seventeenth century, declined when trade shifted to other places.
• According to C.A. Bayly, there was a significant expansion of small towns in the mid-Ganga region from around the 1720s.
• With the growth of their empire, the British became increasingly inclined to make cities like Calcutta, Bombay and Madras into impressive imperial capitals.
• The British invested a lot in the design and construction of railway stations in cities, since they were proud of having successfully built an all-India railway network.
• One such example was the Victoria Terminal station of Bombay built by the Britishers in neo-Gothic style (a style characterised by high-pitched roofs, pointed arches and detailed decoration).

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that the following statements are true about colonial cities:

(A) Delhi, Agra and Lahore lost much of their older glory

(D) According to C.A. Bayly, there was a significant expansion of small towns in the mid-Ganga region from around the 1720s

The word Sikh is derived from the Sanskrit word Shishya, meaning disciple or learner. The Sikh religion originated with the advent of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh Religion.

Key Points

• Guru Nanak:
• ​He was the founder of Sikhism religion.
• Bedi is a well-known Khatri clan in India and Guru Nanak Dev was born into this clan.
• Guru Amar Das:
• ​He was born into a Bhalla Khatri family.
• He was the third guru of Sikhs who strengthened the Sikh movement by starting the institutions of Manjis and Piris.
• Guru Ram Das:
• ​He was the fourth Sikh guru who belonged to Sodhi sub-caste.
• He laid the foundation of the holy city of Amritsar, which later developed as the spiritual capital of the Sikh faith.
• Guru Angad:
• ​He was born in a Trehan (sub-caste of Khatri) family.
• He was the second guru of sikhs.
• He is known for standardising the Gurumukhi script of the Punjabi language.

Therefore, the correct matching of the Sikh Guru with their sub-caste is:

Calligraphy is an art related to writing. The people blessed with this skill are called calligraphers.

Key Points

• Buland Darwaza, Fatehpur Sikri:
• ​Buland Darwaza was built in 1575 AD at Fatehpur Sikri by Mughal emperor Akbar to commemorate his victory over Gujarat.
• This gate has beautiful inscriptions in carved relief work on sandstone.
• The calligraphy is in Thuluth script and the calligrapher mentioned his name on the right side of the gate as 'Ahmad al Chisthti'.
• Atagha Khan's tomb, Delhi:
• ​After the death of Ataga Khan, his tomb was built on the instructions of Mughal emperor Akbar.
• It was built by Akbar's foster brother, Mirza Aziz Koka, in 1566–67.
• The architect of this tomb was Ustad Khuda Quli and calligrapher was Baqi Muhammad from Bukhara.
• Shah Begum's tomb, Allahabad:
• After the death of Shah Begum who was the wife of Jahangir, he decided to build a tomb for her.​
• Shah Begum's tomb is a three-storied structure with a ‘Chattri’ on top and was built at Allahabad.
• The inscriptions on this tomb are attributed to the court calligrapher Mir Abdulla Mushkin Qalam.
• Itimad ud daula's tomb, Agra:
• ​The tomb of Itimad-ud-Daula is a mausoleum situated on the Yamuna River just outside Agra.
• It was built by Nur Jahan, the wife of Jahangir, for her father Mirza Ghiyas Beg between 1622 and 1628.
• A panel of this tomb bears the name of the calligrapher Abd al Nabi al Quraishi.

​​Therefore, the correct matching of the monuments with calligraphers is:

The correct matching of the authors with their books is: (A) - (III), (B) - (IV), (C) - (II), (D) - (I).

Important Points

• John William Kaye:
• ​Sir John William Kaye was a British military historian, civil servant and army officer.
• His major works on military history include a three-volume work on 'A History of the Sepoy War in India'.
• Mary Carpenter:
• ​Mary Carpenter was an English educational and social reformer who came to India in 1866.
• She wrote the book 'Six Months in India' after her visit.
• Romesh Chandra Dutt:
• ​Romesh Chandra Dutt was a national leader of the pre-Gandhian era and was a contemporary of Dadabhai Naoroji and Justice Ranade.
• Better known as R.C. Dutt, he was a civil servant, political and economic thinker and writer.
• He wrote the famous book 'The Economic History of India Under Early British Rule' in which he mentioned the economic condition of India under the Britishers.
• Valentine Chirol:
• ​Sir Ignatius Valentine Chirol was a British journalist, prolific author, historian and diplomat.
• He was the Director of the Imperial Department of the London Times.
• He wrote the book 'India Old and New'.

Hence, the correct matching is:

Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar who became famous as Akbar, the Great was the son and successor of the Mughal emperor Humayun. 

Key Points

• Akbar expanded the Mughal Empire to include much of the Indian subcontinent.
• During the time of Bairam Khan (military general of Akbar), the states like Gwalior, Jaunpur, Benaras, Ajmer and Malwa were added to the Mughal empire.
• In 1564, Akbar waged a war against the state of Gondwana which was ruled by Rani Durgavati on behalf of her minor son, Bir Narayan. After the war Gondwana was annexed to the Mughal empire.
• In 1572, Akbar conquered Gujarat.
• In 1573, he occupied Surat.
• With these conquests his empire extended to the Western Coasts.
• In 1574 Akbar drove the son of Suleiman Karrani and the ruler of Bengal in two encounters. Thus, Bengal was annexed to the Mughal empire.
• In 1581 Akbar led his army to Kabul and defeated its ruler Mirza Hakim who was ambitious enough to conquer Delhi. When he died in 1585, the territory of Kabul was annexed to the Mughal empire.
• Akbar next conquered Kashmir in 1586 and Sindh in 1591.
• In 1592, Orissa was conquered by Raja Man Singh, the Mughal general.
• Akbar annexed Baluchistan and Kandhar to the Mughal empire in 1595.
• After subjugating the whole of northern India, Akbar diverted his attention towards the Deccan.
• Akbar’s first target was Ahmed Nagar in Deccan. In 1595, the Mughal army entered in Ahmad Nagar and Chand Bibi fought desperately and finally was defeated and killed. The campaign continued for long five years and in 1600 the kingdom of Ahmad Nagar was conquered.
• Akbar also occupied Berar and Khandesh and captured the fort of Sirgarh in 1601.
• It was the last victory of Akbar and he died in 1605.
• Akbar’s Deccan policy was continued by his successors throughout the Mughal period.

Based on the above discussion we can conclude that, the correct chronological order of Akbar's victories is:

(C) Bengal

(D) Kabul

(A) Sind

(B) Khandesh

Farman was a royal decree issued by Mughal Emperor.

A memorandum is a form of official communication that is used to convey essential decisions or information.

Key Points

• Akbar's farman to Ram Das:
• ​Guru Ram Das (1574-1581 AD) was the son-in-law of Guru Amardas and was the fourth Guru of Sikhs.
• Akbar issued a farman to Ram Das in 1577 AD under which a plot of land was granted to him in Amritsar.
• Later the construction of Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) was done on this plot of land.
• Raja Todarmal's memorandum on revenue administration:
• ​Raja Todarmal was the finance minister of Akbar.
• Diwan-i-Ashraf title was given to him by Akbar.
• Raja Todarmal introduced classification of land, fixation of rates and uniform system of land measurement.
• He issued a memorandum on revenue administration in the year 1580 AD.
• This memorandum helps us in understanding the agrarian conditions of the Mughal administration.
• Farman to Rasikdas Karori:
• ​Rasikdas Karori was a revenue official during the reign of Aurangzeb.
• Aurangzeb issued a farman to Rasikdas Karori during 1665-66 AD under which he clearly emphasised that attempt should be to switch over from inferior (jins-i adana) to high grade crops (jins-i ala).
• Farman to Muhammad Hashim:
• ​Muhammad Hashim was a revenue official during the reign of Aurangzeb.
• Aurangzeb issued a farman to Muhammad Hashim during 1668-69 AD in which he instructed him that no remissions were to be allowed once the crop had been cut.

Based on the above discussion we can conclude that the correct chronological order of the various farmans / memorandums issued by Mughal emperors/nobles is:

(A) Akbar's farman to Ram Das

(B) Raja Todarmal's memorandum on revenue administration

(D) Farman to Rasikdas Karori

(C) Farman to Muhammad Hashim

A treaty is an agreement or arrangement made by negotiation.

Important Points

• The Treaty of Allahabad and Kara:
• ​The Treaty of Allahabad was signed in August 1765 AD between Robert Clive, Shuja-Ud-Daulah and Shah Aam-II as a result of the Battle of Buxar.
• According to this treaty, Nawab Shuja-Ud-Daulah agreed to surrender Allahabad and Kara to Emperor Shah Alam II.
• He also agreed to pay Rs 50 lakh to the Company as war indemnity.
• The Treaty of Srirangpattanam:
• ​The Treaty of Srirangpattanam was signed in 1792 AD after the Third Anglo-Mysore War.
• Under this treaty, Tipu Sultan surrendered nearly half of Mysore territories to the Britishers.
• Besides, a war damage of three crore rupees was also taken from him.
• The Treaty of Bassien (Vasai):
• ​After the defeat in the Battle of Poona, Peshwa Bajirao II rushed to Bassien (Vasai) to seek the help of the Britishers.
• He signed a treaty with the English over there in December 1802 AD.
• The Treaty of Bassien (Vasai) brought the Marathas under the Subsidiary Alliance initiated by Lord Wellesley on behalf of the East Indian Company.
• The Treaty of Lahore:
• ​The end of the First Anglo-Sikh War forced the Sikhs to sign a humiliating treaty with English East India Company in March 1846 AD.
• The annexation of Jalandhar doab by British and payment of war indemnity of more than one crore to Britishers were some of the features of this treaty.

Hence we can conclude that the correct chronological order of treaties starting from the earliest is:

(D) The Treaty of Allahabad and Kara

(A) The Treaty of Srirangpattanam

(C) The Treaty of Bassien (Vasai)

(B) The Treaty of Lahore

There are various organizations formed by the Indians during their freedom struggle against the Britishers.

Important Points

• All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC):
• ​The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) was founded on October 31, 1920.
• Lala Lajpat Rai was elected as the first president of AITUC and Dewan Chaman Lal was elected as the first general secretary.
• Hindustan Socialist Republican Association:
• The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association was established in 1928.
• Revolutionaries like Chandrashekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were present at the meeting, held at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground in Delhi, during the establishment of the organisation.​
• Independent Labour Party of India (Dr. Ambedkar):
• ​Independent Labour Party (ILP) was an Indian political organisation formed under the leadership of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in August 1936 against the brahmanical and capitalist structures in the society.
• ILP argued for Indian labour class while also stressing on the nature of caste structures and need for its annihilation.
• Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC):
• ​INTUC was established in 1947 in cooperation with Indian National Congress.
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the founder of INTUC.

Therefore the correct chronological order of organizations from their date of establishment  is:

(A) All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)

(D) Hindustan Socialist Republican Association

(C) Independent Labour Party of India (Dr. Ambedkar)

(B) Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)

The correct answer is - (C), (B), (D), (A).

Important Points

• Maharaja Libel case:
• ​The Maharaja Libel case was a 1862 trial in the Bombay High Court in British India.
• The case against Nanabhai Rustomji Ranina and Karsandas Mulji alleged that their public accusation that the religious leaders of Pushtimarg had had sexual liaisons with women devotees was libelous.
• Vijialakshmi Case:
• ​This landmark case of 1881 in Surat was related to a young Brahmin widow named Vijialakshmi who was convicted of killing her illegitimate child.
• Rukhmabai case:
• Rukhmabai was an Indian physician and feminist.
• She is best known for being one of the first practicing women doctors in colonial India as well as being involved in a **landmark legal case involving her marriage as a child bride between 1884 and 1888.**​
• On April 9, 1887, a trial began against her before the Bombay High Court on a suit for restitution of conjugal rights that was filed by her husband.
• Phulmony Case:
• ​The Phulmony Dasi rape case was a case of child marriage and subsequent marital rape in India in 1889, which resulted in the death of the 10-year-old girl, Phulmony Dasi.
• The case led to the conviction of the husband in 1890 and triggered several legal reforms.

Hence, the chronologically correct order of the given landmark legal cases is:

(C) Maharaja Libel case

(B) Vijialakshmi Case

(D) Rukhmabai case

(A) Phulmony Case

The term megalith is derived from the Greek words megas which means great and lithos meaning stone.

Key Points

• Megaliths in India are dated before 3000 BC, with recent findings dated back to 5000 BC in southern India.
• Megaliths are found in almost all parts of southern India.
• The main concentration of megalithic structures can be found in the South Indian states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karanataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• Some of the important megalithic sites in India are: Adichanallur, Maski, Tekalghat, Paiyampalli, Nagarjumakonda, Junapani, Brahmagiri,  Chandravalli etc.
• Black and red ware pottery has been found at many sites.
• Megalithic complexes have very thin debris of occupation, which shows that these people were living in one area for a very short time.
• Hoes and sickles, small weapons, arrow heads, spear heads and horse trappings of iron have been found at multiple megalithic sites.
• Use of iron tools enabled them to use granite stones for their graves.
• Some scholars believed that introduction of iron technology led to the acceleration of agricultural expansion and subsequently a dramatic growth in human population.

Based on the above discussion about megalithic culture, we can conclude that both Statement I and Statement II are true.

The Chandellas who established themselves in Bundelkhand, wee one of the 36 Rajput clans. Nannuka was the founder Chandella dynasty.

Important Points

• Chandellas ruled much of the Bundelkhand region of Central India for approximately 500 years between the 9^th and the 13^th centuries AD.
• In those days, the Bundelkhand region was popularly known by the name of Jejakabhukti.
• The capital city of Chandells was Khajuraho which was later changed to Mahoba.
• The Chandellas built the most famous Kandariya Mahadeva Temple in 1050 AD and a number of beautiful temples at Khajuraho.
• There are also many inscriptions belonging to the Chandella dynasty that provide us information about this dynasty.
• A Chandella inscription records the grant of land to the soldier who died in battle while fighting for the king (Mrityukavritti).
• The term 'Mrityukavritti' refers to those soldiers who died in battle showing exemplary valour while fighting for the king.
• Such soldiers were rewarded by granting land for the livelihood of their dependents.

Thus, we can conclude that both Statement I and Statement II are true.

Deva Raya II was one of the greatest rulers of the Vijayanagar dynasty who ascended the throne in 1425 AD. 

Key Points

• Deya Raya II extended the Vijayanagar empire up to the Krishna River.
• In order to strengthen his army he inducted more muslims into it.
• Two fundamental changes occurred during the reign of Deva Raya II:
• ​Firstly, he strengthened the military base of the kingdom by improving the quality of war horses and the training of horsemen and archers under his personal command and resources.
• Secondly, he established deeper political control over west-coast emporia, thus linking military reform with international commerce.
• Military and administrative dominance over the major ports on the Arabian Sea provided Devaraya II with a new and different source of state finance than his predecessors ever enjoyed, though exactly how to trade profits were appropriated during the 15^th century cannot now be ascertained.

Hence, we can conclude that both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

The Revolt of 1857 was the first major Indian resistance against the exploitation of the British in India.

Key Points

• It is clear from all accounts that we have of 1857 that the British did not have an easy time in putting down the rebellion.
• Before sending out troops to reconquer North India, the British passed a series of laws to help them quell the insurgency.
• By a number of Acts, passed in May and June 1857, not only was the whole of North India put under martial law but military officers and even ordinary Britons were given the power to try and punish Indians suspected of rebellion.
• The Supreme Council of the Governor-General in Calcutta gave extraordinary powers to Special Commissions to capture and punish rebels of the 1857 Revolt, in its Act XIV of June 1857.
• In other words, the ordinary processes of law and trial were suspended and it was put out that rebellion would have only one punishment – death.
• In the following years of the rebellion, Muslims were viewed with suspicion and disfavour by the Britishers.
• Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, who was a government sub-judge in 1858, wrote a book named 'Causes of the Indian Revolt (1858)'.
• It primarily aimed to show the loyalty of Muslims towards the Britishers.

Therefore, we can conclude that both (A) and (R) are correct but (R) is NOT the correct explanation of (A).

The Child Marriage Restraint Act was a legislative act passed on 28 September 1929. The act fixed the marriageable age for girls at 14 years and 18 years for boys. It is popularly known as the Sharda Act after its sponsor, Harbilas Sarda.

Key Points

Statement (A):  When the All India Women's Conference began their campaign in support of the Child Marriage Restraint Bill (1929). Sister. Subbalakshmi gave evidence before the Joshi Committee about the harmful effects of youthful marriages.

• Various bills addressing questions on the age of consent were introduced in the Indian legislatures and defeated.
• The All India Women’s Conference, Women’s Indian Association and National Council of Women in India, through their members developed and articulated the argument in favour of raising of the age for marriage and consent before the Joshi Committee.
• All India Women’s Conference was established in 1927.
• When the All India Women's Conference began their campaign in support of the Child Marriage Restraint Bill (1929), Sister Subbalakshmi gave evidence before the Joshi Committee about the harmful effects of youthful marriages.
• The Joshi Committee presented its report on 20 June 1929 and was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council on 28 September 1929 and became a law on 1 April 1930, after approval from Lord Irwin extending to the whole of British India.
• Child Marriage Restraint Bill fixed 14 and 18 as the marriageable age for girls and boys respectively of all communities.

Hence, the Statement (A) is true.

Statement (R):  Mithuben Petit, a social worker who become leading trade unionist, organized the Seva Mandir to work among the poor.

• Mithuben Petit led the life of sacrifice and simplicity dedicated to Gandhian principles.
• Mithuben along with Kasturba and Sarojini Naidu played a major part in the Salt March.
• Petit set up an ashram in Maroli called Kasturba Vanat Shala which taught underprivileged children from families of Adivasis, Harijans and fisher folks.
• She also opened a hospital of the same name for the treatment of mentally ill patients.

Thus, the Statement (R) is not true.

Only statements (B) and (C) are correctly related to idangai and valangai of Tamil region.

Key Points

• The existing rural social structure in south India weakened around the 13^th century and led to the crystallization of the low caste non-brahman communities.
• It led to a dual vertical division of the Valangai (Right-hand castes) and Idangai (Left-hand castes), within the traditional caste structure of the rural society in the Tamil region.
• Both the right-hand (Valangai) and left-hand (Idangai) groups included non-peasant castes such as those of artisans as well as higher-ranking castes.
• Both the Valangai and Idangai groups usually excluded the outcastes, notably the Paraiyas.
• The Valangai or right-hand faction was numerically superior to the Idangai or left-handed faction.
• There were 6 castes in the Idangai faction as opposed to sixty in the Valangai faction.
• The Valangai faction was better politically organized than the Idangai.

Therefore, the following statements are correct:

(B) Both the right-hand and left-hand groups included non-peasant castes such as those of artisans as well as higher-ranking castes. 

(C) Both the right-hand and left-hand groups usually excluded the outcastes, notably the Paraiyas.

Mistake Points

The statement (A) In the Tamil region right-hand and left-hand groups were known as idangai and valangai respectively is not correct because:

• Valangai was known as right-hand groups whereas Idangai was known as left-hand groups.

With regard to the Mughal finance system, only the statements (A), (B) and (D) are correct.

Important Points

• During the Mughal period in India, the system of finance and credit was well-developed.
• The most highly developed money and credit market in Mughal India was at Surat.
• Cashless payments in Mughal India through bills of exchange or the use of hundis were widespread.
• A hundi can be defined as a financial instrument developed in medieval India for the use of trade and credit transactions.
• Sarafs were the core group around which money and credit markets were organised.
• There was an insurance system in place and hence risks of loss in transit were very low.
• However, the transportation across the land was costlier and it was more vulnerable to the exactions of chiefs and rebels.

Hence, we can conclude that the following statements are correct regarding the Mughal finance system:

Additional Information

(A) There was a well-developed system of finance and credit in Mughal India.

(B) The use of hundis or bills of exchange was widespread.

(D) Transport across land was itself costlier, it was more vulnerable to the exactions of chiefs and rebels.

Among the given statements about the painters during Jahangir's period, all the statements - (A), (B) and (C) are correct.

Important Points

Statement (A): Mansur was expert in painting animals and flowers.

• Mansur was the leading nature painter at the court of the Mughal emperor Jahangir.
• The emperor took a passionate interest in the natural world and established a compendium of natural history with Mansur's help.
• His detailed careful depictions of plants and animals avoided all personal expression and are extremely valuable for their scientific accuracy as well as their artistic perfection.
• Mansur accompanied Jahangir on some of his travels and was then in charge of the documentation of plants and animals.
• Probably of greatest value for modern science is Mansur's painting of a dodo, a flightless bird of Mauritius that became extinct in 1681.

Thus, the Statement (A) is correct.

Statement (B): Abul Hasan was a portraitist.

• Abul Hasan was a prolific artist under the Mughal emperor Jahangir who was honoured with the tile of “Nadir uz-zaman” (“wonder of the age”).
• Throughout his career, Abul Hasan painted a myriad of themes commissioned by the emperor and influenced by his own personal style.
• The Mughals came into contact with the Europeans during Jahangir’s reign, and we can see evidence of the influence of European styles and aesthetics in Abul Hasan’s work.
• Abul Hasan went on to become the most prolific portrait painter of his day.

Therefore, the Statement (B) is correct.

Statement (C): Govardhan was an expert painter of painting holymen, musicians, and eccentrics.

• Govardhan was a noted Indian painter of the Mughal school of painting.
• He joined the imperial service during the reign of Akbar and he continued his work till the reign of Jahangir and Shah Jahan.
• Govardhan was an expert painter of painting holymen, musicians, and eccentrics.
• He was hailed for his ability to capture the psychological state of his sitters and incorporate fashionable and international motifs.

Hence, the  Statement (C) is correct.

Among the given statements regarding economic critique of colonialism, the correct statements are (A) and (B) only.

Important Points

• The early nationalists led by Dadabhai Naroji, R.C. Dutt, Dinshaw Wacha and others, carefully analysed the political economy of British rule in India, and put forward the "drain theory" to explain British exploitation of India.
• They opposed the transformation of of a basically self-sufficient Indian economy into a colonial economy.
• However, the Britishers administrators attributed the rapid construction of railroads and the growth of India's foreign trade as a proof of India's prosperity.
• But the economic critiques of colonialism exposed the Britishers' argument that the growth of foreign trade and railways implied development for India.
• The nationalists pointed out that a negative impact on indigenous industries, foreign trade and railways represented India's underdevelopment of economy.
• The nationalists also emphasized that while expenditure served British imperial needs, it also brought consequent poverty and unemployment to Indian people.
• In 1896, in its annual session held at Calcutta, the Indian National Congress adopted the 'drain theory' by proclaiming that the famines in the country and poverty of the people had been brought on by the drain of wealth from the country.
• The Moderates were able to create an an all India public opinion that British rule in India was the major cause of India's poverty and economic backwardness.

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that the following statements regarding economic critique of colonialism are correct:

(A) The British administrators attributed the rapid construction of railroads and the growth of India's foreign trade as a proof of India's prosperity.

(B) For nationalists, a negative impact on indigenous industries, foreign trade and railways represented India's underdevelopment of economy.

The combinations of Indian revolutionaries abroad and their newspaper which are not correct are - (A), (B) and (D) only.

Key Points

• Tarak Nath Das:
• ​Tarak Nath Das is the first leader of the Indian community in North America to start a paper called “Free Hindustan”.
• The Free Hindustan was published in April 1908.
• Ramnath Puri:
• ​He was an Indian-American freedom fighter who was the editor of pamphlet "Circular-e-Azadi".
• He launched three issues of Circular-e-Azadi between 1907 and 1908.
• Shyamji Krishna Verma:
• ​Shyamji Krishna Varma was an Indian revolutionary fighter,  lawyer and journalist who founded the Indian Home Rule Society and India House in London.
• He began to publish and edit the newspaper “The Indian Sociologist” in January 1905.
• Indubhushan Dey Mazumdar:
• ​He was an important member of Pan-Aryan Association in America.
• He gave speech in the first meeting of this association in February 1907 in which he emphasized on British oppression and new Industrial movement in India in his speeches.
• The report of this meeting and the prospectus of this association were published in the newspaper "Gaelic American" which is owned by John Devoy.

​Hence, we can conclude that the correct combinations are:

(A) Tarak Nath Das - Free Hindustan

(B) Ramnath Puri - Circular-e-Azadi

(C) Shyamji Krishna Verma - Indian Sociologist

(D) John Devoy - Gaelic American

Jagannath Panditraja and Kavindrăcărya Saraswati were the Sanskrit intellectuals of the seventeenth century who had relations with the Mughal emperor Shahjahan.

Key Points

• Early modern Indian society is filled with examples of cross-cultural exchanges on all levels.
• The Mughal courts of Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan had relations with Hindus, Muslims, and Jains intellectuals and were an integrated part of court life.
• Shah Jahan sponsored some of the greatest Sanskrit thinkers of the seventeenth century, including Jagannatha Panditaraja and Kavindracarya Sarasvati.
• Both of these luminaries are mentioned in Persian-language chronicles from Shah Jahan's reign.
• While they are most well-known today for their contributions to Sanskrit intellectual culture, both were valued at the Mughal court as vernacular singers.

Hence, the correct answer is - Jagannath Panditraja and Kavindrăcărya Saraswati.

The aintinais or five tinais/eco-zones are referred to in the Tolkapiyyam: one of the earliest Tamil texts to have survived till the present.

Key Points

• The ancient Tamils had divided the Tamil country into five distinct ecological zones, with each zone having its own characteristics.
• Each zone with its distinct characteristics is called "Tinai".
• The subsistence pattern of each tinai was different.

The five tinais are: 

• Kurinchi or mountainous region
• Mullai or pastoral region
• Palai or arid terrain
• Marutam or riverine tract
• neytal or the littorals (zones near the sea)

Each tinai tract supported a specific type of economic activity according to soil type, climate, rainfall and the availability of other resources.

• Each had a specific deity as well as a particular flower or tree associated with it.
• Each tinai tract was also named after a plant that was exclusive to it.
• The boundaries of any tinai tract cannot be distinctly demarcated since one merges with the other.
• Hence, each tinai tract should not be thought of as a rigid bounded entity with minimal or no external relations.

Thus, the correct matching is:

The Dharmasastra is a collection of ancient Sanskrit texts which give the codes of conduct and moral principles (dharma) for Hindus. 

Important Points

• Bhatta Lakshmidhara:
• ​He was a Hindu law-giver of the 12^th century CE.
• He was the author of the Hindu dharmashastra called Kritya Kalpataru (wish yielding palm tree of domestic rites and duties).
• He was the Sandhi-Vigrahika-Amatya (Minister of War and Peace) of King Govinda Chandra of Varanasi, who ascended the throne in 1115 CE.
• Devannabhatta:
• ​He flourished about the end of 12^th century.
• His work Smriti-Chandrika, which was meant to supplement Mitakshara, acquired a commanding position in south India.
• Hemadri:
• ​He was the prime minister in the reign of king Mahadev (1259-1271) and king Ramachandra (1271-1309).
• He was an administrator, poet, architect, diplomat and scholar.
• He wrote Chaturvargachintamani which contains the procedures to perform various Vratas.
• Sridhara:
• ​He wrote Smrityarthasara which deals with various topics of dharmasastras like marriage etc.

Hence, the correct matching of the authors and the Dharmasastras is:

Khalisa land refers to land owned directly by the Mughal Emperor. The revenue collected from these lands was sent to the imperial treasury.

Important Points

• The estimated revenue was called jama or jamadami as it was calculated in dam (a small copper coin, 1/40^th of the silver rupaya on the average).
• The jama included land revenue, inland transit duties, port customs, and other taxes which were known as sair Jihat.
• Another term used by the revenue officials was hasil, that is, the amount of revenue actually collected.
• In the 31^st year of Akbar's reign, the jama of the khalisa in the province of Delhi, Awadh, and Allahabad amounted to 1/4^th of the total revenue.
• Under Jahangir, only 1/20^th khalisa share was available out of total jama.
• Under Shah Jahan, it rose to 1/7^th by the 20^th year of his rule.
• The trend continued in the next reign; in the 10^th year of Aurangzeb, the jama of the khalisa amounted to almost one-fifth of the total.
• However, in the later part of Aurangzeb's reign, there was a great pressure on the khalisa as the number of claimants for jagir increased with the increase of the number of mansabdars.

Based on the above discussion, the correct matching is:

Muhammad bin Tughlaq became the Sultan of Delhi in 1324 AD. He introduced various policies during his reign (1324-1351 AD).

Key Points

• Transfer of capital:
• ​Capital was relocated from Delhi to Devagiri during 1326-1327 AD.
• In this exodus, the Imperial Court and establishments were shifted initially followed by the citizens.
• The distance between Delhi and Devagiri was around 1500 km.
• During migration, many people died because of the harsh weather.
• Those who reached Devagiri experienced health issues and found it difficult to adjust in South India.
• In the following years, the courts and people were shifted back to Delhi.
• Making this policy was a huge blunder.
• Token currency:
• ​Mohammad Bin Tughlaq was also known as the “king of moneyers”.
• He commenced bronze token currency from 1330-1332 AD.
• Each bronze coin had the same value as a silver coin (tanka).
• This policy was also a failure because tons of forged coins started circulating in the markets.
• Adding to that, the citizens paid their taxes in bronze coins and hoarded gold & silver ones.
• As a result, the value of this currency declined which led to its withdrawal.
• Khorasan expedition (1332-1333 AD):
• ​With the help of the Persian emperor he wanted to vanquish the country of Khurasan, Transoxiana, and Iraq.
• He built an army of 3,70,000 soldiers.
• He spent lakhs of rupees on this mission but the Persian emperor repudiated to help, causing a huge financial loss and dismissal of the project.
• Qarachil expedition (1333 AD):
• ​Quarachil kingdom was present between Kullu- Kangra region (now in Himachal Pradesh).
• Massive infantry was sent by Mohammad Bin Tughlaq to annex the Quarachil kingdom.
• Due to cool winds and rainfall, the Tughluq army couldn’t survive on the battlefield.
• When Mongol emperor Tarmashirin Khan invaded India by capturing Lahore and Multan, to protect his kingdom Mohammad Bin Tughlaq bribed the Mongolian emperor with gold and silver.
• This act represented him as a puny Sultan in front of his nationals.

Thus, we can conclude that the correct chronological order of the experiments/projects of Muhammad bin Tughlaq is:

(C) Transfer of capital

(A) Token currency

(B) Khorasan expedition

(D) Qarachil expedition

One of the best sources of Ancient Indian History is Vedic literature. There are four vedas – the Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda.

Key Points

• The oldest Veda is the Rigveda, composed about 3500 years ago.
• The Rigveda includes more than a thousand hymns, called sukta or “well-said”.
• These hymns are in praise of various gods and goddesses.
• These hymns were composed by sages (rishis).
• The Rigveda is in old or Vedic Sanskrit.
• The Rigveda is divided into ten books which are known as Mandalas.
• The first and tenth Mandalas are the youngest and the longest books.
• Second to Seventh Mandalas are oldest parts of Rig-Veda but the shortest books.
• The seventh Mandala of the Rigveda has 104 hymns.
• The seventh Mandala of the Rigveda is ascribed to the family of Vasishtha.
• Rishi Vasishtha was a famous sage of the Vedic period and one of the Saptarishis.

Hence, the correct answer is - Vasishtha.

The Brahmanas are the texts which throw a flood of light on Vedic rituals and ceremonies.  The Brahmanas are the prose texts which explain the hymns in the Vedas, give explanation and applications and related stories of their origin.

Key Points

• Brahmanas of Rigveda samhita:
• Aitareya Brahmana: Sometimes it is also known as Ashvalayana Brahmana. It is older than Kaushitaki in style and content. The legendary author ascribed for this Brahmana is Mahidas Aitareya. It is of Shakala shakhas of Rig-Veda.
• Kaushitaki Brahmana: It is of the Vatkal or Bashkala shakhas of Rig-Veda and sometimes also known as Śānkhāyana Brahmana. It is younger in content and style.
• Brahmanas of Samaveda Samhita:
• ​Jayminiya Brahmana
• Tandyamaha or Pancavimsa Brahmana
• Sadvimsa Brahmana
• Samavidhana Brahmana
• Arseya Brahmana
• Devatadhyaya or Daivata Brahmana
• Mantra or Chandogya Brahmana
• Samhitopanisad Brahmana
• Vamsa Brahmana
• Jayminiya Arseya Brahmana
• Brahmanas of Yajurveda Samhita:
• ​Maitrayani
• Carakakatha
• Kapisthalakatha
• Taittiriya Brahmana
• Shatapatha Brahmana
• Brahmanas of Atharvaveda Samhita:
• ​Atharva Veda has only one Brahmana and that is Gopatha Brahmana.

Hence, the pair of the Brahmanas and Vedic Samhitas which is NOT correctly matched is: Kausitaki Brahmana - Yajurveda Samhita