History Mock Test - 1

The correct answer is option 3 i.e., Buddhacharita.

• The life history of Gautama Buddha is known as Buddhacharita which is authored by Ashvaghosha is considered as the most sacred text in Buddhism.
• Jataka Kathalu is a voluminous body of literature native to India concerning the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form.
• The Tripitaka is the traditional term for Buddhist scriptures which is a collection of Buddhist teachings that are the foundation of the Theravada Buddhist philosophy.
• Dhamma (Dharma) is a concept generally known as the teachings of the Buddha which give many people meaning and understanding within their lives which is non-other than the Four Noble Truths that are -
  • The truth of dukkha (suffering, anxiety, unsatisfactoriness)
  • The truth of the origin of dukkha
  • The truth of the cessation of dukkha
  • The truth of the path leading to the cessation of dukkha

The correct answer is Ashoka.

Key Points

• Sanchi is a Buddhist complex, famous for its Great Stupa, on a hilltop at Sanchi Town in Raisen District of the State of Madhya Pradesh, India.
• The Great Stupa at Sanchi is one of the oldest stone structures in India and an important monument of Indian Architecture.
• It was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE.
• Its nucleus was a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha.

Additional Information

• Ashoka is also known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty, who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from 268 to 232 BCE.
• He was the grandson of the dynasty's founder Chandragupta Maurya.
• Ashoka promoted the spread of Buddhism across ancient Asia.  

• The Sudarshana lake in Gujarat was built during the rule of the Mauryas.
•  Sudarshana Lake was an artificial reservoir. 
• We know about it from a rock inscription second century CE) in Sanskrit, composed to record the achievements of the Shaka ruler Rudradaman.
• The inscription mentions that the lake, with embankments and water channels, was built by a local governor during the rule of the Mauryas. 
• However, a terrible storm broke the embankments and water gushed out of the lake.
• Rudradaman, who was then ruling in the area, claimed to have got the lake repaired using his own resources, without imposing any tax on his subjects.
• Three hundred years after Rudradaman’s inscription, the edict of Skand Gupta also speaks about the reparations conducted by the Gupta king in 455-456 AD. 

Key Points

• Iron was not used in the Harappan cities.
• Harappan cities are part of Indus Valley Civilizations, which was held after the Chalcolithic period of stone-age.
• During the Chalcolithic period, copper was first used to make tools, utensils, and other objects.

Additional Information

• The Indus civilization, also known as the Indus Valley Civilization or the Harappan Civilization, is the oldest known urban culture of the Indian subcontinent.
• The atomic dates of civilization appear to be around 2500 to 1700 BCE, although the southern sites later moved into the second millennium BCE. 
• The civilization was first identified in 1921 in Harappa in the Punjab region and then in 1922 in Mohenjo-Daro (Mohenjodaro) near the Indus River in the Indus (Sindh) region.
• Both sites are in the provinces of Pakistan, Punjab, and Sindh respectively.
• The ruins of Mohenjo-Daro were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

Hundreds of square seals were discovered here is NOT correct.

Key Points

• The Indus valley civilization was the earliest civilization of India.
• The Indus valley civilization is also called the Harappan culture.
• The most accepted period of Indus Valley civilization was from 2500 BC to 1750 BC.
• The civilization prospered around 4700 years ago.
• Harappa is the first discover site in the Indus Valley civilization.
• Harappa in Sindhi means "Buried City".
• Indus Valley people used burnt bricks for building houses.
• Seals of different shapes such as rectangular, circular and cylindrical ones with the symbol of animals on them were found from Indus Valley sites.
  • There was no evidence for the usage of square seals.
  • They use steatite stones for making seals.

Additional Information

• They use drainage systems with large black slabs.
• Food crops such as rice, wheat, and barley were grown.
• Evidence of animal and tree worship was found in Indus valley sites.
• The chief female deity was Goddess Earth and the male deity was Siva(Pashupati Mahadeva).
• The term Indus Valley civilization was first coined by John Marshall.
• Indus Valley civilization was gradually declined due to climate change.

The correct answer is Shaivism.

Key Points

• Nath-Panthis are a Shaivist sub-tradition within Hinduism. A medieval movement, combined ideas from Buddhism, Shaivism and Yoga traditions in India.
• The Naths have been a confederation of devotees who consider Adinatha, or Shiva, as their first lord or Guru, with Varying lists of Additional lords.

Additional Information

• Nath-Panthis are the followers of Yogi Gorakhnath and one was popular all over North India.
• They believed in the power of uttering magical words (mantras) and adopting various kinds of austerities and secret rites.
• Matsyendranath was the disciple of Shiva and in turn, passed the knowledge to his disciple Gorakhnath.
• The path preached by them is referred to as 'Tantra'.
• The followers of Nath- Panthis belong to the lower caste. They denounce the caste system and the privileges claimed by Brahmanas.
• The sect with twelve branches promoted by Gorakhnath later came to be known as the Nath sect.

Confusion Points

• The followers of this sect suffix Nath to their names.
• They are called kanphata because of the tradition of cutting ears and gorakhnathi because they are devotees of Gorakhnath.

The correct answer is ​​Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Key Points

Magadha:

• Of all the kingdoms of north India, Magadha emerged the most powerful and prosperous. Hence the Assertion is correct.
• It became the nerve centre of political activity in north India.
• Magadha was endowed by nature with certain geographical and strategic advantages. These made her rise to imperial greatness.
• Her strategic position between the upper and lower part of the Gangetic valley was a great advantage. Hence the Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion
• It had fertile soil.
• The iron ores in the hills near Rajgir and copper and iron deposits near Gaya added to its natural assets.
• Her location at the centre of the highways of trade of those days contributed to her wealth.
• Rajagriha was the capital of Magadha.
• During the reign of Bimbisara and Ajatasatru, the prosperity of Magadha reached its zenith. 

Important Points

Mahajanpadas:

• At the beginning of the 6th century B.C., northern India consisted of a large number of independent kingdoms.
• Some of them had monarchical forms of government, while some others were republics.
• While there was a concentration of monarchies on the Gangetic plain, the republics were scattered in the foothills of the Himalayas and in northwestern India.
• Some of the republics consisted of only one tribe like the Sakyas, Licchavis, and Mallas.
• In the republics, the power of decision in all matters of state vested with the Public Assembly which was composed of the tribal representatives or heads of families. All decisions were by a majority vote.
• The Buddhist literature Anguttara Nikaya gives a list of sixteen great kingdoms called ‘Sixteen Mahajanapadas’. They were Anga, Magadha, Kasi, Kosala, Vajji, Malla, Chedi, Vatsa, Kuru, Panchala, Matsya, Surasena, Asmaka, Avanti, Gandhara and Kambhoja.
• The Jain texts also contain references to the existence of sixteen kingdoms.
• In course of time, the small and weak kingdoms either submitted to the stronger rulers or gradually got eliminated.
• Finally, in the mid 6th century B.C., only four kingdoms – Vatsa, Avanti, Kosala and Magadha survived.

Sant Kabir Das is considered the most influential and most remarkable poet of the Bhakti and Sufi movement in Northern India. Amongst the several saints that have blessed our country, Kabir Das is a well-known mystic poet and deserves major credit for bringing about a social and religious revolution.

Key Points

The Bijak is the sacred book of the Kabir Panth or sect devoted to Kabir’s teachings.

• Kabir Panthis is a mixed community of ascetics and common householders from humble backgrounds who were ardent Kabir followers and collected his works for documentation.
• Due to the visibility of the Panth, the Kabir collection best known to westerners in the early twentieth century was the Bijak. The word “Bijak” means an anthology/guide or compilation.
• The Bijak includes three main sections called Ramaini, Sabda, and Sakhi, and a fourth section containing miscellaneous folksong forms.
• Kabir’s words were primarily in two literary genres: rhymed couplets (known as Doha, Sakhi, or shlok) and lyric poems (shabda, Shabad, pad, or bhajan), in addition to the ramaini and folk song forms.
• The lyric poems, commonly known as bhajans, vary in meter and are usually six to eighteen lines in length, while the couplets are comprised of four half-lines.
• In The Bijak of Kabir, makes an insightful comment about how, while other bhakti poets such as Mirabai, Surdas, and Tulsidas address most of their poems to God, Kabir addresses his words directly to us. This gives rise to the art of rhetoric, using language to engage, affect and awaken people.
• Kabir’s verses are filled with verbs and calls to action, tucked into extended metaphors, compelling arguments, dialogues, and monologues.

​Hence, the correct answer is Kabir.

The correct answer is Vidisha.

Key Points

• Kushana Dynasty (1st Century-375 AD)
  • The Kushanas originated from the Western part of China and entered India displacing Shakas.
  • They were partially successful against Shakas but they completely removed the Indo-Greeks from India.
  • In Madhya Pradesh, Kushana’s presence can be observed in terms of continuous struggle against Shakas (Ujjain) or Bhurshiv (Padmavati).
  • Coins of Kushana ruler, Vima Kadphises have been found from Vidisha district. Hence, Option 1 is correct.
  • Coins of Kanishka and Huvishka were discovered from Shahdol and Harda.
  • Kushana king Vasudeva’s coins were discovered from Tewar (Jabalpur).
  • During the Kushana rule of Vasishka, Madhukar built a large idol of Lord Buddha.
  • From Bhedaghat (Jabalpur), two inscriptions of Buddha were recovered contemporary to Kushanas.

Important Points

• Vima Kadphises 
  • The inscription found at Rabatak in Afghanistan mentions that he was the son of Vima Taktu and the father of Kanishka.
  • They issued a large number of gold coins.
  • He was a Shiva devotee as is clear from coins issued by him.
  • A large number of Roman gold coins found from this era indicate the prosperity of India at that time and also the growing trade with the Romans.

The correct answer is Hampi.

Key Points

• Vijayanagara empire ruins were found in Hampi.
• The ruins at Hampi:
  • The Vijayanagara empire was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I.
  • The empire was destroyed in the Battle of Talikota in 1565.
  • The ruins at Hampi were brought to light in 1800 by an engineer and antiquarian named Colonel Colin Mackenzie.
  • An employee of the English East India Company, he prepared the first survey map of the site.
  • Much of the initial information he received was based on the memories of priests of the Virupaksha temple and the shrine of Pampadevi.
  • Subsequently, from 1856, photographers began to record the monuments which enabled scholars to study them.
  • As early as 1836 epigraphists began collecting several dozen inscriptions found at this and other temples at Hampi. 

The correct answer is Porbandar.

Key Points

• M.K. Gandhi
  • He was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar in what is today India’s western state of Gujarat. Hene, Option 3 is correct.
  • Upon return to British-controlled India in January 1915, Gandhi had acquired the skills both of an accomplished lawyer and a community organizer dedicated to peaceful protest.
  • In South Africa (1893-1915), he had successfully fought the racist regime with a novel method of mass agitation, which he called satyagraha.
  • The idea of satyagraha emphasized the power of truth and the need to search for truth.
  • The International Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2nd October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.
  • Gandhi's Peace Prize is given for social, economic, and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.
  • He returned to India from South Africa on 9th January 1915.
  • Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9th January every year to mark the contribution of the Overseas Indian community to the development of India.
• Rajkot
  • It is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
  • In central Jubilee Garden are the Lang Library, with Gujarati literature, and the Watson Museum, with paintings and artifacts documenting British colonial rule.
  • Kaba Gandhi No Delo, the house where Mahatma Gandhi spent part of his childhood, displays photos of the Indian leader and his belongings.
  • The Rotary Dolls Museum exhibits dolls from around the world.
• Porbandar
  • It is a city in the Indian state of Gujarat, perhaps best known for being the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and Sudama.
  • It is the administrative center of the Porbandar District and it was the former capital of the Porbandar princely state. 
• Ahmedabad
  • In western India, is the largest city in the state of Gujarat.
  • The Sabarmati River runs through its center.
  • On the western bank is the Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati, which displays the spiritual leader’s living quarters and artifacts.
  • Across the river, the Calico Museum of Textiles, once a cloth merchant's mansion, has a significant collection of antique and modern fabrics.
• Gandhinagar
  • It is a planned city in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
  • The Akshardham is a massive Hindu temple with ornate carvings and sculpted pillars, plus a water show in its sprawling gardens.
  • Dandi Kutir museum traces the life of leader Mahatma Gandhi, who was born in Gujarat.
  • South, along the Sabarmati River, the Indroda Nature Park has a zoo and botanical gardens, plus an adjacent dinosaur and fossil park. 

• The correct answer is Option 1 i.e Upali.
• Upali was the who was a barber before becoming one of the greatest disciples of Lord Buddha. He became one of the disciples of Buddha when he was cutting Buddha’s hair. He later became Arhat and developed the Vinaya School.
• Katyayna, also known as Mahakatyayna, was the foremost in spreading the Dharma, taught by the Lord Buddha.
• Subhuti was the disciple, who best understood the “doctrine of emptiness”. The important teaching of Prajnaparamita of Mahayana Buddhism has a mention of Subhuti.

The correct answer is 1 - D, 2 - C, 3 - A, 4 - B.

Important Points

• Tulsidas accepted existing beliefs and practices but wanted to make these accessible to all.
  • Tulsidas conceived of God in the form of Rama.
  • Tulsidas’s composition, the Ramcharitmanas, written in Awadhi (a language used in eastern Uttar Pradesh), is important both as an expression of his devotion and as a literary work.
• Surdas was an ardent devotee of Krishna.
  • His compositions, compiled in the Sursagara, Surasaravali, and Sahitya Lahari, express his devotion.
• Shankaradeva of Assam (late fifteenth century) emphasized devotion to Vishnu and composed poems and plays in Assamese.
  • He began the practice of setting up Namghars or houses of recitation and prayer, a practice that continues to date
• Guru Nanak (1469-1539) 
  • Born at Talwandi (Nankana Sahib in Pakistan), he travelled widely before establishing a centre at Kartarpur (Dera Baba Nanak on the river Ravi).
  • Regular worship that consisted of the singing of his own hymns was established there for his followers.
  • Irrespective of their former creed, caste, or gender, his followers ate together in the common kitchen (langar).
  • The sacred space thus created by Guru Nanak was known as Dharmsal. It is now known as Gurdwara.

• The Satavahana rule is believed to exist between early 1st Century BCE and 3rd Century CE. They are referred to as Andhras in the Puranas.
• The Satavahana kingdom chiefly comprised of modern-day Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra. At times, their rule also included parts of Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
• Their capital cities varied at different times. Pratishthana (Paithan) and Amaravati were the capital of Satavahana Dynasty.
• Simuka was the founder of the Satavahana Dynasty. The coin legends were in Prakrit language. Some reverse coin legends are in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada. They patronised Prakrit more than Sanskrit. They supported both Buddhism and Brahminism although they were Hindus and claimed Brahminical status.
• The Satavahanas were also the first rulers to make land grants to Brahmanas, although we find more instances of such grants being made to Buddhist monks.
• The Nashik inscription dated to the 18th year of Gautamiputra's reign states that he reaffirmed a grant of land to Buddhist monks living at the Triraśmi peak. This land was earlier in the possession of Nahapana's son-in-law Rishabhadatta (also known as Ushavadata), who had donated it to the monks.

Talking about the correct option 4 Satavahana Inscriptions has no mention of the forced labour.

No entry of the army-

• The best known of these is the Nashik prashasti (eulogy) inscription of his mother Gautami Balashri, which credits him with extensive military conquests. Historical evidence suggests that Gautamiputra revived the Satavahana power after a decline caused by Shaka invasions.
• Historical evidence suggests that the Western Kshatrapas (known to the Satavahanas as Shakas) expanded their empire at the expense of Satavahanas in the years preceding the reign of Gautamiputra Satakarni. Based on the Nashik inscription of his mother, it appears that Gautamiputra revived the Satavahana power. The inscription states that he defeated the Shakas (Western Kshatrapas), the Pahlavas (Indo-Parthians), and the Yavanas (Indo-Greeks). It also states that he emerged victorious in several fights against a confederacy of enemies.

No administrative control of the king-

• The Satavahanas followed the administration guidelines of the Shastras. Their government was less top-heavy than that of the Mauryans and featured several levels of feudatories. Rajan, the hereditary rulers.
• Rajas, petty princes who struck coins in their own names. The royal princes (kumaras) were appointed as viceroys of the provinces.
• The inscriptions of Gautamiputra Satakarni suggest the existence of a bureaucratic structure, although it is not certain how stable and effective this structure was. For example, two inscriptions from Nashik Cave 11 record donations of agricultural land to ascetic communities. They state that the ascetics would enjoy tax exemption and non-interference from the royal officials. The first inscription states that the grant was approved by Gautamiputra's minister Sivagupta on the king's verbal orders, and preserved by the "great lords". 

No digging for salt by royal officers - 

• Two inscriptions from Nashik Cave 11 record donations of agricultural land to ascetic communities. They state that the ascetics would enjoy tax exemption and non-interference from the royal officials. The first inscription states that the grant was approved by Gautamiputra's minister Sivagupta on the king's verbal orders, and preserved by the "great lords". The second inscription records a grant by Gautamiputra and his mother and mentions Syamaka as the minister of the Govardhana ahara. 
• The Satavahana-era inscriptions mention three types of settlements: nagara (city), nigama (market town) and gama (village).
• According to Sastri, "the Satavahanas were described as 'lords of the three oceans' and promoted overseas colonization and trade.

The correct answer is option 2

The Vedic deity for Indra to end evils was known as great Warriors.

• Indra - The lord of the heavens, the god of thunder, rain and a great warrior.
• Indra's Vahan is a white elephant (Airavata) and has a weapon Vajra.
• Agni - Agni (Fire) is related to sacrifices and wealth. Without his presence any sacrifice is incomplete.
• Surya - Surya is known as light and power. 
• Vayu - Vayu is the lord of beauty and known as a swift mind and is also called the lord of thoughts.

Option 2 is Incorrect.
Key Points

• Some problems faced by epigraphists:
  • The letters on the inscriptions were faintly engraved thus reconstruction of the words became unsure. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • Many of the inscriptions are not found in the proper shape and in a complete form thus providing us with only the faction of what is inscribed. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
  • Some of the inscriptions were not in proper condition thus few words and pieces were missing thus leaving them uncertain about the meaning of the words used in the inscription and understand its timeframe. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
  • Several inscriptions have been discovered but not all of them were able to be deciphered, translated, and published. Hence, statement 4 is correct.
  • Not everything that this inscription has recorded is important enough that we consider politically and economically strong.
  • Lack of context caused by the fact that most of the texts were lost and we cannot really know exactly how many of those texts were actually created - we can know only those that we've discovered.
  • Most of the things recorded in texts are related to some significant events in the history of a place due to how pricey it was to create a text in the first place. We lack crucial information regarding how regular people lived in the past.

• Arthashastra was written by Kautilya.
• Arthashastra deals with the qualities and disciplines needed for a king to rule his empire.
• According to Kautilya, a king is one who is always active in promoting the protection and welfare of the people.
• Kautilya has for the first time defined the state in Arthashastra.
• According to him, a State consists of people and the ruler who controlled the state.
• Kautilya’s Arthashastra is an ancient Indian Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy.
• It has been a subject of controversy whether a woman in post-Mauurya north India had some right to own and inherit the stridhana or separate property. 
• So far as the constituent of elements of the separate property (stridhana) of a married woman is concerned, the Dharmasutras refer to ornaments and presents from her relatives, and the Arthasastras of Kautilya to (a) Cash or land assigned for her subsistence and (b) ornaments. In this field, Manu, however, seems to be the first code-maker giving a comprehensive definition of stridhana.

• The book on statecraft was written in the Mauryan period.
• The text is divided into 15 chapters known as books.
• The book was written in Sanskrit.
• Even before the final version of Arthashastra was written in the fourth century B.C. by Kautilya, there appeared a tradition of writing on and teaching of statecraft because Kautilya acknowledges his debt to his predecessors in the field.
• Kautilya was the Prime Minister of Chandragupta Maurya. 

The correct answer is Kanishka.

Key Points

• Ashvaghosha was a philosopher and poet who is considered India’s greatest poet before Kalidasa (5th century) and the father of Sanskrit drama.
• He popularized the style of Sanskrit poetry known as kavya.
• Ashvaghosha adorned the court of Kanishka.
• He was born in Saketa in northern India.
• Though Pali language literature was popular in Buddhism, Ashvaghosha wrote in Classical Sanskrit.
• Ashvaghosha spoke at length on Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) Buddhist doctrine at the fourth Buddhist council, which he helped organize.

• Buddhacharita wrote by Ashvaghosha is an epic on the life of the Buddha.
• He also wrote Saundarananda, with the theme of conversion of Nanda, Buddha's half-brother, so that he might reach salvation.
• He is also thought to be the author of the Sutralankara.

Additional Information

The famous Sanskrit play "mrichchhakatika" was written by Shudraka.

• Mrichchakatika (The Little Clay Cart) is a Sanskrit play written by Shudraka in the 2nd century BCE.
• The main story is about a young man named Charudatta of Pataliputra (Patna), and his love for Vasantasena.

• Although the concept of non-violence in Dhamma is similar to that of Buddhism, he did not equate Dhamma with Buddhist teachings.
• There was a great difference between the religion Ashoka followed and the religion he preached.
• Dhamma was basically a way of life, a set of life driving principle to be followed by people.
• Buddhism was his personal belief. Dhamma that he presented before the world to follow had the essence of all religions.

Important Points

Main features: 

• Non-violence to animals and support to religions and their priests.
• Prohibition on the sacrifice of animals at festive gatherings.
• Avoiding precious and meaningless traditions and rituals.
• Humane treatment of servants by masters and prisoners by government officials.
• Conquest through Dhamma instead of war.
• Respect to parents, true love, respect to teachers and good hospitality of guests.
• Tolerance among all religions.
• Effective organisation of administration for social welfare.
• Maintenance of constant contact with residents through the Dhammayatras.
• The Rock Edict XIII & many other edicts describe the code of duties of the practical Dhamma.

Measures to propagate Dhamma:

• Issue of Dhamma scripts and Dhamma Stambhas.
• Appointment of Dhamma- Mahamatras.
• Preaching of Dhamma.
• Dhamma Yatras, royal tours for the propagation of Dhamma.
• Dhamma Mangala public welfare activities following the spirit of Dhamma.
• Administrative measures.

The correct answer is Samundra Gupta.

Key Points

• Samudra Gupta court poet and minister Harisena composed the Allahabad pillar Inscription or Prayag Prasasti.
• The Pillar was an Asokan Pillar erected by Asoka six centuries before him.
• This Inscription is a eulogy of Samudra Gupta and mentions the conquests of Samudra Gupta and the boundaries of the Gupta Empire.
• As per this inscription, Samudra Gupta defeated 9 kings in the North, 12 Kings in the South, reduced all the Atavika states to vassalage.
• Allahabad Prasasti, composed by Harishena, does not bear any date and for this reason, historians have presumed that it was composed probably before the Ashwamedha Yajna performed by Samudragupta.
• They have opined this on the basis that there is no mention of the Ashwamedha Yajna completed by Samudragupta.
• The Allahabad Prasasti was originally engraved on the Ashokan Pillar in Kausambhi near Allahabad. Later it was removed to the Allahabad fort.

The correct answer is A land grant to Brahmins.

Key Points

• Agrahara in Sanskrit refers to “land exempt from leasing rights”.
  • Agrahara was land, village, or fields that were given to Brahmaṇas.
  • The agraharas were exempted from taxes and had other administrative immunities.
  • Agrahara was also known as Agraharam, Chaturvedimangalams, ghatoka, and boya in ancient times.
  • Agraharas were built and maintained by dynasties like Cholas and Pallavas.

​   Additional Information

• The earlier existence of Agrahara in the description was found in 300 AD Sangam Age work called Perumpanarruppatai (which is an ancient Tamil poem ).
• Valiya Sala which is in  Thrivanthapuram is the lengthiest Agraharam in India.
• During the Gupta period, the Agrahara grants were restricted to Brahmins only.
  • These grants were meant to be perpetual, hereditary and tax free, accompanied with the assignment of all land revenue.
•         Ardhika: A cultivator who tills the land of others and gets half the crop as his share. 
• Brahmadeya: Generally tax-free land or village was given as a gift to Brahmanas.
• Dana: The idea of dana or gift to Brahmanas was developed by Brahmanical texts as the surest means of acquiring merit (Punya.) and destroying sin (pataka).
• Devadana: grants to the temple, either plots of Land or a Whole village, were known us devadana in the south Indian context.
• Pallichanda: Devadana is rent-free land gifted to Brahmanical temple deities. It's Jain and Buddhist counterpart is pallichanda.
• Halin: Ploughman         

The correct answer is Bimbisara.

Key Points

• King Bimbisara is regarded as the Founder of the Haryanka Dynasty- the first major dynasty to rule Magadha region.
• He was the son of Bhattiya.
• He ruled approximately from 558 BC to 491 BC.
• He was the contemporary of Gautam Buddha and also considered as the admirer of the Mahavira.
• He made his capital at Rajgriha/Girivraja (Bihar) as it was surrounded by 5 hills during that time. This made Rajgriha practically impregnable.
• He was the first king who expanded his empire by the use of matrimonial alliances by marrying Kosaladevi(princess of Kosala and sister of Presanjit), Chellana (daughter of Licchavi prince of Vaishali), and Khema (princess of Madra, Punjab).
• He was the first king to have a Standing Army.
• He was initially, a rival of Avanti king Pradyota, but later did friendship with him and also, he sent his royal physician Jivaka to Ujjain, when Pradyota got infected with jaundice.
• He was imprisoned and eventually killed by his son Ajatshatru. 

Additional Information

•  The Mauryan Dynasty was founded by Chandragupta Maurya who defeated Dhananda-last ruler of the Nanda Dynasty with the help of Chanakya.
• The chronological of the kings of the Mauryan Dynasty is shown in the table below:

  Name of the Ruler	Tenure of the Ruler
  Chandragupta Maurya	322-297 BC
  Bindusara	297-272/268 BC
  Ashoka	268/272-232 BC
  Dasharatha	232-224 BC
  Samprati	224-215 BC
  Shalisuka	215-202 BC
  Devvarman	202-195 BC
  Shatadhanvana	195-187 BC
  Brihadratha	187-180 BC

• The most famous kings of this dynasty were Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, and Bindusara respectively.
• ​The first and the famous Greek Ambassador Megasthenes, who wrote the book "Indica" visited the court of Chandragupta Maurya.
• Chandragupta Maurya later became a follower of Jainism, with the help of saint Bhadrabahu and went to South India where he performed Sanllekhana or starvation to death.
• Ashoka was the most significant ruler of this dynasty who fought the famous Kalinga War and after the mass massacre, converted himself into Buddhism and adopted different measures for the promotion of Buddhism by building Stupas or sending Ambassadors to different countries.
• Ashoka was also the first Indian King to directly converse with his people through the use of Inscriptions.
• The scripts used in the Mauryan inscriptions were mainly Brahmi, Kharosthi (North-West India), and Aramaic & Greek( in Afghanistan) and the major language was Prakrit.
• The Mauryan rulers were one of the first and the most prominent rulers who conquered major parts of North India.
• The last Mauryan ruler Brihadratha was killed in 185 BC by his chief commander Pushyamitra Shunga.

The correct answer is Grihya - sutra.

Key Points

• Grihya - sutra
  • Grihya - sutra in Hinduism is any of a number of manuals detailing the domestic (grihya) religious ceremonies performed by both male and female householders over the fire.
  • The Grihya sutras describe the ceremonies that mark each stage of an individual's life from the moment of conception to the final death rites; the five daily sacrifices seasonal ceremonies, and those observed on special occasions, such as house building or cattle breeding.

Additional Information

• Dharma - sutra
  • Dharmasutra is any of a class of Sanskrit prose texts concerned with law and rules of conduct (Dharma).
  • Dharmasutras differ from dharma sastras in that the former consist of prose or mingled prose and verse, while the latter consist exclusively of verse.
  • Dharmasutras tend to be briefer than dharma sastras consisting of verse sutras or aphorisms which are seldom arranged in any systematic fashion.
• Shraut sutra
  • Shraut sutra is any of a number of Hindu ritual manuals used by priests engaged in the performance of the grander Vedic sacrifices, those requiring three fires and the services of many specialized priests.
  • The manuals are called shraut because they are based directly on the older Vedic literature considered as a class to be shruti, or revealed.
  • Each Shraut sutra guides the priests of its own particular Vedic school in the performance of specialized functions.
•  

Answer : (4) - Narsimhavarman II - He ruled the Pallava kingdom from 695 AD to 722 AD.

• He was also known as Rajasimha.
• The Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram (Shore temple only exists now, six others are destroyed), Kailashnatha temple at Kanchipuram was built during his period.
• The famous Sanskrit scholar 'Dandin' is said to have adorned his court. 

The correct answer is ​Greeks were the first outsiders to invade and establish a united rule in India.

Key Points

• The first to invade India were the Greeks, who are called the Indo-Greeks or Bactrian Greeks.
• It is said that they pushed forward as far as Ayodhya and Pataliputra. But the Greeks failed to establish united rule in India. Hence, statement 4 is incorrect.
• Two Greek dynasties ruled northwestern India on parallel lines at one and the same time.
• The Greek rule is also memorable on account of the introduction of Hellenistic art features in the North-west frontier of India, giving rise to the Gandhara art. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• One of the masterpieces of archaeological evidence about the Indo-Greeks is the coins. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• There are coin finds of several dozen Indo-Greek rulers in India; exactly many is complicated to determine, because the Greeks did not number their kings, and the eastern Greeks did not date their coins.
• One of his coin types showing a bust and seated Heracles is known to have been imitated by the Tokharian nomads in the territory of Sogdiana.
• The Sakas and Kushans added new ingredients to Indian culture and enriched it immensely.
• They settled in India for good and completely identified themselves with its culture.
• Since they did not have their script, language, or religion, they adopted these elements of culture from India. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• They became an integral part of Indian society to which they contributed considerably.
• They introduced better cavalry and the use of riding horses on a large scale.
• The Sakas and Kushans established intimate contacts between Central Asia and India.

The correct answer is They challenged the caste system.

Key Points

• Alvars, Nayanars and Virashaivas:
  • The early Bhakti Movement was led by Alvars and Nayanars.
  • It was the period of the 6th Century.
  • Alvars are those who were disciples of Vishnu. Hence, statement 1 is Not correct.
  • Nayanars were those who claimed themselves the followers of Lord Shiva. Hence, statement 2 is Not correct.
  • They traveled place to place and would sing devotional songs in Tamil in the name of Shiva or Vishnu as the case may be. Hence, statement 3 is Not correct.
  • Apart from being a religious movement, it was a social movement too.
  • Many historians are of the view that Alvars and Nayanars gave a blow to the caste system and Brahminism.
  • This is corroborated by the fact that the movement was open to people from diverse backgrounds.
  • The Bhaktas came from the castes of Brahmin to artisans to even those that were considered untouchables.
  • Virashaivas was a movement of the 12th Century that took place in Karnataka.
  • The movement was led by a Brahmin named Basavanna (1106-68), who was a minister in the court of Chalukya king.
  • The followers of Basavanna are called Virashaivas and they worshipped Shiv.
  • They were also called and perhaps more often Lingayats, which literary means wearer of Lingas.
  • They challenged the caste system and they challenged the idea of any caste being a pollutant. Hence, statement 4 is correct.
  • This helped them grow support among marginalized sections of society.
  • Virashaivas also attacked some evil practices supposedly not approved by Shastras, such as post-puberty marriage and remarriage of widows.
  • They also questioned the theory of rebirth.

The correct answer is They follow rituals and observed extreme forms of asceticism.

Key Points

• The major beliefs and practices that characterized Sufism are as given below 
  • Sufis turned to asceticism and mysticism in protest against the growing materialism of the Caliphate as a religious and political institution.
  • They were against the dogmatic definitions and scholastic methods of interpreting the Qur’an and sunna adopted by theologians. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • They laid emphasis on seeking salvation through intense devotion and love for God. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • They regarded Prophet Muhammad as a perfect human being and suggested following his example. Hence, statement 4 is correct.
  • Sufis organized communities around the khanqah controlled by a Shaikh, Pir, or Murshid.
  • They were in favor of Zikr, Sama, Singing, dance, and training of the mind, through different methods under the guidance of any Auliya or Pir.
  • They gave stress on mendicancy and celibacy.
  • They ignored rituals and observed extreme forms of asceticism. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

Additional Information

• Methods of worship:
  • Ziyarat:- Making a pilgrimage to the tombs of saints to seek blessings was practiced.
  • Zikr: The Sufis remember God by reciting the divine name or Zikr to evoke the high presence.
  • Sama: They also evoke the presence of God through sama or performance by Qawwals-Quawalis of mystical music by trained music or qawwals.
    • They used music and mystical chants to evoke divine ecstasy.
• Modes of communication: Sufi saints adopted local languages to converse with their disciples.
• Sufi and the state: Although the Sufis believed in simple and avoidance of worldly powers, they expected unsolicited grants and donations from political elites

The correct answer is Karachi Session, 1931.

Key Points

• Karachi Session, 1931:
  • The Karachi Resolution was passed by the Indian National Congress at its Karachi session in 1931.
  • The Session was conducted in the shadow of three major events.
  1. Mahatma Gandhi had just been released from prison following his Salt Satyagraha.
  2. The Gandhi-Irwin pact had just been concluded which had brought the civil disobedience movement to an end.
  3. The British government had, a week before the session, executed Bhagat Singh and two of his associates in connection with the Kakori Conspiracy Case.
  • The Resolution was three pages long and is mostly written in a quasi-legal style.
  • It reiterated the Congress Party’s commitment to ‘Purna Swaraj’ or ‘complete independence’.
  • In addition to fundamental rights that protected civil liberties, the Resolution for the first time put forward a list of socio-economic principles/rights that the Indian state had to adhere to.
  • These included protections for industrial workers, abolishing child labor, free primary education, and protections for agricultural labor.
  • The Resolution also, which seems to be a Gandhian influence, prohibited intoxicating drinks, and drugs.
  • In this session, Gandhiji quoted “Gandhi may die, but Gandhism will remain forever".

Additional Information

• Madras Session, 1927:
  • Congress (42nd Session) was held in 1927 in Madras.
  • It was here that for the first time the Congress called for Purna Swaraj, or complete freedom, with Jawaharlal Nehru moving the Independence Resolution.
  • The Bardoli Satyagraha that took place in the state of Gujarat, India during the period of the British Raj, was a major episode of civil disobedience and revolt in the Indian Independence Movement.
  • It was led by Vallabhbhai Patel.
  • In 1925, the taluka of Bardoli in Gujarat suffered from floods and famine, causing crop production to suffer and leaving farmers facing great financial troubles.
  • The British Government has also raised the tax rate by 30% without paying any heed to the occurrence of calamities.
• Lahore Session, 1929:
  • In 1929 the Congress session was held in Lahore 1929.
  • This session was very significant because in this Lahore session the prominent party Indian National Congress took the resolution of Poorna Swaraj or complete independence.
  • In this, the Indian tricolor flag was hoisted by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru on the bank of the Ravi river.
  • Highlights of this session:
    • The Congress convention began in Lahore in December 1929 and Pandit Nehru was the president of the convention.
    • He mentioned in this session that “there’s only one goal ahead of us, which is full freedom.”
    • The declaration of Purna Swaraj was propagated at the INC on 19th December 1929.
    • In this session, members agreed that the Congress and Indian nationalists should fight for Purna Swaraj, or that they should rule themselves entirely independently.
    • Congress approved a motion for complete Independence and also the President of Congress hoisted the flag of Complete Freedom on the bank of the Ravi on the midnight of 31 December 1929, in front of huge crowds.
    • This was the day when for the first time the nationalists unfurled the tricolor.
    • Congress hence decided to observe 26th January 1930 as the total independence or Purna Swaraj Day.
• Calcutta Session, 1928:
  • Motilal Nehru was elected president of INC again in 1928 at its Calcutta (now Kolkata) session.
  • All India Youth Congress was formed.

The correct answer is relaxation in revenue collection.

Key Points

• In 1917, Mahatma Gandhi organized a satyagraha for the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat. The satyagraha was for the demand for relaxation in revenue collection.
• After arriving in India, Mahatma Gandhi successfully organized satyagraha movements in various places.
• In 1917 he traveled to Champaran in Bihar to inspire the peasants to struggle against the oppressive plantation system.
• Then in 1917, he organized a satyagraha to support the peasants of the Kheda district of Gujarat.
• Gandhiji in 1917 launched Satyagraha at Kheda in Gujarat in support of the peasants who were not able to pay the land tax due to the failure of crops.
• During this struggle, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel emerged as one of the trusted followers of Gandhi.

Additional Information

• Important movements led by Mahatma Gandhi:
  • Champaran Movement (1917).
  • Khilafat Movement (1919).
  • Non-Cooperation Movement (1920).
  • Civil Disobedience Movement: Dandi March (1930).
  • Quit India Movement (1942)

The correct answer is Jainism.

Key Point

Jain Sects -

• The two principal communities of Jainism are the Digambar and Swetambar. 
• The terms Digambar(Achelaka) and the Swetambar (Sachelaka) signify the same sense.
• Achelaka means without cloth, and Sachelaka implies with a cloth.
• Digambar -
  • The literal meaning of the word is skyclad. Dig means sky and Ambara mean dress.
  • The sky is their dress. The open sky is their garment.
  • That is why they are called Digambara.
  • They regard that nudity is essential to get salvation.
  • The male ascetic goes naked and possesses nothing except a peacock feather and a wooden jug for water.
  • Later on, the Digambar sect also was subdivided into sub-sects such as Terahpantha, Beespantha, and Taranpantha.
• Swetambar -
  • Those belonging to the Swetambar group wear white cloth.
  • The major sect is also divided into three sub-sects - Murtipujak, Sthankvasi and Terapantha.
  • The former be­longs to idol worshippers and the latter two are non-idol worshippers.
  • The Murtipujaks are elaborate in the majority.
  • The Lax monks used to stay in temples and therefore came to be known as Chaityvasi.
  • The establishment of Chaityvasi occurred in the ninth century after the salvation of Lord Mahavira. Hence option 2 is correct.
  • They lived in affluence with all the comforts of life.

The correct answer is Overthrow of alien rule.

Key Points

• Methods of Moderates
  • The moderate phase was between 1885-1905.
  • The national leaders like Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozshah Mehta, D.E. Wacha, W.C. Bonnerjea, S.N. Banerjea who dominated the Congress policies during the early period (1885-1905) were staunch believers in ‘liberalism’ and ‘moderate’ politics and came to be labeled as Moderates.
  • The moderate political activity involved constitutional agitation within the confines of the law and showed slow but orderly political progress. 
  • The Moderates believed that the British basically wanted to be just to the Indians but were not aware of the real conditions.
  • Create a strong public opinion to arouse consciousness and national spirit and then educate and unite people on common political questions.
  • Persuade the British Government and British public opinion to introduce reforms in India on the lines laid out by the nationalists.
  • They used the method of ‘prayer and petition’ and if that failed, they resorted to constitutional agitation. 
  • The Moderate leaders believed that political connections with Britain were in India’s interest at that stage of history and that the time was not ripe for a direct challenge to British rule. 
• The overthrow of the alien rule was the method of extremist. Hence, Option 1 is correct.

Option 4 is correct, i.e. 1932.

• The Poona Pact was signed on 24 September 1932 at Yerwada Central Jail in Pune.
• Poona Pact was signed during the tenure of the Viceroy Lord Willingdon (1932-1936).
• The Poona Pact refers to an agreement between Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi.
• This Pact ended the fast that Gandhi had undertaken in the jail to protest against British Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald’s award of a separate electorate to the Depressed Classes.
• Mahatma Gandhi went on a hunger strike and objected to the provision of separate electorates for the Dalits at Yerwada Central Jail.

The correct answer is a secret society of revolutionaries.

Key Points

• In 1904, V.D. Savarkar organized Abhinav Bharat as a secret society of revolutionaries.

Additional Information 

• Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
  • Vinayak Damodar Savarkar is commonly known as Swatantryaveer Savarkar or simply Veer Savarkar in the Marathi language was an Indian independence activist and politician who formulated the Hindu nationalist philosophy of Hindutva.
  • He was a leading figure in the Hindu Mahasabha.
  • Savarkar was an atheist and also a pragmatic practitioner of Hindu philosophy.
  • Savarkar began his political activities as a high school student and continued to do so at Fergusson College in Pune.
  • He and his brother founded a secret society called Abhinav Bharat Society.
  • When he went to the United Kingdom for his law studies, he involved himself with organizations such as the India House and the Free India Society.
  • One of the books he published called The Indian War of Independence about the Indian rebellion of 1857 was banned by the British authorities.
  • In 1910, Savarkar was arrested and ordered to be extradited to India for his connections with the revolutionary group India House.

The correct answer is All of the above.

Key Points

• Distinctive features of the Mughal chronicle:
  •  Chronicles commissioned by the Mughal emperors are an important source for studying the empire and its court. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • They were written in order to project a vision of an enlightened kingdom to all those who came under its umbrella.
  • The authors of Mughal chronicles focused on events related to the life of the ruler, their family, the court and nobles, wars and the administrative system. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • These chronicles were written in Persian. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
  • This language flourished as a language of the court and of literary writings, alongside north Indian languages, especially Hindavi and its regional variants. As the Mughals were Chaghtai Turks by origin, Turkish was their mother tongue. 
  • Chronicles narrating the events of a Mughal emperor’s reign contained, alongside the written text, images that described an event in visual form.
  • When scenes or themes in a book were to be given visual expression, the scribe left blank spaces on nearby pages; paintings, executed separately by artists, were inserted to accompany what was; described in words. 

The correct answer is Raja Rammohan Roy.

Important Points

• Raja Rammohan Roy:
  • He was the first Indian to start an agitation for political reform. So, option 2 is correct.
  • He advocated:
    • The substitution of English in place of Persian language in courts of law.
    • Employment of Indian personnel in civil services.
    • Separation of offices of judges. revenue commissioners.
  • He also suggested a consultation with the Indian public before the enactment of the law in the country.

​Additional Information

• ​Dadabhai Naoroji:
  • ​He was also known as the "Grand Old Man of India".
  • "Official Ambassador of India".
  • He was an Indian Parsi scholar, trader, and politician who was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom House of Commons between 1892 and 1895, and the first Asian to be a British MP.
• Surendranath Banerjee founded the Indian National Association, through which he led two sessions of the Indian National Conference in 1883 and 1885, along with Anandamohan Bose.
• Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee
  • ​He was an Indian barrister.
  • He was the co-founder and first president of the Indian National Congress.
  • Born in 1844 in Calcutta.
  • He studied at the Oriental Seminary and the Hindu School.

The correct answer is Option(2).i.e.​Narasimhavarman I.

• ​Narasimhavarman I (known as Mamalla which means ‘great wrestler’) defeated Pulakeshin II of western Chalukyas in the Battle of Manimangalam.  
• Pallava Dynasty: 
  • Kalabhras rule for 250 years after Sangam Age in Tamil country.
  • The Pallava dynasty situated in Tondaimandalam and capital at Kanchipuram.
  • Source of Pallava was disputed while many consider them to natives.
  • They Issued earlier inscriptions in Sanskrit & Prakrit & patronized Brahmanism.
  • Samundragupta defeated Vishnugopa in his Southern expedition. Later Samudragupta liberated Vishnugopa as per records.
• The following tables show the List of Pallava rulers with respective contributions. 

  Name of Pallava rulers (Kings)	Period of Rule	Contributions
  Simhavishnu	500 to 600 A.D	He was the real founder of the Pallava dynasty.  He defeated Kalabhras, Cholas to extend territory till Kaveri.
  Mahendravarman I	600-630 A.D	The Conflict between Chalukya-Pallava began at his time. He is a builder of cave temples for Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.  In spite of a Jain follow, he converted Saivism after being an influence of Saiva saint at Tirunavukkarasar.
  Narasimhavarman I (known as Mamalla which means ‘great wrestler’)	630-668 A.D	Near Kanchi, he defeated Pulakesin II of western Chalukyas in the Battle of Manimangalam. He captured the capital city of Vatapi & then assumed the title ‘Vatapikonda’.  During his reign, Hiuen Tsang visited Kanchipuram.
  Narsimhavarman II(known as Rajasimha)	695-722 A.D	Build Kailasanatha at Kanchipuram & Shore temple at Mamallapuram. Dandin was the court poet of him. He sent embassies to China.  Maritime trade flourished.

Option 1 is the correct answer.

Important Points

The safety valve theory:

• It states that the Indian National Congress was started by A.O. Hume and others under the official direction, guidance, and advice of Lord Dufferin, the Viceroy, to provide a safe, mild, peaceful, and constitutional outlet or safety valve for the rising discontent among the masses, which was inevitably leading towards a popular and violent revolution. So, option 1 is correct.

The correct answer is Ain-i-Akbari.

• Ain-i-Akbari is a 16th-century document detailing the administration under Mughal Emperor Akbar.
• It was written by Akbar’s court historian Abu’l Fazl in the Persian language.
• It forms the third and final part of Akbarnama, which is a complete account of Akbar.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Champaran satyagraha.

Key Points

• Champaran Satyagraha was started by Mahatma Gandhi in 1917 to look into the problem of the Tinkathia system in which peasants of Champaran were forced to grow Indigo on 3/20th of the total land. 
  • Champaran Satyagraha was Mahatma Gandhi’s first experiment of Satyagraha.
  • Rabindranath Tagore gave him the title of Mahatma being influenced by his leadership.
  • Rajendra Prasad, J.B Kripalni, Mahadeo Desai and Narhari Parekh joined Gandhi in the movement.
  • It was undertaken in the erstwhile undivided Champaran district in northern Bihar in April 1917.
  • Gandhiji’s plan was to carry out an extensive inquiry in the district and demand action based on its findings.
  • However, local authorities did not find his visit welcoming and they unsuccessfully tried to dissuade him.
  • But Gandhi began his work from the house of Babu Gorakh Prasad in Motihari, headquarters of the then Champaran district.
  • During this time, Gandhiji was served with a court summon while he was making a spot visit to the village.
  • Gandhiji was charged with violating the law and was told to leave Champaran, but he refused to leave.
  • On April 18, 1917, when Gandhi appeared in Motihari Court and was accompanied by nearly 2000 local people.
  • This small step in the form of passive protest was a giant leap forward in the history of freedom struggle and heralded the advent of the Gandhian era.
  • His protest led to abolishing of the exploitative Tinkathia system.
  • The victory at Champaran established Gandhiji in India’s struggle against the British raj.

The correct answer is Jawaharlal Nehru.

Key Points

• The Objective Resolution was moved on December 13, 1946, by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, which provided the philosophy and guiding principles for framing the Constitution and later took the form of Preamble of the Constitution of India.
• This Resolution was unanimously adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 22 January 1947.
  • It laid down the fundamentals and philosophy of the constitutional structure.
  • It influenced the eventual shaping of the constitution through all its subsequent stages.
  • Its modified version forms the Preamble of the present Constitution.

Additional Information

• Dr. B. R. Ambedkar-
  • Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, also known as Babasaheb Ambedkar, was an Indian scholar, jurist, economist, politician, and social reformer, who inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement and campaigned against social discrimination towards the untouchables, while also supporting the rights of women and labor.
•  Dr. Rajendra Prasad 
  • He was an Indian independence activist, lawyer, scholar, and subsequently, the first President of India, in office from 1950 to 1962.
  • He was an Indian political leader and lawyer by training. 
• Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel,
  • He was popularly known as Sardar Patel and was an Indian politician.
  • He served as the First Deputy Prime Minister of India.

The British official had improved resources and succeeded in suppressing the revolt.

Important Points

Few important British military officers during the 1857 revolt:

• General John Nicholson- Captured Delhi on 20th September 1857 (Nicholson died soon due to a mortal wound received during the fighting).
• Major Hudson- Killed Bahadur Shah's sons and grandsons in Delhi.
• Sir Colin Campbell- Final recovery of Kanpur on 6th December 1857. Final reoccupation of Lucknow on 21st March 1858. Recapture of Bareilly on 5th May 1858.
• Hugh Rose- Suppressed the revolt at Jhansi and recaptured Gwalior on 20th June 1858. The whole of Central India and Bundelkhand was brought under British control by him.

Thus, it is clear that John Nicholson was the British military officer who captured Delhi during the 1857 revolt.

• Freedom fighter, Mangal Pandey was the first martyr of the Revolt of 1857 and he played a major role in the revolt of 1857.
• He was a sepoy in 34th Bengal Native Infantry regiment of British East India Company.
• Mangal Pandey was one of the prominent faces of the revolt of 1857 who was given death sentence by the British in a fear that he would have been responsible for the massive outrage during the revolt.​
• He was sentenced to death and executed by the British authorities 10 days before the scheduled date of April 18, on April 8, 1857, due to large scale outrage by the Indian masses.
• Mangal Pandey was born on July 19, 1827, in an Indian Brahmin family and later he joined the British East India Company as a soldier at the age of 18.

The correct answer is Surat.

Key Points

• The French East India Company was the last to be formed between Dutch, Danish, Portuguese, and French.
• The company established its first factory at Surat under Francis Caron, in 1667.
• The second factory was established at Masulipatnam a year later, in 1668.
• Jean-Baptiste Colbert founded the French East India Company in 1664.
• Francois Martin of the French East India Company established a trading center in 1674 at Pondicherry.
• In 1674, the François Martin of the French East India Company established a trading center at Pondicherry, which eventually became the chief French settle.

The correct answer is Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

• The constituent assembly was set up on 6^th December 1946.
  • It was formed under the provisions of the cabinet mission plan.
  • The constitution of India was framed by the constituent assembly.
  • It takes 2 years 11 months and 18 days to frame the constitution of India.
  • The first meeting of the constituent assembly was held on 9^th December 1946.
  • Dr. Sachidanda Sinha was elected as the temporary president of the assembly during its first meeting.
  • Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the permanent president of the constituent assembly on 11^th December 1946.
  • H C Mukharjee was the vice president of the constituent assembly.
  • B. N Rao was the constitutional advisor of the constituent assembly.
• Dr.B. R. Ambedkar was the chairman of the drafting committee.
• Jawaharlal Nehru introduced the objective resolution in the constituent assembly on 13^th December 1946.
  • He was the chairman of the union constitution committee.
• Sardar Patel was the chairman of the committee on fundamental rights and minorities.

Gandhi Irwin Pact:

• Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed between Mahatma Gandhi and Viceroy Lord Irwin in London on 5 March 1931.
• Important features of this pact: 
  • INC would agree to discontinue the Civil Disobedience Movement. 
  • The Congress would agree to join the second Round Table Conference.
  • British would withdraw all orders imposing curbs on the activities of the Indian National Congress. 
  • British also agreed to withdraw trials relating to several offenses except those involving violence and the release of prisoners arrested for participating in the civil disobedience movement. 
  • It was also agreed that the British would remove the tax on salt, which allowed Indians to produce, trade, and sell salt legally and for their own use.

The correct answer is Lord Dalhousie.

Key Points

• Awadh was among the last territories to be annexed by the British government. ‘Subsidiary Alliance’ was imposed on Awadh in 1801, and finally was taken over in 1856.
• Governor-General Dalhousie declared that Awadh was being misgoverned and British rule was needed to ensure proper administration.
• Lord Dalhousie was in India from 1848- 1856. From the beginning, Lord Dalhousie was very keen to annex Awadh but there were certain problems he was facing:

• The Nawabs of Awadh had been British allies and obedient to the British over the years.

• Nawab of Awadh had many heirs, therefore, the Doctrine of lapse cannot be applied. 

Additional Information

• Lord Ripon arrived in India after the annexation of Awadh i.e. in 1880. He introduced local self-government.
• Lord Canning was the first Viceroy of India. He served in India from 1856-1862, after the annexation of Awadh. He abolished the “Doctrine of Lapse”.
• Lord Mountbatten was the last viceroy of India and the first governor-general of independent India.

Hence, it becomes clear that Governor-General Dalhousie declared that Awadh was being misgoverned and British rule was needed to ensure proper administration. 

• A chain of grievances in Awadh linked prince, taluqdar, peasant and sepoy. In different ways they came to identify firangi raj with the end of their world – the breakdown of things they valued, respected and held dear.
• A whole complex of emotions and issues, traditions and loyalties worked themselves out in the revolt of 1857.
• In Awadh, more than anywhere else, the revolt became an expression of popular resistance to an alien order. The annexation displaced not just the Nawab. It also dispossessed the taluqdars of the region.
• The countryside of Awadh was dotted with the estates and forts of taluqdars who for many generations had controlled land and power in the countryside.
• Before the coming of the British, taluqdars maintained armed retainers, built forts, and enjoyed a degree of autonomy, as long as they accepted the suzerainty of the Nawab and paid the revenue of their taluqs.
• Some of the bigger taluqdars had as many as 12,000 footsoldiers and even the smaller ones had about 200.
• The British were unwilling to tolerate the power of the taluqdars. Immediately after the annexation, the taluqdars were disarmed and their forts destroyed.
• The British land revenue policy further undermined the position and authority of the taluqdars.
• After annexation, the first British revenue settlement, known as the Summary Settlement of 1856, was based on the assumption that the taluqdars were interlopers with no permanent stakes in land: they had established their hold over land through force and fraud.
• The Summary Settlement proceeded to remove the taluqdars wherever possible. Pre-British times, taluqdars had held 67 per cent of the total number of villages in Awadh; by the Summary Settlement this number had come down to 38 per cent.
• The taluqdars of southern Awadh were the hardest hit and some lost more than half of the total number of villages they had previously held.
• British land revenue officers believed that by removing taluqdars they would be able to settle the land with the actual owners of the soil and thus reduce the level of exploitation of peasants while increasing revenue returns for the state.
• But this did not happen in practice: revenue flows for the state increased but the burden of demand on the peasants did not decline.
• Officials soon found that large areas of Awadh were actually heavily overassessed: the increase of revenue demand in some places was from 30 to 70 per cent.
• Thus neither taluqdars nor peasants had any reasons to be happy with the annexation.

The correct answer is option 2.

Key Points

• Parallel Governments during Quit India Movement:
  • ​Apart from mass agitations and violent actions during the Quit India Movement people in various states besieged temporary control over a number of towns, cities and villages.
  • In some places, they successfully established autonomous governments.
  • These governments might not have survived for long, but they bore the evidence of the capability of the Indians to manage government and administration on their own.
  • They demonstrated that the people of India were prepared to carry forward the fight for independence.
  • Four major parallel governments were established in Balliya (Uttar Pradesh), Tamluk (Bengal), Satara (Maharashtra) and Talcher(Orissa).

Additional Information

• Quit India Movement:
  • ​On 8th August 1942, Mahatma Gandhi gave a clarion call to end British rule and launched the Quit India Movement at the session of the All-India Congress Committee in Mumbai.
  • Gandhiji gave the call “Do or Die” in his speech delivered at the Gowalia Tank Maidan, now popularly known as August Kranti Maidan.
  • The slogan ‘Quit India’ was coined by Yusuf Meherally, a socialist and trade unionist who also served as Mayor of Mumbai.

The correct answer is 1856.

Key Points

• Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act
  • It was passed on 16th July 1856.
  • It legalised the remarriage of Hindu widows in all jurisdictions of India under East India Company rule.
  • It was drafted by Lord Dalhousie and passed by Lord Canning.
  • It said that no marriage contracted between Hindus shall be invalid, and the issue of no such marriage shall be illegitimate, by reason of the woman having been previously married.
  • Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was the most prominent campaigner for Hindu widow remarriage and petitioned the Legislative council despite severe opposition from Radhakanta Deb and the Dharma Sabha.