INDIAN HISTORY QUESTIONS SOLVED

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UPSC PRELIMS 2017 INDIAN HISTORY QUESTIONS SOLVED 0484-3190310 9446331522 9446331522 MODERN INDIA 1.

1 UPSC PRELIMS 2017 INDIAN HISTORY QUESTIONS SOLVED MODERN INDIA 1. The object of the Butler Committee of 1927 was to (a) Define the Jurisdiction of the Central and Provincial Governments. (b) Define the powers of the Secretary of State for India. (c) Impose censorship on national press. (d) Improve the relationship between the Government of India and the Indian States. Answer (d) A three -member committee headed by Harcourt Butler, appointed on December 16, 1927 to examine the relations between the native states and the paramount power, and to improve the relationship between the Government of India and the Indian States It clearly stated that paramountcy must remain paramount. The committee fully endorsed that the viceroy, should remain the Crown agent in dealing with the native states. NEO P-MODEL TEST 16 Harcourt Butler Committee was appointed in 1927 in order to examine (a) the relations between the native states and the Indian National Congress (b) the relations between the native states and all India Muslim League (c) the relations between the native states and the Revolutionary Parties (d) the relations between the native states and the Paramount Power 2. Who among the following was/were associated with the introduction of Ryotwari Settlement in India during the British rule? 1. Lord Cornwallis 2. Alexander Read 3. Thomas Munro Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Answer (c) The Ryotwari system was devised by Capt. Alexander Read and Thomas Munro at the end of the 18th century and introduced by the latter when he was governor ( ) of Madras. The other two systems were the Permanent Settlement of Bengal which was introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793 and the Mahalwari system which was introduced by Holt MacKenzie and Robert Merttins Bird. NEO IAS PRELIMS MODEL TEST -20 The Mahalwari system of land revenue was introduced by (a) A.O Hume (b) Holt MacKenzie (c) Lord Wellesley (d) Lord Macaulay NEO IAS , , Page 1

2 3. With reference to Indian freedom struggle, consider the following events: 1. Mutiny in Royal Indian Navy 2. Quit India Movement launched 3. Second Round Table Conference What is the correct chronological sequence of the above events? (a) (b) (c) (d) Answer (c) The Second Round Conference opened in September Gandhi represented Indian National Congress and Sarojini Naidu represented Indian women. Madan Mohan Malaviya, Ghanshyam Das Birla, Muhammad Iqbal, Sir Mirza Ismail Diwan of Mysore, S K Dutta and Sir Syed Ali Imam were other people that attended the conference. The Quit India Movement, or August revolution (August Kranti), was launched at the Bombay session of the All-India Congress Committee or more simply by Gandhiji (Mahatma Gandhi) on 8 August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British Rule of India. On February 18, 1946, a section of non-commissioned officers and sailors known as Ratings, serving in the Royal Indian Navy, mutinied against the British Officers. The mutiny started as a strike by the ratings to protest against the hardships regarding pay, food and racial discrimination. NEO IAS PRELIMS MODEL TEST-6 Arrange the following events during British rule in India in correct sequence beginning from the earliest: 1. Vaikom Satyagraha 2. Communal Award 3. Annexation of Jhansi 4. Conquest of Sindh Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) (b) (c) (d) In the context of Indian history, the principle of Dyarchy (diarchy) refers to (a) Division of the central legislature into two houses. (b) Introduction of double government i.e., Central and State governments. (c) Having two sets of rulers; one in London and another in Delhi. (d) Division of the subjects delegated to the provinces into two categories. Answer (d) 1919 Act It further divided the provincial subjects into two parts-transferred and reserved. The transferred subjects were to be administered by the governor with the aid of ministers responsible to the legislative Council. The reserved subjects, on the other hand, were to be administered by the governor and his executive council without being responsible to the legislative Council. This dual scheme of governance was known as `dyarchy'-a term derived from the Greek word di-arche which means double rule. However, this experiment was largely unsuccessful. NEO IAS PRELIMS MODEL TEST -6 With reference to the Government of India Act 1919, consider the following statements: 1. Introduced bicameral Legislature at center. 2. Introduced provincial diarchy. 3. Abolished separate electorate system. 4. Central subjects divided into reserved and transferred. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 4 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 2, 3 and 4 only (d) 1 and 2 only NEO IAS , , Page 2

3 5. Consider the following pairs: 1. Radhakanta Deb First President of the British Indian Association 2. Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty Founder of the Madras Mahajana Sabha 3. Surendranath Banerjee Founder of the Indian Association Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched? (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 THE BRITISH INDIAN ASSOCIATION The British Indian Association was established in October The President of the first committee of this organization was Raja Radhakanta Deb, while Debendranath Tagore was its secretary. The newspaper of this society was Hindu patriot which adopted a strongly critical political tone. It was formed by the amalgamation of the Landholders Society and the Bengal British India Society. MADRAS MAHAJANA SABHA The first organisation in the Madras Presidency to agitate for the rights of Indians was the Madras Native Association which was established by publicist Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty in This organisation did not survive for long and was eventually disbanded. In May 1884., M. Veeraraghavachariar, G. Subramania Iyer and P. Anandacharlu established the Madras Mahajana Sabha. INDIAN ASSOCIATION The Indian National Association also known as Indian Association was the first avowed nationalist organization founded in British India by Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose in 1876.The objectives of this Association were "promoting by every legitimate means the political, intellectual and material advancement of the people". NEO IAS PRELIMS MODEL TEST-6 Which of the following pairs are correctly matched? persons known for 1. Pattabhai Sita Ramayya : President of Jaipur Congress 2. K. Kumaranasan : Established Sarda Sadan 3. Pherozshah Mehta : Bombay Presidency Association 4. P. Ananda Charlu : Founded Madras Mahajan Sabha Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1,3 and 4 only (b) 2,3 and 4 only (c) 3 and 4 only (d) 1,2, 3 and 4 PATTABHAI SITA RAMAYYA P. ANANDA CHARLU K. KUMARANASAN PHEROZSHAH MEHTA Eminent congressman President of Jaipur Congress. Part of JVP- Committee on reorganization of states. Gandhiji scandidate in 1939 Tripura Session Eminent congressman Founded Madras Mahajan Sabha in 1884 President of 1891 Nagpur Congress Social reformer and great poet of Malayalam. Associated with SNDP Yogam. Worked for upliftment of backward classes. His poems aroused social consciousness Bombay Presidency Association Prominent moderate leader from Bombay. Started Journal Bombay Chronicle. Gokhale s political guru. NEO IAS , , Page 3

4 6. The Trade Disputes Act of 1929 provide for (a) the participation of workers in the management of industries. (b) arbitrary powers to the management to quell industrial disputes. (c) an intervention by the British Court in the event of a trade dispute. (d) a system of tribunals and a ban on strikes Answer (d) The Trade Disputes Act, The main object of the Act was to make provisions for establishment of Courts of Inquiry and Boards of Conciliation with a view to investigate and settle trade disputes. The Act prohibited strikes or lock-outs without notice in public utility services; it also made any strike or lock-out illegal. 7. Consider the following statements: 1. The Factories Act, 1881 was passed with a view to fix the wages of industrial workers to form trade unions. 2. N.M Lokhande was a pioneer in organizing the labour movement in British India. Which of the above statements is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 FIRST FACTORIES ACT 1881 First Factories Commission and Act: The first Factories Commission was appointed in Bombay in 1875 and the first Factories Act was passed in But this act proved to be an inadequate measure. Its provisions regarding protection of child labour only and absence of any provision for women labour caused great disappointment among the workers in general. Narayan Meghaji Lokhande was a pioneer of the labour movement in India. He is remembered not only for ameliorating the working conditions of textile mill-hands in the 19th century but also for his courageous initiatives on caste and communal issues. ANCIENT INDIA 8. With reference to the difference between the culture of Rigvedic Aryans and Indus Valley people, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them. 2. Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, silver and copper whereas Indus Valley people knew only copper and iron. 3. Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people having been aware of this animal. Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Answer (c) Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them. Iron was discovered in the post vedic period and Indus civilization was a Bronze age civilization. Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people having been aware of this animal. NEO IAS PRELIMS MODEL TEST Consider the following: The major economic activities of people of Harappan civilization included 1. Craft making 2. Cotton trade 3. Iron tool industry NEO IAS , , Page 4

5 4. Mining Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 2 and 4 only (c) 3 and 4 only (d) 1 and 2 only 2. Which one of the following statements regarding Rig Vedic people is correct? (a) The Aryans personified the natural forces and looked upon them as living beings. (b) They worshipped only male deities like Indra, Varuna and Soma. (c) Agriculture became the mainstay of the Rig Vedic people. (d) The people were acquainted with the use of iron tools. 9. With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements: 1. Sautrantika and Sammitiya were the sects of Jainism. 2. Sarvastivadin held that the constituents of phenomena were not wholly momentary, but existed forever in a latent form. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Sautrantika The Sautrantika were an early Buddhist school generally believed to be descended from the Sthavira nikaya by way of their immediate parent school, the Sarvastivadins. Their name means literally "those who rely upon the sutras", and indicated their rejection of the Abhidharma texts of other early Buddhist schools. The Saṃmitiya were one of the eighteen or twenty early Buddhist schools in India, and were an offshoot of the Vatsiputriya sect. Like its predecessor, it claims the person as a carrier of skandhas endures, and as such was a representative (perhaps the most prominent one) of the Pudgalavada schools. Sarvastivada, (Sanskrit: Doctrine That All Is Real ) also called Vaibhashika, a school of early Buddhism. A fundamental concept in Buddhist metaphysics is the assumption of the existence of dharmas, cosmic factors and events that combine momentarily under the influence of a person s past deeds to form a person s life flux, which he considers his personality and career. Differences arose among the various early Buddhist schools concerning the ontological reality of these dharmas. While, like all Buddhists, the Sarvastivadins consider everything empirical to be impermanent, they maintain that the dharma factors are eternally existing realities. The dharmas are thought to function momentarily, producing the empirical phenomena of the world, which is illusory, but to exist outside the empirical world. In contrast, the Sautrantikas (those for whom the sutras, or the scriptures, are authoritative) maintained that the dharma factors are not eternal but momentary, and the only actually existing dharmas are the ones presently functioning. MEDIEVAL INDIA 10. Which one of the following was a very important seaport in the Kakatiya Kingdom? (a) Kakinada (b) Motupalli (c) Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam) (d) Nelluru Motupalli Motupalli was a famous sea port during Kakatiya Period. Marcopolo, a Portuguese navigator, visited this place and wrote about the prosperity and power of Andhra Desa during the reign of Kakatiya kings in his travalogue. NEO IAS , , Page 5

6 Motipalli inscription, issued by King Ganapati, in the mid thirteenth century, specifies the rates accessed on a variety of items including scents such as sandal and civet, camphor, rose water, ivory, pearls, coral, a range of metals (copper, zinc, and lead), silk, pepper, and areca-nuts. This list gives us a good idea of the types of luxury goods that were being exported and imported through Motupalli port to other Indian regions along the coast, as well as to foreign territories. INDIAN ART & CULTURE AND HERITAGE 11. The painting of Bodhisattva Padampani is one of the most famous and oft-illustrated paintings at (a) Ajanta (b) Badami (c) Bagh (d) Ellora Answer (a) The most famous cave site is Ajanta. It is located in Aurangabad District of Maharashtra State. Ajanta has twenty-nine caves. The common themes of these paintings range from Jataka stories to life of Buddha to elaborate decorative patterns of flora and fauna. Graceful poses of humans and animals adorn the walls of the caves. The medium of painting was vegetable and mineral dyes. The outline of the figures is red ochre, with contours of brown, black or deep red. The greatness of these paintings lies in their success in bringing out the philosophy of Budhism in paintings ex: Padmapani painting showing bitterness of renunciation of life and hope for future happiness. They were the inspiration for paintings in southern region. They also attained the status of World heritage site status and continue to inspire present generations. 12. Consider the following pairs: Traditions Communities 1. Chaliha Sahib Festival - Sindhis 2. Nanda Raj Jaat Yatra - Gonds 3.Wari-Warkari - Santhals Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched? (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) None of the above Answer (a) Chaliha sahib festival The Chaliha is an important festival celebrated by the Sindhis wherein they pray to their God, Jhulelal. A special jyot that is believed to have protected the Sindhi people and their culture NEO IAS , , Page 6

7 during the ancient times, from around 1897 AD, was brought from the Puj Chalihasahib Mandir Peergoath in Sindh by the Sindhis to India during partition in This Akhand jyot was then placed in the Chaliha Sahib Puj Jhulelal Mandir in Ulhasnagar. To this date, the jyot is kept lit in a structure similar to the one in Sindh. It is here that Sindhis from all over the country come to worship Jhulelal and offer their prayers during the festival. It is customary to also go on a 40 day fast during the festival. The three-week-long Nanda Devi Raj Jat is a pilgrimage and festival of Uttarakhand in India. People from the entire Garhwal division-kumaon division as well as other parts of India and the world participate in Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra. In Chamoli, Nanda Devi Raj Jaat is organized once in 12 years. The Jaat (meaning Yatra or pilgrimage) starts from Nauti village near Karnprayag and goes up to the heights of Roopkund and Homekund with a four-horned sheep. After the havan - yagna is over, the sheep is freed with decorated ornaments, food and clothing, and the other offerings are discarded. Pandharpur Wari or Wari (Vari) is an annual pilgrimage (yatra) to Pandharpur - the seat of the Hindu god Vithoba in the Indian state of Maharashtra, in honour of the deity. palakhis (palanquin processions) carrying the paduka (foot prints) of various saints - most notably Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram - from the Varkari (Warkari, "one who performs the Wari") sect (which venerates Vithoba), are taken from their respective shrines to Pandharpur. The tradition is more than 700 to 800 years old. 13. With reference to Manipuri Sankirtana, consider the following statements: 1. It is a song and dance performance 2. Cymbals are the only musical instruments used in the performance 3. It is performed to narrate the life and deeds of Lord Krishna. Which of the statements given above is/ are correct? (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1 only SANKIRTANA, RITUAL SINGING, DRUMMING AND DANCING OF MANIPUR: It encompasses an array of arts performed to mark religious occasions and various stages in the life of the Vaishnava people of the Manipur plains. Sankirtana practices centre on the temple, where performers narrate the lives and deeds of Krishna through song and dance. 4. In a typical performance, two drummers and about ten singer-dancers perform in a hall or domestic courtyard encircled by seated devotees. Cymbals are not the only musical instruments used in the performance Sankirtana has two main social functions: it brings people together on festive occasions throughout the year, acting as a cohesive force within Manipur s Vaishnava community; and it establishes and reinforces relationships between the individual and the community through life-cycle ceremonies. Sankirtana works in harmony with the natural world, whose presence is acknowledged through its many rituals. 14. Which of the following is/are famous for Sun temples? 1. Arasavalli 2. Amarakantak 3. Omkareshwar Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 NEO IAS , , Page 7

8 Answer (a) Arasavalli The famous Sun God Temple situated in Arasavalli Village which is at a distance of about 1 K.M. east of Srikakulam Town District head quarters of the North Coastal Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the ancient and all among two sun God temples in our Country. According to Padmapuranam, Sage Kasyapa installed the Idol of Surya at Arasavalli for the Welfare of mankind. NEO IAS , , Page 8

INDIAN ART & CULTURE PREVIOUS YEARS QUESTIONS (PRELIMS )

INDIAN ART & CULTURE PREVIOUS YEARS QUESTIONS (PRELIMS ) INDIAN ART & CULTURE INDIAN ART & CULTURE AND HERITAGE PREVIOUS YEARS QUESTIONS (PRELIMS 2011-2017) 1. With reference to the difference between the culture of Rigvedic Aryans and Indus Valley people, which