Q21. Which one of the following statements about Ashoka's inscriptions is correct?
A The Major Rock Edict found in Kerala is in Sanskrit. B Minor Rock Edicts in Bihar are found only in Pataliputra. C The Dhauli Major Rock Edict makes a mention of the Kalinga War. D Kalsi in Uttarakhand is a site of Major Rock Edicts.
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Correct answer: Kalsi in Uttarakhand is a site of Major Rock Edicts.
Concept note
Q22. Which one of the following statements about the Ajivikas is not correct?
A They did not practise discrimination on the basis of caste or class. B They had a corporate organisation and canonical texts. C They practised severe asceticism, often eating very little food. D They formed an alliance with the Jains against the Buddhists.
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Correct answer: They formed an alliance with the Jains against the Buddhists.
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Q23. In the Rig Veda Samhita, use of the terms ishukrit and isukara referred to the maker of:
A Arrows B Swords C Vajra (Thunderbolt) D Maces
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Correct answer: Arrows
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Q24. Which one of the following does not refer to the bow (and arrow) as a weapon of war in ancient India?
A Sharnga B Kunta C Kodanda D Karmuka
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Correct answer: Kunta
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Q25. What is the military-device referred to by the term manjaniq?
A A device for loading field-guns with gunpowder B Preparing cavalry for rapid charge C A bolting device for strengthening the gates of forts D A device for throwing stones (mangonel)
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Correct answer: A device for throwing stones (mangonel)
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Q26. Who composed Zainavilas, a history of the rulers of Kashmir, in the time of Zainul Abidin?
A Bhattavatara B Jonaraja C Shrivara D Vachaspati
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Correct answer: Bhattavatara
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Q27. In which one of the following works has Amir Khusrau praised the climate of India, its languages, notably Sanskrit, its arts and music and even its animals?
A Ijaz-i Khusrawi B Dewal Rani Khizr Khani C Khazainul Futuh D Nuh Sipihr
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Correct answer: Nuh Sipihr
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Q28. Which one of the following works was written in the early eighteenth century by the Bengali poet Rameshwar Bhattacharya?
A Dharmamangal B Shivsankirttan C Mansimha D Vidyasundar
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Correct answer: Shivsankirttan
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Q29. Which one of the following present day territories was outside the limits of Ashoka's empire?
A Brahmaputra valley, Assam B Baluchistan C North Bengal D Kashmir valley
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Correct answer: Brahmaputra valley, Assam
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Q30. Which one of the following statements about the grammarian Katyayana is correct?
A He was a contemporary of Panini. B He was a contemporary of Patanjali. C He belonged to a period between Panini and Patanjali. D He belonged to a period later than both Panini and Patanjali.
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Correct answer: He belonged to a period between Panini and Patanjali.
Concept note
Q31. Which one of the following statements about Rig Vedic goddesses is correct?
A Ushas represents freedom from sickness. B Sinivali bestows children. C Aditi is goddess of dawn. D Raka is goddess of speech.
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Correct answer: Sinivali bestows children.
Concept note
Q32. Which one of the following statements about the Buddhist Goddess Hariti is correct?
A She was converted by the Buddha from a blood-thirsty yakshi to a benevolent maternal figure. B She is the feminine personification of wisdom. C She protects people from eight great fears. D She is a warrior goddess associated with the dawn.
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Correct answer: She was converted by the Buddha from a blood-thirsty yakshi to a benevolent maternal figure.
Concept note
Q33. Consider the following statements about the literary language Apabhramsha: 1. It appeared in recognizable forms by the sixth century. 2. It developed out of mixtures of regional vernaculars with the Prakrits and Sanskrit. 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
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Correct answer: Both 1 and 2
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Q34. Who demarcated the borders between India and Pakistan during Partition (1947)?
A Cyril Radcliffe B Mortimer Durand C Henry McMahon D Arthur Balfour
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Correct answer: Cyril Radcliffe
Concept note
Q35. Which one among the following statements about Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy, a freedom fighter, is not correct?
A She was the first girl student to be admitted into a men's college. B She was the first woman legislator in British India. C She was a medical professional. D She was honoured with Bharat Ratna in 1956.
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Correct answer: She was honoured with Bharat Ratna in 1956.
Concept note
Q36. Consider the following statements about the Jorwe culture of the Deccan: 1. It covers, practically, the whole of modern Maharashtra except the coastal Konkan district. 2. The Pravara-Godavari valleys seem to have been the nuclear zone. 3. The large sites of this culture yield evidence of shifting agriculture. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A 1 only B 1 and 2 only C 2 and 3 only D 1, 2 and 3
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Correct answer: 1 and 2 only
Concept note
Q37. Consider the following statements about Madurai, the capital city of the Pandya kingdom: 1. It has been described in Maduraikkanchi as a large grand city, enclosed by walls on three sides and the Vaigai river on the fourth side. 2. The Arthashastra mentions it as a centre of fine cotton textiles. 3. Other literary sources describe it as a major craft centre. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A 1 only B 1 and 2 only C 2 and 3 only D 1, 2 and 3
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Correct answer: 1, 2 and 3
Concept note
Q38. Consider the following statements about the Mauryan State and the forest people: 1. The forest people were subjected to new forms of political and economic dominance and the necessity to subordinate and assimilate them led to a change in the earlier attitude of excluding these people from imperial territory. 2. The State recognised that the forest produce was the sole monopoly of the forest people. 3. The State was concerned with the conservation of forests and to this end the burning of forests was prohibited. 4. The forest people could be harnessed to serve the State and could be used as troops, spies and assassins. How many of the above statements is/are correct?
A 1 B 2 C 3 D 4
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Correct answer: 2
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Q39. Consider the following statements about the Vedanta philosophy: 1. Shankara was the founder of Advaita Vedanta. 2. The philosophy of Dvaita was elaborated by Madhva. 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
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Correct answer: Both 1 and 2
Concept note
Q40. The terms used for cereals in the Rig Veda are:
A Godhuma and Vrihi B Yava and Dhanya C Tila and Khala D Priyangu and Shyamaka
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Correct answer: Yava and Dhanya
Concept note