Q41. With reference to the history of ancient India, Bhavabhuti, Hastimalla and Kshemeshvara were famous
(a) Jain monks
(b) playwrights
(c) temple architects
(d) philosophers
Solution B
Bhavabhuti belonged to around the 8th century AD during the reign of King Yashovarman of Kannauj. Bhavabhuti literary works include:
“Mahaviracharita” (The Deeds of the Great Hero), which deals with the earlier life of Lord Rama.
“Uttararamacharita” (The Later Deeds of Rama), which portrays the life of Lord Rama after his return to Ayodhya and the banishment of Sita.
“Malati-Madhava” (Malati and Madhava), a romantic tragedy that is more secular in nature, revolving around the love story between the characters Malati and Madhava.
Hastimalla: Hastimalla’s identity is less well-known, and there is limited information available about him.
Kshemeshvara was a renowned Kashmiri poet and writer of the 11th century. He is most well-known for his work “Kathasaritsagara” (The Ocean of Streams of Story), a famous Sanskrit text.
Q42. Consider the following statements:
1. The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 recommended granting voting rights to all the women above the age of 21.
2. The Government of India Act of 1935 gave women reserved seats in the legislature.
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
Statement 1 is not correct: In line with the government policy contained in Montagu’s statement of August 1917, the government announced further constitutional reforms in July 1918, known as Montagu-Chelmsford reforms. Based on these, the Government of India Act, 1919 was enacted. Under the Act, Women were given the right to vote. But there was no universal adult suffrage.
Statement 2 is correct: The Government of India Act, 1935 extended the principle of communal representation by providing separate electorates for depressed classes (scheduled castes), women, and laborers (workers). A separate electorate meant that not only were the seats reserved for a specific group, but voting for the reserved constituency was allowed for only members of that specific community.
Q43. With reference to 8th August, 1942 in Indian history, which one of the following statements is correct?
(a) The Quit India Resolution was adopted by the AICC.
(b) The Viceroy’s Executive Council was expanded to include more Indians.
(c) The Congress ministries resigned in seven provinces.
(d) Cripps proposed an Indian Union with full Dominion Status once the Second World War was over.
Solution A
With reference to 8th August, 1942
(a) The Quit India Resolution was adopted by the AICC.
This statement is correct. The Quit India Movement was launched by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on 8th August 1942, calling for the immediate withdrawal of the British from India. The resolution was passed at the Bombay session of the AICC, where Mahatma Gandhi gave his famous “Do or Die” speech.
(b) The Viceroy’s Executive Council was expanded to include more Indians.
This statement is incorrect. The expansion of the Viceroy’s Executive Council to include more Indians occurred earlier, as part of various reforms. It was not a specific event related to 8th August 1942.
(c) The Congress ministries resigned in seven provinces.
This statement is incorrect in the context of 8th August 1942. The resignation of Congress ministries occurred in 1939 in protest against Britain’s decision to involve India in World War II without consulting the Indian leadership.
(d) Cripps proposed an Indian Union with full Dominion Status once the Second World War was over.
This statement is incorrect. The Cripps Mission took place in early 1942, during which Sir Stafford Cripps proposed a plan for full Dominion Status after the war. However, the proposal was rejected by the Indian National Congress, and the plan did not relate specifically to the date of 8th August 1942.
Q44. Who among the following is associated with ‘Song from Prison’, a translation of ancient Indian religious lyrics in English?
(a) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(b) Jawaharlal Nehru
(c) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
(d) Sarojini Naidu
Solution C
1. ‘Songs from Prison’ is a book of translation from Sanskrit hymns and lyrics, from the Upanishads and other scriptures.
2. Mahatma Gandhi made these translations during his incarceration in Yeravada Prison in 1930.
3. Translations of works by Manu, Tulsidas, Kabir, Nanak, Mirabehn, Ramdas, Tukaram, and many other poets. Gandhiji prepared these translations mainly for his English friends and especially for Mirabehn.
Q45. With reference to medieval India, which one of the following is the correct sequence in ascending order in terms of size?
(a) Paragana—Sarkar—Suba
(b) Sarkar—Paragana—Suba
(c) Suba—Sarkar—Paragana
(d) Paragana—Suba—Sarkar
Solution A
During the medieval period in India, particularly during the Mughal rule, the territorial divisions were categorized into different administrative units.
The hierarchy was as follows: (Lowest to Highest)
Paragana: A smaller unit, typically a cluster of villages.
Sarkar: A collection of several Paraganas.
Suba: A province, consisting of several Sarkars.
Q46. Who among the following was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Female School?
(a) Annie Besant
(b) Debendranath Tagore
(c) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
(d) Sarojini Naidu
Solution C
Bethune School, founded in 1849, is the first women’s college in Asia and played an important role in the 19th-century social reform movements in Bengal.
The establishment of this school was strongly supported by John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune, with the active support of Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee and Pandit Madan Mohan Tarkalankar.
In 1856, the Government took charge of the Hindu Female School, later renamed as Bethune School. The Managing Committee of the school was then formed and Pandit Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, was made the Secretary.
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, a prominent Indian educator and social reformer, also played a significant role in promoting female education during this time.
About Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
He was a principal of Sanskrit College in Kolkata, where he pushed for reforms in education, particularly the inclusion of English and other modern subjects.
He authored several textbooks in Bengali, making learning more accessible to the common people.
His literary works include a widely accepted Bengali prose version of the ancient Sanskrit text, the Ramayana.
His efforts led to the passing of the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act of 1856.
He opened many schools for girls and advocated for their right to education.
He also worked to eradicate caste discrimination and untouchability, emphasizing equality and social justice.
Q47. In the context of Colonial India, Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sehgal, and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon are remembered as
(a) leaders of Swadeshi and Boycott Movement
(b) members of the Interim Government in 1946
(c) members of the Drafting Committee in the Constituent Assembly
(d) officers of the Indian National Army
Solution D
Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sehgal, and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon were prominent figures in the Indian National Army (INA), which was formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II. They aimed to overthrow the British rule in India with Japanese assistance.
The INA was initially led by Captain Mohan Singh, and later the leadership was taken over by Subhas Chandra Bose.
After the war, they were tried by the British for treason in the famous INA trials. The trials sparked massive protests and support for the INA officers across India.
Q48. With reference to Indian history, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. The Nizamat of Arcot emerged out of Hyderabad State.
2. The Mysore Kingdom emerged out of Vijayanagara Empire.
3. Rohilkhand Kingdom was formed out of the territories occupied by Ahmad Shah Durrani.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 3 only
Solution B
Statement 1 is not correct. The Nizamat of Arcot was actually a part of the Carnatic region, and it was not directly related to the Hyderabad State.
Statement 2 is correct. Mysore was a small feudatory kingdom under the Vijayanagar Empire. After Vijayanagar fell in 1565, the ruling dynasty of Wodeyars asserted their independence and the Raja Wodeyar ascended the throne in 1578. The capital moved from Mysore to Srirangapatnam in 1610.
Statement 3 is not correct. The Rohillas were Afghan tribes and their kingdom in Rohilkhand was independent of the territories occupied by Ahmad Shah Durrani. Several states emerged as a result of the decline of the Mughal Empire. Some of them are Awadh, Bengal, Rohilkhand. The states of Rohilakhand and the kingdom of the Bangash Pathans were a fall out of the Afghan migration into India.
Large scale immigration of Afghans into India took place in mid-18th century because of political and economic turmoil in Afghanistan. Ali Muhammad Khan took advantage of the collapse of authority in north India following Nadir Shah’s invasion, to set up a petty kingdom, Rohilakhand.
Ahmad Shah Durrani was the founder of the state of Afghanistan and ruler of an empire that extended from the Amu Darya to the Indian Ocean and from Khorāsān into Kashmir, the Punjab, and Sindh.
Q49. Which one of the following statements is correct?
(a) Ajanta Caves lie in the gorge of Waghora river.
(b) Sanchi Stupa lies in the gorge of Chambal river.
c) Pandu-lena Cave Shrines lie in the gorge of Narmada river.
(d) Amaravati Stupa lies in the gorge of Godavari river.
Solution A
Statement 1 is correct: Ajanta Caves are a series of 30 Buddhist cave temples located in a gorge along the Waghora River, in the state of Maharashtra, India.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The Sanchi Stupa is located in Sanchi Town, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is not situated near the Chambal River. The Sanchi Stupa is not located on the bank of any major river. It is situated on a hilltop .
Statement 3 is incorrect: The Pandu Lena Caves, They are not situated in the gorge of the Narmada River. They are located on the Trirashmi Hill.
Statement 4 is incorrect: The Amaravati Stupa is situated in Amaravathi village, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. It’s situated near the Krishna River, not the Godavari River.
Q50. Consider the following statements:
1. 21st February is declared to be the International Mother Language Day by UNICEF.
2. The demand that Bangla has to be one of the national languages was raised in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Solution B
It was proclaimed by UNESCO, not UNICEF, in 1999 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity. So, statement 1 is incorrect.
The demand that Bangla has to be one of the national languages was raised in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. This refers to the Language Movement in Pakistan, where the demand for Bangla to be recognized as one of the national languages was indeed raised. This ultimately led to International Mother Language Day, commemorating the demonstrations and sacrifices made by the Bengali-speaking population. So, statement 2 is correct.