DAY – 59 (InstaTest-59): Insta 75 Days Revision Plan-2022: Topic – ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL INDIA, PREVIOUS YEAR UPSC PAPER 2007, October & November 2021 CA – INSIGHTSIAS

Solution: B

Harsha made Kanauj the seat of his power and there from extended his authority in all directions. During this period Pataliputra fell on bad days and Kanauj came in the forefront.

How did this happen?

Pataliputra owed its power and importance to trade and commerce and the widespread use of money. Tolls could be collected from the traders who came to the city from the east west, north and south by means of four rivers.

But once money became scarce, trade declined, and officers and soldiers begun to be paid through land grants, the city lost its importance. Power shifted to military camps (skandhavaras), and places of strategic importance, which dominated long stretches of land, acquired prominence. To this class belonged Kanauj.

The most important military campaign of Harsha was against the Western Chalukya ruler Pulakesin II. Both the accounts of Hiuen Tsang and the inscriptions of Pulakesin II provide the details of this campaign. Harsha with an ambition to extend his kingdom south of the Narmada river marched against the Chalukya ruler. But the Aihole inscription of Pulakesin II mentions the defeat of Harsha by Pulakesin.

In his early life, Harsha was a devout Saiva but later he became an ardent Hinayana Buddhist. Hiuen Tsang converted him to Mahayana Buddhism. Harsha prohibited the use of animal food in his kingdom and punished those who kill any living being.

Solution: A

In 327 B.C. Alexander crossed the Hindukush Mountains and spent nearly ten months in fighting with the tribes. He crossed the Indus in February 326 B.C. with the help of the bridge of boats. He was warmly received by Ambhi, the ruler of Taxila. From there Alexander sent a message to Porus to submit. But Porus refused and decided to fight against Alexander. Then Alexander marched from Taxila to the banks of the river Hydaspes (Jhelum). On the other side of the river he saw the vast army of Porus.

As there were heavy floods in the river, Alexander was not able to cross it. After a few days, he crossed the river and the famous battle of Hydaspes was fought on the plains of Karri. It was a well-contested battle. Although Porus had a strong army, he lost the battle. Alexander was impressed by the courage and heroism of this Indian prince, treated him generously and reinstated him on his throne.

Solution: A

• In the Deccan, the Satavahanas established their independent rule after the decline of the Mauryas. Their rule lasted for about 450 years. They were also known as the Andhras. The Puranas and inscriptions remain important sources for the history of Satavahanas.
• Among the inscriptions, the Nasik and Nanaghad inscriptions throw much light on the reign of Gautamiputra Satakarni.
• The coins issued by the Satavahanas are also helpful in knowing the economic conditions of that period.
• The founder of the Satavahana dynasty was Simuka.
• He was succeeded by Krishna, who extended the kingdom up to Nasik in the west. The third king was Sri Satakarni.
• He conquered western Malwa and Berar. He also performed asvamedha sacrifices.
• The seventeenth king of the Satavahana dynasty was Hala. He reigned for a period of five years. Hala became famous for his book Gathasaptasati, also called Sattasai. It contains 700 verses in Prakrit language.

Solution: C

The sangam texts are different from the Vedic texts, particularly the RigVeda. They do not constitute religious literature. The short and long poems were composed by numerous poets in praise of various heroes and heroines and are thus secular in nature.

They are not primitive songs, but literature of high quality. Many poems mention a warrior or a chief or a king by name and describe in detail his military exploits.

The gifts made by him to bards and warriors are celebrated. These poems may have been recited in the courts. They are compared with the heroic poetry of the Homeric age, for they represent a heroic age of warriors and battles.

Solution: D

The corpus of Sangam literature includes Tolkappiyam, Ettutogai, Pattuppattu, Pathinenkilkanakku  and the two epics – Silappathigaram  and Manimegalai. Tolkappiyam authored by Tolkappiyar is the earliest of the Tamil literature. It is a work on Tamil grammar but it provides information on the political and socioeconomic conditions of the Sangam period.

The Ettutogai or Eight Anthologies consist of eight works – Aingurunooru, Narrinai, Aganaooru, Purananooru, Kuruntogai, Kalittogai, Paripadaland Padirruppattu.

The Pattuppattu or Ten Idylls consist of ten works – Thirumurugarruppadai, Porunararruppadai, Sirupanarruppadai, Perumpanarruppadai, Mullaippattu, Nedunalvadai, Maduraikkanji, Kurinjippatttu, Pattinappalaiand Malaipadukadam. Both Ettutogai and Pattuppattu were divided into two main groups – Aham (love) and Puram (valour).

Solution: B

The Chola kingdom, which came to be called Cholamandalam (Coromandel), in early medieval times, was situated to the north-east of the territory of the Pandyas, between the Pennar and the Velar rivers. We have some idea of the political history of the Cholas from the Sangam texts.

Their chief centre of political power laid at Uraiyur, a place famous for cotton trade.

Solution: A

The judicial system was far more developed under the Guptas than in earlier times. Several law-books were compiled during this period, and for the first time civil and criminal laws were clearly demarcated. Theft and adultery fell under criminal law, disputes regarding various types of property under civil law.

Elaborate laws were laid down about inheritance. As in earlier times, many laws continued to be based on varna differentiation. It was the duty of the king to uphold the law, and try cases with the help of brahmana priests. The guilds of artisans, merchants, and others were governed by their own laws. Seals from Vaishali and from Bhita near Allahabad indicate that these guilds flourished during Gupta times.

The Gupta bureaucracy was not as elaborate as that of the Mauryas.

The most important officers in the Gupta empire were the kumaramatyas. They were appointed by the king in the home provinces and possibly paid in cash.

Solution: C

The house of Kadphises was succeeded by that of Kanishka. Its kings extended Kushan power over upper India and the lower Indus basin. The early Kushan kings issued numerous gold coins with a higher degree of metallic purity than is found in the Gupta gold coins. Although the gold coins of the Kushans are found mainly west of the Indus, their inscriptions are distributed not only in north-western India and Sindh but also in Mathura, Shravasti, Kaushambi, and Varanasi. Hence, besides the Ganga– Yamuna doab they had established their authority in the greater part of the middle Gangetic basin. Kushan coins, inscriptions, constructions, and pieces of sculpture found in Mathura show that it was their second capital in India, the first being Purushapura or Peshawar, where Kanishka erected a monastery and a huge stupa or relic tower which excited the wonder of foreign travelers.

Kanishka was the most famous Kushan ruler. Although outside the borders of India, he seems to have suffered defeat at the hands of the Chinese, he is known to history for two reasons. First, he started an era in AD 78, which is now known as the Shaka era and is used by the Government of India. Secondly, Kanishka extended his wholehearted patronage to Buddhism. He held a Buddhist council in Kashmir, where the doctrines of the Mahayana form of Buddhism were finalized.

Solution: D

The Sakas or the Scythians attacked Bactria and Parthia and captured them from the Greek rulers. Following the footsteps of the Greeks, the Sakas gradually extended their rule over northwestern India. There were two different groups of Sakas –the Northern Satraps ruling from Taxila and the Western satraps ruling over Maharashtra.

The founder the Saka rule in India in the first century B.C. was Maues. His son and successor were Azes I, who was considered to be the founder of the Vikrama era.

Shaka domination in north-western India was followed by that of the Parthians, and in many ancient Indian Sanskrit texts, the two people are mentioned together as Shaka–Pahlavas. In fact, both of them ruled over India in parallel for sometime. Originally the Parthians or the Pahlavas lived in Iran from where they moved to India. In comparison to the Greeks and the Shakas, they occupied only a small portion of north-western India in the first century AD. The most famous Parthian king was Gondophernes during whose reign St Thomas is said to have come to India to propagate Christianity. In course of time, the Parthians, like the Shakas before them, became an integral part of Indian polity and society.

Solution: C

The famous Chinese pilgrim, Fahien visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II. Out of his nine years stay in India, he spent six years in the Gupta empire. He came to India by the land route through Khotan, Kashgar, Gandhara and Punjab. He visited Peshawar, Mathura, Kanauj, Sravasti, Kapilavastu, Kusinagara, Pataliputra, Kasi and Bodh Gaya among other places. He returned by the sea route, visiting on the way Ceylon and Java. The main purpose of his visit was to see the land of the Buddha and to collect Buddhist manuscripts from India. He stayed in Pataliputra for three years studying Sanskrit and copying Buddhist texts. Fahien provides valuable information on the religious, social and economic condition of the Gupta empire. According to him, Buddhism was in a flourishing condition in the northwestern India but in the Gangetic valley it was in a state of neglect. He refers to the Gangetic valley as the ‘land of Brahmanism’. Fahien mentions the unsatisfactory state of some of the Buddhist holy places like Kapilavastu and Kusinagara. According to him the economic condition of the empire was prosperous. Although his account is valuable in many respects, he did not mention the name of Chandragupta II. He was not interested in political affairs. His interest was primarily religion. He assessed everything from the Buddhist angle. His observations on social conditions are found to be exaggerated. Yet, his accounts are useful to know the general condition of the country.

Solution: D

Ashokan inscriptions have been found in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Altogether, they appear at forty-seven places, and the total number of versions is 182 including two edicts which are considered spurious. It is significant that Ashokan inscriptions which were generally located on ancient highways, have been found at six places in Afghanistan. Composed in Prakrit, they were written in Brahmi script in the greater part of the subcontinent. However, in the north-western part of the subcontinent they appeared in Aramaic language and Kharoshthi script, and in Afghanistan they were written in both Aramaic and Greek scripts and languages.

He was the first Indian king to speak directly to the people through his inscriptions which carry royal orders. The inscriptions throw light on Ashoka’s career, his external and domestic policies, and the extent of his empire.

Solution: D

The IbādatKhāna was a meeting house built in 1575 CE by the Mughal Emperor Akbar at Fatehpur Sikri to gather spiritual leaders of different religious grounds so as to conduct a discussion on the teachings of the respective religious leaders.

In his eagerness to learn about different religions, Akbar built call of prayer at Fatehpursikri in 1575 known as the Ibada tKhana. At this place, he invited selected mystics, intellectuals and theologians, and held discussions on religious and spiritual themes.

Solution: C

The Maurya dynasty was founded by Chandragupta Maurya, who seems to have belonged to an ordinary family. According to the brahmanical tradition, he was born of Mura, a shudra woman in the court of the Nandas. However, an earlier Buddhist tradition speaks of the Mauryas as the ruling clan of the little republic of Pipphalivana in the region of Gorakhpur near the Nepalese terai. In all likelihood, Chandragupta was a member of this clan. He took advantage of the Nandas in the last days of their rule. With the help of Chanakya, who is known as Kautilya, he overthrew the Nandas and established the rule of the Mauryadynasty. The machinations of Chanakya against Chandragupta’s enemies are described in detail in the Mudrarakshasa, a play written by Vishakhadatta in the ninth century. In modern times, several plays have been based on it.

Solution: D

Most Harappan sites are located in semi-arid lands, where irrigation was probably required for agriculture. Traces of canals have been found at the Harappan site of Shortughai in Afghanistan, but not in Punjab or Sind. It is possible that ancient canals silted up long ago. It is also likely that water drawn from wells was used for irrigation. Besides, water reservoirs found in Dholavira (Gujarat) may have been used to store water for agriculture.

Solution: C

The reign of Ajatasatru was remarkable for his military conquests. He fought against Kosala and Vaisali. His won a great success against a formidable confederacy led by the Lichchavis of Vaisali. This had increased his power and prestige. This war lasted for about sixteen years. It was at this time that Ajatasatru realised the strategic importance of the small village, Pataligrama (future Pataliputra). He fortified it to serve as a convenient base of operations against Vaisali. Buddhists and Jains both claim that Ajatasatru was a follower of their religion. But it is generally believed that in the beginning hewas a follower of Jainism and subsequently embraced Buddhism.

He is said to have met Gautama Buddha. This scene is also depicted in the sculptures of Barhut. According to the Mahavamsa, he constructed several chaityas and viharas. He was also instrumental in convening the First Buddhist Council at Rajagriha soon after the death of the Buddha.

Solution: C

Solution:

• Citing the latest data related to the High Frequency Indicators (HFIs), the Centre has said that the economy is showing ‘strong signs’ of recovery, adding that among the 22 HFIs, full recovery has been achieved in 19. The levels of these 19 economic indicators, the Centre said, are higher in September, October and November this year, as compared to their pre-pandemic figures, during the same months in 2019.
• These include E-way bill volume, merchandise exports, coal production, rail freight etc. This suggests that not only is the recovery complete, the economic growth is now gathering momentum over the pre-pandemic levels of output.

Solution: C

Solution:

• Falklands remains the subject of a sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina, who waged a brief but bitter war over the territory in 1982.

Solution: A

Solution:

• Under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat package, an additional borrowing limit of up to 2 percent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) was allowed to the States for FY 2020-21.
• 1 percent of GSDP was subject to implementation of following four specific State level reforms, where weightage of each reform is 0.25 per cent of GSDP

The reforms are :

One Nation One Ration Card System;

Ease of doing business reform;

Urban Local body/ utility reforms; and

Power Sector reforms.

Solution: B

Solution:

About Nidhi company

• Similar to a Non-Banking Financial Company, a Nidhi is formed to borrow and lend money to its members. It inculcates saving habits among its members and works on the principle of mutual benefit.
• Not required to get an RBI licence but need approval under the Companies Act.

Solution: D

Solution:

• During 2021-22 (April-December), the merchandise exports recorded growth of 49.7 percent to US$ 301.4 billion, compared to the corresponding period of last year and 26.5 percent over 2019-20 (April- December), exceeding the pre-pandemic levels.
• Owing to the rise in global crude oil prices, petroleum products continued to be the most exported commodity in April-November 2021, whose exports have more than doubled.

Answer D

The al-Aqsa Mosque is one of Jerusalem’s most recognised monuments. The mosque’s complex is one of Islam’s most revered locations, and the Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism.

Answer A

The Indus River originates in Tibet in the northern slopes of Mount Kailash near lake Mansarovar. Running via Ladakh, it enters into Pakistan

Bhakra Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Sutlej River in Bhakra Village near Bilaspur in Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh in northern India.

Answer A

It maps a multi-dimensional architecture for international cooperation on data flows, between governments, as well as involving business, with recommendations to increase levels of governance trust and build openness through trade rules and other tools.

India  made it clear that it is not in a position to accept the concept of Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT), which was originally proposed by former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe at the G20 summit last year

Answer C

Answer B

Nord Stream, the longest subsea pipeline, is an export gas pipeline which runs under the Baltic Sea carrying gas from Russia to Europe.

Answer : A

Explanation:

4 men’s work for 8 days is equivalent to 12 women’s work for 2 days.

12 women’s work for 2 days is equal to 6 women’s work for 4 days or 3 women’s work for 8

days

4 men’s work for 8 days is equivalent to 3 women’s work for 8 days.

Therefore, 4 men’s work is equal to 3 women’s work.

1 man can do 1/4th of the work whereas a woman can do 1/3rd of the work.

Man’s relative efficiency = (1/4)/(1/3) = ¾

Thus, a man is ¼ or 25% less efficient as a woman.

Answer : A

Explanation:

The fraction of the tank that is filled in one minute by pipes M and N is (1/12) and (1/16)

respectively.

As per the given data, M is closed early but N is kept open for 12 minutes.

The fraction of the tank that is filled by pipe N alone in 12 minutes = 12 × (1/16) = ¾

Other ¼ of the tank is filled by pipe M alone.

The time for which the pipe M is kept open = (1/4)/(1/12) = 3 minutes.

So, after 3 minutes the pipe M is closed.

Answer : D

Explanation:

Let my age and my grandfather’s age be ‘x’ and ‘y’ respectively.

From the first sentence,

y – 8 = 9 (x – 8)

y – 8 = 9x – 72

y – 9x = -64 ————————–> Eq1

From the second sentence,

(x+16) = 1/3 * (y+16)

y + 16 = 3x + 48

y – 3x = 32 —————————> Eq2

Solving Eq1 and Eq2, we get

x = 16 years

y = 80 years

The difference between ages = 80 – 16 = 64 years.

Answer : D

Explanation:

The case can be solved by only one officer or only two officers or all three officers.

The case will be unsolved only when all three officers fail to solve.

Probability of three officers failing is (1 – (1/2)), (1 – (1/3)) and (1 – (1/4)) respectively

i.e. 1/2, 2/3 and 3/4 respectively.

The probability of case remains unsolved = (1/2) × (2/3) × (3/4) = 1/4.

Thus, the probability of case getting solved = 1 – (1/4) = 3/4.

Answer : C

A is wrong as the passage never states that the native people were ignorant about their history.

Statement B is unrelated to the message being conveyed by the passage. Statement D is

partially correct when it says that history was manipulated. However, the myth of benevolent

despotism is extra from what it being talked about in the passage. Hence C