[Mission 2023] INSIGHTS STATIC QUIZ, 17 June 2022 – Ancient & Medieval India – INSIGHTSIAS

Solution: b)

Economic Condition:

Iron was used extensively in this period and this enabled the people to clear forests and to bring more land under cultivation. Agriculture became the chief occupation. Improved types of implements were used for cultivation. Besides barley, rice and wheat were grown. Knowledge of manure was another improvement. Industrial activity became more varied and there was greater specialization. Metal work, leather work, carpentry and pottery made great progress. In addition to internal trade, foreign trade became extensive. The Later Vedic people were familiar with the sea and they traded with countries like Babylon. A class of hereditary merchants (vaniya) came into existence. Vaisyas also carried on trade and commerce. They organized themselves into guilds known as ganas. Besides nishka of the Rig Vedic period, gold and silver coins like satamana and krishnala were used as media of exchange.

Solution: c)

Gods of the Early Vedic period like Indra and Agni lost their importance. Prajapathi (the creator), Vishnu (the protector) and Rudra (the destroyer) became prominent during the Later Vedic period.

Sacrifices were still important and the rituals connected with them became more elaborate. The importance of prayers declined and that of sacrifices increased. Priesthood became a profession and a hereditary one. The formulae for sacrifices were invented and elaborated by the priestly class. Therefore, towards the end of this period there was a strong reaction against priestly domination and against sacrifices and rituals. The rise of Buddhism and Jainism was the direct result of these elaborate sacrifices.

Solution: d)

Magadha became the most important Mahajanapadas in about two hundred years. Many rivers such as the Ganga and Son flowed through Magadha. This was important for transport, water supplies and making the land fertile. Parts of Magadha were forested.

Elephants, which lived in the forest, could be captured and trained for the army. Forests also provided wood for building houses, carts and chariots.

Besides, there were iron ore mines in the region that could be tapped to make strong tools and weapons.

Solution: d)

As the rulers of the Mahajanapadas of the Common Era were building huge forts maintaining big armies, they needed more resources for which they collected taxes.

Taxes on crops were the most important. This was because most people were farmers. Usually, the tax was fixed at 1/6th of what was produced. This was known as bhaga or a share.

Craft persons: These could have been in the form of labour. For example, a weaver or a smith may have had to work for a day every month for the king.

Herders were also expected to pay taxes in the form of animals and animal produce. And hunters and gatherers also had to provide forest produce to the raja.

Solution: c)

Maski is a town and an archaeological site in the Raichur district of the state of Karnataka. It lies on the bank of the Maski river which is a tributary of the Tungabhadra.

Maski derives its name from Mahasangha or Masangi. The site came into prominence with the discovery of a minor rock edict of Emperor Ashoka by C. Beadon in 1915. It was the first edict of Emperor Ashoka that contained the name Ashoka in it instead of the earlier edicts that referred him as Devanampiya piyadasi.