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9 Year TOPIC - Wise PDF

Prelims PYQs
Content
(SUBJECT-WISE & TOPIC-WISE)
ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL HISTORY

[Part of our Prelims PYQ Content]
INDEX
Contents
CHAPTER 1: INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION ....................................................................... 1
CHAPTER 3: BUDDHISM AND JAINISM .................................................................................. 3
CHAPTER 4: MAURYAN EMPIRE ............................................................................................. 9
CHAPTER 5: GUPTA AGE .......................................................................................................... 13
CHAPTER 6: POST GUPTA ERA............................................................................................... 15
CHAPTER 7: HARSHA EMPIRE ............................................................................................... 16
CHAPTER 8: PERSONALITIES ................................................................................................. 17
CHAPTER 9: MISCELLANEOUS – ANCIENT HISTORY .................................................... 18
CHAPTER 10: MEDIEVAL INDIA TERMINOLOGIES ......................................................... 25
CHAPTER 11: DELHI SULTANATE ......................................................................................... 27
CHAPTER 12: VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE .............................................................................. 30
CHAPTER 13: MUGHAL EMPIRE ............................................................................................ 33
CHAPTER 14: BHAKTI AND SUFI MOVEMENTS ................................................................ 40
CHAPTER 15: MISCELLANEOUS – MEDIEVAL INDIA...................................................... 42
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PRELIMS PYQs Content- (Ancient and Medieval India)
CHAPTER 1: INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION
PRELIMS PYQ CONTENT – UPSC CSE EXAM – Topic-wise Segregated
1. Dholavira: It is the fifth largest metropolis of IVC. It has a 1. Which one of the following
fortified citadel, a middle townand a lower town with ancient towns is well known for
walls made of sandstone or limestone instead of mud bricks in its elaborate system of water
other Harappan sites. It is known for its water management harvesting and management by
system, giant water reservoir, unique water harvesting system, building a series of dams and
stadium, dams and embankments + Copper smelting remains channelising water into
found-> indicate knowledge of metallurgy + Artefacts made of connected reservoirs?
copper, stone, jewellery of terracotta, gold and ivory have been (a) Dholavira
found + No mortal remains of humans discovered at Dholavira (b) Kalibangan
unlike graves at other IVC sites.[UPSC 2021] (c) Rakhigarhi
2. Kalibangan: Key hole skull surgery (trepanation) evidence (d) Ropar
found at Kalibangan. Bangle factory, toy carts, bones of camel,
decorated bricks and lower town are also found.
3. Rakhigarhi:Recent DNA study at Rakhigarhi-> People in the
Harappan Civilization have an independent origin and negates
theory of Harappans having ancient Iranian farmer ancestry.
4. Ropar: Dog buried with human oval pit burials.
5. Harappa (Pakistan): Two rows of six granaries with big
platform, stone symbol of lingam and yoni, mother goddess
figure, wheat and barley in wooden mortar, copper scale and
mirror, sculpture of dog chasing a deer in bronze metal, nude
dancing girl of stone and a red sandstone male torso.
6. Mohenjo-daro (Pakistan): Great Bath, Great granary, post
cremation burial, sculpture of bearded priest.
7. Sohgaura: The Sohgaura Copper-plate was found at Sohgaura, 2. Which one of the following is not
in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh, and is supposed to be a Harappan site?
from the Mauryan period. The inscription is in Brahmi script (a) Chanhudaro
and records a royal order that the grains stored in the granary (b) Kot Diji
should be carefully distributed. (c) Sohgaura
It was discovered in Sohgaura, a village on the banks of the (d) Desalpur
Rapti River. [UPSC 2019]
8. Kot Diji: It was an early Harappan site located on the left bank
of River Sindh.. A tar is the major object found here. Statues of
bull and mother goddess are other things found in Kot diji.
9. Chanhudaro: It is situated 130 kms south of Mohenjo-Daro in
Sindh and is the only harappan city which does not have a
fortified citadel. Evidence of factories of various figurines,
seals, toys, bone implements. It has been interpreted that it was
a settlement with lots of artisans and was an industrial town.
10. Desalpur (Gujarat):It is a mature Harappan site. The township
of Desalpur was fortified. The fortification wall was
constructed of stones with mud filling inside. Many houses
were constructed just against the inner face of the fortification
wall.
Content made from Every word of Previous Year Paper | www.sunyaias.com | 8279688595
Page. 1
CHAPTER 2: VEDIC CULTURE
1. Rig vedic culture 1. With reference to the difference
 Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in between the culture of Rigvedic Aryans
warfare. and Indus Valley people, which of the
 They worshipped natural forces like earth, fire, following statements is/are correct?
wind, rain, thunder, etc. by personifying them into 1. Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail
many gods. and helmet in warfare whereas the
people of Indus Valley Civilization did
 Indra (thunder) was the most important god. Other
gods were Prithvi (earth), Agni (fire), Varuna (rain) not leave any evidence of using them.
and Vayu (wind). 2. Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, silver and
copper whereas Indus Valley people
 There were no rituals for temples and idol worship.
knew only copper and iron.
 Rig Veda mentions horse-drawn chariots with
3. Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the
spoked wheels.
horse whereas there is no evidence of
2. Harappan culture Indus Valley people having been aware
 Harappan civilisation used stones like carnelian, of this animal.
jasper, crystal, quartz and steatite; metals like Select the correct answer using the code
copper, bronze and gold; and shell, faience and given below:
terracotta or burnt clay.
(a) 1 only
 Toys depict Ikka (small chariot), rhinoceros, (b) 2 and 3 only
monkey discovered at various places.
(c) 1 and 3 only
 Evidences of the horse comes from a superficial (d) 1, 2 and 3
level of Mohenjodaro and from a terracotta figurine
from Lothal.
 The remains of the horse have been reported from
Surkotada belonging to around 2000BC. [UPSC
2017]
Page. 2
CHAPTER 3: BUDDHISM AND JAINISM
Refer Art & Culture chapter also FOR MORE QUESTIONS
1. Mahasanghikas 1. In which one of the following regions
 Believed in plurality of Buddhas who are was Dhanyakataka, which flourished
supramundane (lokottara); held that what passed for as a prominent Buddhist centre under
Gautama Buddha in his earthly existence was only an the Mahasanghikas, located?
appartition; got divided into eight sub-sects: (a) Andhra
Ekavyaharika, Prajnaptivada, Uttarasaila, Bahusrutiya, (b) Gandhara
Kaukkutika, Chaityaka, Lokottaravadin and (c) Kalinga
Aparasaila. (d) Magadha
2. Dhanyakataka[UPSC 2023]
 Dhanyakataka located near the present day Amaravati in
Andhra was the capital of Satavahana kings (1st century
BCE - 3rd AD) who were patrons of Mahayana
Buddhism.
 It is a small town in Andhra Pradesh in southeastern
India near present day Amaravati where Shakyamuni
Buddha taught the Heart Essence form of the
Kalachakra Dharma to the Shambala kings.
3. Gandhara school: Flourished in north western parts of Indian
subcontinent; also known as Greeco-Indian school of art.
 Known for its use of bluish-grey sandstone and later
school used mud and stucco.
 Shakas and Kushanas were patrons (Not Indo-Greeks).
 Secular elements were absent; associated with
Buddhist religion.
 Important sites are Taxila, Bamiyan and Begram.
 Characteristic features:
o Roman influence: Realistic representation of
human beings; hair in wavy curls; wearing a
Roman toga like dress.
o Greek influence: Protruding eyes, portrayed with a
moustache, mechanical rigidy in expression and
emphasis on depiction of physical beauty-> like
those of Apollo, the Greek god of beauty.
4. Magadha Empire
Page. 3
5. Kalinga war (261 BC): The Kalinga War was fought
between Ashoka, the great Mauryan Emperor, and the
ruler of the State of Kalinga, a feudal republic based on
present-day Odisha and northern parts of Andhra Pradesh
6. Philosophy of Jainism 7. "Souls are not only the property of
 Mahavira rejected existence of god-> world created by animal and plant life, but also of
nature and continues on its own through cycles of rise rocks, running water and many other
(Utsarpini) and cycles of fall (avsarpini). natural objects not looked on as living
 Later on Jains started accepting existence of god but by other religious sects."
given lower status than Jina. The above statement reflects one of the
 Concept of Shalaka purusha-> 63 great men guide core beliefs of which one of the following
universe through each cycle of rise and fall. religious sects of ancient India?
(a) Buddhism
 Believed in karma and transmigration of soul; even
non-living things such as stones considered to have (b) Jainism
souls. (c) Shaivism
 Jains believe plants, animals and even some non- (d) Vaishnavism
living things (like air and water) have souls, just as
humans do.
 The principle of non-violence includes doing no
harm to humans, plants, animals and nature. For
that reason, Jains are strict vegetarians- eating root
vegetables is even not allowed because removing
the root would kill the plant.
 Rejected authority of vedas and vedic rituals;
advocated a simple and austere life.
 Did not condemn varna system though emphasized on
equality; does not believe in caste system.
 Believed in efficacy of Karma marga (path of action);
a layperson cannot acquire true knowledge.
 Monastic life essential for salvation; annihilation of
karma through extreme asceticism would lead to
salvation.
 Humans may be good or bad according to their actions
and not on account of their birth.
 Believed in extreme non-violence (ahimsa); emphasis
on efficacy of extreme nonviolence.
 Doctrine of Ankekantavada-> An object of knowledge
can be perceived by different people in different ways
(theory of plurality); simultaneous acceptance of
diverse, contradictory viewpoints.
 Doctrine of Syadvada-> Understanding of an object of
knowledge is conditional in nature; seven modes of
prediction (saptabhangi nayavada); one should use
syad (may be) before any statement.
 Doctrine of Nyayavada-> Individual perceives
knowledge through particular viewpoint.[UPSC 2023]
Page. 4
8. Udayagiri (350-550 CE) 8. Consider the following pairs:
 Udayagiri caves are located in Vidisha, Madhya Site Well
Pradesh. Known for
 It contains some of the oldest Hindu temples and 1. Besnagar - Shaivite
iconography, related to Vaishnavism, Shaivism and cave shrine
Shaktism. 2. Bhaja - Buddhist
 Though it is present north of Tropic of Cancer, it is cave shrine
believed that historically, on the day of summer solstice, 3. Sittanawasal - Jain cave
the sun was directly overhead in this place, making shrine
Udhyagiri (Mount of sunrise) a place of worship. How many of the above pairs are
 Iconic Varaha Scultpure rescuing the earth correctly matched?
symbolically represented by Bhudevi clinging to the (a) Only one
boar's tusk is a salient feature in Udayagiri caves. (b) Only two
 Udayagiri Caves (in Besnagar Modern day (c) All three
Vidisha) are a group of rock - cut cave sanctuaries, (a) (d) None
carved into a sandstone hill that stand, sentinel like, on
the horizon. Situated in Sonpura and Udaygiri villages
of Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh, these are the
finest examples of classical gupta arts. Cave 4 Known
as Bina Cave in Vidhisha (Benagar), a stage in process
can be seen in cave number four. An impressive Shiva
Lingam is there inside Cave 4 over a rock-cut platform
and one can access the cave through some delicate
floral scrolls. [UPSC 2023]
9. Bhaja Caves
 They are located on a hill village Bhaja in Pune
district near Lonavala, Mumbai.
 The Hinayana sect of Buddhism is represented by the
Bhaja Caves.
 The most unique characteristic of the caves is that the
beam of light of the setting sun enters the insides of
the caves.
 The stupas, which are 14 in number and arranged in a
huddle, are one of the cave's most notable characteristics.
 Five of the 14 stupas are inside the smaller cave, while
the other nine are outside.
 Exquisite headdresses, garlands, and jewelry adorn the
sculptures in the Bhaja Buddhist grotto.
 A Chaitya Griha, or prayer hall, is unique to the cave.
The hall is surrounded by 27 pillars, with wooden
beams affixed to the ceilings.
10. Sittanavasal Caves
 Sittanavasal is a small village in Pudukottai district of
Tamil Nadu.
 Its name is a distorted form of Sit-tan-na-va-yil, a
Tamil word which means "the abode of great saints".
 It was a major centre of Jain influence for 1,000 years
just before the Christian era.
Page. 5
 Sittanavasal is the name used synonymously for the
hamlet and the hillock that houses the Arivar Kovil
(temple of Arihats - Jains who conquered their
senses), ‘Ezhadipattam’ (a cavern with 17 polished
rock beds), megalithic burial sites and the Navachunai
tarn (small mountain lake) with a submerged shrine.
 The murals have been painted with vegetable and
mineral dyes in black, green, yellow, orange, blue, and
white.
 It is listed as one of the Adarsh Smarak Monuments by
the Archaeological Survey of India.
11. Stupa Architecture: Stupas were burial mounds prevalent 9. With reference to ancient India,
in India since Vedic period + Core of stupa was made of consider the following statements :
unburnt brick while outer surface was made by using burnt 1. The concept of Stupa is Buddhist in
bricks + Medhi and toran decorated by wooden sculptures origin.
+ According to Avadana Sutta, ten original stupas opened 2. Stupa was generally a repository of
up by Ashoka and distributed their relics among 84,000 relics.
stupas built by him + Sanchi stupa (Madhya Pradesh) is 3. Stupa was a votive and
the most famous of the Ashokan stupas. commemorative structure in Buddhist
 The word Stupa is mentioned in the Rigveda, tradition.
Atharvaveda, Vajasaneyi Samhita, Taittriya Samhita, How many of the statements given above
in the Panchavimsata Brahmana. are correct?
 The earliest known mention of the word “stupa” (a) Only one
occurs in several ancient scripts. Rigveda refers to a (b) Only two
Stupa raised by the King Varuna above the forest in a
(c) All three
place having no foundation (Rigveda; verse 28). The
(d) None
word ‘estuka’ is also used in the same sense in
Rigveda, probably by then anything raised on the
ground like a heap/pile might have been known as
Stupa.[UPSC 2023]
 Stupa was generally a repository of relics. It was a
votive and commemorative structure in Buddhist
tradition.
 Stupas can be classified into five categories:
o Relic stupas − Relics of Buddha and other
religious persons are buried.
o Object stupas − objects belonging to the Buddha
or his disciples are buried.
o Commemorative stupas − built to commemorate
events in the life of Buddha and his disciples.
o Symbolic stupas − built to symbolise various
aspects of Buddhist theology.
o Votive stupas − to commemorate visits or gain
spiritual benefits. can be made from metal, stone
etc.
 Sanchi Stupa: Also known as Mahastupa, it was
originally built by Ashoka with bricks but it was
destroyed by Pushyamitra Shunga + The stupa was
Page. 6
enlarged to twice of its original size by addition of
more layers to its anda by Agnimitra + Ornamented
gateways known as toranas were added during post-
mauryan age + The stupa was discovered by General
Herbert Taylor in 1818 AD + The monuments at
Sanchi were included in UNESCOs list of World
heritage sites in 1989.
 Piprahwa Stupa (Uttar Pradesh) is the oldest one.
 Stupas built after death of Buddha: Rajagriha,
Vaishali, Kapilavastu, Allakappa, Ramagrama,
Vethapida, Pava, Kushinagar and Pippalivana.
 Stupa at Bairat, Rajasthan: Grand stupa with a circular
mound and a circumambulatory path.
12. Avalokiteshvara 10. With reference to Indian history, who

 He is one of Buddha's among the following is a future
three protector deities, Buddha, yet to come to save the
also known as world?
Padmapani. (a) Avalokiteshvara
 His picture can be (b) Lokesvara
found in the Ajanta (c) Maitreya
Caves, is the most (d) Padmapani
well-known of all the
Bodhisattvas.
 The compassionate
bodhisattva listens to the world's pleas and responds in
skillful ways.
 Under the name Lokesvara, he appears informally in
Cambodian Theravada Buddhism.
 Karan davyuha is a Mahayana text which glorify
Avalokitesvara.
 Avalokiteshvara is the earthly manifestation of the
self-born eternal Buddha Amitabha.
13. Maitreya
 Maitreya is regarded as a future Buddha of this world
in Buddhist eschatology. [UPSC 2018]
 In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha
Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he is referred to as
Ajitaboddhisatva.
Page. 7
 Laughing Buddha considered as an incarnation of
Maitreya.
 According to Buddhist tradition, Maitreya is a bodhisattva
who will appear on Earth in the future, achieve complete
enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma.
 According to scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor
to the present Buddha, Gautama Buddha (also known
as Śākyamuni Buddha).
 The prophecy of the arrival of Maitreya refers to a
time in the future when the dharma will have been
forgotten by most on the terrestrial world.
14. Vajrapani
 Vajrapani is one of three guardian deities that
surround Buddha and is represented in the Ajanta
Caves – Others are Manjusri and Avalokitesvara.
 He is said to express all of Buddha's powers as well as the
powers of the five tathagatas- Vairocana, Akshobhya,
Amitabha, Ratnasambhava, and Amoghasiddhi.
 Holds thunderbolt.
15. Samantabhadra
 Known as Universal Buddha and associated with
meditation.
 In Buddhism, he is part of the Shakyamuni triad,
which also includes the Buddha and Manjusri.
16. Kshitigarbha: Guardian of purgatories and children;
boddhisatva of earth immortal beings.
17. Manjushri
 Stimulator of understanding and he holds book
describing ten paramitas.
 Depict male boddhisatva wielding flaming sword in
his left hand.
 He is a man Bodhisattva with a sword in his hand who
is linked with Buddha's Wisdom.
 Manjusri ponders Buddha's knowledge.
18. Places visited by Buddha: Sarnath, Varanasi, Rajagriha 11. Which of the following kingdoms
(Bimbisara built vihara named Veluvana for Buddha were associated with the life of the
residence), Vaishali (met Amrapali here and allowed Buddha?
women entry in sangha), Susumargiri, Kaushambi, 1. Avanti
Champa, Sravasti (delivered maximum number of 2. Gandhara
sermons), Pawapuri and Kushinagara (attained 3. Kosala
Mahaparinirvana). [Buddha did not visit Avanti].
4. Magadha
19. Kingdoms associated with the life of Buddha:
Select the correct answer using the codes
Magadha, Kosala, Vaishali, Vajji etc were the kingdoms
given below:
and regions that the wandering Buddha covered
(a) 1, 2 and 3
relentlessly. Buddha traveled to Rajagaha, capital of
Magadha, to visit King Bimbisara.[UPSC 2015] (b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) 3 and 4 only
Page. 8
CHAPTER 4: MAURYAN EMPIRE
1. Kautilya’s Arthashastra[UPSC 2022] 1. According to Kautilya’s Arthashastra,
 This book is written by Kautilya in Grantha which of the following are correct?
script. 1. A person could be a slave as a result of a
 It deals with politico-administrative and a book judicial punishment.
on statecraft. 2. If a female slave bore her master a son, she
was legally free.
 It is divided into 15 Adhikaranas (parts) and 150
3. If a son born to a female slave was
prakaranas (chapters)
fathered by her master, the son was
 There are several types of enslavement that is entitled to the legal status of the master’s
given in Arthashastra. One of the prime son.
methods of enslavement was to have a person as
Which of the statements given above are
a slave as a result of judicial punishment for
correct?
some sort of criminal demeanor.
(a) 1 and 2 only
 There were variety of protection offered to the
(b) 2 and 3 only
slaves, especially to the women slaves. As per
the Arthashastra, when a child is begotten on a (c) 1 and 3 only
female slave by her master, both the child and (d) 1, 2 and 3
its mother shall at once be recognised as free.
 If a son born to a female slave was fathered by
her master, the son was entitled to the legal
status of the master’s son.
 Bhattasvamin wrote a commentary on it called
as Pratipada- Panchika.
2. Ashoka (268 BC- 232 BC): He was the son of the 2. Who among the following rulers advised
Mauryan Emperor, Bindusara and Subhadrangi born his subjects through this inscription?
in 304 BC + He is known by various names, i.e. “Whosoever praises his religious sect or
Devanampiya (Sanskrit Devanampriya meaning blames other sects out of excessive
Beloved of the Gods) and Piyadasi + During his devotion to his own sect, with the view of
reign, the Mauryan Empire covered from glorifying his own sect, he rather injures
Afghanistan to Bangladesh; but did not cover his own sect very severely.”
modern-day Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka (a) Ashoka
+ In his Edict XII, Ashoka condemns the practice of (b) Samudragupta
elevating one’s own religion at the expense of
(c) Harshavardhana
someone else’s; The edict concludes with the
(d) Krishnadeva Raya
admonition that an individual’s religion grows
through Dhamma and so all faiths are improved by
tolerance and understanding. [UPSC 2020]
 Ashoka’s Dhamma: Idea of paternal kinship +
Everybody should serve parents, revere
teachers, and practice ahimsa and truthfulness +
Considered his subjects as his children + He set
forth humane treatment of animals, servants,
and prisoners + He sought to conquer not by
war but by Dhamma + He sent his children,
Mahinda and Samghamitra to Sri Lanka for the
same.
Page. 9
 Pillar Edicts and Inscriptions: 7 pillar edicts
of Ashoka discovered in Topra (Delhi), Meerut,
Kausambhi, Rampurva, Champaran, and
Mehrauli.
o Pillar Edict I: Asoka's idea of people
protection
o Pillar Edict II: Dhamma having greatest
number of virtues, compassion, liberality,
honesty, and purity.
o Pillar Edict III: Removes sins such as
cruelty, rage etc.
o Pillar Edict IV: Addresses the
responsibilities of Rajukas.
o Pillar Edict V: List of animals and birds
which are prohibited for slaughtering on
certain days.
o Pillar Edict VI: Dhamma policy of Ashoka
o Pillar Edict VII: Ashoka contribution to
Dhamma policy.
 Minor Pillar Inscriptions
o Rummindei Pillar: It documents Asoka’s
visit to Lumbini and its exemption from
taxation.
o Nigalisagar Pillar(Nepal): Extension of
height of Konakamana stupa to twice its
original size.
 Major Pillar Inscriptions
o Sarnath Lion Capital: Erected by Ashoka
to commemorate Dhammachakrapravartana.
o Single lion on Vaishali Pillar (Bihar): It has
no inscription.
o Uttar Pradesh's Sankissa Pillar
o Lauriya-Nandangarh, Bihar
o Lauriya-Araraj, Bihar
o Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad pillar.
3. Samudragupta: He was a ruler of Gupta Empire
who considerably enhanced his dynasty's political
authority; known with the title parakramanka + He
was known as the Napoleon of India + 'Prayag
Prashati' written by his courtier and poet Harisena,
describes him as the hero of a hundred battles +
Allahabad Pillar Inscription sheds light on
Samudragupta's Digvijaya + He was given the title
of Kaviraj as he written several Sanskrit poetry + He
was a supporter of Buddhist scholar Vasubandhu +
He was tolerant of all religions, although he is an
ardent Brahmin + He gave the king of
Ceylon permission to create a Buddhist monastery
for Buddhist monks at Boudh Gaya.
Page. 10
Fig: Gupta Empire during Samudragupta’s reign

4. Harshavardhana: Harshavardhan ruled during the
7th century AD and founded the Vardhana Dynasty
+ He was born Hindu but started embracing the
Mahayana Buddhism religion later in his life +
Xuanzang, a Chinese Buddhist traveller, praised the
deeds of King Harshavardhan + After obtaining
control over Kannauj, Harshavardhan united the two
kingdoms of Thanesar and Kannauj + He then
moved the capital of his kingdom from Thanesar to
Kannauj + He also annexed the kingdoms of
Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha after the death of
Sasanka + He was defeated by Pulakesin II, the
Chalukya King in 618-619A.D + The Harshacharita
is a biography of Harshavardhana composed in
Sanskrit by his court poet, Banabhatta + He himself
wrote Nagananda, Ratnavali and Priyadarshika +
Ratnavali: Its theme revolves around devious path
adopted by minister Yaugandharaya of Vatsa king
Udayana of Kaushambi to get his king married to
Ceylonese princess Ratnavali + Hiuen Tsang visited
India during the reign of emperor Harshavardhana
and compiled his observations in his book Si-yu-ki.
5. Krishnadevaraya: He was the ruler of the Tuluva
dynasty of Vijayanagar empire (1509-29 AD) + He
is credited with building some fine temples and
impressive gopurams + He also founded a suburban
township near Vijayanagar called Nagalapuram
after his mother + He composed a work on statecraft
in Telugu known as the Amuktamalyada + He
earned the titles Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana,
Andhra Bhoja and Mooru Rayara Ganda + He
defeated the Sultans of Bijapur, Golconda, the
Bahmani Sultanate and the Raja of Odisha + The
Page. 11
great south Indian mathematician Nilakantha
Somayaji lived in the Empire of Krishnadevaraya +
Portuguese travellers Domingo Paes and Fernao
Nuniz visited the Vijayanagara Empire during his
reign.
6. Edicts of Emperor Ashoka: James Prinsep was 4. Who of the following had first deciphered
the first person to decipher edicts of Emperor the edicts of Emperor Ashoka?
Ashoka. [UPSC 2016] (a) Georg Bilhler
7. Max Muller (b) James Prinsep
 He translated the Upanishads for Schelling, (c) Max Muller
and researched on Sanskrit language under (d) William Jones
Franz Bopp who was the first systematic scholar
of the Indo-European languages.
 Muller translated and published a collection of
Indian fables called Hitopadesha
 Muller published the complete Rig Veda in
Sanskrit using manuscripts available in
England, found in the collection of the East
India Company
 He strongly believed in the need for reforms in
Hinduism in order to superimpose views of
Christianity on former.
 He supported Brahmo Samaj movement. He
believed that Brahmo Samja will produce an
Indian form 'Christianity', since he was
too desperate to bring Christianity into India so
that the religion of the Hindus be doomed.
8. William Jones
 William Jones was appointed as a judge on the
Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William in
Bengal,
 He is particularly known for his proposition of
the existence of a relationship among European
and Indo-Aryan languages, which he coined as
Indo-European.
 In 1784, he founded the Asiatic Society of
Bengal to encourage Oriental studies. He
himself took up Sanskrit, to equip himself for
the preparation of a vast digest of Hindu and
Muslim law.
 Jones’ was the first to suggest that Sanskrit,
Greek and Latin languages had a common root
and that indeed they may all be further related,
in turn, to Gothic and the Celtic languages, as
well as to Persian.
*******
Page. 12
CHAPTER 5: GUPTA AGE
1. Vishti [UPSC 2019] 1. With reference to forced labour (Vishti) in India

 Forced labour (vishti) became more during the Gupta period, which one of the
common than before during the Gupta following statements is correct?
period. (a) It was considered a source of income for the
 The fact that it is mentioned along with State, a sort of tax paid by the people.
taxes in land gran inscriptions suggest that (b) It was totally absent in the Madhya Pradesh
it was considered as a source of income and Kathiawar regions of the Gupta Empire.
for state, a sort of tax paid by the people. (c) The forced labourer was entitled to weekly
 Most of inscriptions referring to vishti wages.
come from Madhya Pradesh and (d) The eldest son of the labourer was sent as the
Kathiawar regions. forced labourer.
2. Kulyavapa and Dronavapa: In the Gupta 2. With reference to the history of India, the terms
era, the terms Kulyavapa, Dronavapa, and “kulyavapa” and “dronavapa” denote
Adhavapa were related to land measurements (a) measurement of land
mentioned in the copper plate inscriptions (b) coins of different monetary value
found in Bengal + The Midnapore plate of (c) classification of urban land
Subhakirtti refers to the gift of forty dronas of (d) religious rituals
land and one dronavapa of homestead land in
the village Kumbharapadraka to a brahmin
named Damyasvamin. [UPSC 2020]
Type of Taxes Levied under Gupta Period
Kalpita/ Sales Tax and Purchase Tax
Upkilpta
Halivakar/ Tax on Ploughing
Halidanda
Bali An additional oppressive tax on
people
Prataya Toll Tax
Bhog King's share of produce
Bhoga General Tribute (the tax in kind
of gifts, flowers, woods, fruits
etc.)
Bhag Combination of Bhog and Bhaga
Bhagkar
Bhatta Police Tax
Chat Security Tax
Charasana Grazing Tax
Hiranya Tax on special produce taken in
cash
Udakabhag Water Tax
Uparikar Tax collected from all subjects
Taradaya Tax on navigation
Rajju Tax for measurement of land
Page. 13
3. Classification of land under Guptas: The
land during Gupta period was categorized into
several groups such as Kshetra (cultivable
land), Khila (wasteland), Aprahata (jungle or
forest land), Vasti (habitable land) and Gapata
Sarah (Pasture land).
4. Coinage during Guptas: The Gupta gold
coins are known as Dinars + The face of the
coins generally portrayed the governing king
and carried legends, while the reverse depicted
the figure of a goddess + The most popular
Gupta coin depicts the ruler with a bow in his
left hand - this type was issued by all of the
dynasty's kings + The king is depicted seated
on a sofa playing the Veena on certain coins of
Samudragupta and Kumaragupta I +
Chandragupta II also issued silver (Denaree)
and copper (Daler) coins.
*******
Page. 14
CHAPTER 6: POST GUPTA ERA
1. Important Kingdoms: In the sixth century CE, the 2. From the decline of Guptas until the rise of
Huns occupied Malwa, Gujarat, Punjab and Harshavardhana in the early seventh
Gandhara. As the Hun invasion weakened the Gupta century, which of the following kingdoms
hold in the country, independent rulers emerged all were holding power in Northern India?
over the north like Yasodharman of Malwa, the (1) The Guptas of Magadha
Maukharis of Uttar Pradesh, theMaitrakas in (2) The Paramaras of Malwa
Saurashtra and others in Bengal. Thaneswar, lying (3) The Pushyabhutis of Thanesar
north of Delhi between Sutlej and Yamuna, was
(4) The Maukharis of Kanauj
formed into an independent state by Pushyabhutis.
(5) The Yadavas of Devagiri
Later Gupta dynasty ruled the Magadha region in
eastern India between the 6th and 7th centuries CE. (6) The Maitrakas of Valabhi
[UPSC 2021] Select the correct answer using the code given
2. Paramars of Malwa: They were feudatories of below:
Pratiharas. They declared their independence in the (a) 1, 2 and 5
10th century and Dhara was their capital. They have (b) 1, 3, 4 and 6
ruled until 1305, when Malwa was conquered by Ala (c) 2, 3 and 4
ud din Khilji. Raja Bhoja (1010-1055) was the most (d) 5 and 6
famous ruler of this period; He constructed a
beautiful lake more than 250 sq. miles near Bhopal
and also set up a college at Dhara for the study of
Sanskrit Literature.
3. Yadavas of Devagiri: The Yadavas of Devagiri
were the descendants of the feudatory nobles of the
Western Chalukyan (Chalukyas of Kalyani) Empire
+ They held territory Devagiri (Modern Daultabad)
and Nasik and was known as Sevana or Seuna.
*******
Page. 15
CHAPTER 7: HARSHA EMPIRE
1. Hundi:It is a medieval Indian financial instrument used 1. Which of the following phrases defines
in trade and credit transactions + According to RBI, "a the nature of the ‘Hundi’ generally
Hundi is an unconditional order in writing made by a referred to in the sources of the post-
person directing another to pay a certain sum of money Harsha period?
to a person named in the order.” + They were used for (a) An advisory issued by the king to his
remittance (transferring monies from one location to subordinates
another), credit (borrowing money]), and commerce (b) A diary to be maintained for daily
transactions (as bills of exchange) + They have no legal accounts
status and are not covered under Negotiable (c) A bill of exchange
Instruments Act of 1881. [UPSC 2020]
(d) An order from the feudal lord to his
subordinates
*******
Page. 16
CHAPTER 8: PERSONALITIES
1. Literary Work and Author [UPSC 2023] 1. With reference to ancient Indian History,
 Devichandragupta (Vishakadatta): It deals with consider the following pairs:
the story of Ramagupta, Chandragupta II and queen Literary work Author
Dhruvadevi. 1. Devichandragupta - Bilhana
 Hammira Mahakavya (Naya Chandra Suri) 2. Hammira - Nayachandra
 Milinda Panha (Nagasena/Nagarjuna): Comprise Mahakavya Suri
the questions of Menander; discussion between 3. Milinda Panha - Nagarjuna
Bactrian king Menander and Buddhist monk 4. Nitivakyamrita - Somadeva
Nagasena. Suri
 Nitivakyamrita (Somadeva Suri) How many of the above pairs are correctly
matched?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
2. Historical Persons [UPSC 2022] 2. With reference to Indian history,
 Aryadeva (3rd century), a disciple of Nagarjuna, consider the following pairs:
is a central figure in the development of early Historical Known as
Indian Madhyamaka philosophy. Aryadeva’s person
Hundred Verses Treatise (Bai lun) was one of the 1. Aryadeva - Jaina scholar
three basic texts of the Chinese Madhyamaka 2. Dignaga - Buddhist scholar
school founded by the central Asian monk 3. Nathamuni - Vaishnava scholar
Kumarajiva. How many pairs given above are correctly
 Dignaga, (born c. 480 CE—died c. 540), Buddhist matched ?
logician and author of the Pramanasamuccaya (a) None of the pairs
(b) Only one pair
(“Compendium of the Means of True
(c) Only two pairs
Knowledge”), a work that laid the foundations of
(d) All three pairs
Buddhist logic.
 Sri Ranganathamuni founded a Sanskrit-Tamil
school at Srirangam in Tamil Nadu state, which
continues to be a great Vaishnavite centre in South
India.
*******
Page. 17
CHAPTER 9: MISCELLANEOUS – Ancient History
1. Important Ports during Sangam Period: Poompuhar 1. With reference to ancient South India,
is port town of Chola empire located in nagapattinam Korkai, Poompuhar and Muchiri were
district; Korkai is important port of Pandya dynasty; well known as
Muchiri is important port of Cheras. [UPSC 2023] (a) capital cities
(b) ports
(c) centres of iron-and-steel making
(d) shrines of Jain Tirthankaras
2. Vattakirutal: Vadakiruthal and vadakiruttal, was a 2. Which one of the following explains
Tamil ritual of fasting till death. It was especially the practice of Vattakirutal' as
widespread during the Sangam age. The Tamil kings, in mentioned in Sangam poems?
order to save their honour, and prestige, were prepared (a) Kings employing women bodyguards.
to meet their death facing North ('Vatakkiruttal') and (b) Learned persons assembling in royal
never would they turn their back in battle. [UPSC 2023] courts to discuss religious and
philosophical matters
(c) Young girls keeping watch over
agricultural fields and driving away
birds and animals
(d) A king defeated in a battle
committing ritual suicide by starving
himself to death
3. With reference to the history of ancient
1. Mitakshara and Dayabhaga[UPSC 2021] India, which of the following
 Dayabhaga and Mitakshara are both the civil laws statements is/are correct?
for the upper castes. Dayabhaga system prevailed in 1. Mitakshara was the civil law for upper
eastern India and Mitakshara in remaining parts of castes and Dayabhaga was the civil
the country. law for lower castes.
2. In the Mitakshara system, the sons can
 Sons claim for property: In Mitakshara system all
claim the right to the property during
the members enjoy coparcenary rights during the
the lifetime of the father, whereas in
father’s lifetime. Whereas in Dayabhaga system,
the Dayabhaga system, it is only after
sons do not enjoy coparcenary rights when the
the death of the father that the sons can
father is alive.
claim the right to the property.
 Male Vs Female rights: Both the systems deal with 3. The Mitakshara system deals with
the property rights of both of men and women. In matters related to the property held by
Mitakshara school women were believed to never be
Page. 18
able to become a coparcener. In Mitakshara, a wife male members only of a family,
cannot demand partition but has the right to a share whereas the Dayabhaga system deals
in any partition between her husband and her sons. with the matters related to the property
In Dayabhaga, a widow has the right to inherit her held by both male and female members
deceased husband share and could enforce a of a family.
partition against his brothers. Select the correct answer using the code
 Recent Supreme Court ruling: SC ruled that given below:
daughters will have equal rights to their father’s (a) 1 and 2
property even prior to the enactment of the Hindu (b) 2 only
Succession Act (HSA) of 1956 + It ruled that the (c) 1 and 3
property of a man who had died without executing a (d) 3 only
will and is survived only by a daughter will devolve
upon the daughter and not others such as his brother + If
a female Hindu dies intestate without leaving any issue,
then the property inherited by her from her father or
mother would go to the heirs of her father whereas the
property inherited from her husband or father-in-law
would go to the heirs of the husband.
2. Bhavabhuti: He was a major dramatist of the later 4. With reference to the history of
Sanskrit dramatic period, was the court poet of King ancient India, Bhavabhuti, Hastimalla
Yashovarman of Kannauj, in north India in 8th CE. He and Kshemeshvara were famous
wrote plays based on the Ramayana, such as the (a) Jain monks
Mahaviracharita (Exploits of a Great Hero), which (b) playwrights
depicts the early life of Rama and Uttaramcharita (The (c) temple architects
Latter History of Rama), which shows the final years of (d) philosophers
Rama’s life as written in the Uttara Kanda of the
Ramayana. His third drama, Malatimadhava (Malati
and Madhava), is a Prakarana play centered on the love
story of Malati, the daughter of a minister and
Madhavya, her beloved.
3. Hastimalla: He was 13th century Kannada poet and
writer in Hoysala Empire. He wrote Purvapurana.
4. Kshemeshvara: He was an 11th-century Sanskrit poet
from Kashmir in India. His work is called Dasavatar
Charita.[UPSC 2021]
5. Ghantasala 5. With reference to the period of the
 It is situated in the state of Andhra Pradesh located Gupta dynasty in ancient India, the
at a distance of about 11kms from River Krishna. towns Ghantasala, Kadura and Chaul
 This place is believed to be named after the horse were well known as
of Buddha known as ‘Kantakasaila’. (a) ports handling foreign trade
(b) capitals of powerful kingdoms
 The Stupa is of an exclusive design resembling to
(c) places of exquisite stone art and
the architecture of Satavahana periods and is also
architecture
known as ‘Maha Chaitya’. I - There is a 3-D
(d) important Buddhist pilgrimage centres
engraved structure of two garland bearers on the
top of the Stupa made up of limestone.
 Representing the birth of Buddha there is an item
called ‘Purna Kalash’ that contains lotus flowers.
 Satavahana and Roman Gold coins can also be
found in the Ghantashala Museum.
Page. 19
 A temple known as Jaladheeswaraswamy is a
significant religious attraction as Lord Shiva and
Goddess Parvathi is placed together here. Adi
Shankarachary was said to perform his first rites in
this temple.
6. Kadura
 It is an ancient Port located on the eastern coast of
India in the State of Andhra Pradesh.
 During the ancient period, India had trade and cultural
contacts with Egypt, Rome, Greeks, Arabs, China and
almost all Southeast Asian countries.
7. Chaul
 The idyllic town of Chaul on the west coast of
Maharashtra was known globally as a thriving port
in medieval times.
 The earliest mention of Chaul is in inscriptions at
Buddhist caves of Kanheri.
 Hieun Tsang calls it Chimolo and says that “great
riches come from the sea”
 In 1490 CE, Chaul passed to Ahmednagar
Sultanate and it was their chief port.
 The first European traveler to reach Chaul is
British writer John Mandeville.
8. Lothal
 The oldest port in India, Lothal was an important
port city of Indus valley civilization and was
located in today’s Bhal region of Gujarat.
 Existed about 4500 years ago, the remains of the
port city of Lothal were discovered in 1954 and
were excavated by the Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) from 13 February 1955 to 19 May
1960.
 The excavations led to the discovery of a mound, a
township, a marketplace as well as the dock,
cementing the existence of the port in Lothal.
9. Muziris
 Muziris, the ancient port city located in today’s
Indian state of Kerala, was one of the most
important trading ports in the world almost 2,000
years ago.
 Existed in the first century BC, the Muziris port had
played a significant role in connecting the region
with the Persians, the Phoenicians, the Assyrians,
the Greeks, the Egyptians and the Roman Empire.
 While spices, particularly black pepper, were the
key item exported from the Muziris port, other
commodities shipped include semi-precious stones,
diamonds, ivory and pearls, among others. [UPSC
2020]
Page. 20
10. Bhasa wrote Swapnavasavadatta in Sanskrit language 6. 1. Which one of the following books of
around 4th century AD which revolves around Vatsa Ancient India has the love story of the
king Udayana and queen Vasavadatta son of the founder of the Sunga
11. King Harshavardhana wrote Ratnavali: Its theme Dynasty?
revolves around devious path adopted by minister (a) Swapnavasavadatta
Yaugandharaya of Vatsa king Udayana of Kaushambi to (b) Malavikagnimitra
get his king married to Ceylonese princess Ratnavali. (c) Meghadoota
12. Literature During Gupta Period (d) Ratnavali
Author Works Main Theme
Dramas: Abhijnana
 Abhijnana Shakuntalam:
Shakuntalam  Story of king
 Malavikagnimitr Dushyanta,
am and
 Vikramorvasiya Shakuntala.
m Malavikagnimit
ram
Epics:  Love story of
 Raghuvamsa Sunga king
 Kumarasambhav Agnimitra
a and Malvika
Vikramorvasiya
Poetry: m
 Ritusamhara  Love story of
 Meghaduta. Puruvas, a
Vedic King
and Urvashi.
Raghuvamsa
 Sanskrit epic
poem
Kalidasa narrating
genealogy of
Lord Rama’s
Raghu
Vamsa
beginning
with King
Dileep up to
Agnivarna.
Ritusamhara
 Mentions the
feelings,
emotions and
experiences
of lovers in
six seasons.
Meghaduta
 It is a poem
around
Yaksha, who
is subject of
Lord Kubera.
Page. 21
Sutralankara It deals with
Asanga Yogacara school
of Buddhism
Sushruta Sushruta Samhita It deals with
(Father of surgical branch
Surgery) of medicine.
Abhidammakosa It deals with a
wide range of
philosophical,
Vasubandhu cosmological,
ethical, and
salvational
doctrine.
Mrichchakatikam Love story of
Charudatta of
Shudraka Ujjain and
courtesan
Vasantasena.
Kiratarjuniyam Describes the
combat between
Arjuna and Lord
Bhairavi
Shiva at
Indrakeeladri
Hills
Mudrarakshasa and Mudrarakshasa:
Devichandraguptam It describes how
Chandragupta
Maurya ascended
the throne after
defeating
Nandas.
Devichandragup
Vishakadatta
tam:
It is a Sanskrit
political drama
narrating king
Ramagupta
surrendering his
queen
Dhruvadevi to a
Shakas.
Kamasutra It is a treatise on
Vatsyayana human sexual
behavior.
Panchatantra and Treatise on
Vishnu Hitopadesha political science
sharma and human
conduct.
Aryabhatta Aryabhattiyam Astronomy
Varahamihir Brihatsamhita and Astronomy
a Pancha-Siddhantika
[UPSC 2016]
Page. 22
13. Eripatti/Erichcheruvu 7. In the context of the history of India,
 It was a special category of land known only in consider the following pairs:
South India. Term Description
 This was land donated by individuals, the revenue 1. Eripatti Land, revenue from
from which was set apart for the maintenance of the which was set apart
village tank, which indicates the dependence of the for the maintenance
village on the tank for irrigation. of the village tank
2. Taniyur Villages donated to a
 The committee of village Sabha namely s single Brahmin or a
Erivariyaperumakkal (comprising of greatman of group of Brahmins
tank committee) supervised these lands meant for 3. Ghatika Colleges generally
tank maintenance. s attached to the
14. Taniyurs temples
 Taniyur is a large village under Chola Which of the pairs given above is/are
administrative division. correctly matched?
 Many of the Brahmadeyas in the Chola period were (a) 1 and 2
Taniyur (separate village) in a Nadu. They had a (b) 3 only
separate administrative system (revenue and (c) 2 and 3
(d) 1 and 3
justice).
15. Ghatikas
 In South India centres of higher learning were
known as Ghatikas.
 There was a famous Ghatika at Kanchi, drawing
students from far and near.
 These Ghatikas were run in temples.
 Land grants and generous donations were given to
educational institutions like Ghatikas and Mathas.
[UPSC 2016]
16. Panini (520-460 BC): Panini was a Sanskrit 8. With reference to the
grammarian who gave a comprehensive and scientific Scholars/literatures of ancient India,
theory of phonetics, phonology, and morphology + He is consider the following statements:
considered the founder of the language and literature + 1. Panini is associated with Pushyamitra
Astadhyayi (Astaka) is Panini’s major work is dated 2. Amarsimha is associated with
around the 3rd-4th century BC; it consists of eight Harshavardhana
chapters, each subdivided into quarter chapters + Panini 3. Kalidasa is associated with
gives formal production rules and definitions to describe chandragupta-II
Sanskrit grammar. Which of the above given statements is/are
17. Amarasimha:Amarasimha was a Sanskrit grammarian correct?
and poet from ancient India and was one of (a) 1 and 2 only
the Navratnas during the Gupta dynasty’s rule + (b) 2 and 3 only
Amarakosha->It is a vocabulary of Sanskrit roots
(c) 3 only
consists of verses that can be easily memorized; it is
(d) 1, 2 and 3
divided into three khaṇḍas or chapters. Svargadi-
khaṇḍa (heaven and others) has words pertaining to
gods and heavens. Bhuvargadi-khaṇḍa (earth and
others) deals with words about earth, towns, animals
and humans. Samanyadi-khaṇḍa (common) has words
related to grammar and other miscellaneous words.
Page. 23
18. Kalidasa: Several historians believe that Kalidasa
belonged to the court of Chandragupta
II (Vikramaditya) + His major works are Abhijnana
Shakuntalam (deals with the story of king Dushyanta
and Shakuntala), Malavikagnimitram (the love affair of
Agnimitra, son of Pushyamitra Shunga, and Malavika.
It mentions that Pushyamitra Shunga performed
Rajasuya sacrifice), Vikramorvasiyam (It is a Sanskrit
play revolving around the love story of king Puruvas
and Urvashi). [UPSC 2020]
*******
Page. 24
CHAPTER 10: MEDIEVAL INDIA TERMINOLOGIES
1. Fanam [UPSC 2022] 1. In medieval India, the term “Fanam”

 The Fanam coins were the regular unit of referred to:
currency in medieval Travancore and appear to (a) Clothing
have been extensively used for trading in the (b) Coins
region of South India. (c) Ornaments
 The words Fanam and Panam literally mean (d) Weapons
money and are still used as a synonym for
wealth in Kerala in the native language of
Malayalam.
2. Kulah-Daran: The Sayyids put on a pointed cap 2. With reference to Indian history, who of
(Kulah) and they were known as Kulah – Daran. the following were known as “Kulah-
[UPSC 2022] Daran” ?
3. Qalandars: Qalandars were wandering dervishes. (a) Arab merchants
They were against Ba Shariya sufi saints and (b) Qalandars
criticized them for adopting lavish lifestyles and (c) Persian calligraphists
political posts. (d) Sayyids
4. Araghatta [UPSC 2016] 3. With reference to the economic history of

 The 'ara-ghatta' originates from the blend of medieval India, the term Araghatta’ refers
the words "ara" which means talked and to
"ghatta" which means pot. (a) bonded labour
 It is a Persian wheel used in irrigation of land (b) land grants made to military officers
in medieval India. (c) waterwheel used in the irrigation of
 It is a mechanical device used to life water, land
typically from open wells. (d) wasteland and converted to cultivated land
 It is operated usually by draught animals like
bullocks, buffaloes or camels.
5. Banjaras [UPSC 2016] 4. Banjaras during the medieval period of

 The word ‘banjara’ is derived from Vanaj Indian history were generally
meaning to trade, and Jara meaning to travel. (a) agriculturists
 They were a nomadic tribe who originated (b) warriors
from the Marwar region of Rajasthan. (c) weavers
 With roots in Rajasthan, Banjaras now live in (d) traders
several states and are known by different
names like Lambada or Lambadi in Andhra
Pradesh, Lambani in Karnataka; Gwar or
Gwaraiya in Rajasthan etc.
 The language of Banjara is known as
“Gorboli” “Gor mati Boli” or “Brinjari” an
independent dialect.
Page. 25
6. Important officers in Medieval India [UPSC 5. In medieval India, the designations
2014] ‘Mahattara’ and ‘Pattakila’ were used for
 Mahattaras (northern India) and Pattakila (a) military officers
(western India) were the village headmen in (b) village headmen
Medieval India. (c) specialists in Vedic rituals
 Wazir: Prime Minister heading the Diwan-i- (d) chiefs of craft guilds
Wizarat.
 Mustauf-i-Mamalik: Auditor general
responsible for state expenditure.
 Amir-i-Bahr: Controller of boats or head of
the navy.
 Amil: In charge of district administration
during Sultanate period.
 Arz-i-mamalik: Minister in-charge of the
army of the whole country.
 Ahl-i-qalam: Reporter
 Baqqal: Trader, grain-dealer
 Barid: An intelligence officer appointed by the
state to collect information.
 Bakshi: Incharge of the military department.
 Kotwal: Maintenance of law and order, the
trial of criminal cases, and price regulation.
7. Aurang: It was a Persian term for a warehouse – a 6. With reference to the history of India
place where goods are collected before being sold. consider the following pairs:
The term also refers to a workshop. 1. Aurang - In-charge of treasury of
8. Banian: The term banian is the Anglicised form of the state
the Sanskrit and Bangla word banik (merchant) + 2. Banian - Indian agent of the East
In Anglo-Indian society and among the natives too India Company
a banian was one who was engaged by an 3. Mirasidar - Designated revenue
individual western merchant or a firm to work for payer to the state
them as a broker, interpreter and agent. Which of the pairs above is/are correct?
9. Mirasidars: Mirasdars were hereditary peasant (a) 1 and 2 only
proprietors who cultivated their own fields and paid (b) 2 and 3 only
land tax at fixed rates to the state + Under the (c) 3 only
ryotwari settlement system, the government (d) 1, 2 and 3 only
recognized mirasidars as the sole proprietors of
land, dismissing tenants’ rights completely.
[UPSC 2020]
*******
Page. 26
CHAPTER 11: DELHI SULTANATE
1. Medieval India developments [UPSC 2022] 1. With reference to Indian history,

 The first Mongol invasion of India took place in consider the following statements:
the reign of Sultan Shams-ud-din lltutmish. 1. The first Mongol invasion of India
 Chengez Khan invaded India during the reign of happened during the reign of Jalal-ud-
Iltumish for the first time. He was the founder and din Khalji.
first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. 2. During the reign of Ala-ud-din Khalji,
 During the reign of Ala-ud-din Khalji, one of the one Mongol assault marched up to
Mongol invasion reached till the outskirts of Delhi Delhi and besieged the city.
city and besieged it. Alauddin established a huge 3. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq temporarily
permanent, standing army to satisfy his ambition lost portions of north-west of his
of conquest and to protect the country from kingdom to Mongols.
Mongol invasion. Which of the statements given above is/are
 Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq defeated the Mongols correct?
and he had not lost any of the portions of his (a) 1 and 2
kingdom to them. (b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 3 only
2. Medieval India Important Information [UPSC 2. Consider the following statements:
2021] 1. It was during the reign of Iltumish that
o Chengiz Khan: The Khwarezm ruler Jalaluddhin Chengiz Khan reached the Indus in
who was being pursued by Chengiz khan fled to pursuit of the fugitive Khwarezm
Delhi Sultanate. Iltutmish, who was ruling Delhi prince.
then, refused the request of Jalaluddhin for 2. It was during the reign of Muhammad
asylum. bin Tughluq that Taimur occupied
o Taimur: Taimur crossed Indus during the reign of Multan and crossed the Indus.
Firuz Shah Tughluq (1351 -1388). 3. It was during the reign of Deva Raya II
o Vasco da Gama: Vasco da Gama reached the of Vijayanagara Empire that Vasco da
coast of Kerala during the reign of Zamorin of Gama reached the coast of Kerala.
Calicut. Which of the statements given above is/are
o Battle of Delhi: In 1398 the Mongol-Turkish correct?
warrior Timur, ruler of Central Asia from his (a) 1 only
capital at Samarkand, found a pretext to strike (b) 1 and 2
south into India. His victory over the sultan of (c) 3 only
Delhi confirmed the irresistible fighting qualities
(d) 2 and 3
of his army and the awesome destructiveness that
made him a legend of cruelty.
o Iltutmish Mongol policy: Mongols, led by
Chengez Khan, arrived on India's borders in 1220
AD. They invaded Ujjain and demolished the
‘Mahakal' temple. Iltutmish used diplomacy to
save India from Mongol annihilation. Iltutmish
assassinated Mankbarni's messenger and refused
to comply with the Khwarizm prince by sending a
formal response stating that the climate in India
would be unsuitable for him. As a result of this
diplomatic manoeuvre, he avoided Chengez
Khan's wrath.
Page. 27
o Muhamad Bin Tughlaq: The rebellion of Hasan
Shah resulted in establishment of Madurai
Sultanate. In 1336, the Vijayanagara kingdom was
founded; In 1347 Bahamani kingdom was
established.
o Ibn Batuta: He came to India during reign of
Sultan Muhammad- bin- Tughluq. He wrote a
travelogue titled Kitab-i-Rehala. He visited
Vijayanagar empire during the reign of King
Harihara I.
o Nicolo Conti: He was a native of Italy; visited
India during king Devaraya I of vijayanagar.
Noted that king was more powerful than other
kings in India. About 90,000 men in Vijayanagar
city could bear arms.
3. Administration in Medieval India: The entire Suba 3. With reference to medieval India,
was divided into Sarkars (districts), each being looked which one of the following is the
after by a military officer called the chief Shiqdar. correct sequence in ascending order in
Each Sarkar was divided into smaller units called terms of size?
Parganas. There was a Shiqdar (military officer), Amin (a) Paragana – Sarkar – Suba
or Munsif (Civilian Judge), one Fotahdar (treasurer) (b) Sarkar – Paragana – Suba
and two Karkuns (clerks or writers) in each Pargana. (c) Suba – Sarkar – Paragana
[UPSC 2021]
(d) Paragana – Suba – Sarkar
4. Administration and Economy under Delhi 4. Consider the following statements:

Sultanate [UPSC 2019] 1. In the revenue administration of Delhi
 Land revenue was main source of revenue- Sultanate, the in-charge of revenue
Usually it is 1/3rd of produce, which even collection was known as ‘Amil’.
increased to one half of produce on some 2. The Iqta system of Sultans of Delhi was
occasions. an ancient indigenous institution.
 Local Administration 3. The office of ‘Mir Bakshi’ came into
existence during the reign of Khalji
Sultans of Delhi.
Which of the statements given above is/are
correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 3 only
 Categories of Land: Iqta (lands assigned to
officials in lieu of payment for their services), (d) 1, 2 and 3
Khalisa Land (land under the control of Sultan)
and Inam land (land assigned to religious
institutions).
 Muhamad bin Tughlaq and Firoz Tughlaq
enhanced agricultural production by providing
irrigation facilities and by providing takkavi
(Agricultural) loans.
 Encouraged farmers to cultivate superior crops
like wheat instead of barley. Sesame, Sugarcane
and cotton grown in abundance.
Page. 28
 Types of Taxes
o Ursh (Irrigation tax)- 1/10th of produce of an
irrigated land.
o Kharaj (Land tax)- Imposed first only on
non-muslims but later imposed on Muslims as
well.
o Jiziya- Religious tax payable by non-muslims
permanently residing in Muslim lands under
Islamic law.
o Zakat- Religious taxes based on Hanafi
principles; levied on those who had more
money than amount fixed.
o Khams- Tax on war booty which is 1/5th of
looted property.
 Officers under Delhi Sultanate
o Wazir: PM heading Diwan-i-Wizarat
o Mustauf-i-Mamalik: Auditor general
responsible for state expenditure.
o Mushrif-i-Mamalik: In charge of accounts
and receipts.
o Bakshi-i-Fauj: Paymaster for forces
o Amil: Collecting revenue directly from
peasant and measurement of land.
o Mir Bakshi: Headed military department,
nobility and intelligence agencies during
Akbar’s reign.
 Iqta System
o It was an administration system evolved
during period of Iltutmish. First introduced by
Muhammad of Ghur in 1206 AD but the
institutional form was given by Iltutmish.
o Under this system, the kingdom was divided
into large and small tracts of land known as
Iqtas.
o These Iqtas were assigned to various people
such as officers, nobles, and soldiers to ease
the flow of revenue collection and to lead
towards flawless administration.
o The Iqtadars can transfer their Iqtas from one
region to another region every 3-4 years.
o During Firuz Shah Tughlaq’s reign, Iqta
became hereditary.
o The jagir of the Mughal period was similar to
the iqta of the Delhi Sultanate. Iqta was not an
ancient indigenous institution.
*******
Page. 29
CHAPTER 12: VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE
Deva Raya I constructed a dam across the Tungabhadra 1. Who among the following rulers of
so that he could bring the canals into the city to relieve Vijayanagara Empire constructed a
the shortage of water. It irrigated the neighbouring fields large dam across Tungabhadra River
also, for we are told that the canals increased his and canalcum-aqueduct several
revenues by 350,000 pardaos. He also built a dam on the kilometres long from the river to the
river Haridra for irrigation purposes.[UPSC 2023] capital city?
The credit for making the capital city of the Vijayanagara (a) Devaraya I
Empire one of the biggest cities in the 15th century goes (b) Mallikarjuna
to Deva Raya I. He realized that the scarcity of water (c) Vira Vijaya
supply, both for drinking and for irrigation, was
(d) Virupaksha
restricting the growth of the royal capital. In c.1410 he
had a barrage constructed across the Tungabhadra river
and commissioned a 24 km long aqueduct from the
Tungabhadra river to the capital. The account provided
by Nuniz gives a details of the projects undertaken by
Deva Raya I that brought prosperity to the Kingdom. He
maintained a secular attitude in administrative matters.
He had a Mosque and a slaughter house constructed for
the convenience of the Muslim soldiers in his army. In c.
1413, a dispute over property between
Virupaksha Temple is located in Hampi in the Ballari
district of Karnataka, India. It is part of the Group of
Monuments at Hampi, designated as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. The temple is dedicated to Virupaksha, a
form of Shiva. The temple was built by Lakkan
Dandesha, a nayaka (chieftain) under the ruler Deva
Raya II of the Vijayanagara Empire.
1. Revenue administration under Krishnadevaraya 2. Regarding the taxation system of

of Vijayanagar Empire [UPSC 2016] Krishna Deva, the ruler of Vijayanagar,
 Land revenue was the chief source of income. consider the following statements:
 Land was divided into four categories for 1. The tax rate on land was fixed
purposes of assessment, wet land, dry land, depending on the quality of the land.
orchards and woods. 2. Private owners of workshops paid an
 Usually the share was one sixth of the produce. industry tax.
 Land revenue could be paid in cash or kind. The Which of the statements given above is/are
rates varied according to the type of the crops, correct?
soil, method of irrigation, etc. (a) 1 only
 Besides land tax, many professional taxes were (b) 2 only
also imposed. There were on shopkeepers, farm (c) Both 1 and 2
servants, workmen, posters, shoemakers, (d) Neither 1 nor 2
musicians etc.
 There was also a tax on property. Grazing and
house taxes were also imposed.
 Commercial taxes consisted of levies, duties and
customs on manufactured articles of trade were
also levied.
Page. 30
 Private owners of workshops paid an industries
tax.
 Major importance was given to agriculture and in
building dams and canals.
2. Fernao Nuniz: He was a native of Portugal; visited 3. According to Portuguese writer Nuniz,
during the reign of Achyuta Raya (1535- 1537 AD). the women in the Vijayanagara empire
Noted presence of women soothsayers, astrologers were expert in which of the following
and wrestlers in vijayanagar. Child marriage was areas?
common and Brahmins were honest and good at 1. Wrestling
accountancy. [UPSC 2021] 2. Astrology
3. Accounting
4. Soothsaying
Select the correct answer using the code
given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
3. Kalyaana Mandapas [UPSC 2019]: Vijayanagar 4. Building ‘Kalyana Mandapas’ was a
was founded in1336 by Harihara and Bukka Raya of notable feature in the temple
the Sangama dynasty. Kalyana Mandapas were halls construction in the kingdom of
used to celebrate divine marriage or other ceremonies (a) Chalukya
in Vijayanagaraempire. (b) Chandela
a. Vijayanagarschool: Walls of the temples are (c) Rashtrakuta
highly decorated with carvings and geometrical (d) Vijayanagara
patterns
i. Gopurams were built on all the sides
ii. More than one mandapa built in each temple;
central mandapa were known as Kalyan
Mandap
iii. Conceptofsecularbuildingsinsidethetemplepr
emiseswasalsointroduced
1. Vijayanagara Empire [UPSC 2015] 5. Who of the following founded a new

 Vijayanagara or “city of victory” was the name city on the south bank of a tributary to
of both a city and an empire, founded in the river Krishna and undertook to rule his
fourteenth century. new kingdom as the agent of a deity to
 In its heyday it stretched from the river Krishna whom allthe land south of the river
in the north to the extreme south of the Krishna was supposed to belong?
peninsula, in the Krishna-Tungabhadra doab. (a) Amoghavarsha I
 It was founded by Harihara and Bukka, in 1336. (b) Ballala II
 Harihara I initial military exploits established his (c) Harihara I
control over the valley of Tungabhadra River, (d) Prataparudra II
and gradually he expanded his control to certain
regions of Konkan and Malabar Coast.
2. Amoghavarsha I (814–878 CE)
 Also known as Amoghavarsha Nrupathunga I,
was the greatest ruler of the Rashtrakuta dynasty.
Page. 31
 During his reign, many Kannada and Sanskrit
scholars flourished, including the great Indian
mathematician Mahaviracharya, who wrote
Ganita-sara-samgraha, Jinasena, Virasena,
Shakatayan, and Sri Vijaya (a Kannada language
theorist).
 He wrote the Kannada literary work
Kavirajamarga and the Sanskrit religious work
Prashnottara Ratnamalika.
 He held titles such as Nrupathunga,
Atishadhavala, Veeranarayana, Rattamarthanda,
and Srivallabha during his reign.
 He relocated the Rashtrakuta regal capital from
Mayurkhandi in the Bidar district to Manyakheta
in the Kalaburagi district of modern-day
Karnataka.
3. Veera Ballala II (1173–1220 AD)
 He was greatest monarch of the Hoyasala
Empire.
 He defeated the Yadavas of Devagiri, Southern
Kalachuris, Pandyas of Madurai and Western
Chalukya Empire.
 He patronaged medieval Kannada language poets
including the Jain poets Janna and Nemichandra,
and the Brahman poet Rudrabhatta.
 The Kedareshwara temple at Halebidu, the Veera
Narayana temple at Belavadi, the Amrutesvara
Temple at Amruthapura and the twin ensemble
of the Chennakeshava and Nageshvara temples at
Mosale was built during his reign.
4. Prataparudra II (1291-1326 AD): Malik Kafur
invaded Warangal in 1309 A.D, during his rule.
Prataprudra paid Malik Kafur an immense treasure in
return.
*******
Page. 32
CHAPTER 13: MUGHAL EMPIRE
1. Contribution of Mughal rulers to paintings 1. Who among the following Mughal

 Babur: Patronised Persian artist called Bihzad-> Emperors shifted emphasis from
made illustration of Mughal family tree; illustrated manuscripts to the album and
however, he did not have much time to individual portrait?
commission the paintings. (a) Humayun
 Humayun: Real progress in field of painting (b) Akbar
commenced; brought Khwaja Abdus Samad and (c) Jahangir
his son Mir Sayyid Ali with him; Mir Sayyid Ali (d) Shah Jahan
was appointed as Akbar’s teacher.
 Akbar: Established separate department known
as Tasvir Khana under command of Khwaja
Abdus Samad; predominance of wall paintings;
best example is paintings on walls of Mariam’s
palace; established Karkhanas where artists
developed their own styles; 3 dimensional
figures and use of calligraphy; more emphasis on
depiction of scenes of court life. During Akbar's
reign many manuscripts were illustrated, the
prominent being Razmnamah, the Persian
translation of Mahabharata.
 Famous painters: Daswant (greatest
painter), Basawan, Kesu, Lal Mukund, Tara
chand, Mir sayyid ali, Farukkh beg and
Abdus Samad.
 Jahangir: Great lover and patron of paintings;
art of painting was essentially Indian during his
period; gave title Nadir ul zaman to Abul Hasan
and Nadir-ul-Asar to Mansur; appointed head of
department of painting after Abdus samad;
Muhammad Nadir and Muhammad Murad were
famous foreign painters.
 Features: Paintings on material life and of
natural scenes were prominent; emphasis on
court scenes and life of common man
generally not depicted; bringing naturalism
to portrait painting; decorated margins
around the paintings; most famous miniature
paintings include naturalistic paintings of
zebra, turkey, cock; manuscripts became less
important and individual portraits became
more prominent.[UPSC 2019]
 Shah Jahan: Use of Golden colour on a large
scale; liked to create artificial elements and tried
to reduce liveliness of paintings; inspired by
European influence in his court; eschewed use of
charcoal; attained technical perfection but
without real beauty and emotions; Human figures
painted amidst flowers and leaves.
Page. 33
 Famous painters: Mir Hasan (greatest
painter), Anupa chitra, Muhammad Fakir
Ullah and Chintamani
 Aurangzeb: Considered painting as un-islamic;
destroyed paintings of Bijapur and Golkonda;
forbade royal patronage and banished from
Mughal court.
2. Characteristic features of Mughal paintings:
 Shift in focus from depicting god to court art
 Combination of Persian, Indian and European
elements
 Persian influence-> visible in form of
narrative paintings, two dimensional
paintings during initial phase.
 Indian influence-> portrait painting, use of 3-D
effect, use of peacock blue and red colours.
 European influence-> Use of light and
shadow effect, use of halo and depiction of
roaring clouds.
 Secular in outlook (religious themes not
portrayed); oil paintings were absent.
 Themes: Revolved around life in and around
court; some natural beauty also painted; rose
flowers enjoyed remarkable significance.
3. Differences between Jagirdars and Zamindars in 2. With reference to Mughal India, what
Mughal Empire [UPSC 2019] is/are the difference/differences between
 Zamindars Jagirdar and Zamindar?
o They were present in practically every part of (1) Jagirdars were holders of land
the Mughal Empire and held the most assignments in lieu of judicial and police
significant position in the agrarian structure duties, whereas Zamindars were holders
of Mughal India. of revenue rights without obligation to
o The word zamindar is derived from two perform any duty other than revenue
Persian words-zamln (land) and dar (holder). collection.
o During the pre-Mughal period, the word (2) Land assignments to Jagirdars were
zamindar has been used in the sense of the hereditary and revenue rights of
chief of a territory. Zamindars were not hereditary.
o Zamindari did not signify a proprietary right Select the correct answer using the code
in land. It was a claim on the produce of the given below.
soil, co-existing in a subordinate capacity, (a) 1 only
with the land revenue demand of the state.
(b) 2 only
o Like any article of private property, it was
freely bought and sold. (e) Both 1 and 2
o It was also inheritable and divisible -> heirs (d) Neither 1 nor 2
of a zamindar could divide the fiscal claims
and perquisites of their inherited zamiadari,
in accordance with the law of the land.
o The zamindar acquired his rights by virtue of
the historical tradition of control he and his
kinsmen exercised over the inhabitants of
particular villages.
Page. 34
o Apart from revenue collecting duties, they
also had to render military duties and
perform Khidmat such as rendering soldiers
to fill the ranks of royal army at times of
need and offer gifts at the royal court.
 Jagirdars
o They were the king’s officials who enjoyed
the land gifted from the King.
o They were the rank (mansab) holder given by
the king called mansabdar.
o They were allotted non-inheritable land area
equivalent to their fee amount called Jagir.
o They were assigned land in lieu of assigned
duties towards the empire such as police,
judicial, military duties.
o These Jagirs are temporary in character.
o Jagirdars only have the right to claim and
enjoy the revenue collected from the land.
o They were frequently transferred as
promotion and demotion was a regular part
of empire as loyalties towards Emperor were
largely dependent on the rank of
jagir/mansab held by a Noble.
4. Arrival of Babur into India led to: Babur was a 3. Consider the following: The arrival of
descendant of Timurid dynasty or clan of Turco- Babur into India led to the
Mongol lineage, descended from the warlord Timur 1. Introduction of gunpowder in the
and led to the establishment of Timurid dynasty in the subcontinent
region. 2. Introduction of the arch and dome in the
5. Introduction of Gun Powder in India region’s architecture
India 3. Establishment of Timurid dynasty in the
After the Mongols invaded China in the early 13th region
Century, they continued their conquests into India. In Select the correct answer using the code
1221, when the Mongols invaded India, they brought with given below.
them the knowledge of gunpowder from China. When the (a) 1 and 2 only
Mongols had conquered India, they helped to facilitate (b) 3 only
more open trading between China and India. This trade is
(c) 1 and 3 only
what brought even more ideas and innovations of
(d) 1, 2 and 3
gunpowder into India, Once the gunpowder was brought
into India, the Indians were able to adopt flamethrowers
and handheld firearms as well. Later, in the 16th century,
the gunpowder technology led to the invention of
firearms in India. By the 13th century, the Indians were
able to make Mysorean rockets, the first iron cast rockets
to be used by any military in the world. This military
innovation was made possible by the Mughal Empire that
arose in India in 1526. The Mughal empire was what
allowed the Indian’s to make such large advances with
the gunpowder technology since it provided a centrally
organized government which could oversee the collection
Page. 35
of needed resources and the organization of the military,
Also, India became one of the largest suppliers of
saltpeter, a main ingredient of gunpowder, to Europe
during the 17th century. Thus, the gunpowder not only
led to weapons innovations, but it also allowed for a trade
connection between India and Europe, something that had
not been as developed before the introduction of
gunpowder. From, India, the spread of gunpowder
continued into the Middle East.
6. Arches and Domes
 Arches were introduced to India by Qutb al-Din
Aibak during the year 1206.
 Domes were introduced by the Turks during the
1500s by Persian architects.
 Minarets were introduced by Qutb-Ud-Din
Aibak. [UPSC 2015]
7. Architectural achievements of Mughal rulers 4. Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri was
 Babur: The Kabuli Bagh mosque of Panipat and (a) the mosque for the use of Royal Family
Jama masjid of Sambhal were built during his (b) Akbar’s private chamber prayer
reign + He brought Charbagh style of (c) the hall in which Akbar held
architecture to India. discussions with scholars of various
 Humayun: He constructed the city of Din Panah religions.
at Delhi in 1533 AD + Humayun Tomb built by (d) the room in which the nobles belonging
his widow Haji Bega Begam + Double dome in to different religions gathered to discuss
developed form was used for first time in religious affairs
Humayun tomb.
 Akbar: The golden age of Delhi began in 1556
when Akbar came to the throne of Delhi + He
popularised the term "Tudor arch" (four centered
arch).
 Agra Fort: It has two gateways called Delhi
gate and Amar Singh gate + Principle of
construction based on the use of beam and
bricket.
 Fatehpur Sikri: Buland Darwaza, a 40-
meter red sandstone edifice erected in 1576
AD to celebrate Akbar's victory over Gujarat
+ Tomb of Salim Chishti was erected in 1581
AD + Buland Darwaza and Jama Masjid are
also part of the imperial complex + Panch
Mahal is a five-storey edifice built of
columns that is based on the Persian badgir
idea (wind-catcher) + Ibadat Khana where
Akbar would meet with religious authorities
to address issues.[UPSC 2014]
 Jahangir: The tomb of Itimad-ud-Daula was
built by Nurjahan at Agra; Pietra Dura technique
of decoration was used for the first time in his
tomb.
Page. 36
 Shah Jahan: He constructed a fort at Agra ->
Shish mahal, Diwan-i-Aam, Diwan-i-Khas, Moti
Masjid, Nagina masjid and Musamman Burj are
located in this fort + White marble was used on a
large scale in construction of monuments + He
also constructed the city of Shahjahanabad, Taj
Mahal, Qila Mubarak (Red Fort) in Delhi and
Shalimar Bagh in Lahore.
 Aurangzeb: He has constructed Moti Masjid
which is located inside the Red Fort and
Badshahi mosque in Lahore in 1674.
8. Yogavasistha [UPSC 2022] 5. “Yogavãsistha” was translated into
 YogaVasistha was translated into Persian multiple Persian by Nizamuddin Panipati during
times throughout the Mughal Dynasty, as the reign of:
commanded by Akbar, Jahangir, and Darah Shikuh. (a) Akbar
 Nizam al-Din Panipati completed one of these (b) Humayun
translations, known as the Jug-Basisht, in the late (c) Shahjahan
sixteenth century AD. (d) Aurangzeb
9. Architectural achievements of Mughal rulers 6. With reference to the cultural history of
 Babur: The Kabuli Bagh mosque of Panipat and India, consider the following statements:
Jama masjid of Sambhal were built during his reign 1. White marble was used in making
+ He brought Charbagh style of architecture to India. Buland Darwaza and Khankah at
 Humayun: He constructed the city of Din Panah Fatehpur Sikri.
at Delhi in 1533 AD + Humayun Tomb built by 2. Red sandstone and marble were used in
his widow Haji Bega Begam + Double dome in making Bara Imambara and Rumi
developed form was used for first time in Darwaza at Lucknow.
Humayun tomb. Which of the statements given above is/are
 Akbar: The golden age of Delhi began in 1556 correct?
when Akbar came to the throne of Delhi + He (a) 1 only
popularised the term "Tudor arch" (four centered (b) 2 only
arch). (c) Both 1 and 2
 Agra Fort: It has two gateways called Delhi (d) Neither 1 nor 2
gate and Amar Singh gate + Principle of
construction based on the use of beam and
bricket.
 Fatehpur Sikri: Buland Darwaza, a 40-
meter red sandstone edifice erected in 1576
AD to celebrate Akbar's victory over Gujarat
+ Tomb of Salim Chishti was erected in 1581
AD + Buland Darwaza and Jama Masjid are
also part of the imperial complex + Panch
Mahal is a five-storey edifice built of
columns that is based on the Persian badgir
idea (wind-catcher) + Ibadat Khana where
Akbar would meet with religious authorities
to address issues.[UPSC 2018]
 Jahangir: The tomb of Itimad-ud-Daula was
built by Nurjahan at Agra; Pietra Dura technique
of decoration was used for the first time in his
tomb.
Page. 37
 Shah Jahan: He constructed a fort at Agra ->
Shish mahal, Diwan-i-Aam, Diwan-i-Khas, Moti
Masjid, Nagina masjid and Musamman Burj are
located in this fort + White marble was used on a
large scale in construction of monuments + He
also constructed the city of Shahjahanabad, Taj
Mahal, Qila Mubarak (Red Fort) in Delhi and
Shalimar Bagh in Lahore.
 Aurangzeb: He has constructed Moti Masjid
which is located inside the Red Fort and
Badshahi mosque in Lahore in 1674.
10. Buland Darwaza
 It was built in 1601 A.D. by Akbar to
commemorate his victory over Gujarat.
 It is the main entrance to the palace at Fatehpur
Sikri, a town which is 43 km from Agra.
 It is known as gate of magnificence, is the
highest gateway in the world and is an example
of Mughal architecture.
 It incorporates almost all the essential features of
Akbar’s architectural traditions: red sandstone,
stone carvings, and relief by inserting white
marble.
 The construction was inspired by Timurid
architecture.
 It is made of red and buff sandstone, decorated
by white and black marble and is higher than the
courtyard of the mosque.
 Shaikh Salim Chishti (1478-1572) khanqah is
located near the present-day World Heritage site
of Fatehpur Sikri.
11. Bara Imambara

 It was built by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula in 1784 at
Lucknow to provide food to the famine stricken
subjects of the Nawab.
 The main feature of this monument is that no
pillars or beams were used to support the roof.
Page. 38
 During Muharram, Shia muslims mourn at this
shrine.
 The complex includes large Asafi mosque, tomb
of Asaf-ud-daula and a step-well.
 The architecture reflects maturation of Mughal
design.
 Instead of stones and marble, brick and lime
were used.
 Stucco ornamentation (gajkari) was used to
decorate the monuments, giving it a deep relief
effect even on flat walls.
 Mother of pearl and shells deposited in lake beds
were used in the stucco ornamentation to give a
shine finer than marble.
12. Rumi Darwaza

 It was built under the patronage of Nawab Asaf-
Ud-daula in 1784 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
 Also known as the Turkish Gate is in Lucknow,
U.P.
 It is an imposing gateway which was built under
the patronage of Nawab Asaf-Ud-daula in 1784.
 It is believed that the gate is called Rumi gate,
simply because it was modelled after the
gateways of then Constantinople or Modern
Istanbul.
 The architectural style of the Rumi Darwaza is
completely in sync with the Nawabi architecture
of Lucknow, and its significantly different from
the Mughals.
 The material used is bricks and its then coated
with lime, while the Mughals often used red sand
stone.
*******
Page. 39
CHAPTER 14: BHAKTI AND SUFI MOVEMENTS
1. Ramanuja (1017 AD- 1137 AD) [UPSC 2022] 1. The world’s second tallest statue in sitting
 He was the earliest exponent of Bhakti movement. Karma pose of Ramanuja was inaugurated by
and Bhakti were considered as means to achieve the Prime Minister of India at Hyderabad
salvation. recently. Which one of the following
 Grace of god more important than knowledge for statements correctly represents the
salvation. teachings of Ramanuja?
 He firmly believed that intense devotion to Vishnu was (a) The best means of salvation was
the best means to attain salvation. devotion.
(b) Vedas are eternal, self-existent and wholly
 Propagator of Vishishtadwaitavada or qualified monism –
authoritative.
There exists a plurality and distinction
between Ātman (soul) and Brahman (metaphysical, (c) Logical arguments were meant for the
ultimate reality). highest bliss.
 Sanskrit language was used by him to preach. (d) Salvation was to be obtained through
meditation.
 Literary works include Vedartha Sangraham, Sri
Bhashyam, Gita Bhashyam.
Statue of Equality: It is the statue of the famous saint
Ramanujacharya located in Hyderabad + The statue was designed
by DNV Prasad Sthapathy + It was constructed by Aerosun
corporation of China + It is made of Panchaloha (amalgam of
gold, silver, brass, copper and titanium).
2. Saint Nimbarka (1090 AD – 1162 AD): He was a 2. Consider the following statements:
contemporary of Ramanuja and a telugu Brahman. (1) Saint Nimbarka was a contemporary of
Propounded the doctrine of Dwaita Advaitvada (dualist Akbar.
monism)-> world and souls were different from god (Brahma) (2) Saint Kabir was greatly influenced by
but soul could not exist without Brahmas support. The Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi.
Mughal emperor Akbar lived from 1542 -1605. [UPSC 2019] Which of the statements given above is/are
3. Saint Kabir (1440 AD- 1510 AD): Kabir is considered the correct?
greatest among the disciples of Ramananda. Shaikh Ahmad (a) 1 only
Sirhindi belongs to the period of 1624 AD; whereas Kabir
(b) 2 only
belongs to 15th century. Believed in the idea of one god;
(c) Both 1 and 2
rejected both vedas and Quran. Denounced idol-worship and
religious superstitious beliefs. He composed a large number (d) Neither 1 nor 2
of poems: Important works are Sakhis, Bijak, Sabads, Basant,
Mangal, Holi and Rekhta. His poems are called Banis
(utterances) compiled in Bijak.
4. Chaitanya (1485 AD – 1534 AD): He was considered as an
incarnation of Krishna by his followers and founder of
modern Vaishnavism in Bengal. Propounded the doctrine of
Achintyabheda Bhedavada. Kirtan style of music was
invented by him. Gaudiya sect was founded by him.
Popularized the chanting of Hare Rama, Hare Krishna. He
wrote Siksastakam, a Sanskrit work on his philosophy.
5. Guru Nanak (1469 AD- 1538 AD): He was born at Talvandi
village in Pakistan + Believed in Nirguna (attribute less) and
Nirankar (formless) god. Founder of Sikh religion and the
first Guru of ten Sikh Gurus. Preached middle path between
Page. 40
extreme asceticism and free satisfaction of senses. He started
langar (free community kitchen) and system of Guru Gaddi.
He composed hymns and sang with the help of instrument
called Rabab played by his attendant Mardana. He
promoted “Tauhid-e-wazidi”.
6. Madhavacharya (1238 AD- 1317 AD): He expounded the
philosophy of Dwaitvad-> God Brahma and individual soul
are two distinct realities + He founded Brahma cult and
argued that knowledge leads to Bhakti which leads to
salvation + Believed that liberation is possible only through
the grace of God + Wrote a book called as Anuvyakhyana.
7. Vallabhacharya (1479 AD- 1531 AD): He propounded the
doctrine of Shuddhadwaita (pure non-dualism) + Founder of
Rudra Sampradaya, philosophy known as Pushti marg + He
wrote Subodhini and Siddhant Rahasya + He worshipped
Krishna under the title Srinathji.
8. Ramanuja (1017 AD- 1137 AD): He was the earliest
exponent of Bhakti movement + Karma and Bhakti were
considered as means to achieve salvation + Grace of god
more important than knowledge for salvation + Propagator
of Vishishtadwaitavada or qualified monism – There exists a
plurality and distinction between Ātman (soul) and
Brahman (metaphysical, ultimate reality) + Sanskrit language
was used by him to preach + Literary works include Vedartha
Sangraham, Sri Bhashyam, Gita Bhashyam.
9. Surdas (1479 AD- 1584 AD): He was a contemporary of
Mughal emperor Akbar and disciple of Vallabhacharya +
Sahitya Lahri, Sursagar and Sur sarawali were composed by
him + Showed intense devotion to Radha and Krishna.
10. Sankaradeva (1449 AD- 1568 AD): He was instrumental in
spreading the Bhakti cult in Assam + His philosophy was
known as Eka Sarana Dharma (neo-vaishnavite movement) +
Founded many sattras (monasteries) and Mahapurushiya
Dharma + He invented Sattriya classical dance + His most
famous work is Kirtana Ghosha, written in a simple language
understood by the masses.
11. Ramananda (1300 AD- 1411 AD): He was the bridge
between Bhakti movement of south India and north
India; Founder of Sant-parampara in north India + Introduced
cult of Rama and Sita instead of Narayana as objects of
worship + His literary works include Gyan-lila and Yog-
cintamani (Hindi), Vaisnava Mata Bhajabhaskara and
Ramarcanapaddhati (Sanskrit) + Dhanna (a jat), Sena
(barber), Raidas (cobbler), pipa (Rajput), kabir (a weaver)
were among the disciples + First bhakti saint to have women
as disciples- Padmavathi and Sursari.
*******
Page. 41
CHAPTER 15: MISCELLANEOUS – Medieval India
3. Hoyasala Kingdom 1. Consider the following dynasties:

 Hoysala dynasty, family that ruled in India from 1. Hoysala
about 1006 to about 1346 CE in the southern 2. Gahadavala
Deccan and for a time in the Kaveri (Cauvery) 3. Kakatiya
River valley. 4. Yadava
 Hoyasala art: It developed from 1050- 1300 AD in How many of the above dynasties
the Karnataka region with prominent seats at Belur, established their kingdoms in early eighth
Halebid and Sringeri + Multiple shrines built century AD?
around a central pillared hall + Shrines led out in (a) Only one
shape of stellate pattern + Soft sope stone was the
(b) Only two
main building material + More emphasis on
(c) Only three
fecoration through sculptures + Best example is
Hoyasaleshwara temple at Halebid. (d) None
4. Gahadavala
 Gahadavala dynasty also Gahadavalas of Kannauj
was a Rajput dynasty that ruled parts of the present-
day Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, during
11th and 12th centuries.
 With the break-up of the Pratihara empire, a
number of Rajput states came into existence in
north India. The most important of these were the
Gahadavalas of Kanauj, the Paramaras of Malwa,
and the Chauhans of Ajmer.
 Chandradeva (1089–1103 CE), also known as
Chandraditya, was an Indian king from the
Gahadavala dynasty. He ruled the Antarvedi
country in present-day Uttar Pradesh, including
Kanyakubja and Varanasi.
 At its height, the Gahadval kingdom extended from
Mongyr in Bihar to Delhi. The greatest ruler in the
dynasty was Govind Chandra who ruled in the first
half of the twelfth century. He made Kanauj his
capital, with Banaras remaining a second capital.
Persian sources of the time call Govind Chandra the
greatest ruler of Hindustan.
 The Gahadvars are reputed to be the biggest
defenders against the continued Ghaznavid raids
into the doab.
5. Kakatiya
 The Kakatiya dynasty was a Telugu dynasty that
ruled most of eastern Deccan region in present-day
India between 12th and 14th centuries.
 They were known for the construction of a
network of tanks for irrigation and drinking
water and thereby gave a big boost to the overall
development of the region.
Page. 42
 There constructed various temples such as
Thousand Pillar Temple or Rudreshwara Swamy
Temple, Telangana. It is a star-shaped, triple shrine
(Trikutalayam) dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva and
Surya + Ramappa Temple, Warangal, Telangana.
6. Yadava
 The Yadavas or Seuna dynasty (12th and 13th
century) ruled a kingdom stretching from the
Tungabhadra to the Narmada rivers, including
present-day Maharashtra, north Karnataka, and
parts of Madhya Pradesh, from its capital at
Devagiri (present-day Daulatabad). [UPSC 2023]
7. Surrender of Diu to Portuguese 2. Who among the following rulers of
 Early in the 16th century, the Sultan of Gujarat, mediaeval Gujarat surrendered
Bahadur Shah, came under immense pressure when Diu to the Portuguese?
his kingdom was invaded by the second Mughal (a) Ahmad Shah
Emperor Humayun. (b) Mahmud Begarha
 At that juncture, he decided to remain on (c) Bahadur Shah
conciliatory terms with the Portuguese, who had (d) Muhammad Shah
arrived in India at the end of the 15th century, and
were at the time an energetic and ambitious
maritime power.
 In 1534, the Shah signed the Treaty of Bassein with the
Portuguese, ceding Diu to the latter, as well as other
territories of his empire such as Vasai and the islands
that today form Mumbai. The Portuguese obtained
Daman from the Shah in 1559.[UPSC 2023]
4. Kings and Dynasties [UPSC 2022] 3. Consider the following pairs:
 Chandella dynasty: In the first quarter of the 9th King Dynasty
century CE, the Chandella dynasty was founded by 1. Nannuka Chandela
Nannuka, who was the ruler of a small kingdom 2. Jayashakti Paramara
and established his capital at Kharjjuravahaka 3. Nagabhata II Gurjara-
(Khajuraho). Jayashakti also belonged to Chandela Pratihara
Dynasty 4. Bhoja Rashtrakuta
 Nagabhatta II (c. 800–833 CE) was a king of How many pairs given above are correctly
Gurjara−Pratiharas dynasty. matched?
 Bhoja I / MihirBhoja (c.836−885 CE) was the (a) Only one pair
grandson of Nagabhatta II. (b) Only two pairs
(c) Only three pairs
(d) All four pairs
5. Nizamat of Arcot: It was established by Aurangzeb 4. With reference to Indian history,
and was the legal dependency of the Nizam of which of the following statements
Hyderabad. However, it did not emerge from the is/are correct?
Hyderabad state. It emerged as an independent state 1. The Nizamat of Arcot emerged out of
after the weakening of the Mughal empire in the first Hyderabad state.
half of the eighteenth century. 2. The Mysore Kingdom emerged out of
6. Siege of Arcot (1751): During second carnatic war, to the Vijayanagara empire.
undermine the growing French power in the region, the 3. Rohilkhand kingdom was formed out
English decided to support Muhammad Ali. Robert of the territories occupied by Ahmad
Page. 43
Clive attacked Arcot, the capital of the Carnatic, as a Shah Durrani.
divisionary tactic. This is called the Siege of Arcot, in Select the correct answer using the codes
which the British won. given below:
7. Mysore Kingdom: After the decline of Vijayanagar (a) 1 and 2
Empire, Mysore became independent state under the (b) 2 only
Hindu Wodeyar Dynasty in AD 1565. In 1761, Hyder (c) 2 and 3
Ali overthrew the regaining dynasty in Mysore and
(d) 3 only
established his own control over the state.
8. Rohilkhand kingdom: The state of Rohilkhand was a
fall out of the Afghan migration into India. The
Kingdom arose under the declining Mughal Empire in
1721 and continued to exist until 1774 when
annexation by the British transformed its significantly
reduced borders into the Princely State of Rampur.
[UPSC 2021]
9. Mahendravarman I (600 AD- 630 AD): He succeeded 5. Consider the following events in the
the throne from his father Simhavishnu + He was a poet history of India :
and composed Vichitrachita and Mahavilasa Prahasana 1. Rise of Pratiharas under King Bhoja
+ He constructed the Mahabalipuram Light house and 2. Establishment of Pallava power
constructed Kanchi University + He was initially a under Mahendravarman – I
patron of the Jainism, but he converted into the Saiva 3. Establishment of Chola power by
faith under the influence of the Saiva saint Appar + Parantaka – I
During his period, Pulakeshin II attacked the Pallava
4. Pala dynasty founded by Gopala
kingdom.
What is the correct chronological order of
10. Pala dynasty (750-1160 AD): The Pala Empire was an
the above events, starting from the earliest
imperial power during the post -classical period (8th and
time?
9th century AD) which originated in the Bengal region
(a) 2-1-4-3
+ Pala empire was founded in the 8th century by Gopala
+ The earliest examples of miniature painting in India (b) 3-1-4-2
executed under the Palas of the eastern India; scenes of (c) 2-4-1-3
life of Buddha and several god and goddess of (d) 3-4-1-2
Mahayana sects are depicted; Red, blue, black and white
colours are used as primary colours + Pala painting is
characterized by sinuous line, delicate and nervous lines
,sensuous elegance, linear and decorative accent and
subdued tones of colour.
11. Gurjara Pratiharas: The Gurjara Pratihara dynasty
was founded by Nagabhatta I in the region of Malwa in
the eigth century + Later one of his successors,
Vatsaraja extended his rule over to a large part of North
India and made Kannauj in western Uttara Pradesh his
capital + Pratihara were instrumental in containing Arab
armies moving east of the Indus River + The greatest
development of their style of temple building was
at Khajuraho, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site +
Sanskrit Poet & Dramatist Rajasekhara lived in the
court of Mahipala, grandson of Mihirbhoja + Foreign
traveller Al-Masudi had visited Pratihara empire.
Page. 44
12. Parantaka Chola I (907- 955 AD): The foundation of
the Chola Kingdom by Vijayalaya and Aditya Chola-I
was further enhanced by Parantaka Chola I + After
ascending to the throne, he attacked the Pandyas and
captured Madura, and assumed the title Madurakonda+
He laid out the rules for the conduct of village
assemblies + The copper-plate inscriptions describe
Parantaka I's efforts to promote agricultural prosperity
throughout the country by digging numerous canals +
He is said to have covered the Chidambaram Siva
Temple in gold.
[UPSC 2020]
13. Kakinada port 6. Which one of the following was a
 It is located on the East Coast of India in the East very important seaport in the
Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. Kakatiya kingdom?
 It was commissioned by the Andhra Pradesh (a) Kakinada
Government in November 1997. (b) Motupalli
 Primary cargoes of this region include agricultural (c) Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam)
products, minerals, coal and fertilizers. (d) Nelluru
Page. 45
14. Motupalli: Motupalli was the chief port of the
Kakatiyas and this port was visited by the Venetian
traveler Marco Polo in 1287 AD. Motupalli served as an
international port during the Kakatiya period as
mentioned in the inscriptions of Ganapathi Deva of
Kakatiya dynasty.[UPSC 2017]
15. Machilipatnam
 It is one of the oldest sea ports located in Andhra
Pradesh.
 By the 17th century, it was a major port for
international trade and people from many countries
entering India went through this sea route.
 There were Dutch, French, English and Portugese
traders who came to Machilipatnam and left their
footprints, exporting textiles for several decades.
 The British entered Machilipatnam in the year 1611
and settled there for hundreds of years.
 They indulged in exporting and importing textiles,
particularly Kalamkari, with the help of the East
India Company.
16. Nelluru: Krishnapatnam port in Nellore District of
Andhra Pradesh is the largest private port on the East
Coast of India. It is an all-weather deep-water Port
capable of handling Cape-Size Vessels.
17. Features of Indian Feudalism [UPSC 2015] 7. With reference to Indian history,
 From the post-Maurya period and Gupta times, which of the following is/are the
India’s political and administrative developments essential elements of the feudal
tended to feudalise the state apparatus. system?
 It gradually developed from the beginning of the 1. A very strong centralized political
land grants. authority and a very weak provincial
or local political authority
 Earliest land grants belonging to the first century
BC were given to the Buddhist priests and 2. Emergence of administrative
Brahmanas. structure based on control and
possession of land
 In the post-Guptas period even administrative
officials were granted land. 3. Creation of lord-vassal relationship
between the feudal lord and his
 The landed beneficiaries were given both powers of
taxation and coercion-> disintegration of the central overlord
authority. Select the correct answer using the code
 Earliest epigraphic record of a land grants in India given below.
is a Saatavahana inscription of the first century BC. (a) 1 and 2 only
Such a land grant included the rights that: (b) 2 and 3 only
o royal troops could not enter such land granted (c) 3 only
o government officials and district police was not (d) 1, 2 and 3
supposed to disturb such lands.
 Vassalage expressed the relation of personal
dependence and loyalty between the lord and his
vassals.
 Hierarchy of feudal lords and Hereditary
administrative positions.
Page. 46
 Decentralisation of Power->Samantas granted lands
instead of salary and proceeded to seize ownership
while continuing to refer to themselves as vassals of
their rulers.
 Imposition of improper taxes and rent exploited the
labour class.
 Fragmentation of social formation->Castes were
split up into thousands of other castes and sub-
castes.
18. Medieval Indian States: The ninth century saw the rise 8. Consider the following pairs:
of a number of hill states in the Himalayas, some of Medieval Present Region
which maintained their identity until recent years, Indian State
despite their wars with each other and the frequent raids 1. Champaka - Central India
from the men of the plains. States such as Champaka
2. Durgura - Jammu
(Chamba – Himachal Pradesh), Durgara (Jammu),
Trigarta (jalandhar), Kuluta (Kulu – Himachal pradesh), 3. Kuluta - Malabar
Kumaon and Garhwal managed to remain outside the Which of the above pairs is / are correctly
main areas of conflict in the northern plains.[UPSC matched?
2015] (a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 1 and 3 Only
19. Siddhas (Sittars) of Tamil Nadu [UPSC 2016] 9. With reference to the cultural history
 Siddhas are monotheistic puritan creed most active of medieval India, consider the
during 16th and 17th century. following statements:
 Siddhas believe in oneness of the transcendental 1. Siddhas (Sittars) of Tamil region
being in the world as well as charity towards men. were monotheistic and condemned
 They believed there is only one God, i.e. idolatry.
monotheism. 2. Lingayats of Kannada region
questioned the theory of rebirth and
 Their attitude against idol worship and their stress
rejected the caste hierarchy.
on yoga, knowledge right conduct distinguished
them from Bhakti cults. Which of the statements given above is/are
correct?
20. Lingayats
(a) 1 only
 Lingayats are classified as a Hindu sub-caste called
Veerashaiva Lingayats. (b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
 They are essentially followers of the 12th-century
philosopher Saint Basavanna, a Brahmana who was (d) Neither 1 nor 2
initially a Jaina and a minister in the court of a
Chalukya king.
 They are strict monotheists. They enjoin the
worship of only one God, namely, Linga (Shiva).
 Lingayatism rejects any form of social
discrimination including the caste system.
 The Lingayats always wear the Ishtalinga (a
necklace with a pendant that contains a small Shiva
Linga).
 Lingayats believed that there is no rebirth and on
death the devotee reunites with Shiva never coming
back to the World.
Page. 47
 Lingayats are not cremated but are buried in a
sitting, meditative position.
 They are a dominant community who make up
nearly 17% of Karnataka’s six crore population.
21. Francois Bernier 10. Which one of the following foreign
 Bernier's expedition to Abyssinia was diverted to travellers elaborately discussed
India. In1658 A.D., he set out for India and arrived about diamonds and diamond
in Surat. mines of India?
 On his route from Surat to Agra, he met the (a) Francois Bernier
vanquished Prince Dara Shikoh and became (b) Jean Baptiste Tavernier
acquainted with the Mughal emperors. (c) Jean de Thevenot
 He took refugee with Daneshmand Khan (Mughal (d) Abbe Barthel Carre
Nobleman), who escorted him to Aurangzeb court
when Dara Shikoh left owing to treason from his
servants.
 Bernier spent 12 years in Aurangzeb's court and
wrote a book called 'Travels in the Mogul
Empire' on his experiences.
 He intricately detailed the political intrigues,
military strategies and tactics, Shah Jahan's four
sons' succession war, social and economic aspects
of the empire, and its geographical and strategic
scope.
22. Jean Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689)
 Jean-Baptiste Tavernier was a French gem
(particularly diamond) trader and traveller in the
17th century.
 Between 1638 and 1643 AD, during his second
voyage, he came to India and travelled as far as
Agra before arriving in the Kingdom of Golconda.
 He also paid a visit to the Shahjahan's court and
went on his first excursion to the diamond mines.
 Tavernier wrote Les Six Voyages de Jean-Baptiste
Tavernier in 1675 at the behest of his patron Louis
XIV (Six Voyages, 1676)-> great detail on
diamonds and Indian diamond mines.
 He is best known for his discovery or purchase of
the 116-carat Tavernier Blue diamond, in 1666.
 The diamond was likely sourced by Tavernier in
1666 at the Kollur mine in Guntur district of
Andhra Pradesh. Tavernier sold it to Louis XIV of
France.[UPSC 2018]
23. Jean de Thevenot (1666 AD): He was French
traveller, who has given a good account of cities like
Ahmedabad, Cambay, Aurangabad and Goloconda.
Page. 48
24. Tansen: Tansen was the most important musician 11. With reference to Mian Tansen,
during the reign of Akbar; one of the nine jewels of which one of the following
Akbar’s court and is credited with composing many statements is not correct?
ragas + He is remembered for his epic Dhrupad (a) Tansen was the title given to him
compositions and two classic books on music Sri by Emperor Akbar.
Ganesh Stotra and Sangita Sara. He is also known as (b) Tansen composed Dhrupads on
Sangit samrat. The title of Tansen was given by Raja Hindu gods and goddesses.
Vikramjit Singh of Gwalior. Akbar gave the title of (c) Tansen composed songs on his
‘Mian’. [UPSC 2019] patrons.
(d) Tansen invented many Ragas.
*******
Page. 49
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UPSC CSE EXAM

9 Year TOPIC - Wise PDF

ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL HISTORY

CHAPTER 3: BUDDHISM AND JAINISM .................................................................................. 3

CHAPTER 4: MAURYAN EMPIRE ............................................................................................. 9

CHAPTER 5: GUPTA AGE .......................................................................................................... 13

CHAPTER 6: POST GUPTA ERA............................................................................................... 15

CHAPTER 7: HARSHA EMPIRE ............................................................................................... 16

CHAPTER 8: PERSONALITIES ................................................................................................. 17

CHAPTER 9: MISCELLANEOUS – ANCIENT HISTORY .................................................... 18

CHAPTER 10: MEDIEVAL INDIA TERMINOLOGIES ......................................................... 25

CHAPTER 11: DELHI SULTANATE ......................................................................................... 27

CHAPTER 12: VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE .............................................................................. 30

CHAPTER 13: MUGHAL EMPIRE ............................................................................................ 33

CHAPTER 14: BHAKTI AND SUFI MOVEMENTS ................................................................ 40

CHAPTER 15: MISCELLANEOUS – MEDIEVAL INDIA...................................................... 42

THESE PDFs are component of our PRELIMS PYQ Content

12. Avalokiteshvara 10. With reference to Indian history, who

Fig: Gupta Empire during Samudragupta’s reign

1. Vishti [UPSC 2019] 1. With reference to forced labour (Vishti) in India

1. Fanam [UPSC 2022] 1. In medieval India, the term “Fanam”

4. Araghatta [UPSC 2016] 3. With reference to the economic history of

5. Banjaras [UPSC 2016] 4. Banjaras during the medieval period of

1. Medieval India developments [UPSC 2022] 1. With reference to Indian history,

4. Administration and Economy under Delhi 4. Consider the following statements:

1. Revenue administration under Krishnadevaraya 2. Regarding the taxation system of

1. Vijayanagara Empire [UPSC 2015] 5. Who of the following founded a new

1. Contribution of Mughal rulers to paintings 1. Who among the following Mughal

11. Bara Imambara

12. Rumi Darwaza

3. Hoyasala Kingdom 1. Consider the following dynasties:

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