Question 1

Consider the following statements:
I. Pali texts contain the first definite references to coins, e.g., kahapana, nikkha, kamsa, and kakanika.
II. The literary evidence from Pali texts is corroborated by archaeological evidence of punch-marked coins from many sites, most of them made of silver.
The above statements have been associated with which of the following?
1. Emergence of urban life
2. Transition to money economy

Accepted Answer

2 only. * Statement 1 is correct: References to various types of coins in Pali literature point to the growth of trade and a vibrant commercial economy. The widespread recovery of punch-marked coins from archaeological sites indicates the circulation of currency, which facilitated market transactions and enabled the expansion of urban centres.

* Statement 2 is correct: The occurrence of terms like kahapana, nikkha, kamsa, and kakanika in Pali texts, coupled with archaeological evidence of punch-marked coins, highlights a gradual transition from a predominantly barter-based system to a more monetised economy.

Question 2

Among the four main forms of existence of life recognized in Jainism, which one of the following is not included?

Accepted Answer

Deva (gods). * Yaksha is NOT included: In Jain philosophy, rebirth is classified into four principal forms of existence (Gati) determined by an individual's karma. These four Gatis are: Deva (heavenly beings), Manushya (human beings), Tiryancha (animals, birds, insects, plants), and Naraka (infernal beings).

* Yakshas are regarded as semi-divine attendant deities in the Jain tradition, but they are not categorized as one of the four principal Gatis recognized in Jain philosophy.

Question 3

Consider the following statements about the archaeological findings in Harappan towns:
I. There is wide occurrence of spindle-whorls in the houses but absence of spinning wheels.
II. Weights and measurement scales, complete with graduations have been discovered.
III. There are houses built in large part with baked bricks, around relatively spacious courtyards, with their own wells, bathing platforms, and large rooms.
Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the above statements?
1. Statement I suggests that spinning was a laborious activity done at home.
2. Statement II suggests the extent of the scientific knowledge that the Harappans possessed.
3. Statement III suggests the emergence of a common property system.

Accepted Answer

1 and 2 only. * Inference 1 is correct: The frequent occurrence of spindle whorls suggests that spinning and thread production were widely practiced as a laborious, home-based activity.

* Inference 2 is correct: The discovery of standardized weights and graduated measuring scales highlights sophisticated scientific and mathematical knowledge used for trading and craftsmanship with high precision.

* Inference 3 is incorrect: Large baked-brick houses with spacious courtyards, private wells, and multiple rooms point towards advanced urban planning and social differentiation. Variations in house size reflect status differences and private ownership rather than a common property system.

Question 4

Consider the following statements relating to the use of the place-value system in India:
1. The earliest epigraphic use of the place-value system in India is found in the Mankani plates from Gujarat (AD 595-596).
2. In the ninth century, place-values become general in inscriptions all over India.
3. The place-values have been found in Sanskrit inscriptions in South-east Asia as early as the seventh century.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

Accepted Answer

2 and 3 only. * Statement 1 is correct: The earliest known epigraphic evidence of the decimal place-value system in India is found in the Mankani (Sankheda) copper plates of Gujarat dated to 595-596 CE.

* Statement 2 is correct: By the ninth century CE, the decimal place-value notation had become widely prevalent and gained broad acceptance in inscriptions all over India.

* Statement 3 is correct: Evidence of Indian place-value numerals has been discovered in Sanskrit inscriptions of South-east Asia dating as early as the seventh century CE, demonstrating the transmission of Indian mathematical ideas.

Question 5

Consider the following statements about the Rigvedic period :
I. Irrigation from wells allowed agriculture to expand away from flood plains and strips on river margins into the present Punjab and Haryana plains having underground water levels reasonably close to the surface.
II. Draught-animal power was employed to draw up water out of the wells.
Which of the following information support/supports the above statements?
1. There is evidence in the Rigveda of the use of ashma chakra (stone pulley wheel) and ahava (strapped wooden pails) to draw up water.
2. Mention has been made in the Rigveda of the use of implements like parashu/ kulisha (axe) and datra /sreni (sickle).
3. There is a history of the use of ox, even before the Rigveda, for ploughing the land and pulling the carts.

Accepted Answer

1, 2 and 3. * Information 1 supports Statement I: The Rigveda refers to ashma chakra (stone pulley wheels) and ahava (wooden buckets/pails), indicating well irrigation away from river flood plains.

* Information 2 does not support either statement: Implements like axes (parashu) and sickles (datra) indicate forest clearing and harvesting, but provide no direct evidence regarding well-irrigation or water-lifting systems.

* Information 3 supports Statement II: Oxen were widely used during and before the Rigvedic period for ploughing and pulling carts, confirming the availability of draught-animal power that could lift water.

Question 6

Consider the following assertion:
In the Pleistocene period either the Yamuna once flowed into the Indus, or the Sutlej flowed into the Yamuna and one major tributary of either had shifted from the Ganga to the Indus or vice versa.
Which of the following is/are the basis of the above assertion?
1. The Nadi-Sukta of the Rigveda
2. The explorations of the Sutlej and the Yamuna by Robert Bruce Foote
3. The presence of the same species of dolphins in both the Indus and the Ganga river systems

Accepted Answer

1 and 2. * Statement 1 is incorrect: The Nadi-Sukta (River Hymn) forms part of the Rigveda (Mandala-10) and lists rivers from east to west as they existed in human memory during the Holocene epoch (around 1500–1200 BCE). There is a gap of at least a million years between Pleistocene river shifts and Vedic texts.

* Statement 2 is incorrect: Robert Bruce Foote explored prehistoric stone tools and archeological sites in South India, never the Pleistocene drainage dynamics of the Sutlej and Yamuna rivers.

* Statement 3 is correct: The South Asian river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) is a strictly freshwater species that cannot survive in saltwater. Because the Indus and Ganga mouths are roughly 4,600 km apart across marine waters, they could only populate both systems if they once shared a common connected drainage basin during the Pleistocene, before tectonic upheavals separated them. Molecular studies show they diverged ~550,000 years ago during the Pleistocene.

Question 7

Which of the following pairs of ancient and modern names of rivers is/are correctly matched?
1. Vitasta : Chenab
2. Asikni : Jhelum
3. Parushni : Ravi
4. Yavyavati : Beas

Accepted Answer

3 and 4. * Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: The ancient name for the Jhelum river is Vitasta.

* Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: The ancient Vedic name for the Chenab river is Asikni (or Askini).

* Pair 3 is correctly matched: The Ravi river was known as Parushni in ancient texts like the Rigveda.

* Pair 4 is incorrectly matched: The ancient name for the Beas river is Vipasa (or Vipasha). Yavyavati is identified as the modern Zhob River in northern Balochistan or a tributary of the Vedic Saraswati.

Question 8

Which of the following pairs of the king and his dynasty in early historical Tamilakam is/are not correctly matched ?
1. Senguttuvan : Chera
2. Udiyanjeral : Chola
3. Nedunjeliyan : Pandya

Accepted Answer

1 and 2. * Pair 1 is correctly matched: Senguttuvan (the Red Chera) was a prominent ruler of the Chera dynasty, celebrated in the Tamil epic Silappadikaram and credited with establishing the Pattini (Kannagi) cult.

* Pair 2 is NOT correctly matched: Udiyanjeral (Uthiyan Cheralathan) belonged to the Chera dynasty, not the Chola dynasty. He is considered the first historically recorded Chera ruler of the Sangam period.

* Pair 3 is correctly matched: Nedunjeliyan was a famous king of the Pandya dynasty. Sangam literature mentions prominent Pandyan kings by this name, such as Nedunjeliyan II, who won the Battle of Talaiyalanganam against a combined Chera and Chola force.

Question 9

In which one among the following texts does the term kshetra-patni ('mistress of the field') originate?

Accepted Answer

Rigveda. * Atharvaveda: The term Kshetra-patni ("Lady or Mistress of the Field") is associated with the Atharvaveda, where it appears in the context of agrarian and fertility rites. The Atharvaveda places greater emphasis on agricultural practices, household rituals, and fertility ceremonies.

* Note: By contrast, the Rigveda mentions the masculine counterpart Kshetrapati ("Lord or Protector of the Field"), who is invoked for the protection, fertility, and successful yield of cultivated land.

Question 10

The irrigation device called 'Araghatta' was:

Accepted Answer

a water bag made of leather pulled over a pulley. * (b) is correct: The 'ara-ghatta' originates from the blend of the Sanskrit words "ara" (spoke) and "ghatta" (pot).

* It refers to a large waterwheel featuring earthen pots tied to the outer ends of its spokes, designed to lift water from open wells for the irrigation of land.

Question 11

Who among the following rulers in ancient India had assumed the titles 'Mattavilasa', 'Vichitrachitta' and 'Gunabhara'?

Accepted Answer

Mahendravarman I. * (a) Mahendravarman I is correct: He was a Pallava king who ruled from 600 A.D. to 630 A.D. and assumed many titles such as 'Mattavilasa', 'Vichitrachitta', and 'Gunabhara'.

* The Mandagappattu inscription hails him as Vichitrachitta because he constructed a temple for Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva without the use of bricks, timber, metal, and mortar. He was also a great scholar in the Sanskrit language and wrote the satirical drama Mattavilasa Prahasanam.

Question 12

Fa-hien (Faxian), the Chinese pilgrim, travelled to India during the reign of:

Accepted Answer

Samudragupta. * (b) Chandragupta II is correct: The reign of Chandragupta II saw the high-water mark of the Gupta Empire, and he adopted the title of Vikramaditya.

* An important incident that took place during his reign was the visit of Fa-Hien, a Chinese pilgrim, who came to India in search of authentic Buddhist texts.

Question 13

Who among the following led a successful military campaign against the kingdom of Srivijaya, the powerful maritime State, which ruled the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java and the neighbouring islands?

Accepted Answer

Prataparudra (Kakatiya). * (c) Rajendra I (Chola) is correct: Rajendra Chola I (reigned 1014–1044 CE) succeeded his father Rajaraja Chola I.

* He continued the policy of expansion, which included an expedition to the Ganges valley. Even more ambitious was Rajendra's overseas campaign involving both his army and his navy against the kingdom of Srivijaya in Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and southern Thailand.

Question 14

With reference to ancient India (600-322 BC), consider the following pairs:
Territorial region : River flowing in the region
I. Asmaka : Godavari
II. Kamboja : Vipas
III. Avanti : Mahanadi
IV. Kosala : Sarayu

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

Only one. * Pair I is correctly matched: The Asmaka (or Assaka) kingdom was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas, located in South India on the banks of the Godavari river.

* Pair II is not correctly matched: The Kamboja region was located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent (parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Kashmir). The Vipas river (Beas) flows through the Punjab region, which is further east than the core course of Kamboja.

* Pair III is not correctly matched: The Avanti kingdom was located in West-Central India (Malwa region of present-day Madhya Pradesh) with its capital at Ujjain, while the Mahanadi river flows through Central and Eastern India (Chhattisgarh and Odisha).

* Pair IV is correctly matched: The Kosala kingdom was located in the Awadh region of present-day Uttar Pradesh, and the Sarayu river flows through this region, passing by Ayodhya.

* Therefore, exactly two pairs are correct.

Question 15

Ashokan inscriptions suggest that the 'Pradeshika', 'Rajuka' and 'Yukta' were important officers at the:

Accepted Answer

village-level administration. * (b) district-level administration is correct: In Mauryan administration, a collection of districts formed a province. At the district level, the officials listed in inscriptions were the Pradeshika, Rajuka, and Yukta.

* The Pradeshika was the overall in-charge of the district. The Rajuka was responsible for the survey and assessment of land, while the Yukta was a junior officer giving secretarial assistance.

Question 16

The famous female figurine known as 'Dancing Girl', found at Mohenjo-daro, is made of:

Accepted Answer

clay. * (c) bronze is correct: The iconic 'Dancing Girl' figurine discovered at Mohenjo-daro is an outstanding 4-inch-tall masterpiece made entirely of bronze, representing the advanced metallurgical expertise of the Indus Valley Civilization.

* The artifact was manufactured approximately 4,500 years ago using the sophisticated lost-wax casting technique (cire perdue), showing a confident posture adorned with bangles.

Question 17

With reference to ancient India, Gautama Buddha was generally known by which of the following epithets?
1. Nayaputta
2. Shakyamuni
3. Tathagata

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Accepted Answer

1 only. * Epithet 1 is incorrect: "Nayaputta" (or Jnatiputra) is a specific historical epithet used in early Jain and Buddhist literature to refer to Vardhamana Mahavira, not Gautama Buddha.

* Epithet 2 is correct: Gautama Buddha is widely addressed as "Shakyamuni" ("Sage of the Shakyas") denoting his birth lineage within the Shakya clan.

* Epithet 3 is correct: Buddha frequently used the term "Tathagata" ("Thus-come" or "Thus-gone") to describe himself and other enlightened ones in Pali and Sanskrit texts.

Question 18

In which of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?

Accepted Answer

1 and 2. * Row 1 is incorrectly matched: Chandraketugarh is a historical archaeological site located in the Ganges Delta within the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, not Odisha.

* Row 2 is correctly matched: Inamgaon is a major, extensively excavated proto-historic Chalcolithic settlement located in the Bhima river valley in Maharashtra.

* Row 3 is correctly matched: Mangadu is a well-documented prehistoric Megalithic site in Kerala containing numerous typical burial structures.

* Row 4 is incorrectly matched: Salihundam in Andhra Pradesh is an ancient Buddhist stupa hill site featuring structural monuments like mahastupas, chaityas, and monasteries; it does not contain rock-cut cave shrines.

Question 19

Consider the following statements:
1. There are no parables in Upanishads.
2. Upanishads were composed earlier than the Puranas.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

1 only. * Statement 1 is incorrect: The Upanishads feature numerous allegorical parables, dialogues, and stories specifically structured to explain abstract Vedic philosophical concepts.

* Statement 2 is correct: The early core Upanishads are a part of late Vedic literature, composed during the later Vedic period (c. 800–500 BCE). The Puranas were composed significantly later, beginning around the early centuries of the Common Era.

Question 20

Sanghabhuti, an Indian Buddhist monk, who travelled to China at the end of the fourth century AD, was the author of a commentary on:

Accepted Answer

Visuddhimagga. * (c) Sarvastivada Vinaya is correct: India developed deep cultural and religious exchanges with China by sending Buddhist missionary monks. Monks like Kumarajiva and Sanghabhuti traveled to China to propagate texts, and Sanghabhuti authored an important commentary focusing specifically on the Sarvastivada Vinaya.

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