Ancient and Medieval PYQs
[2021]
1. Which among the following statements is/are correct about the Palas?
1. The Palas were ardent followers of Jainism.
2. The Palas founded the Oddantapuri University from where the missionaries went
to Tibet to spread Jainism.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2)
2. Which among the following statements(s) is/are true about the Mughal rule under
Akbar?
1. Akbar opened the Ibadat Khana to people of all religions; Sufis, Shias, Christians,
Jains, and atheists.
2. Akbar issued the Mahzar-nama to take all religious matters in his own hands.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2)
3. In the Indian Freedom Struggle, who among the following revolutionaries carried
out their activities from abroad?
1. Raja Mahendra Pratap
2. Maulana Barkatullah
3. Lala Hardayal
(a) Only 1 and 2 (b) Only 2 and 3 (c) Only 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
4. Which of the following initiatives was/were taken by Sher Shah Suri to promote
trade and commerce?
1. Introduction of gold, silver, and copper coins of uniform standard.
2. Restoration of the Grand Trunk Road.
3. Simplified the custom duty structure.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (c) Only 1 and 2 (d) 1, 2 and 3
5. Sangam texts suggest several stages of social evolution of Tamil people. In this
context, consider the following statements:
1. The narrative texts show that Tamil people of the times were primarily pastoral.
2. No reference to trade and economic activities has been made in these texts.
Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
6. Which of the following was/were found in Mohenjodaro?
1. Bronze Image of a dancing girl
2. Steatite image of a bearded man
3. Terracotta figurine of Mother Goddess
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 1 (c) Only 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
7. With reference to the medieval history of India, the terms 'Dahsala', 'Batai' and
'Nasaq' are related to:
(a) Branding of horses with imperial marks by Samudragupta
(b) Rituals during coronation of a Gupta king
(c) Land revenue systems during Tughlaq dynasty
(d) Land revenue systems during Akbar's reign
8. Consider the following statements regarding the administration under Chola
Empire:
1. The Ur and Sabha were village assemblies mentioned under Chola inscriptions.
2. The village affairs were managed by executive committees which were open for
all.
3. The Dravida style Brihadisvara Temple at Tanjore was built by Rajendra I.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 1 and 3 (c) Only 2 (d) 1, 2 and 3
9. Which of the following statements is/are not correct about the Vijayanagara
kingdom?
1. The Vijayanagara kings maintained complete separation between religion and
administration.
2. Land revenue was the main source of income.
3. Administration of the villages was carried out through hereditary officers.
(a) Only 1 and 2 (b) Only 1 (c) Only 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
10.With reference to the Udaigiri-Khandagiri caves, which of the following statements
is/are correct?
1. They are examples of the rock-cut cave tradition.
2. These caves have inscriptions of Kharavela kings.
3. The caves were primarily meant for Buddhist monks.
(a) Only 2 (b) Only 1 and 3 (c) Only 1 and 2 (d) 1, 2 and 3
[2018]
11.Harappan seals were made mostly of
(a) Steatite (b) Red sandstone (c) Terracotta (d) Ivory
12.The leader of a Jain gana was known as
(a) Ganapati (b) Ganadhar (c) Ganaraj (d) Ganak
13.Ibn Battuta, the famous Muslim explorer who came to India during the times of
Muhammad bin Tughlaq, belonged to which country?
(a) Egypt (b) Greece (c) Iran (d) Morocco
14.Who was the Persian appointed by Ashoka to administer the Western province?
(a) Tusapa (b) Justine (c) Plutarch (d) Sunasepah
15.Who among the following was the reformer and philosopher from Ramanandi
Sampradaya in the lineage of Jagadguru Ramanandacharya?
(a) Ramananda (b) Valmiki (c) Tukaram (d) Tulsidas
16.The story of Videh Madhav is narrated in
(a) Atharvaveda (b) Yajurveda (c) Chandogya Upanishad (d) Samveda
17.Consider the following statements about the agrarian system under the Delhi
Sultanate and Mughal empire:
1. Alauddin Khilji imposed taxes called charai and ghari.
2. Muhammad bin Tughlaq imposed additional cesses called abwabs.
3. Under Akbar, dahsala system of land revenue existed.
4. Jahangir introduced the nasq system.
(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (b) 1, 2 and 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1 and 4 only
18.Who among the following was the French explorer who visited the court of
emperor Shah Jahan and left a detailed account of Takht-i-Taus (Peacock
Throne)?
(a) Jean Baptiste Tavernier (b) Geronimo Verroneo (c) Pierre-Jean (d) Jean-Paul Dubois
[2015]
19.Which of the following toilet and cosmetic objects were not likely known to Indus
valley people?
(a) Bronze mirrors (b) Ivory combs (c) Antimony rods (d) Hair dyes
20.Consider the following Bhakti Saints:
1. Dadu Dayal
2. Guru Nanak
3. Tulsidas
Who among the above was preaching when Lodi dynasty fell and Babur took
over?
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 2 only (c) 2 and 3 (d) 1 and 2
[2014]
21.In Islam, offering prayers five times a day is called
(a) Sawm (b) Zakat (c) Salat (d) Shahada
22.Match the following Authors and Writings:
A. Minhaj al-Siraj Juzjani
B. Ziauddin Barani
C. Isami
D. Amir Timur
1. Malfuzat-i-Timuri
2. Fatwa-i-Jahandari
3. Tabaqat-i-Nasiri
4. Futuh-us Salatin
23.Mansur, the court painter of Jahangir, was most famous for painting:
(a) Historical monuments (b) Human portraits (c) Landscape (d) Plants, birds and
animals
24.Which one of the following is not amongst the five provincial centers of the
Mauryan Empire?
(a) Kaushambi (b) Ujjayini (c) Tosali (d) Suvarnagiri
25.Consider the following statements about Prabhavati Gupta:
1. Daughter of Chandragupta I.
2. Married into Vakataka family.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
26.Consider the following statements about Satavahanas:
1. Identified through metronymics.
2. Succession was patrilineal.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
27.According to Buddhist texts, who was the first woman to enter sangha and
ordained as "bhikkhuni"?
(a) Mahamaya Mayadevi (b) Mahapajapati Gotami (c) Mahadevi Yashodhara (d)
Shailbhanjika Anandi
28.Match the following Foreign Travellers with Countries of Origin:
A. Afanasii Nikitin - England
B. Duarte Barbosa - Russia
C. Peter Mundy - Portugal
D. Antonio Monserrate - Spain
29.What defines Polaj land under Akbar?
(a) Annually cultivated land (b) Land left fallow to recover (c) Land fallow 3–4 years (d)
Land uncultivated for 5+ years
[2012]
30.The Harappan Civilization was mainly concentrated in:
(a) Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat (b) Punjab, Rajasthan, MP (c) Punjab, Rajasthan, UP (d)
Delhi, Bengal, Haryana
31.The most common features of all Indus Valley sites are:
(a) Drainage and baked bricks (b) Desert features (c) Building and burial (d) Climate and
fauna
32.Which one is considered the homeland of the Indo-Aryans?
(a) Central Europe (b) India (c) Central Asia/Southern Russia (d) Australia
33.Why is Buddha’s Eight-Fold Path called the Middle Path?
(a) Convergence of religions (b) Eternal truth (c) Balanced life (d) Divine truth
34.The war between Chandragupta Maurya and Nanda Kings is described in:
(a) Dipavamsa (b) Puranas (c) Mudrarakshasa (d) None of these
35.Which Sultan of the Slave Dynasty did not belong to Ilbari tribe?
(a) Qutbuddin Aibak (b) Iltutmish (c) Razia Sultana (d) Gyasuddin Balban
36.Which Bhakti saint wrote ‘Vinay Patrika’?
(a) Tulsidas (b) Sankardev (c) Namdev (d) Tukaram
