- Aurangzeb ordered English factories seized (1686–90) because the English —
- refused local duties in Bengal
- attacked Mughal ships on the west coast
- fortified their trading stations
- all of these
Show answer
Answer: (D) all of these
This was the Anglo-Mughal war, settled in 1690.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Who founded Hyderabad city and built the Charminar?
- Ahmad Quli Qutb Shah
- Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah
- Ibrahim Qutb Shah
- Quli Qutb Shah
Show answer
Answer: (B) Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah
Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah founded the city in 1591.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which of these Bengal factories was Portuguese?
- Kasimbazar
- Chinsurah
- Hughli
- Serampore
Show answer
Answer: (C) Hughli
Chinsurah was Dutch, Serampore Danish. (UPPCS 2004)
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Consider: 1. The Lucknow Pact (1916) brought the Congress and the League closer together. 2. Tilak was against the Lucknow Pact. Which is/are correct? (SCRA 2012)
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (A) 1 only
Tilak was the chief architect of the pact.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - The Allahabad pillar inscription is associated with — (IAS 2006)
- Mahapadma Nanda
- Chandragupta Maurya
- Ashoka
- Samudragupta
Show answer
Answer: (D) Samudragupta
Harishena’s Prayag Prashasti of Samudragupta is engraved on Ashoka’s pillar.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Harsha’s great distribution of gifts at Prayag was held every —
- year
- three years
- five years
- twelve years
Show answer
Answer: (C) five years
The Mahamoksha Parishad, lasting 75 days.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Who spoke for the Liberals at the Second RTC?
- Muhammad Iqbal
- G.D. Birla
- B.R. Ambedkar
- T.B. Sapru
Show answer
Answer: (D) T.B. Sapru
Iqbal — Muslims; Birla — capitalists; Ambedkar — Depressed Classes.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which best describes nirvana in Buddhism? (IAS 2013)
- Extinction of the flame of desire
- Complete annihilation of the self
- A restful, blissful state
- A mental stage beyond comprehension
Show answer
Answer: (A) Extinction of the flame of desire
—
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Who built a new capital on the south bank of a tributary of the Krishna and ruled it as the agent of a deity believed to own all land south of the Krishna? (IAS 2015)
- Amoghavarsha I
- Ballala II
- Harihara I
- Prataparudra II
Show answer
Answer: (C) Harihara I
Harihara I founded Vijayanagara on the Tungabhadra and ruled in the name of Virupaksha.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which author–book pair is wrongly matched?
- T.R. Holmes — A History of the Indian Mutiny
- P.C. Joshi — 1857 in India
- Eric Stokes — The Peasant and the Raj
- Ashok Mehta — 1857: The Great Rebellion
Show answer
Answer: (B) P.C. Joshi — 1857 in India
1857 in India is by A.T. Embree; P.C. Joshi wrote Rebellion 1857.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes →
- Who was NOT a founder of the Khilafat Committee?
- M.A. Jinnah
- Abul Kalam Azad
- Shaukat Ali
- Mohammad Ali
Show answer
Answer: (A) M.A. Jinnah
Jinnah kept away from the Khilafat agitation.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Consider: 1. The Cholas beat the Pandyas and Cheras and dominated the peninsula in early medieval times. 2. The Cholas sent a naval expedition against the Sailendra empire of South-East Asia. Correct? (IAS 2003)
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both
- Neither
Show answer
Answer: (C) Both
Both are true of the imperial Cholas (Rajendra I).
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Who translated the Upanishads into Persian?
- Faizi
- Abul Fazl
- Dara Shikoh
- Badauni
Show answer
Answer: (C) Dara Shikoh
As Sirr-i-Akbar (1657).
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - The capital of the Kamboja Mahajanapada was —
- Rajapura
- Taxila
- Suktimati
- Potana
Show answer
Answer: (A) Rajapura
Kamboja lay in the far north-west; Taxila was Gandhara’s capital.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Slavery in India was declared illegal by —
- Charter Act of 1833
- Act V of 1843
- Regulation X of 1811
- Act of 1856
Show answer
Answer: (B) Act V of 1843
Under Ellenborough; the 1833 Charter only directed abolition.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Correct order of the later Mughals?
- Bahadur Shah I, Farrukhsiyar, Jahandar Shah, Muhammad Shah
- Farrukhsiyar, Bahadur Shah I, Jahandar Shah, Muhammad Shah
- Bahadur Shah I, Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar, Muhammad Shah
- Jahandar Shah, Bahadur Shah I, Muhammad Shah, Farrukhsiyar
Show answer
Answer: (C) Bahadur Shah I, Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar, Muhammad Shah
"Ba-Ja-Fa-Mu".
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - The earliest evidence of rice cultivation comes from
- Central Ganga valley
- Belan valley
- Gomal valley
- Bolan valley
Show answer
Answer: (B) Belan valley
Koldihwa in the Belan valley (Prayagraj) — 6th millennium BC.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Features of the GoI Act 1935: 1. Dyarchy ended in the provinces. 2. Governors could veto bills and make laws on their own. 3. Communal representation ended. Correct:
- 1 only
- 1 and 2
- 2 and 3
- All three
Show answer
Answer: (B) 1 and 2
Communal electorates were kept and even extended. (IAS 2014)
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - A: Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq left Delhi and lived for two years in a camp called Swargadwari. R: Delhi was then hit by a plague-like epidemic and many died. (IAS 2002)
- Both true, R explains A
- Both true, R does not explain A
- A true, R false
- A false, R true
Show answer
Answer: (A) Both true, R explains A
The official key is (a). Famine and disease emptied Delhi; the Sultan camped at Swargadwari on the Ganga near Kannauj.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Who founded the Arya Mahila Samaj and made an early effort to educate widows?
- Pandita Ramabai
- Muthulakshmi Reddy
- Vidyasagar
- Sarala Devi Chaudhurani
- The Sargent Plan (1944) proposed free and compulsory education for which age group?
- 6–11
- 6–14
- 11–17
- 3–6
Show answer
Answer: (B) 6–14
Junior basic 6–11 plus senior basic 11–14.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Sidhu was associated with which rebellion?
- Santhal
- Munda
- Kol
- Sanyasi
Show answer
Answer: (A) Santhal
With his brother Kanhu. (WBPSC 2008)
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Sufi mystics practised — 1. meditation and breath control 2. hard ascetic exercises in solitude 3. holy songs to rouse ecstasy (IAS 2012)
- 1 and 2
- 2 and 3
- 3 only
- All three
Show answer
Answer: (D) All three
All three were Sufi practices.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Who called Samudragupta the "Napoleon of India"?
- R.C. Majumdar
- V.A. Smith
- R.S. Sharma
- A.L. Basham
Show answer
Answer: (B) V.A. Smith
Because of his sweeping campaigns.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Consider: 1. Champaran was Gandhi’s first satyagraha in India. 2. It took up the grievances of peasants forced to grow indigo. Which is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both
- Neither
Show answer
Answer: (C) Both
The tinkathia system tied tenants to indigo on 3/20 of their land.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which teacher held that actions bring neither merit nor sin (Akriyavada)?
- Ajita Kesakambali
- Purana Kassapa
- Pakudha Kachchayana
- Sanjaya Belatthiputta
- Which ancient Indian is famed for surgery, including rhinoplasty and cataract operations? (IAS 1996 type)
- Saumilla
- Shudraka
- Shaunaka
- Sushruta
Show answer
Answer: (D) Sushruta
Sushruta Samhita deals with surgery.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which Kushana ruler called himself "Maheshvara"?
- Kujula Kadphises
- Vima Kadphises
- Kanishka
- Huvishka
Show answer
Answer: (B) Vima Kadphises
His coins show Shiva with trident and Nandi.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which Muslim ruler was hailed as “Jagadguru” for his tolerance? (IAS 2000)
- Husain Shah
- Zain-ul-Abidin
- Ibrahim Adil Shah II
- Mahmud II
Show answer
Answer: (C) Ibrahim Adil Shah II
Bijapur’s Ibrahim Adil Shah II. Zain-ul-Abidin of Kashmir is the “Akbar of Kashmir”.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Mewar submitted to the Mughals under Jahangir mainly because of the command of —
- Prince Parviz
- Prince Khurram
- Mahabat Khan
- Prince Khusrau
Show answer
Answer: (B) Prince Khurram
Rana Amar Singh made peace in 1615.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes →
- Which department did Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq create?
- Diwan-i-Riyasat
- Diwan-i-Amir-i-Kohi
- Diwan-i-Khairat
- Diwan-i-Waqf
Show answer
Answer: (B) Diwan-i-Amir-i-Kohi
The department of agriculture; he also gave sondhar loans to peasants.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Shah Jahan’s Balkh campaign was meant to —
- install a ruler friendly to the Mughals in Balkh–Badakhshan, beside Kabul
- win back Samarkand and Farghana
- fix the frontier on the Amu Darya
- build an empire beyond the subcontinent
Show answer
Answer: (A) install a ruler friendly to the Mughals in Balkh–Badakhshan, beside Kabul
A friendly buffer was the aim; the campaign failed.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which of these pairs are correctly matched? 1. Garba — Gujarat 2. Mohiniyattam — Odisha 3. Yakshagana — Karnataka (UPSC 2014)
- 1 only
- 2 and 3
- 1 and 3
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (C) 1 and 3
Mohiniyattam belongs to Kerala.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which tomb, set in the middle of a large garden, is the prototype of the Taj Mahal?
- Akbar’s tomb, Sikandra
- Itimad-ud-Daulah’s tomb, Agra
- Sher Shah’s tomb, Sasaram
- Humayun’s tomb, Delhi
- Lavani is a dance of —
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Sikkim
- Maharashtra
Show answer
Answer: (D) Maharashtra
Lavani often goes with Tamasha theatre.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - From whom did Ranjit Singh obtain the Koh-i-noor?
- Nadir Shah
- Zaman Shah
- Shah Shuja
- Dost Muhammad
Show answer
Answer: (C) Shah Shuja
Shah Shuja gave it up in 1813.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Indians protested against the Simon Commission mainly because — (IAS 2013)
- They never wanted the 1919 Act reviewed
- It proposed ending dyarchy in the provinces
- It had no Indian member
- It suggested partitioning the country
Show answer
Answer: (C) It had no Indian member
All seven members were British MPs.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Correct chronological order of invaders in ancient India (IAS 2006):
- Greeks, Sakas, Kushanas
- Greeks, Kushanas, Sakas
- Sakas, Greeks, Kushanas
- Sakas, Kushanas, Greeks
Show answer
Answer: (A) Greeks, Sakas, Kushanas
Indo-Greeks (2nd c. BC) → Sakas (1st c. BC) → Kushanas (1st c. AD).
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Under the Doctrine of Lapse, which state was annexed first?
- Jhansi
- Nagpur
- Satara
- Sambalpur
- Why did the Buddha describe his Eightfold Path as a "middle path"? Because it was —
- preached by all religions
- the meeting point of all religions
- a balanced view of life
- the eternal truth of all religions
Show answer
Answer: (C) a balanced view of life
It avoids both indulgence and harsh austerity.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes →
- Which is/are correct about Shivaji’s ministers? 1. Panditrao had no army command. 2. Sachiv was also called Surnavis. 3. Mantri looked after intelligence.
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
- Harsha’s southward march was stopped on the Narmada by (IAS 2003):
- Pulakesin I
- Pulakesin II
- Vikramaditya I
- Vikramaditya II
Show answer
Answer: (B) Pulakesin II
Recorded in Ravikirti’s Aihole inscription.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Who created the covenanted civil service, later called the ICS?
- Warren Hastings
- Wellesley
- Cornwallis
- William Bentinck
- "Tat tvam asi" occurs in which Upanishad?
- Chandogya
- Mundaka
- Mandukya
- Ishavasya
Show answer
Answer: (A) Chandogya
"Satyameva jayate" is from the Mundaka.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which pair is wrongly matched?
- Eka — Madari Pasi
- Rampa — Alluri Sitarama Raju
- Kittur — Rani Chennamma
- Pabna — Baba Ramchandra
Show answer
Answer: (D) Pabna — Baba Ramchandra
Pabna — Ishan Chandra Roy; Baba Ramchandra led the Awadh Kisan Sabha.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Match the governors with events: A. Clive B. Vansittart C. Cartier D. Warren Hastings — 1. ended dual government 2. famine of 1770 3. Buxar 4. dual government set up
- A-4 B-2 C-3 D-1
- A-4 B-3 C-2 D-1
- A-1 B-3 C-2 D-4
- A-1 B-2 C-3 D-4
Show answer
Answer: (B) A-4 B-3 C-2 D-1
Clive–dual govt, Vansittart–Buxar, Cartier–famine, Hastings–ended it.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Yapaniya was a sect of — (IAS 2003)
- Buddhism
- Jainism
- Shaivism
- Vaishnavism
Show answer
Answer: (B) Jainism
A Jain sect that combined Digambara and Shvetambara practices.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Bassein was taken from the Portuguese in 1739 by —
- Balaji Vishwanath
- Chimaji Appa
- Kanhoji Angre
- Sadashiv Rao Bhau
Show answer
Answer: (B) Chimaji Appa
Chimaji Appa was Baji Rao I’s brother.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - At Aurangzeb’s death (1707), Maratha leadership was in the hands of — (UPPCS 2012)
- Sambhaji
- Rajaram
- Jijabai
- Tarabai
Show answer
Answer: (D) Tarabai
She was regent for her son Shivaji II.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - About the Indus civilisation (IAS 2011): 1. It was mainly secular; religion was present but did not dominate. 2. Cotton was used to make textiles.
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither
Show answer
Answer: (C) Both 1 and 2
Both are accepted features.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes →
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