Ancient History Test 3

Answer – c

Among the numerous tribal revolts, the Santhal hool or uprising was the most massive. The Santhals, who live in the area between Bhagalpur and Rajmahal, known as Daman-i-koh, rose in revolt; made a determined attempt to expel the outsiders — the dikus — and proclaimed the complete ‘annihilation’ of the alien regime. Sido and Kanhu, the principal rebel leaders, claimed that Thakur (God) had communicated with them and told them to take up arms and fight for independence.

Source – Chapter 2, India’s struggle for independence

Answer – b

• In the Old Stone Age, they used stone tools, hand-sized and flaked-off large pebbles for hunting animals. Stone implements are made of a hard rock known as quartzite. Large pebbles are often found in river terraces. In the sites of Mesolithic Age, a different type of stone tools is found. These are tiny stone artifacts, often not more than five centimeters in size, and therefore called microliths.
• In Mesolithic period, there seems to have been a shift from big animal hunting to small animal hunting and fishing. The use of bow and arrow also began during this period. Also, there began a tendency to settle for longer periods in an area. Therefore, domestication of animals, horticulture and primitive cultivation started. Animal bones are found in these sites and these include dog, deer, boar and ostrich.

Source – Chapter 2, Tamil Nadu Class 11^th

Answer – b

• During the Rig Vedic period, the Aryans were mostly confined to the Indus region. The Rig Veda refers to Saptasindhu or the land of seven rivers. This includes the five rivers of Punjab, namely Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej along with the Indus and Saraswathi.
• The basic unit of political organization was kula or family. Several families joined together on the basis of their kinship to form a village or grama. The leader of grama was known as gramani. A group of villages constituted a larger unit called visu. It was headed by vishayapati.
• Bala Gangadhara Tilak argues that the Aryans came from the Arctic region on astronomical calculations. However, the theory of southern Russia appears to be more probable and widely accepted by historians ( Note that both Aryan migration and Aryan invasion are highly debated, inviting bitter political contestations. However it is better to know what Tilak thought of the issue when the debate was in infancy).

Source – Chapter 3, TN Class 11^th

Answer – d

• The complex rituals and sacrifices advocated in the Later Vedic period were not acceptable to the common people. The sacrificial ceremonies were also found to be too expensive. The superstitious beliefs and mantras confused the people. In contrast, Rig vedic practices were simple in the preceding period.
• The teachings of Upanishads, an alternative to the system of sacrifices, were highly philosophical in nature and therefore not easily understood by all. Therefore, what was needed in the larger interests of the people was a simple, short and intelligible way to salvation for all people. Such religious teaching should also be in a language known to them. This need was fulfilled by the teachings of Buddha and Mahavira.
• Higher classes enjoyed certain privileges which were denied to the lower classes. Also, the Kshatriyas had resented the domination of the priestly class. It should also to be noted that both Buddha and Mahavira belonged to Kshatriya origin. The growth of trade led to the improvement in the economic conditions of the Vaisyas. As a result, they wanted to enhance their social status but the orthodox Varna system did not allow this. Therefore, they began to extend support to Buddhism and Jainism.

Source – Chapter 4, TN Class 11th

Answer – c

• Buddhist literature Anguttara Nikaya gives a list of sixteen great kingdoms called ‘Sixteen Mahajanapadas’. They were Anga, Magadha, Kasi, Kosala, Vajji, Malla, Chedi, Vatsa, Kuru, Panchala, Matsya, Surasena, Asmaka, Avanti, Gandhara and Kambhoja.
• Vatsa kingdom was situated on the banks of the river Yamuna. Its capital was Kausambi near modern Allahabad. Vatsa was later annexed to the Avanti kingdom, whose capital of Avanti was Ujjain

Source – Chapter 5, TN Class 11^th

Answer – b

• Apart from theBrahmo Samaj, which has branches in several parts of the country, the Paramahansa Mandali and thePrarthana Samaj in Maharashtra and the Arya Samaj in Punjab and North India were some of theprominent movements among the Hindus.
• There were several other regional and caste movements likethe Kayasth Sabha in Uttar Pradesh and the Sarin Sabha in Punjab.
• The backward castes also startedthe work of reformation with the Satya Sodhak Samaj in Maharashtra and the Sri Narayana DharmaParipalana Sabha in Kerala.
• The Ahmadiya and Aligarh movements, the Singh Sabha and theRehnumai Mazdeyasan Sabha represented the spirit of reform among the Muslims, the Sikhs and theParsees respectively.

Answer – b

• Under Lytton, the first Famine Commission (1878-80) under Sir Richard Strachey was
  appointed and it made many commendable recommendations. They include provision of funds for famine relief and construction work in the annual budget. The Famine Code came into existence in 1883.
• In 1878, the Arms Act was passed by Lord Lytton. This Act prevented the Indians to keep arms without appropriate license. Its violation would be a criminal offence. The Europeans and the Anglo- Indians were exempted from the operation of these legislations
• Lord Lytton introduced uniform salt tax throughout British India
• When Lord Lytton was appointed the Viceroy of India, he was instructed by the
  home government to follow a forward policy. The Russian attempt to send a mission to Afghanistan was the main cause of the Second Afghan War from 1878 to 1880.

Answer – d

Many foreign travelers visited the Vijayanagar Empire and their accounts are also valuable. The Moroccan traveler, Ibn Battuta, Venetian traveler Nicolo de Conti, Persian traveler Abdur Razzak and the Portuguese traveler Domingo Paes were among them who
left valuable accounts on the socio-economic conditions of the Vijayanagar Empire.

Answer – a

Nothing much to explain. But as Romila Thapar amusingly explains that it was amazing that when Samudragupta was making Harisena to record his military achievements, he barely knew that the same inscription had engraved dhamma principles by Ashoka. Later, Jahangir used the same inscription in Allahabad for his recordings.

Answer – b

• 1 is a Palaeolithic site in Tamil Nadu
• 2 is in Tamil Nadu in Cauvery valley, south of Kurnool caves.
• 3 is on Af-Pak border.
• 4 is in Tripura.

Solution: d)

The Gupta kings patronized Brahmanical Hinduism. In other words, the period witnessed the ascendancy of Brahmanical religious beliefs like Vaishnavism, Saivism, Shakti worship etc. The rulers themselves were ardent worshippers of Vishnu and accepted Vaishnavite titles like Parama Bliagabata, Parama Bhattaraka etc.

Solution: c)

These were the major categories:

• Vellanvagai: land of non-Brahmana peasant proprietors
• Brahmadeya: land gifted to Brahmanas
• Shalabhoga: land for the maintenance of a school
• Devadana, tirunamattukkani: land gifted to temples
• Pallichchhandam: land donated to Jaina institutions

Solution: d)

“The memorizing of chronicles, dynastic histories, or epic tales was the work of a group of people, the sutas and magadhas.”

Solution: a)

Suvarnabhumi, which means “The Land of Gold”, is an ancient term for Southeast Asia, found in early Buddhist and Hindu literature.

Solution: b)

It is a Sanskrit play by Kalidasa. It is based on some events of the reign of Pushyamitra Shunga.

The play tells the story of the love of Agnimitra, the Shunga Emperor at Vidisha, for the beautiful hand-maiden of his chief queen.

Solution: a) 

• The first volume dealt with Akbar’s ancestors and the second volume recorded the events of Akbar’s reign. The third volume is the Ain-I Akbari. It deals with Akbar’s administration, household, army, the revenues and geography of his empire.
• It also provides rich details about the traditions and culture of the people living in India. The most interesting aspect about the Ain-i Akbari is its rich statistical details about things as diverse as crops, yields, prices, wages and revenues.

Solution: a) 

By the seventh century there were big landlords or warrior chiefs in different regions of the subcontinent.

• Existing kings often acknowledged them as their subordinates or samantas.
• They were expected to bring gifts for their kings or overlords, be present at their courts and provide them with military support.
• As samantas gained power and wealth, they declared themselves to be maha-samanta, mahamandaleshvara (the great lord of a “circle” or region) and so on.
• Sometimes they asserted their independence from their overlords.

Solution: a) 

The greatest of the military achievements of Chandragupta II was his war against the Saka satraps of western India.

• Rudrasimha III, the last ruler of the Saka satrap was defeated, dethroned and killed.
• His territories in western Malwa and the Kathiawar Peninsula were annexed into the Gupta Empire.
• After this victory he performed the horse sacrifice and assumed the title Sakari, meaning, ‘destroyer of Sakas’. He also called himself Vikramaditya.

Solution: b) 

• Statement 1: During this period, besides the temples and mathas as educational centres, several educational institutions also flourished.
• Statement 2 and 3: The development of Tamil literature reached its peak during the Chola period. And a lot of it came from the contribution of education and literature to the enrichment of this culture.
• Mathematics and medicine studies showed that Kings encouraged logical and intellectual pursuits and were not centred entirely on religious studies.

Solution: a) 

There were many sects or schools of thought in that period (especially Buddhist period).

• Lively discussions and debates took place between the teachers of these schools of thought.
• Teachers like Buddha and Mahavira travelled from place to place, trying to convince one another as well as laypersons, about the validity of their philosophy or the way they understood the world.
• Debates took place in the kutagarashala (a hut with a pointed roof) and in groves where travelling mendicants halted.
• If a philosopher succeeded in convincing one of his rivals, the followers of the latter also became his disciples. So support for any particular sect could grow and shrink over time.