GK Indian history Practice test for UPSC Civil Services prelims

Indian history Practice test for UPSC Civil Services prelims
Civil Services Prelims Practice Test on Indian History
UPSC prelims Indian history practice test papers
1. Which one of the following is the most important feature of Bhagavatism?
(A) Stress on devotion to a personal God
(B) Stress on penance
(C) Stress on rituals
(D) Stress on knowledge
Ans. (A)


2. Amir Khusrau’s Khazain-ul-Futuh gives an account of the military campaigns of—
(A) Malik Kafur in South India
(B) Sultan Balban in the Mewat region
(C) Muhammad Tughlaq in Gujarat
(D) Feroze Tughlaq in Orissa
Ans. (A)


3. Which one of the following sultans introduced a rural tax called haqq-i-Sharb?
(A) Iltutmish
(B) Alauddin Khalji
(C) Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
(D) Feroze Tughlaq
Ans. (D)

4. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other labelled as Reason (R) —
Assertion (A): After the Kushans the Turks brought the technique of constructing the true arch on a massive scale.
Reason (R): The Turks introduced into India the technique of preparing lime-mortar. In the context of the above two statements which one of the following is correct?
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
(B) Both (A) and (R) re true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
(C) (A) is true but (R) is false
(D) (A) is false but (R) is true
Ans. (A)

5. Who among the following Bahamani rulers established a matrimonial a1liancewith one of the Rajas of Vijayanagar?
(A) Alauddin Bahman Shah
(B) Feroze Shah Bahamani
(C) Mahmud Shah-I
(D) Ahmad Shah
Ans. (B)

6. The principal governors of the Vijayanagar Empire were known as —
(A) Rautas
(B) Nayakas
(C) Paligars
(D) Naiyars
Ans. (B)

7. The Hindustan Republican Association founded for organizing an armed revolution was renamed as the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association under the leadership of—
(A) Acharya Narendra Dev
(B) Ram Prasad Bismil
(C) Chandra Shekhar Azad
(D) S. A.Dange
Ans. (C)

8. The Cabinet Delegation consisted f—
(A) Lord Pethic Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps and Mr. Alexander
(B) Lord Wavell, Sir Stafford Cripps and Mr. Alexander
(C) Lord Wavell, Lord Pethic Lawrence and Mr. Alexander
(D) Sir Stafford Cripps, Lord Wavell and Lord Pethic Lawrence
Ans. (A)

9. The niravasita (Excluded) and aniravasita (not excluded) Shudras has been referred to by—
(A) Yaska in the Nirukta
(B) Panini in the Ashtadhyayi
(C) Kautilya in the Arthashastra
(D) None of the above
Ans. (B)

10. During the thirteenth century the term fawazil denoted—
(A) The surplus revenue remitted to the State
(B) A head man of Pargana
(C) A military rank
(D) The crown land
Ans. (A)

11. The change of the capital of the Bahmani kingdom from Gulbarga to Bidar took place during the reign of—
(A) Shihabuddin Ahmad-I
(B Ghiyasuddin Tahmtan
(C) Shamsuddin Daud
(D) Tajuddin Feroze
Ans. (A)

12. The central administration of the Vijayanagar kingdom maintained contact with the village through an officer called—
(A) Naik
(B) Mahanayakacharyya
(C) Mahapratihara
(D) Dandapasika
Ans. (B)

13. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer by using the codes given below the lists:
List-I List-II
(a) Ajanta 1. Temples built by the Chandela rulers
(b) Ellora 2. Cave Paintings
(c) Khajuraho 3. Kailasha temple
(d) Elephanta 4. Brahmanical sculptures
Codes:
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 2 3 1 4
(B) 2 4 1 3
(C) 1 3 4 2
(D) 3 2 1 4
Ans. (A)

14. Who among the following had referred to the lost glory and splendour of Pataliputra?
(A) Cosms
(B) Fa-hien
(C) Huien Tsang
(D) Megasthenes
Ans. (C)

15. Which one of the following Sultans brought the Ashokan Pillar to Delhi?
(A) Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
(B) Firoze Tughlaq
(C) Alauddin Khalji
(D) Muhammad Tughlaq
Ans. (B)

16. Which one of the following measures was taken by Balban for reestablishing the prestige and power of the crown?
1. He claimed his descent from the mythical hero Afrasiyab.
2. He copied the court etiquettes of the Iranian Court.
3. He instituted rigid formalities in the harem.
4. He reorganised the boundaries of provinces of the kingdom.
Select the correct answer by using the codes given below:
(A) 2 and 3
(B) 1 and 2
(C) 3 and 4
(D) 2 and 4
Ans. (B)

17. The fixation of land revenue on the basis measurement of land and estimation of yield per biswa was done first under—
(A) Alauddin Khalji
(B) Muhammed Tughlaq
(C) Firoze Shah Tughlaq
(D) Sikandar Lodi
Ans. (A)

18. The Vijayanagar emperor who made the greatest contribution to Telugu and Sanskrit literature was —
(A) Devaraya I
(B) Devaraya II
(C) Krishnadevaraya
(D) Ramaraya
Ans. (C)

19. The chronological order in which the following foreign travellers, viz.—
1. Nicolo Conti
2. Abdur Razzaq
3. Ibn Batuta, and
4. Barbosa
visited India is —
(A) 1,3,4,2
(B) 3,1,2,4
(C) 3,1,4,2
(D) 1,3,2,4
Ans. (B)

20. During the reign of Ashoka Kumaras were stationed at—
(A) Takshasila, Tosali and Ujjayani
(B) Takshasila, Ujjayani and Junagarh
(C) Takshasila, Tosali and Sopara
(D) Ujjayani, Mathura and Yerragudi
Ans. (A)

21. The first session of the All India Trade Union Congress held in Bombay was presided over by—
(A) Lala Lajpat Rai
(B) S.A.Dange
(C) N.M. Joshi
(D) B. Shiva Rao
Ans. (A)

22. The crops cultivated by the Harappans included—
(A) Wheat, barley and mustard
(B) Barley, groundnut and rice
(C) Wheat, rice and sugarcane
(D) Wheat, cotton and sugarcane
Ans. (A)

23. Which of the following Harappan sites are located in the Kutch region?
(A) Desalpur and Surkotada
(B) Rangpur and Rojidi
(C) Allabadino and Balakot
(D) Lothal and Surkotada
Ans. (A)

24. Which one of the following is correctly matched in the context of the Vedi culture?
(A) Asura : A sacred plant
(B) Pushan : Tribal assembly
(C) Rita : Inebriating drink
(D) Ribhu : Gnomes
Ans. (D)

25. In the succession issue of which one of the following Rajput status Emperor Jahangir intervened and gave tika to the person of his choice?
(A) Amber
(B) Marwar
(C) Bikaner
(D) Jaisalmer
Ans. (A)

26. Which of the following two kingdoms in the Deccan were conquered by Aurangzeb?
(A) Bidar and Bijapur
(B) Bijapur and Golconda
(C) Golconda and Ahmadnagar
(D) Ahmadnagar and Bijapur
Ans. (B)

27. Abul Fazl gives names of a few Mughal artists in the Ain-i-Akbari who worked at the Mughal atelier. The number of painters mentioned by him is—
(A) 17
(B) 22
(C) 28
(D) 34
Ans. (A)

28. Which of the following are correctly matched?
Mughal emperors Tomb at
1. Babur : Kabul
2. Akbar : Fatehpur Sikri
3. Jahangir : Lahore
4. Bahadur Shah Zafar: Delhi
Codes:
(A) 1and2
(B) 2 and 3
(C) 3and4
(D) 1 and3
Ans. (D)

29. Abul Fazl refers in his writings to the—
(A) Methods of distillation
(B) Working of telescope
(C) Principle of gravitation
(D) Technique of metal casting
Ans. (D)

30. Which one of the following was well known for the production of indigo during the seventeenth century?
(A) Balasore
(B) Kalpi
(C) Lahore
(D) Sarkhej
Ans. (D)

31. The Portuguese conquered Goa and lost Hormuz respectively in—
(A) A.D.1505and 1598
(B) A.D.l5lOand 1605
(C) A.D. 1510 and 1622
(D) A.D. 1515 and 1618
Ans. (C)

32. Which one of the following was written by prince Dara Shikoh?
(A) Fuwaid-ul-Fawad
(B) Chahar Guishan
(C) Chahar Chaman
(D) Majma-ul-Bahrain
Ans. (D)

33. Who among the following were the sons and grandson of Bahadur Shah II and played a prominent role in the Rebellion of 1857 and were captured and shot?
(A) Bakhat Khan, Ahsanullah Khan and Mahbub Ali
(B) Mirza Moghul, Mirza Khwaja Sultan and Mirza Abu Bakr
(C) Prince Azam, Azim-ush-Shan and Muazzam
(D) Asad Khan, Kam Bakhash and Jahandar Shah
Ans. (B)

34. The Poona Pact aimed at—
(A) Hindu-Muslim unity
(B) Representation of lower castes
(C) Privileges of the princes
(D) Review of the working of Dyarchy
Ans. (B)

35. Who among the following is said to be the founder of the Pasupata cult?
(A) Basava
(B) Lakulisa
(C) Kusika
(D) Gorakhnatha
Ans. (B)

36. Most of the Ashokan inscriptions are in Prakrit language because it was—
(A) The language of the State
(B) Understood by a majority of the people
(C) Used by the Tathagata Buddha
(D) The only language known at that time
Ans. (B)

37. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer:
List-I List-II
(Period) (Revenue settlement)
(a) 1833 1. Ryotwan
(b) 1793 2. Mahalwari
(c) 1792 3. Zamindari
(d) 1769 4. Quinquennial
5. Decennial
Codes:
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 1 2 3 4
(B) 2 3 1 4
(C) 2 3 5 4
(D) 3 2 1 5
Ans. (C)
 
38. The Longest canal of its time which is still used and is most beneficial to North India was built by —
(A) Shershah Suri
(B) Babur
(C) Firoze Shah
(D) Shahjahan
Ans. (C)

39. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists
List-I (Events) List II (Years)
(a) Conquest of Malwa 1. 1562
(b) Formation of Subas 2. 1574-75
(c) Annexation of Kashm 3. 1580
(d) Establishment of the Department 4. 1586
of New reporting
Codes:
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 3 1 2 4
(B) 1 3 2 4
(C) 3 1 4 2
(D) 1 3 4 2
Ans. (D)

40. Which of the following were the main features of the imperial Mughal land revenue
System?
1. It varied according to the crop grown.
2. It varied from region to region.
3. It varied according to farming bids received.
4. It varied according to individual contracts with village headmen.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(A) 2,3and4
(B) land4
(C) land2
(D) land3
Ans. (C)

41. “So complete was the ruin that not a cat or dog was left among the buildings of the city, in its palace or its Suburbs.” The above statement about the transfer of capital by Sultan Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq was made by—
(A) Amir Khusrau
(B) Isami
(C) IbnBatuta
(D) Ziauddin Barani
Ans. (D)
42. The following Sufi Silsilas (orders)
1. Naqshbandi
2. Chisti
3. Qacliri, and
4. Suharawardi appeared in India at different times. Their chronological order is—
(A) 4,2,3,1
(B) 2,4,1,3
(C) 2,4,3,1
(D) 4,2,1,3
Ans. (C)

43. Consider the passage given below: “No one should interfere with the people’s religious beliefs, for no one deliberately chooses an incorrect religion.” This view was expressed in—
(A) Advice to Bughra Khan
(B) Advice to Humayun
(C) Letter to Shah Abbas
(D) Message to Khusrau
Ans. (C)

44. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer by using the codes given below the lists
List-I (Period) List-II (Events)
(a) 1645 AD 1. Aurangzeb was appointed Viceroy of Deccan
(b) 1637 AD 2. Gujarat famine
(c) 1630 AD 3. Transfer of capital to Shahjahanabad
(d) 1666 AD 4. Death of Shahjahan
5. Capture of Kangra fort
Codes:
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(A) 3 1 5 4
(B) 3 1 2 4
(C) 4 3 1 2
(D) 1 3 2 5
Ans. (B)

45. Which one of the following pairs is not ?correctly matched?
(A) Arif Qandahan Tarikh-i-Akbari
(B) Nizamuddin Ahmad Tabaqat-i-Akbari
(C) Abdul Qadir Badauni Muntakhab-utTawarikh
(D) Mutamad Khan Khulastut Twairikh
Ans. (D)

46. That men in some areas of India lived in underground pits is suggested by excavations in—
(A) Bihar
(B) Kashmir
(C) Karnataka
(D) Rajasthan
Ans. (B)

47. Aranyani, Goddess of the forest, is first mentioned in the —
(A) Rik Samhita
(B) Xtharvaveda
(C) Aranyaka texts
(D) Upailishadic texts
Ans. (A)

48. They mention the ruling families of the Kurus, Panchalas and the Ikshavakus:
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
(A) l and 2
(B) 1 and 3
(C) 2, 3 and 4
(D) l, 2, 3 and 4
Ans. (C)



49. The doctrine of void (Shunyat) was first expounded by the Buddhist philosopher—
(A) Nagarjuna
(B) Nagasena
(C) Ananda
(D) Ashvaghosha
Ans. (A)

50. The fertile agrarian tract in the early Tamil country is denoted by the term—
(A) Palai
(B) Marudam
(C) Mullai
(D) Neydal
Ans. (B)